Aba aba tank size

[Charney]

I know this is not actually a real knife, but didn't know where else to post it. How large do these guys actually get in the home aquarium and what size tanks do they need? I know they are beasts in the wild, but I am curious if they attain full length in captivity.

 

[MonsterMinis]

far as I know my aba aba is a true knife.. and it will need Monster tank. exactly how big for a min size tbh idk.. atm mine is in a 20hi and at his growth rate his next tank will be a 75.. which he needs asap. he's got from 3" to 6"+ in 2 months. from what research i've done he'll be over 12" by this summer. and can reach 4' in captivity fairly easy given the space. so a min tank size would be something like 12' x 6' for a footprint with a min of 3' height give or take. and yes.. I'm talking feet. I plan on building an indoor pond for mine once it outgrows a 180. which hopefully won't be for 2 more years. to say these guys need a big tank i think is an understatement. These are like getting a RTC.

 

[Tramonte172]

I would expect one to get at least 3' and likely more. They are active fish with a large brain that require a lot of space and their own tank.

 

[arapaimag]

I know this is not actually a real knife, but didn't know where else to post it. How large do these guys actually get in the home aquarium and what size tanks do they need? I know they are beasts in the wild, but I am curious if they attain full length in captivity.

If they are not a true knife what are they?

I've seen many people on forums say how easy it is to raise this fish to "full size" but I never have.

I've had several friends who have failed to raise any of theirs to over 25". Normally they tell me the "stupid fish" jumped out or committed suicide. I tell them their stupid owner killed the fish.

I have seen one that was in a pet shop in Toronto around 1973 that was later sold to the Toronto Zoo that did grow from about 12" when I first saw it in the pet shop to around 5' in the early 1990's. It has been dead for more than a decade. It was in a tank about 1,000 gallons.

Mine is only about 38" at present with very little growth from year to year.
Mine has been in several tanks and sometimes to outdoor ponds for the summer. It is in a 520 at present.


Best of luck with yours if you get it.

Tried to upload picture but error on website an unable to post.

Fish is shown within the past week in pictures uploaded to 50,000 gallon thread in article section.

 

[Kaliedoscope]

NICE! Abas are great, I"m glad to hear someone's making an effort to treat them right. Ive hea'rd they get 6'-7' in the wild and sometimes eat baby croc's and fishermans legs.

They aren't a true knife, that's true, they are not a notopterid, but instead a monotypic genus more closley related to momyridae.
At least that's my understanding

 

[King-eL]

NICE! Abas are great, I"m glad to hear someone's making an effort to treat them right. Ive hea'rd they get 6'-7' in the wild and sometimes eat baby croc's and fishermans legs.

They aren't a true knife, that's true, they are not a notopterid, but instead a monotypic genus more closley related to momyridae.
At least that's my understanding

Both notopteridae and mormyridae are actually related to the aba aba which is the only one from family gymnarchidae. All three families are all group together in a suborder notopteroidei.

As for the aba aba being a true knifefish, yes it's a true knifefish so lets say knifeFISH instead of just knife. Lol! Knife is an object not a fish. If you compare an aba aba knifefish to that thing, then it's not a true knife. (Just saying, Lol!)

I own one myself at 28" and slow down. Got it at 18" on 2008.

 

[Combatshock]

If they are not a true knife what are they?

I've seen many people on forums say how easy it is to raise this fish to "full size" but I never have.

I've had several friends who have failed to raise any of theirs to over 25". Normally they tell me the "stupid fish" jumped out or committed suicide. I tell them their stupid owner killed the fish.

I have seen one that was in a pet shop in Toronto around 1973 that was later sold to the Toronto Zoo that did grow from about 12" when I first saw it in the pet shop to around 5' in the early 1990's. It has been dead for more than a decade. It was in a tank about 1,000 gallons.

Mine is only about 38" at present with very little growth from year to year.
Mine has been in several tanks and sometimes to outdoor ponds for the summer. It is in a 520 at present.

He was a foot long in 1973 and lived until at least the early 90's?

Can anyone verify Aba's can live to me 20+ years old?

 

[MonsterMinis]

Nope.. but The one at the shedd aquarium in chicago I've heard is pretty old... idk how old that is though. It wouldn't surprize me if they can live in the 20's as alot of other knife species can live that long, or pretty close. The hard part as stated earlier.. is keeping these fish long-term. Never really thought to sit down and ponder.. but when my husband and I bought ours we did plan on him living hopefully as long or longer then a dog or cat.

 

[Combatshock]

Nope.. but The one at the shedd aquarium in chicago I've heard is pretty old... idk how old that is though. It wouldn't surprize me if they can live in the 20's as alot of other knife species can live that long, or pretty close. The hard part as stated earlier.. is keeping these fish long-term. Never really thought to sit down and ponder.. but when my husband and I bought ours we did plan on him living hopefully as long or longer then a dog or cat.

Think you'll get rid of him someday?

 

[MonsterMinis]

I Never say never.. But it is highly unlikely.. and if we did I would likely contact a few Zoos/Members here capable of maintaining them, before "selling" him. If someone had asked me when I was 16 if I would still own the same horse when I was 29 I would have said "Not likely" But I do... Alot of animals get passed around.. which is likely why some very old fish aren't well documented. Most people view fish as a "few year" pets. and unless you where to say chip one, it would be hard to prove a fish was so and so old. In the end I try to do whats best for my pets.. from my fish, to my cat, to my horse. Some people share my views.. others don't. He was also the first fish my husband and I purchased together and worked very hard to keep alive the first few weeks.. so we have deffinately attached ourselves emotionally to him.

I think if we ever decided to part with him it would be for one of 2 reasons... finances... as they require large tanks, and the maitenece to accomidate that. or aggression, since we're soon to have a little girl. I refuse to risk a childs life/health particulalry my own to have a "cool pet". So far we;ve been well enough to accomidate his tank needs, and he shows no inclination towards viewing hands in his tank as food... this may change as he matures.. but we are not trying to hand-feed him or encourage interaction beyond the norms with him, he his shy atm... but shows lots of intelligance. prolly why we're so attached to him as well.