Whats best for Dat's

dean9922

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 24, 2009
97
0
6
Prince George, BC
I am thinking of getting 6 Tiger Dat Juvies around the 2" mark and have been reading about the stable/unstable characteristics of this fish. I have a 249 gallon tank and this will be their new home.

So my question is....if they start off in a big tank which allows them room to grow....is that better????? I will provide adequate caves, plastic plant, hiding spots etc for them. So if they grow up in such an environment with no changes, do you get any benefits????

Also is a 249 big enough to house 6 adults??? Or is it more of a wait and see thing?????

One other question, could juvie frontosa grow out in the same tank if they are the same size???? I don't use any buffers, just straight aged tap water???? Once they grow out they will each get there own tank.

THanks
 

JayC74

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 9, 2012
1,128
99
81
Massachusetts, USA
The big tank will be good for growth but not stability..I don't like hiding spots for dats like caves, etc. Few fake plants, sure. Limited decor is best. Dat's that are forced to hide for whatever reasons don't grow much and are at a higher risk for eye injuries
 

LuluB916

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Aug 25, 2013
217
7
33
United States
Honestly, I wouldn't put juvenile dats in that tank size. Dats are really shy and would probably hide most of the time. I doubt you will ever see them at the surface and would probably stand still in a corner of the tank.
I would raise them in a 55g-90g until they get to at least 4-5", but that's only if you don't house them with anything else and can afford another tank.
If I were you, I would probably start with bigger dats in the 249g.


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dean9922

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 24, 2009
97
0
6
Prince George, BC
it is a homemade plywood 24hX32wX72L and i was wrong with 249...it is actually 239 gallon. I have some plastic marineland bamboo plants coming in the next little bit and plan on a bare bottom tank anyway. Always have been bare bottom since my discus days.....maybe a cave or two

so could they grow out with frontosa.....my ph out of the tap is 7.4....thinking that could be my tankmates???? Untill they get bigger as the fronts will be in the 2 " range also....
 

T1KARMANN

Giant Snakehead
MFK Member
Sep 19, 2005
10,105
127
147
56
London UK
I am thinking of getting 6 Tiger Dat Juvies around the 2" mark and have been reading about the stable/unstable characteristics of this fish. I have a 249 gallon tank and this will be their new home.

So my question is....if they start off in a big tank which allows them room to grow....is that better????? I will provide adequate caves, plastic plant, hiding spots etc for them. So if they grow up in such an environment with no changes, do you get any benefits????

Also is a 249 big enough to house 6 adults??? Or is it more of a wait and see thing?????

One other question, could juvie frontosa grow out in the same tank if they are the same size???? I don't use any buffers, just straight aged tap water???? Once they grow out they will each get there own tank.

THanks
If you put 2" in that tank with hiding spots it will look like you have a empty tank for 3 years as that's how long it will take them to grow to 10" if you get them feeding on pellets which will also be hard in a tank that size


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JayC74

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 9, 2012
1,128
99
81
Massachusetts, USA
Honestly, I wouldn't put juvenile dats in that tank size. Dats are really shy and would probably hide most of the time. I doubt you will ever see them at the surface and would probably stand still in a corner of the tank.
I would raise them in a 55g-90g until they get to at least 4-5", but that's only if you don't house them with anything else and can afford another tank.
If I were you, I would probably start with bigger dats in the 249g.

Maybe your saying this because of the countless large tanks we see with monsters all around the mid to upper watercolumn with way undersized, underfed dats quivering in the corners or bottom. Put a juvie healthy dat in a 2hundred and something gal tank with nothing to make him tentative and watch him sit highup confidently waiting for food like he's supposed to. That's like saying if you have a 20plus" dat in a 5k gal tank, he will just get scared and quiver in the corners
 

SickSauce

Gambusia
MFK Member
Oct 24, 2011
805
0
16
Mekong Delta
My 4bar went from 2" to 10"+ in a year. Its the dominate Datnoid in the tank so he get most of the food, others from the same batch are in the 8-10" range.

My advise for juvie dat would be to grow them out in a 40-60tank til they are pellet trained. I recommend the smaller tank so they can find the food you give easier since at that size they dont swim around looking for food too much. #2 Wc is alot easier and faster. I would get as many juvie dats that I can get and hand pick the"stable" and active ones and sell the rest.
 
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