Six GATF from Wes
- Thread starter thebiggerthebetter
- Start date
I think that guys tank is over 4,000g. He posted the dimensions on Facebook. Something like 12ft x 6ft x 6ft. He had a vid where he is in the tank feeding it. I believe it's over 3 ft now but it was one of those quick growers where he got it from 6in to 3ft in like 3 or 4 years.
Damn we lose way too many like that...
My first GATF loss has come, just along this fashion - knocking themselves out.
As I said back on page 2 (you guys are prolific typists but I learned a lot; thanks) my first six GATF I got in March 2017 were getting skittish more and more lately to the point of unreasonableness. I couldn't pass by their 240 gal without them going bezerk. The closer I passed, the exponentially stronger was their response... until a few days back, one knocked itself out bad, knocked out two front upper teeth, and never recovered.
TBH, that hurt bad.
I had some dithers in their tank but not enough and they were not big enough either. So I thought the remaining five probably could benefit from more and larger calm dithers and added 10 more - 3 large bala sharks, 3 tor putitora, two silver dollars, and two flagtail Prochilodus, all 6"-10".
I saw an effect immediately. The GATF calmed down 100x. I can actually walk by their tank within 10-15 feet and they don't dart or frantically look for a way to swim away.
Too late for the one that perished. It was 8.5" to the caudal base fork. See below.
Wes says his friend's adult GATF in 35,000 gal are totally calm and aren't bothered by people in the slightest. He observed the same in another friend's crowded 400 gal tank with an 18" GATF - no skittishness at all.
fugupuff
Mine still try to swim away when I approach the tank close but far not as badly as before. Will try and shoot a video of the tank with the new stock soon, if nothing deleterious develops out of this reshuffling.
Does anyone have pro and con observations of dithers mitigating GATF nervousness?
I did get 9-10 new GATF from Wes but it's a struggle. Will report later if I am able to stabilize them.
Last edited:
Gorgeous specimen, sorry for your loss. Sorry for the derail too, they got me going lol.
I've long been an advocate of dithers for ATF, I used to always tell people to add three tinfoil barbs for every ATF being added, so you're in the ballpark of what I would have done. Young ATF tend to be a schooling fish in the shallows at the edge of a lake or river. The lack of dithers will freak them out thanks to a deep seated instinctive response to predators. The lack of dithers signifies a reason to hide, because the dithers are hiding.
A larger, sexually mature ATF (at 15-18" or so), especially a larger GATF, is an apex predator that really doesn't have any reason to fear anything.
I've long been an advocate of dithers for ATF, I used to always tell people to add three tinfoil barbs for every ATF being added, so you're in the ballpark of what I would have done. Young ATF tend to be a schooling fish in the shallows at the edge of a lake or river. The lack of dithers will freak them out thanks to a deep seated instinctive response to predators. The lack of dithers signifies a reason to hide, because the dithers are hiding.
A larger, sexually mature ATF (at 15-18" or so), especially a larger GATF, is an apex predator that really doesn't have any reason to fear anything.
Sorry for your loss buddy . And yeah dithers help a lot. Also, in my experience, baby Goliaths tend to ‘feed’ off of the nature of the other fish in the tank. For example, when I had my Goliath with 3 acnodon normanis (tiger sheep pacu) he was extremely skittish, just like the pacus. And they were acting exactly like you mentioned, I would actually turn off the lights and feed them only at night because the fish would go crazy and start hitting themselves. But when I switched the dithers to tiger scats (not skittish at all), the Goliath became extremely relaxed. And the change was almost instant.
. And yeah dithers help a lot. Also, in my experience, baby Goliaths tend to ‘feed’ off of the nature of the other fish in the tank. For example, when I had my Goliath with 3 acnodon normanis (tiger sheep pacu) he was extremely skittish, just like the pacus. And they were acting exactly like you mentioned, I would actually turn off the lights and feed them only at night because the fish would go crazy and start hitting themselves. But when I switched the dithers to tiger scats (not skittish at all), the Goliath became extremely relaxed. And the change was almost instant.
Sorry for your beautiful gatf buddy, I can also attest to how my tags were not skittish at all in a crowded tank lol. However depends on personality of individual fish, had a couple that were just extremely shy. I just lost a xingu cichla from knocking itself out in a 6feet long tank that was overly skittish.
Ok, I am now upset and will ask the most important question. Who are these friends of Wes that has a massive aimara in a 10,000g tank and an adult gatf in a 35,000g tank? And more importantly why do we not have pics and vids?
Shame on you
fugupuff
!!!
Obviously I am j/k.
Shame on you
fugupuff
!!!Obviously I am j/k.
Sure we all wonder the same lolOk, I am now upset and will ask the most important question. Who are these friends of Wes that has a massive aimara in a 10,000g tank and an adult gatf in a 35,000g tank? And more importantly why do we not have pics and vids?
Shame on you
Obviously I am j/k.
