Difficulty of Keeping Tigrinus

[Piker]

I use UV's, Chemicals, large 50% WC's every 2nd day and a minimum of 300gal per fish with 10x turnover and I have not lost one yet.

With this degree of dedication I won't expect you to loose any type of fish.

 

[taksan]

Well I've never lost a tig and I've grown up 8 so far from babies to over 20"

 

[AllFishAdrian]

They are not difficult to keep provided you follow the basic principles.

They are difficult to keep well because most people can't be bothered doing the required work and just put them in with other fish in a large tank and are surprised when they only last a year or less.


High flow rate (massive) Hi oxygen and lower range temp's 75-77 degrees(25c)

They a a fish that dwells in the rapids and need massive water movement.

They require particularly clean water , I mean crystal clean so think 2 x 50% WC's a week , every week ...forever.

They require a large tank (but not as large as a TSN) something like a 6' x 3' x 2.5' would keep a tig for life.

They require careful selection of tankmates they are not agressive and their beautiful trailers can be damaged. I keep them alone.

They require feeding of preferably mixed foods but only every 2nd day.

I use UV's, Chemicals, large 50% WC's every 2nd day and a minimum of 300gal per fish with 10x turnover and I have not lost one yet.

Wait... Your tig isnt agressive? Mine kinda turns werewolf when the lights go off and terrorizes my tank.... Bout 13" atm.

 

[taksan]

I have a very specific and set regime for keeping my tig's I don't expect many people to be able to do it this way but it will offer some ideas for those having issues.

When they are tiny I feed them naturally on live food (neons, blackworms).
Gradually I introduce earthworms and rehydrated freeze dried blackworms.
Once they are eating the freeze dried I insert crushed massivore tablets inside the clumps of blackworms and introduce silversides and small frozen fish.
Once above 12" I move to a diet of the freeze dried blackworm/massivore cocktail and small dead fish.

I keep my feeding regime for adult fish as follows ..
Day 1 feed blackworm/massivore
Day 2 50% WC no food
Day 3 feed 4 small dead fish thawed in seachem nourish solution
Day 4 50% WC no food
Day 5 Large Earthworms
Day 6 50% WC no food

Then your back on day 1 again .....

I believe Chemical filtration is important so ......

I also have a totally seperate filter (Eheim 2078 Pro3E) filled with
6 x pouches BiochemZorb
4 x pouches Nitrazorb
2 x 500ml bags Seachem Purigen
This filter outputs through a 72w UV sterilizer.
All the chemicals are changed for new (not regenerated) on the first day of each month.

Normal Filtration consists of
1 x Eheim 2080 Pro 3 XL
1 x Eheim 2180 Pro 3 XL thermofilter

My new tank will be 450g up from 300 and will have a 2nd 2180 in addition to the 3 other filters.

I will gradually replace the other tanks with 450g as the fish in each reaches the size when its streamers can touch the rear of the tank if its on a 90 degree angle.

I also use 2 x Eheim 2252 internal sponge filters with diffusers for additional circulation and aeration instead of a airstone.

PH is kept at 7

I've never missed a water change, a chemical change or a filter maintenance ....ever.

I personally consider Tigrinus to be the greatest fish in the world ......they are my passion (my wife would say obsession).

 

[taksan]

Wait... Your tig isnt agressive? Mine kinda turns werewolf when the lights go off and terrorizes my tank.... Bout 13" atm.

No none of mine have shown any aggression expect towards fish that are small enough for them to eat. On the other hand I used to see them get their streamers nipped so now I do not keep them with anything at all.
On their own ...1 to a tank.

 

[T1KARMANN]

Hahaha

Your filtration is near the exact same as on my old tank

2 x eheim 2080 both with big pond buckets as pre filters
1 x 50w UV run off one of the 2080s
2 x eheim 2078
2 eheim 2252 both with defusser

And you are right if a tig is kept wirh other fish then it will lose it's tail streamers for sure but that's a price I'm willing to take mainly because rigs are the best cat on the planet but a 350-400 gal tank would be very boring with just a tig in as they dont do that much during the day

 

[taksan]

Yeah pretty similar indeed Richard ....

 

[T1KARMANN]

The 2252 I would recommend to any tig owner

Tigs need lots of air and the amount that filter puts out is second to none I have never seen the point in power heads or air stone if you need air you may as well get the added advantages of the extra filtration the 2252 provides over the basic air stone or power head

I am the same as you with tigs they have always been my all time fav cat with a lince cat coming a very close 2nd and I'm luck to own both now I have the tank space the lince is the only fish my tig attacks but it's way to big and fast to get caught

As for air now I have 4 big air stones in my sump which is working well

 

[Cookie*]

I'm pretty impressed with your dedication, Taksan. I could not keep to that regiment, it's just too much for me. What do you do with all your used water, just down the drain? It would be a shame to see it not feed some plants, it's such good fertilizer.

 

[Ade]

This is all really helpful advice.
Will help me look after my new 7 inch tigrinis 