Aft question

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graylizard

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Dec 16, 2023
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Hi. I am looking into getting a baby AFT to grow out. I would like to grow it out with a baby tarpon. I was wondering if that is possible. I was also wondering, since I’ve heard very different things, how big do they usually get in aquaria? I would be starting them in a 55 gallon until they are big enough to go in my 75 gallon bichir tank and go from there. I was also wondering how aggressive these species are in aquaria, because I have heard many different things.
Ex: AFT are one of the most aggressive fish in the world.
Also was would be a good size to get these fish. Are there any general difficulties with keeping them in aquaria? What are some specific requirements that they have. where I could get them and what would be a reasonable price for them. If you have anything additional that you would like to add feel free. Any tips and suggestions are appreciated. Thank you
 
I think it depends on the species you are getting. The goliaths tend to grow quite large and are the most aggressive one. Vittatus however are more mild in temper (at least the ones I had) and modest in size. And you can keep them in a group. They also have nicer colours in my opinion and I overall enjoyed keeping them a lot more. However both a very fast fish that enjoy to swim a lot, so you will need a big tank with a lot of current. And in general, these are open water fish, when they run away in nature, they swim a lot, so keep in mind that in an Aquarium they can never really do that, but will hit the glas.

Their requirements are pretty simple, they just need clean well oxinated water, space and enjoy a good current.

Another african predatory Characin I enjoyed a lot is Hepsetus Odoe. I think they are calmer and a lot more beginner friendly. So maybe you can check them out aswell as an alternative.
 
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Ansorgii said:
I think it depends on the species you are getting. The goliaths tend to grow quite large and are the most aggressive one. Vittatus however are more mild in temper (at least the ones I had) and modest in size. And you can keep them in a group. They also have nicer colours in my opinion and I overall enjoyed keeping them a lot more. However both a very fast fish that enjoy to swim a lot, so you will need a big tank with a lot of current. And in general, these are open water fish, when they run away in nature, they swim a lot, so keep in mind that in an Aquarium they can never really do that, but will hit the glas.

Their requirements are pretty simple, they just need clean well oxinated water, space and enjoy a good current.

Another african predatory Characin I enjoyed a lot is Hepsetus Odoe. I think they are calmer and a lot more beginner friendly. So maybe you can check them out aswell as an alternative.
Click to expand...
Would I be able to grow out a vittatus with a tarpon? How big do they get in captivity? What sized tank do they need? What do I feed them? Do they need to be groups? What is a good price for one? Also how big do the Odoe get? How big of a tank do they need? What do they eat? Do they need to be in groups? Can I keep them with bichirs?
 
If you have a tank fit for a tarpon, a vittatus will have no issues. You can keep the vittatus alone, but in nature they school as juveniles, but its a matter of tanksize and cost. The largest I ever saw had around 50cm, but that was in a zoo. Once they learn what you throw in is food, they will eat it. But I would recommend to train them on floating pellets. For the prize I cant help you with that.

For the odoe see here:

Polypterus_36

Thread 'A Guide to the Care of the African Pike Characin (Hepsetus odoe)'

Odoe Pike Care Guide
odoe pike 1.PNG
Photo credit: @polypterusboyz on Instagram

Introduction:
The odoe pike (Hepsetus odoe) is a predatory African pike characin that resides in lakes, rivers, and swamps in western sub-Saharan Africa.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Hepsetidae
Genus: Hepsetus
Species: odoe

General Housing Requirements:
Due to their shy and skittish nature, odoe pike require a larger aquarium...
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Both fish are somewhat similiar to tarpons, meaning if they become aggressive they might see him as a rival. Tarpons do well in groups, so if you like them I would just get more of them. But you need a huge tank in the long run.
 
Vittatus are ace fish and not aggressive to keep in my experience.

The challenge with an AFT is having a tank big enough for the them to actually swim in. A 12" AFT needs far more space than say a 12" oscar due to how much they swim and stretch their legs. Even when feeding the run up they can take to smash the food and the speed they reach is ace but if the tank is too small then they will just hit the sides become skittish and suffer in my opinion
 
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