pike cichlid

[catfish]

i found a pike cichlid at pet supplies plus by my house today for $6.99 i dont know which species of pike it is. how big do pike cichlids generally get im thinking about buying it but i dont know if my tank will be big enough i have a 29 gallon

[Peanut_Power]

Nope, don't get it. SERIOUSLY resist the urge to get it. Chances are its a type of Lugubris pike, maybe Crenicichla sp. venezuela or johanna. Could be a Saxatilis family pike as well...like Crenicichla sveni, saxatilis, or one of the other many types. Only pike you could get away with in a tank that small for life would be a dwarf pike. Such as....Crenicichla regani, or compressiceps are a few examples. But for $7.00 chances are its not a dwarf pike....generally cost a bit more than their larger relatives.

[WckedMidas]

ide get it or take a pic and post it to find out what it is. ive had two difrent pikes neither was a fast grower. try it may be surprised. even if its not for life you could probly house one for a year or s then sell it to someone with a bigger tanks

[repair]

You know when I first saw this thread I knew Peanut_Power would be all up in it :hitting:

[catfish]

ide get it or take a pic and post it to find out what it is. ive had two difrent pikes neither was a fast grower. try it may be surprised. even if its not for life you could probly house one for a year or s then sell it to someone with a bigger tanks

i would but i dont have a digital camera

[Peanut_Power]

ide get it or take a pic and post it to find out what it is. ive had two difrent pikes neither was a fast grower. try it may be surprised. even if its not for life you could probly house one for a year or s then sell it to someone with a bigger tanks


What species of pike did you have? Cuz Lugubris pikes are fast growers. And there is a relatively large chance that it is a Lugubris pike. I really don't recommend it bro....pikes are predators, and can be aggressive. And in a tank that small, your gonna be pushin your luck...since most of the fish you can keep in a tank that small will be prey items...lol. Upgrade to a bigger tank! 55 MINIMUM.

[Peanut_Power]

You know when I first saw this thread I knew Peanut_Power would be all up in it :hitting:


LOL!! AWESOME! I'm makin a reputation for myself! hehe!

[WckedMidas]

i had first pike belly crawler it was a dwarf secobnd was a chren alta pike<gold spangled>
i also missed where he said 29 gal opps
belly crawler be good one for it

[Peanut_Power]

Unfortunately Crenicichla sp. 'belly crawler' isn't a dwarf pike. They are relatively slow growers. Crenicichla alta is a Saxatilis pike, so that makes more sense why it grew slower. Belly crawlers do get LARGE....10" easy....so seriously, unless you get a dwarf pike like Crenicichla regani, compressiceps or notophous(sp) then i would stay away from them till you get a bigger tank.

[phene4grene420]

LOL!! AWESOME! I'm makin a reputation for myself! hehe!

haha yea i knew you'd be in here too....remember i showed ya pics of my pike? venezwhatchamacallit.....well it's doin great and loves its rosy reds. as soon as i drop a few in there he chows down about 7-8 of them and sits there with a full mouth.

[DRaGoNoVA]

some pics would be really helpful...

[rweedon]

LOL!! AWESOME! I'm makin a reputation for myself! hehe!

all peanut cares about is if pike is in the title name! do you keep any other fish?

[Peanut_Power]

Hehe, when i see pike in the title, its like a friggin magnet!! Can't help it!


phene4grene420 : thats awesome bro...and it Crenicichla sp. "venezuela" Watch out for parasites though feedin rosies. What you should do is set up at least a 20gal..although bigger is better, and drop about 75 in there with a filter and a pump for water circulation. bare bottom. That way, you can treat them and have a steady supply, less risk. Plus you can gut feed them! As for my newly acquired pikes, I've already got the buggas onto salmon fillets (chopped small...hehe), cocktail shrimp, mysis shrimp, and blood worms. Haven't given them any live foods yet aside from the first day when i got rid of my guppies...lol...found that i still had lke 5 left over from the day before they came so i decided to feed them. Didn't last long. Be sure that at least once a week you go a day with out feeding your pike so it is able to clean out its tummy! Do that with most predators, you feed them for a few days and then give them a day of fasting. Some reason it seems to help them and they seem to grow faster as well. Hella hungery the next day! LOL!

[phene4grene420]

Hehe, when i see pike in the title, its like a friggin magnet!! Can't help it!


phene4grene420 : thats awesome bro...and it Crenicichla sp. "venezuela" Watch out for parasites though feedin rosies. What you should do is set up at least a 20gal..although bigger is better, and drop about 75 in there with a filter and a pump for water circulation. bare bottom. That way, you can treat them and have a steady supply, less risk. Plus you can gut feed them! As for my newly acquired pikes, I've already got the buggas onto salmon fillets (chopped small...hehe), cocktail shrimp, mysis shrimp, and blood worms. Haven't given them any live foods yet aside from the first day when i got rid of my guppies...lol...found that i still had lke 5 left over from the day before they came so i decided to feed them. Didn't last long. Be sure that at least once a week you go a day with out feeding your pike so it is able to clean out its tummy! Do that with most predators, you feed them for a few days and then give them a day of fasting. Some reason it seems to help them and they seem to grow faster as well. Hella hungery the next day! LOL!

bare bottom? you just mean no gravel?

gut feed? - no idea

[sleepyflight]

Pnut....not to disagree but I've never had a belly crawler get over 6 in. or so.... I've kept them in 29 up to 120 gal and haven't seen a difference. Do they generally exceed this length??

Bad news on my end though....just finished moving to PA.....lost my Xingu 1 :cry: :cry: along with a polleni, female Escondido, Gr. Terror..... Apparently I have some sort of heavy metal in the well water here....F**K!!! But I do still have one other Xingu1 in FL waiting for me and the Joh. I have made it:) Since you have the pike love I'll have to get some pics up when the Joh gets a bit bigger and less shy:)

[Peanut_Power]

Fo shizzal. Maybe i had a different species of belly crawler cuz my male was easily 8"...no problem. He was beefy too. Sorry bout your fish, that sucks. Living in the country as well, we have well water and it does have some heavy metals as well, which is why i got an RO unit to try and filter out some of it. Less stress on the fish.


phene: Barebottom, like just glass in the tank, no gravel/substrate. Will be much easier to clean up the waste and dead feeders.
When I said gut load them, its more of a term that you use when you are talkin about crickets/mealworms. What it means is you feed them high protein foods and other quality foods, then you feed them to your animals/fish. That way, they get what the cricket/mealworm just ate and is in their system, thus being more nutrious for you animal. With feeders, you would feed them high quality pellets or other foods that your fish wouldn't normally eat. Kinda like givin them their vitamins in a way.

[sleepyflight]

Pnut.....any other ways to get some of the heavy metals out?? I don't exactly have the funds to do an RO unit right now. I believe the metal is manganese....everything seemed to perk when I put new carbon in but i don't wanna have to put new cartridges in all the time when they aren't whipped yet. Should I put a giant MRI magnet in the bottom?? Kidding :y220e: BTW....I still have one Xingu 1 in FL to pick up yet. Too bad you're in NB....I think I just found a lfs that is willing to do some orders to Jeff Rapps so my pike collection will be building soon I hope:)

[Peanut_Power]

You could install a inline house filter. We have one of those as well on our regular water line, and it removes a lot of the managanese and other harmful metals, but still some gets by. You could get some nylon stalking and stuff them plump full of carbon and put them in your tank/filter. That way their will be twice the carbon in the tank, remove more harmful metals...plus you wouldn't have to replace the filters. Make sure you wash off as much carbon dust as possible though, no need to stress the fish more.

As for Rapps, if you are into Saxatilis pikes hes the man to talk to at the moment. Personally, I am more into the bigger and badder pikes...hehe..from the Lugubris family. He doesn't have very many Lugubris to choose from, aside from cincta and venezuela. His vitta is temptin, but i bit large....lol...like to grow my pikes out myself. :P Congrats though!! I envy you on that aspect. When i get my pikes breeding though...hehe...we can swap fishies! :D BTW...Nebraska is NE.....lol.....not NB...:P

[sleepyflight]

NE....Rog...:) What can I say, I'm back in hillbilly land, its bleeding back into me :ner2: I pretty much did already what you adivised so lets hope it goes well...did mix a bit of zeolite in so my tank doesn't spike. Dad...wheeooow....just had to force the heavy cleaning of the tank before it went in the house "smells like fish"....needless to say he didn't understand the fact that yes, empty it might but I needed the bacteria bed for ohhhh....say about now! So I"m trying not to go through too heavy of an ammonia spike.

As far as the lugubris....agreed, but I just plain want every pike living :devil: I'm flying with a kid tomorrow for an end of course review so when I get done with that I'll go by the lfs and see if they've looked into Rapps at all. My next investment (after a bigger tank again) will be to get ahold of the leopard pike....I really tend to love all the ones that seem to take on a heavy color morph through the maturation stages....as well as the big boys that just OWN. BTW, Johanni is supposed to get around 16 or so correct??

[Peanut_Power]

LOL!! Nice. Johanna does get large...dunno about 16" though, thought more like 14" maybe. But its possible. Hope you don't spike or nothing!! That would suck! Pikes seem sensative when they are juv. to water quality, especially below 4"...after that they become much more hardy.

Leopard pike? Hmmm....can you give the scientific name to that? Haven't heard that one before. Is it a Saxatilis pike? Or are you talkin about Crenicichla tigrina? Good luck findin those if you are...practically impossible...but more power to yaz if you can! And hook me up! :D I have to agree with you 100%...the Lugubris pikes that take on the heavy color morphage are some of my fav. species. Just awesome to watch them go through it. Each stage is awesome!! If I had the space I would snatch up some of Rapps xingu I he has for sale now...a bit small though. Plus xingu I are a bit more aggressive as adults, gorgeous though. I want more laid back pikes so i can try and keep more than one pair in a tank....*fingers crossed*

[sleepyflight]

Can't remember which fam., I'll have to look it up again. Awsome coloration through maturation. Cream color with black leopard coloring as a juvi....Rapps has it on his site. Its called a Cobra....my bad. I think its one of the larger ones considering the drastic color change.

[Peanut_Power]

Cobras are pimp!! Pricey! He hasn't gotten any in in a long time....when he does though..hehe...gonna go quick....

[oscar1]

youre going to need a bigger tank if u want one

[Peanut_Power]

I think we already got that point across to him...lol. Unless he gets a dwarf pike, hes pretty much screwed for the long run. He could keep some juvs. in there for about 3 months or so...but after that they will NEED to got to a larger tank...lol....

[sleepyflight]

youre going to need a bigger tank if u want one
We know.....I think this pretty much (sorry for the dude) turned into pnut and I's dicussion :D

BTW pnut.....stopped into a lfs in the city of my new job....sax pike, how big do those get?? so gorgeous, I love stuff with metalic spotting. Didn't have the cash or time to get him home though:(

[Peanut_Power]

get about 10" max...great pike! Go for it! Females look spectacular...males can hold their own.....but females steal the cake! :D