Congos VS Exodons. + other news today.

[Retuks]

Condos vs. Exodons ?
LOL
That's a good one

maybe i should spill truth and just say, "i want to SEE what armageddon in the form of E paradoxus would look like against another shoaling tetra".

lol.

hmm xiao. seems you've done everything ive done in life.. LOL astyanax are small like what?? their teeth appear larger than all tetras i saw. the best teeth i saw in person to date on a small tetra was black skirts/ white skirts. as they have perfectly aligned brown tricuspids. which might i add really blow compared to (at least) the shot of those teeth on the astyanax photos

 

[bitteraspects]

Congos are no match for exodons, period. A congo's tooth structure means that it actually has to grasp it's prey to bite it. Exodons have teeth pointing outwards like a rasp, they can simply ram into another fish and send scales flying. Also, an exodon's mouth is far larger than a congo tetra's.

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/piranha038/images/Exo_head_teeth_OPEFE.jpg

Go to that link to see the dental structure of an exodon. On some specimens, they are visible while alive.

Astyanax are no match for exos either, I've kept them. They have decent sized teeth (like all tetras do if you pull their lips back), but the mouth is small.

 

[Retuks]

i never thought much of exo teeth. even when i decided to get them.
in those pictures they look more like a photo of soft translucent cactus than anything.

 

[Umbra]

They're pretty effective at what they do. Mouth structure has a lot to do with the amount of damage a fish can do, more so perhaps than teeth. If the Astyanax can't get it's mouth onto the flank of the Exodon, how much damage can it do vs the other fish who simply swims into it and sends the scales flying? Their jaws aren't strong enough to actually take chunks out of other fish either, especially if the other fish are moving as quickly as Exodon do. Fish like cichlids and whatnot have protrusible jaws meaning they can be thrust outwards, exposing the teeth in the jaw so they can scrape at a relatively flat surface. If you've ever seen a large midas or jag try to bite you through the glass you'd know what I mean.

Tooth design also plays a role in it. The teeth of E. paradoxus are designed for descaling other fish; the teeth of Astyanax are likely similar to that of those skirt tetras, chomping at small aquatic organisms and plant matter. If you want a tetra that can quarrel with similar sized exos, you need to first find something better equipped; Brycon sp. should be able to match up with exos no problem, even at small sizes. They tear each other to pieces (literally) if they don't have enough space.

 

[bitteraspects]

I don't think I've ever seen 3" matrincha, but I'm not so sure hey would hold up against E.Paradoxus
Though they do get pretty big

 

[chonhzilla]

Here's some teeth.

 

[cichlidfish]

actually mexican tetras aren't half as bitey as exodons so im not so sure about that. i posted that congo picture up in the other thread lol.

and idno how socially "paradoxed" mexicanus are compared to Exodons. the exos are much more keen to cooperation in taking down other fish. kinda like putting one rhom into an exo tank and watching it get nitpicked to shreds and cornered before getting its eyes pecked out and winding up on the bottom of the tank the next day.

I have read that some people have been successful keeping exos w/ cichlids, but I just don't see how that will work. Maybe they have a very small school of exos?
I think that exos shouldn't be kept w/ any other fish. They are more the a mach for the mexican tetra and congo.
Why not drag snake heads into this? Some people think they will take out a great white shark

 

[bitteraspects]

I have read that some people have been successful keeping exos w/ cichlids, but I just don't see how that will work. Maybe they have a very small school of exos?
I think that exos shouldn't be kept w/ any other fish. They are more the a mach for the mexican tetra and congo.
Why not drag snake heads into this? Some people think they will take out a great white shark

try again.
exodons should not be kept with cichlids. it will end one of two ways. either the exos will pick the cichlids apart, or che cichlids will get big enough to swallow them whole.
but exodons can be kept with some other fish.

 

[Umbra]

try again.
exodons should not be kept with cichlids. it will end one of two ways. either the exos will pick the cichlids apart, or che cichlids will get big enough to swallow them whole.
but exodons can be kept with some other fish.

Exos make great dither/target fish for medium sized (5-8") cichlids that can handle their own. I've had them with exCichlasoma salvini, Telmatochromis dhonti, exCichlasoma grammodes and a few others. It works out great for the most part, although once in a while you might have to replace an exo if the cichlids get too rough. Don't get me wrong, exos are tough, but like most other smaller characins, they can't take a beating. I've never once had any of my cichlids killed by exos.

I've kept small Brycon cephalus and melanopterus (I have one right now, had 20++ in the past, they were my favourite fish at one time) and believe me, they can destroy exos. I've never seen exos do much more than knock off scales and scratch up skin/fins. Brycon leave holes in each other when the fight, other MFK members have had similar experiences with them. Ever seen the damage dorado can do to other fish? Brycon can do just about the same. They can take a beating far better than exos as well.

 

[bitteraspects]

i have seen cichlids killed, and stressed pretty much to death by exodons. " It works out great for the most part", pretty mutch said it all.

as far as matrincha go, as a larger fish, im aware of the damage they can cause, however at 3" they are basically still fry, and are not going to do much damage, if any. this is the case for just about all larger predators. like i said, i have not seen any 3"ers in action, but assuming they are like any other larger perdator, they are not very harmful as fry. if i had access to one, i would gladly put a 3" dorado in any of my exodon tanks.