Fahaka in a community tank
- Thread starter Achilles1763
- Start date
Could be cool... but are schools not going to freak out about you feeding live food? I suppose you could do dead food but they are all wild caught and really need live shrimp/crabs etc for the sensory stimulation. But they are awesome to watch feeding.. total savagery
They are not really snail eaters... they basically lurk and snatch smal fish/crustaceans or bites out of large fish as they swim past. But my experience with the smaller Tetradons is limited to the Baileyi so maybe one the others could be a better choice.
Decided to go with tinfoil barbs as they're the cheapest, largest, non-aggressive schooling fish (it also doesn't hurt that I want them). The guy at the LFS said he's going to order some along with a couple Fahakas on Thursday. They will be going into a thirty gallon which will then be converted into a sump for an 180 in a few months a 4ftx3ftx2ft. A drip system and tiled bottom will be installed for ease of maintenance. I've been toying around with the idea of setting up another monster aquarium right beside the Fahaka tank that would be around 270gal+ a 50-gallon sump and connecting the two(bringing the total water volume to around 500gallons) but nothing is final. Any thoughts? Decor, suggestions, potential problems(besides the Fahaka killing the Barbs). VERY EXCITED! Will start a thread once the all the fish go into the 180.
As far as live foods I've found most kids accept it(I was put in charge of feeding the snake at high school lol)
Okay got the puffer and barbs and so far(a week) so good. He and the six Tinfoils are around 1.5"-2". Like I expected the barbs are entirely too fast for the Puffer to catch, but at this point, he isn't really chasing them. They don't particularly hang out together but if the tinfoils come near him he doesn't try and kill them, or really react much at all. The only time he is a little uncomfortable is when they're eating, where he might dart at the odd barb. At the lfs, they had two Fahakas in a 10 gallon with a ton of guppies and I notice he wasn't chasing any other fish around so I got him(the other one was chasing around guppies like it was his mission in life lol). Now it might be a little bit premature but... I think this combo will work out. He is visibly happier than he was at the lfs and eating like a champ. One of the main things that I think is helping with this success at the moment is that the barbs don't really eat the same food, them eating pellets and the Fahaka eating shrimp. With that said, when the barbs get big enough they might start liking shrimp as well, which might make the Fahaka see them as competitors. I'm sure I'll figure something out just wanted to keep you updated.
Sounds like you have done everything you can do to make this endeavour suscessful. I don't know anything about tinfoil barbs but they sound like a good peaceful tank mate for the early months. If they start competing for food then feed at both ends of tank at the same time. Also using sinking and floating food will help seperate the eating levels. The barbs should feed at the surface where as the fahaka will eat from the bottom. Also make sure the fahaka has a home cave to retreat to if they feels threatened or upset.... they are very emotional fish. Other than that good luck and we need pictures!
I've been thinking, and because the tank he'd be going into would be a blacked out plywood tank some small schooling fish like congo tetra or praecox rainbows would look really cool. I know people have kept mbu and fahakas with small active fish and I was also playing around with getting a Chinese algae eater or even a school of flying fox just for maintenance. Anyway, what are your thoughts, or experience? Didn't you have tiger barbs
