My West African Lungfish / Protopterus annectens

[Andri Pogo]

Got this beauty today :D
After all the positive feedback on the ID thread (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126934) I had to get it :)
~16" and is currently in a long, shallow tank (4'x1'x1'). Will let it get bigger there and then get it a bigger tank.

Here are the first pics

in the bucket:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44113 (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44113)

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44112 (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44112)

The tank rack, its in the middle of 3 tanks, the lowest tank (not shown) houses a 28" three-toed Amphuima Salamander. (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119951)
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44115 (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44115)

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44114 (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44114)

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44111 (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44111)

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44110 (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44110)

All comments and good info welcome.

Is there any substrate better than the other for them?
Im thinking if i should keep the white sand or change to black.

And do they like to get out of the tank? the tank only has a glass lid and was wondering if i should put some weight on it.

[Bogwoodbruce]

Thats the best looking WAL ive ever seen!

[Weylin]

He looks awsome.... I cant wait till i get mine...

[GriF]

yes...agiain...it's a stunner....and I would put some weight on the top...and make sure it has enough room to breath..
And I would change the sustrate to black...The dark colors make your WAL very special....So I would try to keep it dark (just my personal opinion)...do you think you can find out what part of Africa it came from? (via you LFS) maybe there is a connection between patern and location..I have seen one similar on a japanese website
love the patern...

[KenyanSandBoa]

Absolutely stunning!!

[Andri Pogo]

yeah ill try and ask the LFS of its origin, but are they all wild caught or being bred?

[GriF]

yeah ill try and ask the LFS of its origin, but are they all wild caught or being bred?

all wild caught (unless someone can prove different)

[fwlion]

yea i've seen only ONE like that up at my LFS and he how to resort to Santory to ID him and he was just an IMPRESSIVE annectens

[Nic]

very nice....

[fwlion]

get some earthworms and TRY to get some algea wafers in him to slow down the holes around his snout but NO ITS NO BIG PROBLEM AT ALL DON'T WORRY

[channarox]

hes a beauty! :thumbsup:

[Andri Pogo]

thanks :)

its really tempting to put it in my 200G community tank... it would be great if it wouldnt eat anybody...

mostly polys, 3clown knifes, arowana, paroon shark and a few other.... all fish around 10-12"

[Weylin]

So what's he eating...? I might be getting one soon.. so i wanted to know ur thoughts on him.. feeding, care, etc..

[Andri Pogo]

hasnt eaten or moved since i got him :) hoping he will get more active soon....

[Weylin]

Wow.. U meant to say he is in the same position since the time u got him ? Now im real scared... What did u try feeding him..?

[Andri Pogo]

well sure he has moved, just turned around hehe. Hes in the same corner though, i have only tried shrimps yet.

[SimonL]

its really tempting to put it in my 200G community tank... it would be great if it wouldnt eat anybody...


Don't! lol. I was overcome by that same temptation and am now minus one Irwini cat, several Red hooks, a 18" Black Ghost, among others..

[Andri Pogo]

haha ok thanks, i will keep it in his own tank then :)

[Weylin]

Let us know when is starts eating... Im still debating about getting one...

[Star-Flog]

Beautiful lungfish...Good catch :nilly:

[Star-Flog]

Got this beauty today :D
After all the positive feedback on the ID thread (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126934) I had to get it :)
~16" and is currently in a long, shallow tank (4'x1'x1'). Will let it get bigger there and then get it a bigger tank.

Here are the first pics

in the bucket:

The tank rack, its in the middle of 3 tanks, the lowest tank (not shown) houses a
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44115 (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=44115)
I like your shallow tank idea.
Normally LF will not swim like a 'normal' fish and the tall tank is not really necessary.

[Andri Pogo]

ok now ive had the lung for 2weeks and it still hasnt eaten anything!
i will start to get worried in the next few days...

He was alone in the tank for the first week but then i added 10 malawi cichlids that are waiting to be sold, thought some company wouldnt harm since hes not eating them (but its ok if he does)
I have tried shrimp & fish fillets... any ideas on food he might like?
He is mostly inactive, the tank has fine sand and i gave him a hiding place yesterday.
I also dimmed the light in his "corner" but the light is on for 9hrs a day and the temp is 25-27°C / 77-81°F
I have seen him sniff at a piece of shrimp for a while but didnt try to eat it....

all thoughts welcome...

[Knowdafish]

Stick a live feeder (on tongs) in front of his face!

[Andri Pogo]

already tried that with a small cichlid :/ just backed away

[Weylin]

Turn the lights off.. Give him somthing to hide behind.. I had feed my guy shrimp.. Try with ur hands or u thongs...

[Bogwoodbruce]

Give him somewhere to hide like a piece of tubing thats all lungfish really need to make em happy then he should feed.

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi,

this is Heiko Bleher, and I just saw your beautiful
Protopterus annectens annectens
yes that is the correct name and it is this real subspecies from Ghana (West Africa).

I can only suggest to keep it alone, as you will always run into some problem with other mates. And I would give them some sandy (soft) substrate, some rocky areas and drift wood as decoration, have him feel at home.

I collected all subspecies and the species in Africa, the South American one as well (which i think is the one Toronto guy has: Lepidosiren paradoxus - at least what I can identify from the photos he has on his gallery - actually I am asked to hold lectures in Toronto on July 26th... maybe you want to come...) and also the Australian one.

All the best, from a collector,

Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com

[Andri Pogo]

Hi,

this is Heiko Bleher, and I just saw your beautiful
Protopterus annectens annectens
yes that is the correct name and it is this real subspecies from Ghana (West Africa).

I can only suggest to keep it alone, as you will always run into some problem with other mates. And I would give them some sandy (soft) substrate, some rocky areas and drift wood as decoration, have him feel at home.

I collected all subspecies and the species in Africa, the South American one as well (which i think is the one Toronto guy has: Lepidosiren paradoxus - at least what I can identify from the photos he has on his gallery - actually I am asked to hold lectures in Toronto on July 26th... maybe you want to come...) and also the Australian one.

All the best, from a collector,

Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com

thanks for the information, and im honoured that you comment here on my fish!
Really appreciate it.
I would love to come to the lecture but im afraid its out of my range at the moment.

[GriF]

Hi,

this is Heiko Bleher, and I just saw your beautiful
Protopterus annectens annectens
yes that is the correct name and it is this real subspecies from Ghana (West Africa).

I can only suggest to keep it alone, as you will always run into some problem with other mates. And I would give them some sandy (soft) substrate, some rocky areas and drift wood as decoration, have him feel at home.

I collected all subspecies and the species in Africa, the South American one as well (which i think is the one Toronto guy has: Lepidosiren paradoxus - at least what I can identify from the photos he has on his gallery - actually I am asked to hold lectures in Toronto on July 26th... maybe you want to come...) and also the Australian one.

All the best, from a collector,

Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com

HI Mr Bleher it is good to hear from you.

When you talk about all the species and sub species.
Do you also talk about the protopterus annectens brieni and the protopterus aethiopicus mesmaekersi...and I think I can speek for us all we would love to know where the place is you collected the protopterus amphibius and the previous 2.

And I think you should start a fresh thread for us with pics

Best regards,

Grif

[Monolicious]

awsome looking fish

[Andri Pogo]

well he did start eating shrimps shortly after my last post.

but i put a 6" dovii in with him but recently i notices some wounds on the lung so i moved him to my 200G community tank, just to see if he will act nice.

http://s3.frontur.com/img/15002/20080427214109_0.jpg

http://s3.frontur.com/img/15002/20080427214116_1.jpg

http://s3.frontur.com/img/15002/20080427220235_0.jpg

[Opiate]

he is a brute!!! :thumbsup:

[WckedMidas]

becarefull if u hand feed it. My old one would try to passs the food for the fingers. Nvr let it get me . But after watching what it could do to feeders keep your fingers clear