Tank mates

[weston]

I've read African lungfish can be extremely nasty but I still see people keeping them with monster fish on occasion. Im just wondering what fish would work best as a long term tank mate? I saw these photos of a guy on MFK keeping one with 2 Arowana, (Jardini + Silver) 2 Clown Knives, a Giraffe Cat and some large cichlids (Jaguar, Midas,Oscars) along with Tinfoil Barbs a large Pleco and even 2 RedTail Cats. I'm just wondering how long this would work if all fish were well fed and had alittle more space to swim around then the tank pictured? Could a tank like this really work stock wise? I'd love to pick up a marbled lung and will probably end up with one either way I'm just wondering if it would be possible to keep any fish with him or her? Or if I'd have to go with a solo tank, I didn't have a stock this large in mind maybe just something like a few large cichlids (the ones listed) or something like the giraffe cat or the CK idk? Just let me know! I could see it working if the fish were large enough I just don't want anyone getting hurt.

 

[rodger]

I have been completely unsuccessful at keeping any of 3 different species of lungfish with anything long term. King El, on here has had a lot of success.

 

[weston]

How would I go about reaching @KingEl

 

[butchie]

My lung fish eventually killed every fish I had with him.

 

[weston]

My lung fish eventually killed every fish I had with him.

What were you keeping with yours that it killed? I kinda went out on a last minute purchase/rescue run this evening and got my new fish from a guy who was keeping this 2 to 2 and a half foot long fish in a 55 gallon with 2 bichirs both over a foot in length who were "bullying the lungfish" the guy was nice just got all the fish when they were small and didn't think anything was wrong with his "75 gallon" which was really a 55 gallon he was running 2 10 gallon power filters on. Unfortunalty he sold the bichir to a guy who showed up before I came but luckily he promised me the lungfish over the phone so he held onto him for me which I'm happy about I payed $70 for this fish I was told he is a 5 year old marbled or leopard lungfish that he got at close to a year and a half old and had kept in his 55 gallon ever since. Do you think this fish is stunted? Is their still hope this 5 year old fish can it pull trough and double in size later in life to reach its maximum length? I've never seen a large adult marbled lung in captivity I'm just wondering how big their known to grow, and also he is in fact a marbled lung correct? he definitely looks like one over others I've seen he's just small compared to the sizes I've read these get and these are also kinda hard to find as I usually only bump into west African and SA lungfish so idk just wondering about my new addition please let me know I put him in one of my 180s for now hopefully he will start eating soon so I can get his growth back to normal!!!!

 

[butchie]

Sorry i may not be much help. I kept him alone for about 20 years. The years before that i would try a fish every now and then. Essentially when a girlfriend would insist he was lonely lol. They would do well together for a period of time then one night he would get a hold of them and bite a massive piece out of them. Clown loaches, cory cats, a large Pleco once (that was surprising). Probably more but i don't remember. When i got him he was in a 10 gallon and the other lungfish he was with had destroyed him. I don't think you will have any problem getting him to grow. They are adapted to living in poor conditions. Nurtured, they usually grow well ime which is albeit fairly limited with only a subset of one fish.

 

[butchie]

Nice looking fish btw!

 

[weston]

Nice looking fish btw!

Thanks man, I'll probably pull him from the 180 until my Oscars and a couple other fish get full sized then try it out, their about 10 inches now and I feel like he wouldn't bother them but I have a empty 75 that could hold him for a couple months to let them finish growing I figure it's better safe then sorry and either way this 75 is a lot more room then the half filled 55 gallon he's lived in for the past few years. The current stock I was wanting to house him with consists of my 2 Oscars, 2 Jack Dempsey, and 2 blood parrots all 8+ inches along with a 12 inch Pleco and a medium sized clown knife just under a foot in length. I think this stock will work well and I plan to add my Jardini when he gets over a foot long as well. I'll keep you posted on if it works out when I put him back in a few months and my Jardini becomes big enough to go in the aquarium.

 

[butchie]

Best of luck with him, I never tried him with anything real big, i would leave some sort of light on. What seemed to happen is the fish would be asleep at night and if he bumped into them they are toast. They can move amazingly fast. Wait until he bites you lol, like putting your hand in a vice grip.

 

[weston]

Yeah I have a coralife fixture it has the night light "kinda a black light" I leave on for all the fish it keeps them from freaking out when it's lights out/lights on in the morning hope it works like I said I'll post pics soon enough

Best of luck with him, I never tried him with anything real big, i would leave some sort of light on. What seemed to happen is the fish would be asleep at night and if he bumped into them they are toast. They can move amazingly fast. Wait until he bites you lol, like putting your hand in a vice grip.