Delhezi Behavior

Uglyknob

Exodon
MFK Member
Aug 17, 2019
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Lakeland, FL
We have a decent sized Delhezi named Princess Buttercup. She is my wife's favorite fish.

Recently, we upgraded from 4' 120 to a RSR 750XXL. During that time, her and her tankmates resides in a 20 gallon feed can with a Fluval FX6. I think she was agitated by all the current.

When we got her to the new tank, she seemed happy enough (as much as you can attribute human emotion to a fish). She likes to swim around and then "play" in the current and then go rest for a while. She'll literally swim to the current, let it throw her around a bit and then come back and do it again. When she gets tired, she'll go and rest on a log or the bottom.

Last night, my wife woke me up and said that PB was out of the tank. I ran out and grabbed her with a paper towel and put her back.

Now, I know they can jump, but PB has never tried before. I had plexiglass covers on the other tank and have a clearviewlids lid ordered for this one. However, it was never in her MO to hang out near the top or jump out before.

I have a couple of questions:
Is it dangerous to pick her up without some kind of protection? I thought the dorsal fins were barbed, but I can't remember. Not that I want to repeat. I have too much experience with Dojos and Ropefish during tank cleanings.

She is very subdued today, but she is usually very active around the tank. Is she happy swimming into the current like that, or agitated? Nobody messes with her, she is the biggest fish in town and all of her tankmates are friendly and leave her alone (Clown Loaches, Rainbows, Denisoni Barbs, etc...).

Thank you for any insight or experiences that may apply. My wife was very distraught. I thought she was messing with me at first, cause she is always going on about, "oh she is so pretty." She also talks to her all the time. The least likely fish I would have guessed my wife would have bonded to. She even comes to her when she calls her, even though I am the one who feeds them.
 

kno4te

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We have a decent sized Delhezi named Princess Buttercup. She is my wife's favorite fish.

Recently, we upgraded from 4' 120 to a RSR 750XXL. During that time, her and her tankmates resides in a 20 gallon feed can with a Fluval FX6. I think she was agitated by all the current.

When we got her to the new tank, she seemed happy enough (as much as you can attribute human emotion to a fish). She likes to swim around and then "play" in the current and then go rest for a while. She'll literally swim to the current, let it throw her around a bit and then come back and do it again. When she gets tired, she'll go and rest on a log or the bottom.

Last night, my wife woke me up and said that PB was out of the tank. I ran out and grabbed her with a paper towel and put her back.

Now, I know they can jump, but PB has never tried before. I had plexiglass covers on the other tank and have a clearviewlids lid ordered for this one. However, it was never in her MO to hang out near the top or jump out before.

I have a couple of questions:
Is it dangerous to pick her up without some kind of protection? I thought the dorsal fins were barbed, but I can't remember. Not that I want to repeat. I have too much experience with Dojos and Ropefish during tank cleanings.

She is very subdued today, but she is usually very active around the tank. Is she happy swimming into the current like that, or agitated? Nobody messes with her, she is the biggest fish in town and all of her tankmates are friendly and leave her alone (Clown Loaches, Rainbows, Denisoni Barbs, etc...).

Thank you for any insight or experiences that may apply. My wife was very distraught. I thought she was messing with me at first, cause she is always going on about, "oh she is so pretty." She also talks to her all the time. The least likely fish I would have guessed my wife would have bonded to. She even comes to her when she calls her, even though I am the one who feeds them.
Dorsal fins aren’t barbed but don’t grab them as they will hurt.

Think ur delhezi is stimulated by the current. I believe all the upper jaws come from areas w/o current.

Would let the delhezi rest. Should recover.
 

tlindsey

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Aug 6, 2011
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+1 and the PB will be fine. Polypterus are pretty tough if you catch them in time. Once had a female Senegal jump out onto a laminate floor. She was pretty dry placed her back in the aquarium and she started to breathe. She is doing well after 3 yrs of that jump. Bichir will try to escape so leave no openings.
 

Yaponchik

Candiru
MFK Member
Jan 26, 2019
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Q1. You just need to put a little care in grabbing her. Just don't try to catch her lest you end up like a colleague (Picture below)69602040_10156208196047455_734077427772293120_n.jpg

Q2. It depends on the bichir actually. For LJs most of them, when newly transferred, just stay at the bottom; but there are some exceptions that keep swimming around. UJs usually are the more active type and 100% of the time they keep on swimming around. Probably an exception to this rule are some WC specimens (I have 3 delhezis that act like lower jaws, but you know they are UJs because they don't even attempt to swallow shrimp whole)

+1 to her survival If she eats within a week. Be very careful with bichirs, I've had one for almost a year that never attempted to jump even when I forget to put the covers. One cleaning, she just straight up jumped. Had to deal with her cloudy eye for 1 month after that incident, probably due to stress and all that dirt, but she's all fine now.
 
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Uglyknob

Exodon
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Aug 17, 2019
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Lakeland, FL
She is doing better today. Very lethargic yesterday, but she hasn't missed a meal (both literally and figuratively #ChunkyFish - don't tell my wife!). She is swimming around a bit today and seems more like her old self. Thank you for all your input, and especially for that picture - cause that is worth a thousand words right there. Caution, sharp and pointy.
 
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Yaponchik

Candiru
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Jan 26, 2019
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She is doing better today. Very lethargic yesterday, but she hasn't missed a meal (both literally and figuratively #ChunkyFish - don't tell my wife!). She is swimming around a bit today and seems more like her old self. Thank you for all your input, and especially for that picture - cause that is worth a thousand words right there. Caution, sharp and pointy.
I forgot to add - in the unlikely event that this happens to someone, and the fish loses a dorsal, the spartan way to find the dorsal is to wait roughly a month for the wound to dry up and pull it out... Or you could go to the emergency room and let the nurses pull it out for you.

That fish is a beauty. Are those external gills?
 

Uglyknob

Exodon
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Aug 17, 2019
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Lakeland, FL
Yes, her right side gill is very well developed, but the left side in this pic has never really gotten that big. I will try to get a pic, I can see it from here.
 

Yaponchik

Candiru
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Jan 26, 2019
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Yes, her right side gill is very well developed, but the left side in this pic has never really gotten that big. I will try to get a pic, I can see it from here.
I think the left side in the pic already dropped off. The right one will go in some time. If you keep her with other bichirs or other fish, more than likely that they are going to be the ones to take a bite and take it off. I had a baby lap I was growing out for maybe 4 months and his gills were very large. I moved him into the big boy tank and next day they were both gone.

Happy fishkeeping mate. Glad to hear that she's eating now.
 
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