What is so special about pikes?

[searcyb]

I have never kept pikes and my LFS just got some nice looking ones in but the guy that works there is not a huge fan of them for some reason, and he has been keeping cichlids for many years now.

can someone tell me why they love these fish so much? is it because of their personality? are they aggressive? will they live with the fish in my signature? a little info would be awsome.

THANKS

[shekes]

If you mean pike cichlids - Crenicichla:
It is becasuse they are very intelligent, curious and active fish. A lot smarter than Oscars for example. They are piscivorous, so yes most are a bit agressive. But the species and individuums are very different so there is no one-fit-all answer to it. The same applies to tankmates.

Check out my thread "Crenicichla links" on this forum and read up.

I don't think you can add anything to your tanks. Soon you will have to add more tanks.

[guppy]

I kept a saxtillus in a specemin tank because it would beat the hell out of other fish. It was very attractive as well as fun to watch, it would spend all day rearranging the tank. I ended up in a tank that contained driftwood and gravel but no rocks after ramming a rock through the end of the tank one night. It is hard to explain why I like any particular kind of fish, eels are my favorites but I can't really tell you why in any coherent fashion.

[danny boy]

Bikes are great you can ride around for free and they keep you healthy... oh pikes.....

i'll get my coat...

[DeLgAdO]

Bikes are great you can ride around for free and they keep you healthy... oh pikes.....

i'll get my coat...

LOL!!!!!

[gilly]

just watch them eat is worth owning them. They are not the kind of fish that just watch food floating around wondering if they should eat it, tthey tear right into it. they have a great personality as well,and they will hold their own with almost anything their same size!

[Mourinho18]

oh dude. wait until you get the wrath of peanut for questioning the greatness of pikes. :clap

[searcyb]

I actually should have just asked peanut, I am not questioning them I was just curious

[Taz2478]

it all depends on your taste. Just like you find people that love and swear by other fish, its all personal preference.
My 1st was a saxatilis and it was much more active than any fish ive ever had. So of course I read up on pikes and started checking out the other specimens. Now every time I setup a tank or help some one setup a tank I try to get a pike in there. Hopefully 1 day I can have the room to breed em and if lucky enough keep different ones together.

[Peanut_Power]

I had a realllllly long reply to this...lol...it was almost two pages long...haha..but it didn't work...so i am annoyed and don't feel like reposting....so i shall just sum it up... JUST BECAUSE!! DON'T QUESTION THEIR KEWLNESS!

[starrfish71]

I have a yellow pike, not sure of the species, but it is by far the most intelligent fish in the tank, and VERY very pretty. Really elaborate markings.

I like pikes because they are cool, like she said.

[shekes]

What other fish know how to use tools to break their way out of enprisonment?

[Peanut_Power]

*cough* HE!! The chick in my avatar is Miz...ya know..me lady! ;).

The Crenicichla sp. 'xingu I' you have now will give you your run for your money once it finally hits about 6"....subadult. And the adult looks nothing like the juv...just so you aren't disappointed if you get a male...females are GORGEOUS though. BTW...it can easily get up to 14"...;).....just so you can prepare

[-ñ-]

The pikes that I knew were beautiful and had huge mouths. I think they're wonderful.

[FDemon]

Pikes are great because they are beautiful, somewhat rare compared to other cichlids, and they have some SERIOUS ATTITUDE!

[FDemon]

I forgot to mention that along with attitude, they have more killer instincts than any other fish I've kept, including some piranhas.

[rico488]

My Xingu I pikes roped me in. I purchased them at about 3in. They took krill from my hands, and allowed me to pet them. About 2 years later, they were up to 12". They also ate everything, frozen foods, pelletes, algae wafers, freeze-dried krill, earthworms, you name it. They were good tank mates (granted the other fish wnere't mout-sized). They left my other fish alone, and kept my dominant Red Devil at bay. It was also interesting to watch them puzzle through how to get food that was trapped in floating plants. I now have two tanks dedicated to Crenicichla Compressiceps (55-gal planted w/4, and 130-gallon with another 4). Just as much personality, lighter bio-load.

[guppy]

I had one that I dropped a rbp in with once, when I was doing some work on the piranhas tank. I figured the pike would be safe for a few hours as it had a hollow log it hung out in during daylight. The piranha spent the next few hours in a 5g bucket because it took the pike about 3 minutes to beat the hell out of it.

[gman]

pike are by far the most inteligent fish i have kept. they are very aware of their surroundings and the ones i have kept are very aggresive. I also think they are special because of their beauty and variety. Hopefully some day i will be able to get some really big tanks and breed a few.

[Peanut_Power]

Need I say more! :D

[SiestaSkyy]

wow, i kinda expected more out of you penut. i thought this was gonna be your shinning moment to light this guy up. good for you for taking the high road, lol. i would add to the thread but i think everything that has to be said has been.