Advise needed: ATFs shoal or comm

[MHDevelopments]

Thanks for the contribution. Appreciate it.

Anyone else can weight in and share their experience?

BTW, found a 5 year old pic of my VATF. Can wait to have more of them this time round.

View attachment 1179346

How about a full tank shot, that tank looks a damn good size!

 

[Red Aimara]

Still the same tank bro. 6 x 3 x 2.



Most of the monsters passed away - tats,
Armatus, VATF etc.

Left with only an aro, Cuban and AUL till I started restocking early this year.

 

[DB junkie]

Im curious to know myself since I am getting a group of large 6 10-12" VATF and 2 Arumtus that were together since 4-5"...will these group attack other fish?

How big of a thunder dome are those monsters going in? Can't wait to see how that plays out............

 

[MHDevelopments]

Still the same tank bro. 6 x 3 x 2.

View attachment 1179350

Most of the monsters passed away - tats,
Armatus, VATF etc.

Left with only an aro, Cuban and AUL till I started restocking early this year.

Nice looking set up, water is beautifully clear.

Nice score on the AUL, one of my dream sp. to own

 

[Red Aimara]

The first ATF (FATF) has arrived and is currently housed in the main monster comm.





The other will be here about 2-3 days time. Excited yet worried whether I will be able to comm them successfully or not.

Been thinking about grooming the GATF together with the AUL while putting the rest into the mixed comm.

 

[Chicxulub]

First and foremost, ATF are predators, they're not aggressive. That's a big difference. If it can't be eaten and it doesn't look like another ATF, they're almost guaranteed to ignore it.

These fish are also incredibly delicate when young and can easily be stressed and killed by truly aggressive fish. They can heal from fights like Wolverine, but they handle stress and bullying like 2016 American college students (sorry not sorry).

VATF and FATF will shoal readily in like sized groups when young, but these packs break up when the fish start to reach sexual maturity (~12" and ~10" roughly). At this point, the fish will become increasingly solitary and antagonistic toward congeners in the wild. This is also the point at which many (most actually) long-term cohab's start to break down and ATF begin to die.

 

[KNH]

First and foremost, ATF are predators, they're not aggressive. That's a big difference. If it can't be eaten and it doesn't look like another ATF, they're almost guaranteed to ignore it.

This may be the case in general but hasn't been my experience. When my vatf was smaller maybe 7-8" ( non-mature) it readily attacked firemouths, silver dollars and clown loaches. All of which were much to large to eat. It got to the point where I sold the silver dollars and considered selling the vatf but he chilled out shortly after the silver dollars were gone and has been fine the last few months.

 

[Chicxulub]

Hence, almost.

I've had random bouts of aggression out of my ATF as well, but it generally hasn't been bad. The CL would be seen as prey items (ATF will dismember prey and eat it in pieces), and the SDs and firemouths are roughly the right color to really draw an ATF's attention.

 

[Red Aimara]

First and foremost, ATF are predators, they're not aggressive. That's a big difference. If it can't be eaten and it doesn't look like another ATF, they're almost guaranteed to ignore it.

These fish are also incredibly delicate when young and can easily be stressed and killed by truly aggressive fish. They can heal from fights like Wolverine, but they handle stress and bullying like 2016 American college students (sorry not sorry).

VATF and FATF will shoal readily in like sized groups when young, but these packs break up when the fish start to reach sexual maturity (~12" and ~10" roughly). At this point, the fish will become increasingly solitary and antagonistic toward congeners in the wild. This is also the point at which many (most actually) long-term cohab's start to break down and ATF begin to die.

This is indeed valuable information. The fishes are coming in at the sizes you mentioned.

With 5 of them and 2 tanks at the moment it is indeed worrisome.

The best arrangement I can think of at the moment is having the GATF in one tank; the 4 others go into the main comm (hopefully the aggression amongst themselves will be dispersed by other large fishes).

I don't want the situation from having torn fins to missing eyes and finally dead fishes.

 

[StIcKy~RiCe]

damn those are nice bro..good grab,