I've put off updating on the Hi-Fin, in hopes of having a newer picture to illustrate its growth. But I'm a lousy photographer, the tank is poorly placed and located for picturetaking, and the fish is just too nervous and always outlasts my patience when I creep in for a shot.
It's about 4 inches long now, roughly twice the length when I brought it home, making it the biggest fish in its current tank. It doesn't look emaciated at all nowadays, it's filled in nicely. It's now living with roughly 30 adult Green Swordtails, a couple of Jordanella Flagfish (which I introduced to control hair algae, as harvesting it by hand still freaks the Hi-Fin out), and a smallish Hypostomus laplatae Uruguayan pleco. Water temp is about 55F currently, so the food intake of the Swords is greatly reduced. Between the Flagfish and the Hypostomus, algae is controlled but still very evident.
The Hi-Fin looks pretty good overall. It doesn't hide and is always on display, but is still nervous and flighty when I move too quickly or reach in to do any maintenance. Diet is BugPro sinking pellets, various Spirulina flakes, frozen adult brine shrimp, freeze-dried Tubifex, and possibly Cherry Shrimp hatchlings. Actually seeing it pick up a piece of food and eventually swallow...still requires the patience of a saint.
Sadly, the other Hi-Fin that was left in Ivan's tank didn't make it. He never saw it eat anything and it just wasted away, lasting a couple months before expiring. His tank is around 60F and also contains 3 Goldfish, so I don't know if the Hi-Fin simply couldn't compete.
My Hi-Fin's days are possibly numbered as well. I thought it would be moved into my 360 Goldfish tank at the end of the summer, when my outdoor fish came inside. But that just didn't feel right , so I left it where it was and added the rest of the Swordtails. The Hi-Fin, although nervous when I'm around, seems to completely ignore other fish even when they descend en masse around it at feeding time. So...I've decided that it's going to be moved into the bigger tank now and will have to take its chances. There's nothing aggressive in there...Goldfish, Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus, Cichlasoma dimerus, some Garras, a big Hypostomus...so perhaps it will adapt and survive. Aside from the Gymnos and Garras, most of the fish in the 360 are bigger than the Hi-Fin, and the majority of them are bottom-sifters to some extent. That, combined with the fact that there is substrate in that tank, means I will need to watch the Hi-Fin carefully for signs of weight loss, as food on the bottom will not last long and he will need to up his game to get his share.
If I can't get a pic before the move, photography should be easier in the bigger tank.
It's about 4 inches long now, roughly twice the length when I brought it home, making it the biggest fish in its current tank. It doesn't look emaciated at all nowadays, it's filled in nicely. It's now living with roughly 30 adult Green Swordtails, a couple of Jordanella Flagfish (which I introduced to control hair algae, as harvesting it by hand still freaks the Hi-Fin out), and a smallish Hypostomus laplatae Uruguayan pleco. Water temp is about 55F currently, so the food intake of the Swords is greatly reduced. Between the Flagfish and the Hypostomus, algae is controlled but still very evident.
The Hi-Fin looks pretty good overall. It doesn't hide and is always on display, but is still nervous and flighty when I move too quickly or reach in to do any maintenance. Diet is BugPro sinking pellets, various Spirulina flakes, frozen adult brine shrimp, freeze-dried Tubifex, and possibly Cherry Shrimp hatchlings. Actually seeing it pick up a piece of food and eventually swallow...still requires the patience of a saint.
Sadly, the other Hi-Fin that was left in Ivan's tank didn't make it. He never saw it eat anything and it just wasted away, lasting a couple months before expiring. His tank is around 60F and also contains 3 Goldfish, so I don't know if the Hi-Fin simply couldn't compete.
My Hi-Fin's days are possibly numbered as well. I thought it would be moved into my 360 Goldfish tank at the end of the summer, when my outdoor fish came inside. But that just didn't feel right , so I left it where it was and added the rest of the Swordtails. The Hi-Fin, although nervous when I'm around, seems to completely ignore other fish even when they descend en masse around it at feeding time. So...I've decided that it's going to be moved into the bigger tank now and will have to take its chances. There's nothing aggressive in there...Goldfish, Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus, Cichlasoma dimerus, some Garras, a big Hypostomus...so perhaps it will adapt and survive. Aside from the Gymnos and Garras, most of the fish in the 360 are bigger than the Hi-Fin, and the majority of them are bottom-sifters to some extent. That, combined with the fact that there is substrate in that tank, means I will need to watch the Hi-Fin carefully for signs of weight loss, as food on the bottom will not last long and he will need to up his game to get his share.
If I can't get a pic before the move, photography should be easier in the bigger tank.
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