Robert Paulson the Salminus brasiliensis (Argentinian Golden Dorado) growout thread

[keepinfish]

DB, man that is to bad to hear about the dorado what a beast of a fish... i do not feel like it is diet related to the armatus. i feel it is mostly due to tankmates! Your tank has lots of predators, big ones at that. i believe it has something to do with it IMO. something is bound to stress or spook or get weak with active fish like lince..etc lots going on in there!

again, sorry to hear!

 

[DB junkie]

Really? There's 3 Wolves (2@ 12" 1@20") that only leave the bottom of the tank to eat and associate with people, a Royal knife that hides all day, a pushover dither Brycon, a Tor (giant minnow) and a Jardini? A few cats that act like driftwood all day? Yes that Lince likes to swim but they're overgrown active pictus with no teeth. A 20" wolf is something, BUT Lucy has been here 5++ years and has PROVEN to be nothing but a big ol puddycat. That's too much for 40ft2? 5 rays? IF anything I'd say I need to do the opposite and increase the free swimming stock. Start JDM'in that sucker! lol

I've had that tank popping with predators in the past, but right now it's a joke in that sense. The 360 That has a massive like 2.5' Clown, Tanzie Tiger, Aimara and a pair of Mbiguas - now thats a predator tank I don't even like having to get into.

There's a 6x3x18 here I could put the Dorado in for now but with 4 smaller rays in there I feel like there's no height compared to the 30" he's used to...

Well - Good news is I'm moving and have a little room to expand so time to start working on new assignments, and I'd love some feed back I make mistakes just like everyone else so if somethings a bad idea maybe best to avoid it. Lince will go to a pond. He's done in the tank. Obviously needs bigger. There will be at least 2 more 30" tall tanks going up so Dorado can get one to himself IF he's still around.

 

[KNH]

I've always enjoyed watching your predator tanks but I think keepinfish has a point. I think my vatf has done so well because he's been the main predator in the tank. No one to brawl with/fight or flight issues. No territorial claims or maturing males trying to dominate each other. Just a thought. Hope your dorado recovers.

 

[keepinfish]

You may be right.. but all I'm going by is the amazing vids you've shown in the past with a bunch of monsters!! Lol
Either way hope he pulls around..

 

[moe214]

I think your initial thought is correct. I'm not one to doubt fish gaining an emotional attachment. I've seen a video on YouTube of a pair of umbees, paired for years, then the male died and the female stood on his body, had to be pushed out the way to get the umber out and stood there for days without eating. Idk what happened to her. But to me she was obviously stressed without her partner. So as you thought, maybe it's what's going on.

 

[DB junkie]

I am not one to usually argue much about anything anymore.... We all know different people have different luck and variables are different for everyone, but one thing I do know is the tank I spend the most time in front of......

What do you guys know about wolves? How many have you kept? You know how many are apex preds and how many act like it? 1. Aimara. The rest of the species I've kept are puddy cats.

Notice how many ATF are in the 750? None.

Seriously guys tell me how many "apex" preds are in this tank? Gonna call a teenage Jardini an "apex" pred? Ok along with the Dorado that makes 2.

Like I said, this tank has had preds in the past, whats in it now I would have a hard time rating it as any more then a spicy community.

In the past my tanks have been possible cause my basement is full of tanks with rays in them and hardly any fish - giving plenty of space to keep everyone separated. Every once in a while I'll try experiements, but if they fail or are questionable they all go back to home tanks. I don't enjoy wasting money and careless mistakes with tankmates is a complete waste of money, I think I manage pretty well here considering how poorly things could go if I didn't spend as much time as I do observing......

I don't post pics much here anymore so maybe it's time to give an idea of how the tanks here are stocked.....

Odoe get a 300. Share with Tiger Dollars, Ornate Pims, and a Black Aro over 5 juvy rays.

Cuda get a 8' 220, share with a single PTC, and Tiger Scat, over 5 lil rays.

The smallest Tanzy resides in a 6x3 with a trio of rays. All by himself. Flawless.

Next 4 pics are what I'd call a predatory tank..... 8x3x2 1.5' Aimara, 1.5' Tanzy, (2) 1.5' Hoplias Mbigua, and a Clown Knife probably 28"? As you can see, not much for saparring going on amongst this tank. It's very easy to tell when these guys have spats - its few and far between.

Last pick is the beast Tanzy in a 180. Another example of a flawless fish kept solo with (a) ray.

Like I said, will have a lot more room once we move and get ALL the tanks up, should still have room for a few epic builds after all the tanks are up....

Still not sure if I should move the Dorado, or maybe introduce the Jar to an "aggressive" tank...... Still feel like intervention might be needed in the ol big tank......

 

[kendragon]

It was you that got me started in an aggressive tank. Yep.....inspired me to get into a group of Armatus. Sad to say, I crashed and burned on my first tank on MFK. Had no idea how to take care of them. Live and learn. Good luck with the move.

 

[DB junkie]

It was you that got me started in an aggressive tank. Yep.....inspired me to get into a group of Armatus. Sad to say, I crashed and burned on my first tank on MFK. Had no idea how to take care of them. Live and learn. Good luck with the move.

Better to crash and burn on your first tank instead of your 1st through 8? 9? lol forgot what I'm up to for "failures"...... lol

Did you turn around and do the same thing I did and buy a batch every year for the next 4 years only to fail year after year after year? LMAO.......

Did you ever figure them out Ken? All i figured out is I want to try again with a bigger tank....... Maybe different diet?

The move will probably be the death of me....... I appreciate the well wishes though Ken! Thank you!

 

[moe214]

I don't think anyone has been pointing their fingers at the wolves DB... they aren't the only predator you keep. That being said, since you seem very concerned with them. I've only read everything I could on wolves. Other than that my experience is limited to many malas and a curupira in regards to hoplias. I've always had one since I've gotten into fish keeping on my own which has been about 8 years for me now. I've never had an overly aggressive specimen. They've always kept to themselves mostly, only attacking when provoked. Only other thing I noticed was they'd give a gentle nip at anything directly in front of their face. That being said, I've never kept anything real active until I got my curupira. I've had active fish in the past but with the malas they didn't occupy the same water column. I only had one mala that hovered most of his time begging for food and he was probably my friendliest wolf ever so far. Now with my curu, being a little more active than that mala, he doesn't like anything that is constantly in the move. I've tried SD and Bala sharks on multiple occasions and failed every time. Sure they're not as hardy as your brycron but it's what I have to work with around here. My wolf was never able to eat them. In fact two Bala sharks were the same size in length and taller bodied. He still mauled them. He took chunks out of them etc until they were dead. They'd last few days to a few weeks before he got annoyed. Could just be my specimen. Other than this and his off days, he relaxes with everyone and anyone. The most active fish I have are my odoe and gold wolf.

That all being said I don't think your wolf is the cause of what your brassie is going through.

I notice you seem worried about the jardini as well. If you asked me, a jardini has nothing on a dorado. But then again personality matters. In that tank I'd think a jar would be more relaxed than they're known for. But maybe you have an exceptionally mean one with an exceptionally nice dorado. I've not kept a jar so I won't comment much on that. I've only read a lot on them as they are my favorite of the aros. Again I wouldn't think a jardini has anything on a dorado but you never know in this hobby.

Another thing, I wouldn't go off of what we know in the wild to much. Inside a tank is much different, especially when mixing fish that aren't found together in the wild. They're adapted to different things, we can't say how it'll turn out every time as you know. Then again what do I know. You've dealt with many more fish than I have, ones that I can only dream of keeping as of now.

 

[DB junkie]

This is only the second Jar I've kept, this one being a pushover compared to the nightmare I raised when a gold fish feeding LFS closed down....

I think the Jar is just like the Brycon.... Very passive. He was raised in a heavily populated community and seems very happy in the 750. I think if he acted anything like my old Jar Lucy would have had run ins with him/it. Typically any fish entering the tank with an attitude is quickly met/adjusted by Lucy - Watched it happen with the Clown Knife, everything else has adjusted almost trouble free.....

Maybe I should ditch the idea of freshwater and set up a huge system for eels again - just get some greens and Tessies and forget the let down that fresh water preds has turned into?