Aba aba community. . . .

[Peanut_Power]

Aba aba are aggressive towards other fish, but are they also aggressive towards other Aba aba?

If I did a group of six or more, would I just end up with one in the end? Or would it work out?

I'm thinking of starting them off in a 125gal, then moving them to the 300gal when they are large enough. Hopefully by then I'll have a pond or some other monster tank going.

I know they are fragile, hence the wanting to get a group of them. Don't really want them offing each other though, so I am in a dilemma.

 

[Tramonte172]

I have never seen them in groups. Thier bites are extremely nasty so it would not take much for them to kill one another. There are some who have kept them with other aggressive fish without issues. Mine lives alone.

 

[Hoyo12]

I don't believe that it has been done before, or at least not successfully. I know that multiple juveniles kept together usually pick at each other, so I can only assume that the aggression would increase as time went on. Possible? Hard to tell, but you could be the first to give it a try! Never really know until at least one person gives it a try.

 

[SimonL]

I think it would depend on the size of the enclosure....Arapaimag and the 52,000 gal might manage it lol

 

[Tramonte172]

Once most Abas hit around 18" they seem to want to kill everything around them. They sometimes even attack equipment. Also, they are fragile when young but can be reaised without issues if you follow a few guidlines. The young ones need cover (I used a lot plastic plants), darkness (I would not use a light on the tank until it is over 12" minimum), adequit filtration (think Discus or young rays) and they need to be left alone. They can grow at least 1" per month if you don't bother them more than you have to (feeding, cleaing etc). Put the tank in a place where there won't be much going on to stress them out. One day they become confident and nothing scares them anymore, until then they need peace. I hope this helps.

 

[Peanut_Power]

So would it be better to grow them up in a smaller tank, say a 29gal or so, till they get larger? Lots of decorations, low light, and plenty of filtration.

I was hoping to get some in the 4 to 6" range, although they seem ridiculously hard to find. I screwed up and missed my chance to get a 10" one, still bummed about that.

 

[Kanta]

Due to their aggression, I would stay away from more than one. Your looking into dumping money into an expensive an hard fish to find that will just kill everything else.

 

[Egon]

Picking one up tomorrow I wanted one of these for as long as I can remember. Back in High School I had one of those small but thick TFH fresh water fish books written by Herbert R. Axelrod? Yeah that page was worn out lol, and some guys liked girls

Anyway this Aba Aba is landing here in Phoenix in a few hours. I got a 180 set up. It's about a 10" Aba aba

I'll take pictures.........

 

[Lupin]

Jeremy will explode out of envy if you do.lol ^^^

 

[Egon]

Pic's will be up in 6 hours