My West African Lungfish / Protopterus annectens

[Star-Flog]

Got this beauty today
After all the positive feedback on the ID thread 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

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