Bottom fish tankmates for SAL?

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Cichlaholics Anonymous

Polypterus
MFK Member
May 23, 2006
8,160
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92
Miami, Florida
Been thinking of getting a SAL again at some point, and curious if they tend to be aggressive towards other bottom fish like polypterus or smaller pimelodid cats
 
The majority are very peaceful towards all tankmates. I have read of some people having agressive SALs but its not usual. King eL has his with a variety of fish including poly and other cats. Though mine is young it ignors my plecos and used to snuggle with a kuhli loach (I have since moved the loach to another tank).
 
SAL are usully aggressive toward other lungfish species but will ignore other species of fish. However there are rare circumstances that some individula are as aggressive as the African species, but the majority of SAL can tolerate other fish.

I have keep many type of fish with my SAL and never bother them. But I used to have a SAL that became aggressive so I sold it. It was acting like an African lungfish. My latest two SAL right now are with my other fish and even living together. They don't even bother my Aussie lungfish.

Check out my SAL tread.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=248806
 
I second that, have kept both of mine with all kinds of fish, including small ones (and turtles!) without any issues. Only thing they don't like is each other.
 
Right now, mine is in with cories and other various small fish and he doesn't bother anyone. I'm sure as he grows he'll become a threat to the cories, but he'll be moved to a larger tank by that point anyways.
 
thanks for the replies, I was concerned also about aggression towards polypterus due to somewhat similar appearance
 
Appearance is not a concern, lungfish have terrible vision...
 
thanks for the replies everyone, I'll consider getting one whn/if they are next available locally
 
I've got a 16 inch SAL and a trio of Yo-yo loaches (Botia almorhae). The lungfish has never bothered the loaches, but they sure bother the hell out of him. Mostly they just swim around his head or tail during the early evening hours, until the lights go out. Sometimes I think they must think of him as a Really Big Loach, since they were there before he was, and have been around him since he was just a baby. I recently got him a piece of PVC tube to hide in, and since then the SAL seems more relaxed and the loaches aren't dumb enough to go into the tube with him.

Wouldn't say I recommend pairing loaches with lungfishes, but nobody's gone missing yet.
 
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