Aba Aba tank mates?
- Thread starter Fanatic_Fish_Lunatic
- Start date
I never have but i heard its a major NO NO Aba Aba have strong sharp teeth
Yep, I've expected keeping aba aba with tank mates to be as bad as keeping hoplias aimara with tank mates.
According to this video it works for around 5 seconds.
Don't watch if you don't want so see a live fish eaten.
Surprisingly, their teeth are not pointy. I guess they work more like a scissor or like pincers.
What's also very interesting is that they have no problem eating a catfish backwards. Most predators usually try to swallow their prey head first so that the fins don't get stuck in their throat.
Don't watch if you don't want so see a live fish eaten.
Surprisingly, their teeth are not pointy. I guess they work more like a scissor or like pincers.
What's also very interesting is that they have no problem eating a catfish backwards. Most predators usually try to swallow their prey head first so that the fins don't get stuck in their throat.
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I've heard that they are good at destroying equipment as well
Such a cool fish, I would love to have a large tank dedicated to one
Such a cool fish, I would love to have a large tank dedicated to one
That first catfish head wouldn't go down backwards; it kept jamming up with the pectorals locked open, one sticking out on each side of the mouth. Using those spiny little bastidges as food, dead or alive, seems foolish due to the possibility of internal damage to the big fish. I have used many bullheads as food for predators in the past, always humanely pre-killed and frozen...and I would never offer them without first using pliers to snip off those wicked pectoral and dorsal spines.
The single Aba Aba I tended for a period of time during my stint as a petshop employee...a looooong time ago...would eat anything offered; live, dead, frozen, dried, whatever. It also would absolutely not tolerate any tankmates of any species, usually attacking within a few seconds.
We never tried, but in hindsight I wonder if it could be kept with very small schooling fish, like many large predators can. Small enough fish may be beneath its notice, and not worth pursuing; I'm talking about small tetras, guppies, etc. Might be worth a try?
The single Aba Aba I tended for a period of time during my stint as a petshop employee...a looooong time ago...would eat anything offered; live, dead, frozen, dried, whatever. It also would absolutely not tolerate any tankmates of any species, usually attacking within a few seconds.
We never tried, but in hindsight I wonder if it could be kept with very small schooling fish, like many large predators can. Small enough fish may be beneath its notice, and not worth pursuing; I'm talking about small tetras, guppies, etc. Might be worth a try?
No idea about growth rate, sorry. I never owned one, I just maintained one for about a year in the shop. It came in big...maybe 30-36 inches?...and left not noticeably bigger. It was fed generously, a diet consisting mostly of assorted dead fish (not uncommon in a big pet shop). Bear in mind this was 40+ years ago. I do recall that getting this fish in at the shop was a Big Deal.
It's actually a pretty cool fish, usually active and on the move, not hiding like many big predators. Not really interactive with people, but very alert and inquisitive. A perfect solo display specimen. Emphasis on "solo".
Incidentally, in the shop we also experimented with Aimara tankmates. In terms of antisocial aggressiveness and "grind 'em up" behaviour...the Aba Aba was far worse than the wolf.
It's actually a pretty cool fish, usually active and on the move, not hiding like many big predators. Not really interactive with people, but very alert and inquisitive. A perfect solo display specimen. Emphasis on "solo".
Incidentally, in the shop we also experimented with Aimara tankmates. In terms of antisocial aggressiveness and "grind 'em up" behaviour...the Aba Aba was far worse than the wolf.
Just out of curiosity, can this fish have a scaped tank? I've only seen these guys in bare tanks.