Active fish that doesn't look like feeders?

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Fishes33

Fishes33

Polypterus
MFK Member
Apr 4, 2006
3,700
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Canada, Toronto
Currently, my GATF and Armatus are shanking and killing their tankmates when feeders are out. (tinfoil barbs and tri color sharks)

I tried cigar shark too, and the Armatus just swallow it! :O

Now I got an offer of a pair of active MBU puffer, they are around 7"ish and they have been living peacefully together since they were a baby

So...

Is it a good idea to try the combo out? I haven't seen such combo thou!

As for the Aimara plan, it was tiny and looked like a cigar shark, so I passed the deal!

Oh oh oh! And the other day, I saw my Armatus shredded his 0.5" teeth out :WHOA:

Go for it? or Don't risk it? I have been thinking about it, but I just can't decide!!!!!!! :nilly:

What do you think?
 
That's why I always recommend to get CHEAP dithers lol. Until you've gotten them solidly and reliably broken, be prepared for this to happen.

You can try silver dollars as well, the deeper body can potentially keep them from being targeted. I've had good look with them. They are a natural prey item for armies though, so...
 
Ive had great luck with other wide bodied fish that rnt silver. For dithers ive used geophagus altifrons, tilapia buttikoferi, severums, and I currently have 2 8" high mono sebaes with my 17" vatf, 14" reticulated knifefish, 15" megalodoris irwini, and another type of ancient looking catfish thats around 10". Get something that doesnt shine like bait fish that still actively eats. As for the mbu... ive heard a lot of horror stories with puffers. How big are your gatf and armatus?
 
tgroen said:
Ive had great luck with other wide bodied fish that rnt silver. For dithers ive used geophagus altifrons, tilapia buttikoferi, severums, and I currently have 2 8" high mono sebaes with my 17" vatf, 14" reticulated knifefish, 15" megalodoris irwini, and another type of ancient looking catfish thats around 10". Get something that doesnt shine like bait fish that still actively eats. As for the mbu... ive heard a lot of horror stories with puffers. How big are your gatf and armatus?
Click to expand...

They are around 8" and the Armatus is slightly bigger, both have amazing growth speed. The GATF knows the tank boundary and it doesn't rub anymore. As for the Armatus, it still rub the glass from time to time.

Right now, they are with 1 tinfoil barb (started with 6), 3 tri color sharks, 10" polypterus teugelsi, two 10" P.weeksii, 6" common pleco.
 
At my lfs they have a big mbu living with some kind of payara (Im pretty bad at IDing them) and they seem to ignore eachother
I've never seen a combo like that and I wouldnt expect it to work well but they've been doing it with little to no problems
 
Id try geos or severums. Ive had great luck with them even with a bare bottom tank and tons of current. They arnt too expensive but make sure u get ones 4"+ cuz they grow much slower then ur preds. Plus they are much nicer to look at then tinfoil barbs or common sds and unlike sds which do become a bit more aggressive when larger ull never have to worry about them nipping at ur gatfs hooks.
 
how about a African pike?
 
Lemon finned barbs and their huge scales look much nicer then tinfoils in my opinion. They have similar growth rates to your preds, get big enough to hang with them for a long time, are almost as tall as long so would be a much harder meal then say a slender masher, and won't cost you an arm and a leg.

I had a monster sized one but sold to a larger home then the 750 it was in, but with Armatus and Gatf in the same tank I imagine you have something giant planned so shouldn't be an issue.....
 
'Is it a good idea to try the combo out? I haven't seen such combo thou! '

The Mbu's will be too slow to catch your tigers. Here is a video of the combo.

[video=youtube;BOQkAOu5M9g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOQkAOu5M9g[/video]
 
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