A Guide to the Care of the African Pike Characin (Hepsetus odoe)

Polypterus_36

Dovii
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Jan 17, 2021
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Odoe Pike Care Guide
odoe pike 1.PNG
Photo credit: @polypterusboyz on Instagram

Introduction:
The odoe pike (Hepsetus odoe) is a predatory African pike characin that resides in lakes, rivers, and swamps in western sub-Saharan Africa.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Hepsetidae
Genus: Hepsetus
Species: odoe

General Housing Requirements:
Due to their shy and skittish nature, odoe pike require a larger aquarium size of around 5 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet (150 gallons). Many individuals have been known to ram themselves into walls when spooked if their aquarium is too small. Unlike the African tiger fish, odoe pike prefer deeper, slower-moving but well-oxygenated waters. They love to hunt in marginal vegetation, so a floating plant would be ideal. Also, make sure that you have a tight-fitting lid, as they like to jump.

Feeding:
Odoe pike are piscivorous, meaning that they mainly eat fish in the wild. In the aquarium setting, they can eat a variety of carnivore pellets, prawns, and fish fillet. Some individuals can be difficult to wean off of live foods, but most can easily be trained to eat prepared foods. I got very lucky with my Hepsetus odoe, as he eats pellets and frozen foods.

Furniture:
Odoe pike do require some pieces of bogwood to hide behind if scared. But, do not fill your tank with hardscape because if the odoe ever dashes, it might severely hurt itself. I would recommend to have your tank set up as 1/4 bogwood and the rest open space. This allows the odoe pike to dash safely if spooked.

Here is a good example of what your odoe pike's tank should look like furniture-wise:
20210127_222404[1].jpg
This tank is just a grow out for my odoe pike, as he will be moved to a larger one soon.

Compatibility:
Odoe pikes in general are aggressive towards other, similar-looking fish, so fish like apollo sharks, bala sharks, tarpon, and other characins would be poor tankmates for this fish. I have seen multiple odoe pike housed in one tank, but this is very rare, as most hate the presence of other odoe pike. Avoid keeping aggressive tankmates like some species of larger South American cichlids. Some suitable tank mates are giraffe catfish, Polypterus, spiny eels, and African arowana.

Size and Growth Rate:
Odoe pikes in the wild can reach sizes of 26 inches, but in captivity, they normally max out at around 12-14 inches. They have very fast growth rates in the first few years of their lives and then slow down at around 9 inches.

Distribution and Natural Habitat:
Odoe pike are found in western sub-Saharan Africa. They reside in lagoons, rivers, and swamps in marginal vegetation. But when their main predator Hydrocynus forskahlii is absent, they venture out into deeper waters.

Sexing:
Males have a rounded and elongated dorsal fin that reaches the andipose fin.
Females have an edged and shorter fin that does not reach the andipose fin.

Females are normally bulkier in body size, and males normally show more coloration.
Here are the fins:
Inkedfemale odoe pike_LI.jpg
Base Photo credit: @polypterusboyz on Instagram

Male:
odoe pike male.PNG
Photo credit: HarleyK HarleyK

Female:
odoe pike female.PNG
Photo credit: HarleyK HarleyK

Breeding:
Odoe pike have been bred before in captivity, but this is extremely rare.
HarleyK HarleyK has done it before.
Click this link from HarleyK HarleyK to see the spawning process of odoe pike in more detail:
They spawn using bubble nests where babies will live until free swimming.

A bubble nest from a pair of odoe pikes:
odoe pike bubble nest.PNG

Photo credit: HarleyK HarleyK

Newly hatched odoe pike fry hanging in the parents' bubble nest:
bubble nest babies odoe pike.PNG
Photo credit: HarleyK HarleyK

Young free-swimming fry with parents:
young odoe pike fry free swimming.PNG

Photo credit: HarleyK HarleyK


Temperature and Water Requirements:
Temperature: 76-83 F
PH: slightly acidic to neutral 6.0-7.3
KH: 40-80 ppm
GH: 120-180 ppm

Notes and Tips:
When maintaining the odoe pike's aquarium, please be careful, as there have been many cases of odoe pikes attacking fingers. They have very sharp teeth, so a bite would most likely draw blood.
odoe pike teeth.PNG

Photo credit: @polypterusboyz on Instagram

Other Species in the Hepsetus Genus:
Hepsetus curvieri
Hepsetus kingsleyae
Hepsetus lineatus
Hepsetus microlepis
Hepsetus occidentalis

Credits:
A big thanks to @polypterusboyz on Instagram for the photos of his odoe pike.
Check him out: https://www.instagram.com/polypterusboyz/
Thank you HarleyK HarleyK for allowing me to use your pictures in this guide.

Sources/Informative Sites:
If you are planning on buying an odoe pike, please make sure to do your research and check out these sites!


If you have any questions or notice any mistakes in my writeup, please reply below.
If I do have any information wrong, please reply respectfully. I am 14, and this is my first time creating an informative writeup.

Thanks,
Polypterus_36
 
Last edited:

DB junkie

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Jan 27, 2007
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For what it's worth - I strongly disagree about them being aggressive towards each other.... Maybe if only 2 are kept together, but small groups have always worked well for me and I have raised mine in that manner for almost the last decade (not all the same fish)..... Current group is 9 fish I believe. Was actually successful in combining 2 different groups. Took a few tries but has been working great for several months now.....
 

Polypterus_36

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 17, 2021
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For what it's worth - I strongly disagree about them being aggressive towards each other.... Maybe if only 2 are kept together, but small groups have always worked well for me and I have raised mine in that manner for almost the last decade (not all the same fish)..... Current group is 9 fish I believe. Was actually successful in combining 2 different groups. Took a few tries but has been working great for several months now.....
Hmm.. I will take that into consideration.
How big is the tank you are housing the group in?
Also, how big are the odoe pikes in the group?
 

krichardson

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Jun 19, 2006
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For what it's worth - I strongly disagree about them being aggressive towards each other.... Maybe if only 2 are kept together, but small groups have always worked well for me and I have raised mine in that manner for almost the last decade (not all the same fish)..... Current group is 9 fish I believe. Was actually successful in combining 2 different groups. Took a few tries but has been working great for several months now.....
I remember your posts about your odoe groups and was wondering if you would chime in.
 

Polypterus_36

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 17, 2021
358
699
105
For what it's worth - I strongly disagree about them being aggressive towards each other.... Maybe if only 2 are kept together, but small groups have always worked well for me and I have raised mine in that manner for almost the last decade (not all the same fish)..... Current group is 9 fish I believe. Was actually successful in combining 2 different groups. Took a few tries but has been working great for several months now.....
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/db-junkie-accomplished-aquaculturist.562792/
Ok, so I found your tank (BTW I love it), and I see what you mean.
Maybe it depends on the tank size/ amount of odoes in the tank. I just read everywhere about how odoe pikes hate conspecifics in any situation.
Thanks for the input!
 

FJB

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Dec 15, 2017
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Very nice thread on awesome fish!
Very good contributions (earlier and new thread) with complementary views and information. Awesome tanks.
I will not be able to get any odoes anytime soon, but very cool. Thanks!
 

Polypterus_36

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 17, 2021
358
699
105
Very nice thread on awesome fish!
Very good contributions (earlier and new thread) with complementary views and information. Awesome tanks.
I will not be able to get any odoes anytime soon, but very cool. Thanks!
Thanks!
 
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