been getting mixed answers, anyone try this?

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BuffaloPolypteridae

Feeder Fish
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Aug 5, 2013
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Buffalo
OK, so I got a red tail barracuda grow out (he was the last one and I've always wanted one so before I did too much research other then basic knowledge I got him) I know my tank is big enough for him, and my ornate bichir will do fine with him, but I've been getting mixed responses about keeping the red hi fin wolf and the cuda together... anyone try this combo?

The guy at the LFS said they should get along, and if they are similar size he usually puts them together in the sale tanks, but we all know LFS shopkeeps aren't the best for info haha. I have yet to find an actual person who has kept the combo, but my buddy had the fish at 2 different times and he said based on the personalitys they should leave each other alone as long as their well fed. I know getting a fish before knowing it will work isn't smart, but I have a place this guy can go to (my one friends tank is perfect for him right now, just small bichirs and ropefish) if he can't work in my pred tank

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Every wolf has a different personality. This goes for all fish but especially wolves. It may be cool. But it may only be cool a while. As long as the bichir is bigger than the wolf go for it CAREFULLY. Wolves have been known to hit the killswitch without warning. I think your tank layout will play a big part.
 
my wolf is pretty docile.. everyone told me my ornate would have ripped fins but nope, not at all. opposite happened and when my red wolf pushes around the ornate the ornate bites him.. so as long as this cuda leaves my ornate alone hell be fine, never seen em hanging out at the bottom anyway haha (cuda).

I have the cuda in my breeder tank, w/ geo balzani, fancy guppy, and dalmation molly (40 ga) all babies (cept for the gupps n molls) and I haven't had a nip on the geos yet, or any other fish the cuda wasn't supposed to eat so that's good

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I feel like the wolf would even appreciate a more active tank mate he could interact with, hence why I picked one of these up, it should stay around the middle to top and the wolf stays on the bottom-middle, and bichir on the bottom

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Where do the cudas swim normally? That can kinda determine it. If it usually swims near the bottom, it is very risky because the wolf can bully, kill, or stress it out. It could work if the cuda is top to mid swimming and is significantly bigger than the wolf. Try a red wolf. The thing is, my 6 inch red (sold) used to pick on fights with my 11 inch armatus. The wolf always won. cudas are usually delicate so....
 
Depends on the individual fish in question. I would say it's risky, just because barracudas normally aren't very active from what I've seen (I haven't owned one yet, but from all the video I have seen of them, they seem to pick a spot and kind of hover). In that case, you have a silvery target fish hanging out above the wolf, which doesn't sound like a recipe for success. I could be completely off base, but that's how it looks to me.
 
lix.ma14 said:
Where do the cudas swim normally? That can kinda determine it. If it usually swims near the bottom, it is very risky because the wolf can bully, kill, or stress it out. It could work if the cuda is top to mid swimming and is significantly bigger than the wolf. Try a red wolf. The thing is, my 6 inch red (sold) used to pick on fights with my 11 inch armatus. The wolf always won. cudas are usually delicate so....
Click to expand...

I do have a red wolf, I'm waiting until he's at least as long if not slightly longer to put him in the main tank, my red wolf hasn't been aggro towards any other fish, other then pushing the bichir a lil bit sometimes but he's never nipped him, quite the opposite, the red wolf gets nipped.

so far in my 15 the cuda rarely goes to the bottom unless it is to chase small feeders, he hasn't nipped at my other geophagus balzani I picked up when I got him, they also chill at the bottom most of the time, he hasn't bothered it at all

like I said though, if this doesn't work out my buddy has a nice big tank going w/ some polys and a ropefish and is jealous of my red wolf and cuda, so if the cuda n wolf don't get along he will be buying the cuda

I pretty much got this kid into keeping fish a while back

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I should say my red hasn't been very aggro to tank mates haha he has eaten his fair share of fish

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BuffaloPolypteridae said:
I do have a red wolf, I'm waiting until he's at least as long if not slightly longer to put him in the main tank, my red wolf hasn't been aggro towards any other fish, other then pushing the bichir a lil bit sometimes but he's never nipped him, quite the opposite, the red wolf gets nipped.

so far in my 15 the cuda rarely goes to the bottom unless it is to chase small feeders, he hasn't nipped at my other geophagus balzani I picked up when I got him, they also chill at the bottom most of the time, he hasn't bothered it at all

like I said though, if this doesn't work out my buddy has a nice big tank going w/ some polys and a ropefish and is jealous of my red wolf and cuda, so if the cuda n wolf don't get along he will be buying the cuda

I pretty much got this kid into keeping fish a while back

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Click to expand...

My red wolf was real nasty. When i got it, it was a runt. It was super shy and skinny. It didn't eat for a month when i got it. Everything changed after the 2nd month. It outcompeted all of my fish for food. My bichirs and even armatus didn't get a single chance to get a piece of food. No matter how much food I put in, my wolf managed to hog EVEN if it meant throwing up.
It was the beefiest red wolf you've even seen. It grew 2 inches in a single month.

I had to sell the red wolf because it also roughed up my bichirs and try to pick a fish on my much larger armatus. Compared to cudas, armatus are definitely king.

In a nutshell, everything depends on the personality, size difference, and if you want to risk it or not.

Try to have the cuda at least 2-3 inches bigger than the wolf.
 
Thanks for the advice about the wolf n cuda, will try to get the cuda to at least 9 inch before putting him in the main tank

That is exactly what my own red does, I'll hand feed him about 3 lil store bought night crawlers (I've gotten to the point of being able to basically play tug o war w/ him haha) which should be plenty for his size, then I drop in a couple over by the ornate, and the wolf pushes him out of the way to eat them. That's why I started dividing during feedings, only feedings, keep the red wolf alone so he can't pull that crap haha

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