african aro questions

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

Connor0729

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jan 21, 2007
1,391
1
68
Ontario, Canada
i have just heard of these and i think that they seem pretty cool, but i have a few questions about them.

1. how big of a tank do they need?

2. how much do they usually cost?

3. can they go with aggresive south/central american cichlids?

4. where can i buy them?

thanks in advance and feel free to add any other tid-bits of info on these guys.
 
Connor0729;819744; said:
i have just heard of these and i think that they seem pretty cool, but i have a few questions about them.

1. how big of a tank do they need?

2. how much do they usually cost?

3. can they go with aggresive south/central american cichlids?

4. where can i buy them?

thanks in advance and feel free to add any other tid-bits of info on these guys.

1. As always this is subject to some debate. MO is that an 8'x4' is the smallest I will ever keep mine in.

2. They are pretty cheap if you find one below 8 inches. But their needs are very hard to meet anywhere below this size, so the survival rate is dismal. If you plan on getting one, please research their very specific needs.

3. I wouldn't put mine in with SA cichilids... These fish are very non-agro. You may have no problems, because they do get large, but I wouldn't bother with it.

4. Keeps your eyes on the vendor/buyer/seller sections. They pop up every now and then.

HTH,
Chris
 
They (Heterotis niloticus) grow to nearly 3 ft so a 8ft X 3ft tank footprint should be used as a minimum to house an af aro for life.

Young af aros run anywhere from $10-$25 dollars for young around 3". 8"+ specimens run much higher price tags since these sizes are generally past the "risky" stages of growth.

Af aros are inoffensive filter feeders. They cannot defend themselves against aggressive species.

Several of our vendors offer these aros when the season opens. Other than that, the occassional grow-out becomes available from other hobbyists.
 
I've posted this a few times in the past. Guess it's time for another revival:

Basically, the only real success seems to be in providing a constant source of food until the aros reach about 8" and develop some fat storage to allow them to receive scheduled feedings like most other fish.
I raised the young in bare tanks with sponge filters. The sponge filters allow the fish to "graze" on previously missed food until the next feeding. Be sure to rinse of the sponges every other day to keep spoiled food off of them. Keep the water on the alkaline side and at 80 degrees. Also keep a good lid on their tank. They're jumpers from the get-go. They also need a cover to provide matching air and water temps while the young's air-breathing architecture is developing.
Feed them on a variety of small foods. Frozen bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, crumble food, sinking food, cyclop-eeze, flakes, and micro-pellets are all taken. Feed high protein foods since they have high metabolic rates (no cheap generic foods). Water changes of 30-50% need to be done every 2-3 days.
Af aros need to be housed either as 1 to a tank or 4 and up to a tank. With 2 or 3 you'll wind up with only one in a short time as their aggression towards each other is high.
Note: my best success was in following the above and allowing my rearing tanks to go green with algae. These are a filter-feeding species, after all, and I think they benefitted from some algae consumption in their diets.

Good luck!!
 
pics please.
i'd really be interested in one if i could ever afford it.
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com