The BAD Boys- living with wyckioides and wykii

[thebiggerthebetter]

So the wyckii relaxed (almost?) completely in the large enclosure with respect to the tank mates listed above, apart from the ARTC that are all gone now? If so, that is good news for me. I have been afraid to try out our wyckii in a 4500 gal. I still am but your report is encouraging.

One factor that adds to the uncertainty of duplicating your success is your double liner with the inhabitable space in between. No one has this arrangement but you.

 

[Fishman Dave]

I have to admit, the pond has many defined areas. It has 6 off 8" diameter pvc pipes of 1 to 2 ft length although only the cichlids use these as areas to retreat to. It has 3 areas of either 2ft square rock surface cover or tree stump cover which most fish can get under (including the gourami) and of course it has the entire outer edge the whole way round with a double liner which now had 3 distinct openings/entrances but only appears to be used by the wykii, although I would not really class any of the other cats I have in there as "hiding place" catfish. Most argue over a defined territory which is more a space from and to a rock rather than under it, like the pims and the sperata. Then there are those like the Red tail and vulture who just don't care about territory and go where they want and don't own any particular space.
I often thought about whether an empty space would create less arguments or more and my initial thoughts were that nowhere to fight over might be better, but after a number of years now, I really do think that having these areas in my case really helps. The pond is an enclosed space and I think for me it allows them some security of ownership which calms the aggression and helps define the hierarchy and pecking order. ALbeit , I end up having to put 10kg rocks back up when folks do fall out or the Red tail swishes a tail too enthusiastically.
Would it work for you? Maybe, but it would be highly impractical, just like my 2" deep gravel bottom, solely there for the two giraffes to completely move from one end of the pond to the other every night searching for any missed sturgeon pellets.
Good luck though if it rather when you do try moving it to the pond.

 

[vincentwugwg]

I've housed many a Wyckii with tankmates. Only once did I have a terrible result. Wyckii got the bad end of the deal as it picked a fight with an alligator gar about it's size. I currently have 2 wyckii cats in somewhat of a community setting. Almost two months in... and so far doing good. An almost 30 inch wyckii in a 1300 gallon tank and a smaller 18 in. wyckii in a corner style 350 gallon tank.

 

[Fishman Dave]

Small update.
Wykii still lives behind the second liner which now has three made entrances. she continues to prowl behind and classes that as her territory. She is now well over 24" and to date the only fish she does not get on with is the sperata aor who always has scratch and scrape marks. Since she now hand feeds I will try to get a video of her coming out to feed and post that in another update. Still too nervous to put the 16" piraiba or 16" bagarius yarrelli into the pond especially as the bagarius may decide to move on behind the liner.

 

[Fishman Dave]

You may have read in another thread that I tried to put the piriaba in the pond. It didn’t go well and the piriaba in a mad dash ended up behind the liner where the Wykii beat the crap out of it in only one or two swipes.
The below video shows her sticking her head out of her cave whilst I am filming through the 1” Perspex And having a go at me. Best with sound on as you can hear her bite the glass!

 

[fishhead0103666]

Feisty little bugger I tell you what.

Also why is the video marked as kids content?

 

[Justepic]

Feisty little bugger I tell you what.

Also why is the video marked as kids content?

Youtube did this stupid thing where now every video published has to be either for kids or not for kids. And if it is for kids, you get recommended more but it is weird for content that isn't directly aimed at kids.

 

[fishhead0103666]

YouTube has screwed things up lately I find

 

[Fishman Dave]

Wyckii continues to live in the pond behind the liner and whilst the tank mates have changed somewhat, she still rules the pond. Now I have a 16” hemibagrus variegatus in there too who seems currently to know not to go behind the second liner and to keep her hideouts too small for the Wyckii to get in.
Growing on 3more Asian red tails (had to buy 3 as this was the smallest quantity LFS were willing to order me due to price of only £9 each and other LFS don’t keep them).
Of the three, two will not cohabit with tank mates. Tried them in a divided 4ft tank and one jumped 4” over the divider to beat the crap out of the other so don’t even like the sight of other hemibagrus. So now they are in grow on 3ft tanks and are 8”. The third was friendly in a 5 ft community tank up to 7” and then started biting tails of other bottom dwellers, so has moved into a six foot tank with 1 x 14” silver arrowana, 7 x 6” lemon barbs, 2 x 8” Lima shovelnose and 1 x 12” endlecheri to grow on further.
Hopefully this one will continue to be tank mate friendly.

 

[Fishman Dave]

Unfortunately a recent pond disaster has occurred and my beloved wyckii has not escaped it.

When things go wrong

As some of you may be aware from another thread, I recently had a mishap. My indoor pond had a 3 ft area right at the back which was covered by decking and housed the filters and houseplants. However the only way to get to it is to crawl 7 ft across a builders plank over the rest of the pond...

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

14kg at 26” she was one hell of a fish.