Hampala Barb

dougefresh

Fire Eel
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Mar 8, 2006
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Hey i just picked up one of these guys, hes maybe 5".....was just curious if any of you guys have one and if so what have you been feeding it? the guy at the store obviously had no idea what it was so i'm just curious.........I got it for $10 it was in a 46 gallon tank with two others that were huge, a 10" bala shark, 4" yoyo loach, 4" red-tail shark, and some others..........just curious what is the best diet that has worked out for you guys.........
 

KNH

Redtail Catfish
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Jun 12, 2005
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Which type of hampala did you pick up? Macrolepidota(stripe) or dispar(dot)?
KNH
 

Oddball

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Apr 27, 2005
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They'll eat anything and everything. My hampalas feed on plankton, krill crumbles, sticks, flake, frozen, live minnows, shrimp, scallop...basically, if it hits the surface, it'll be hit. And, with 6 of them competing against each other, the splash zone is 3ft from the tank in any direction. Trying to get pics of them is interesting (to say the least) since they dash away from the LED auto-focus. They're about 7" in this pic. They're easily 10" now.

hampala.jpg
 

dougefresh

Fire Eel
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Mar 8, 2006
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Yea i love the little guy, and to answer KNH's question hes a spotted not striped......thanks for the info guys, wish i had enough tank room to go and get the big ones though.....he's schooling with my flagtail(fei feng) for right now.....hopefully i can find some more around his size to go with him.....
 

KNH

Redtail Catfish
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Jun 12, 2005
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I also have a single dispar. He does fine with a school of tins, a bala and a flagtail. Within 2 days he was striking pellets like they were his favorite food on earth. Just an FYI- I originally had 2 but 1 constantly and severely harassed the other so I'd recommend sticking with 1 or going with 3 or more. I've also found them to be very slow growers going from 2.5" to 6" in 10 months or so. Good luck.
KNH
 

piggy4

Jack Dempsey
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Jan 22, 2008
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Love these H.Dispar i've got 6 ! food wise they seem to eat anything from frozen blood, to earthworms, pellet's , prawns , mussell's , the display that ever hungry dog like behaviour of swimming up and down the front of the glass, every time i enter the room !
FANTASTIC.
 

brcacti

Feeder Fish
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Aug 19, 2007
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Need info please accord to fishbase the striped one gets to 70 cm long the dotted one to 35 cm long have you all found this to be correcte the dotted one smallish to just over a foot long?
 

piggy4

Jack Dempsey
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Jan 22, 2008
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Hi Brcacti, to be honest i've only had the H. Dispar [ spotted] for just over a month ! and i heard they are notoriously slow growing , though in fairness these seem to be growing ok , got em in a 48x24x18 with three Lemonfin Barbs , the tank is pretty basic , internal Fluval 4, and a large plastic plant , they seem happy enough though and are quite gregarious , when i approach the tank they swim up and down exitedly anticipating being fed , i'm really enjoying these fish ! they are'nt showing too much colour yet but they look fit ! as for the striped [Macrolepidota] one i'd have guessed in the wild they could reach about 3 feet !
B t w there is another spotted one called H.Ampalong , this comes from Western Indonesia , it has two body spots on both sides and is fully grown at about 6 inches ! also another big one Bimaculatus , also from Western Indonesia , i've just recently become aware of one originating in the Philipines , H.Lopezi
I think i saw some H.Salweenensis at a local shop ? but was'nt to sure as they look very similar to Macrolepidota's ? BUT it apparently is fully grown at 20 cm !
 
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