Payara captive care guide

[Mystus Redtail]

very true that we should make sure people realise they are for 'experts' but saying punk kids is a bit of a misnomer as working in the trade myself i find alot of the people fascinated by big teeth and aggression tend to be adults with very little fish experience. Most of the youger people i meet actually listen when i show how much work there is involved. Maybe kids know they are lazy and are willing to admit and the adults dont want to admit to someone younger, namely me, that they will be to lazy and cheap to do what is needed.

I totally agree. Age and income bracket does not have a lot to do with ones ability to care for a fish. Experience and a willingness/ability to provide proper care are much more important. There's a 10 year old that comes in my LFS who knows more about fish than quite a few customers 5 times his age. He has even completed 3 successful breeding projects. I'd be more likely to sell him a difficult fish than a lot of older customers with big checkbooks.

I guess my point is that these are fish for those with experience (which I didn't have when I attempted to keep them). But there's no perfect age demographic to it.

 

[JD7.62]

Who said anything about income bracket? Despite the fact that a tank needed for life, food, power, water, ect would cost easily in the several thousands of dollars....

Not calling any one out by anymeans but Ive seen some people who own armatus ask some VERY basic questions about general fish care WHILE they have the armatus. What I'm saying is, if you cant even explain the nitrogen cycle or know a little about water chemistry, or a bit concerning fish health, maybe you arent ready for an armatus.

 

[BigJ]

Who said anything about income bracket? Despite the fact that a tank needed for life, food, power, water, ect would cost easily in the several thousands of dollars....

Not calling any one out by anymeans but Ive seen some people who own armatus ask some VERY basic questions about general fish care WHILE they have the armatus. What I'm saying is, if you cant even explain the nitrogen cycle or know a little about water chemistry, or a bit concerning fish health, maybe you arent ready for an armatus.

Then agin maybe you are?

 

[DB junkie]

Seems a good thread is getting sidetracked here.............................. JD has a really good point about the expense part. Feeders........... I have 5. They are breaking me. 30 feeders/day BARE MINIMUM. 200/week @ .15 ea. 30 bux a week to feed. And that isn't even growing them out but rather keeping them alive. GROWING thems probobly gonna run $50/week. These fish don't like to be moved..... Given growth rate there is not as much time as one would think to upgrade tanks. What we need is a "Do you know what you are getting yourself into" chapter..........Or "Are you ready?"

 

[vamptrev]

good discussion... keep the ideas comming...

here is the pic of the biggest rhaph ive ever seen at about 18 inches.

 

[CichlaRyan]

wowowowowo sweet dude nice nice.

 

[CichlaRyan]

This isn't just a myth for no reason.....IF it was you would easily be able to find one in captivity over a foot.....Guess what???? Jury is still out there looking and have been for years. Just cause you have one at 7 inches does NOT mean you are going to break the myth. I had 2 for over a year and both were at least 7 inches when they died.... You still have 6 inches to go. And even if you did get it to 13.....that makes you what? ONE in thousands? Still NOT good odds.

thats pretty true yes. but i mean like the others say scombs are not for bigginers rather a tat would be little easyier.

 

[OnceLoyal]

Very nice thread. I will post one in about a year or so after I have housed my Armatus for awhile . I guess I could give like a 6 month update or something. I think it will be nice to see more guys with first hand experience post about the Payara

 

[DB junkie]

good discussion... keep the ideas comming...

here is the pic of the biggest rhaph ive ever seen at about 18 inches.

Is this the one you saw at a zoo? Was it imported at this size or grown to this size? How was it temperment wise?

 

[JD7.62]

Alot of us that have posted have first hand experience. Ive kept a tat and an armatus. I only had the armatus for three months as it grew from 4" to 12" in that time! Plus I wasnt ready to dedicate a tank soley for this fish like I am now.

Its been 10 months since I got the fish at 4" and I believe the fish is now 16" maybe 17" so he has grown a foot or more in 10 months!! I wished marmot would chime in. He has my old guy along with another one about 14" and a couple recent imports. His set up is large and impressive with (I think) a 10'x5' NICELY aquascaped set up with an advanced filtration system incorporating a small "waterfall" for plenty of dissolved o2 and good current. My old guy is totally off of live and has been since like 7" and feeding on shrimp and fish fillet stuffed with pellets (may attribute to its exceptional growth).