Vittatus Tiger Fish questions

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
B

BigUmbeeFan

Gambusia
MFK Member
Dec 8, 2009
925
2
16
nj
I am considering getting an African vittatus tiger fish , but before I do this I need to know a few things from the experts here on these fish.

1. How big do these fish get at max size ?

2. Does the tank size dictate how big they can get or will they just keep growing ?

3. How long do they live ?

4. How aggressive are they ?

5. Are these available in a tank raised specimans or are they all wild caught from Africa ?

6. What is best for the water parameters. PH , Temp , etc ?

Advice will be greatly apprieciated.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Luke tomkinson
1. About three feet

2. They keep growing not matter the tank size, If they are kept in a small tank they're growth will stunt and they will eventually die.

3. About 5 years depending on how healthy they are (Not completely sure)

4. Pretty peaceful, But very feeding aggressive, can be kept with most fish of the same size.

5. All of the Vittatus I've seen are all wild caught.

6. Not sure on this one since I've never kept one, I'd ask someone who has kept them before such as West1 which I'm sure will post eventually, The only thing I know for this question is the temp which should be kept at at least 80 and they should have some sort of current in the tank to simulate a river.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Luke tomkinson
PayaraMan said:
1. About three feet

2. They keep growing not matter the tank size, If they are kept in a small tank they're growth will stunt and they will eventually die.

3. About 5 years depending on how healthy they are (Not completely sure)

4. Pretty peaceful, But very feeding aggressive, can be kept with most fish of the same size.

5. All of the Vittatus I've seen are all wild caught.

6. Not sure on this one since I've never kept one, I'd ask someone who has kept them before such as West1 which I'm sure will post eventually, The only thing I know for this question is the temp which should be kept at at least 80 and they should have some sort of current in the tank to simulate a river.
Click to expand...

great info...am considering one too myself.
 
shaiful said:
great info...am considering one too myself.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't classify that as great info, either.

Wild vittatus will probably hit 36" and maybe beyond, but in captivity... show me a Vit over 2ft? That's not to say it is impossible to get one over 2ft but with their growth rate (leading nicely into the second point) they would take a long time to get to 3ft. This point invalidates the theory of a 5 year life span. 10-20 would be more likely, especially for a fish that can get so large but you could see them live significantly longer- Pacu can reach 40-50 years old!. However, most in captivity rarely make it past 12" due to inadequate tanks, tank mates and generally poor husbandry. There is a culture of buying 'fish with teeth' to show off to your mates but the reality of caring for them rarely hits home until the expensive fish dies.

On the point about being peaceful; as said above, they are NOT peaceful. They are tolerant of larger fish for the most part but they are out-and-out predators and will kill and eat anything they consider food. They can also be boisterous and can inflict some nasty injuries to tank mates that push them too far or on those incapable of defending themselves/ getting away.

There are lots of theories about growth, but few real facts. I know Jelly recommended plenty of current as these are riverine fish but really, the turnover of their natural habitat would verge on impossible to simulate- see any number of shows dealing with fishing for these fish and you will see rivers with a great deal of current and turbulence. Tank size... again, because we don't know their full grown size in captivity we can only hypothesize. There are instances on here of the largest Vits (16-18") being kept in 8x3x30 and a 600 (not sure of dimensions) with notes that these tanks do not seem big enough for these highly active fish. Add another 6" to this size, and you're looking at the requirement for a similar set up to an adult Golden Dorado- 10x4 foot print, minimum.

Parameters; not dissimilar to most riverine SA species- lots of oxygen, 78-82 F with a little leeway on water chemistry- as long as it's clean and not too hard/soft, they're likely to be fine.

and for a GATF... times everything by 2 and you might be able to house one properly.
 
andyroo said:
they do also occur in dams (eg: http://www.madbookings.com/mozambique/cahorra_tiger_fish_lodge/tiger_fish_lodge.htm), so water motion is not necessary. I'd think a band of mondo Koralia powerheads along one vertical tank seam would do it, giving a high flow along a front or back face, return circle along the opposite wall/face and something of a refuge eddy in the middle.
Click to expand...
Correct, though this is something the fish have learned to do to capitalize on the seasonal fish migrations through the dams. They will sit in the current and catch fish as they're shot through the gates or pluck out stunned fish- its easy pickings for them. Golden Dorado do this, as do Wells Catfish in Spain and I'm sure many, many other predatory species do it as well.

It's opportunistic and I wouldn't say entirely natural behavior.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom