First lungfish, I have some questions

[redtailfool]

Just curious, does anyone know if it would be smart to keep a SAL with a stingray? Or would that just be asking for trouble?

Although SALs can be tolerate tankmates, i dont think it would be good idea to
rays and SA Lungfish. My LFS did this once and it worked for a while up until they found the henleii dead one day.

 

[Reddragon]

i've got me first lungfish and its an aussie it started eating shrimp bits just after 10 min in its new enviro. Awesome!

 

[USMCtanker]

i have a 8 inch lung fish. whats the best way to set up a tank for them. like filtration, gravel, and hidding places. stuff like that. and whats a good food to feed them

 

[guppy]

Lung fish can be kept in any tank that will support other fresh water tropicals, they should not be kept with known fin nippers as the other fish just can't resist those filamentous fins. They are not usually very active but have been known to dig up plants as sometimes they burrow, mainly is fine sand. They eat any meaty foods and sinking carnivore pellets.

 

[concord]

I WANT ONE NOW *comes over to LFS and stares at their lung*

 

[Stone Like Fish]

I WANT ONE NOW *comes over to LFS and stares at their lung*

i know your pain mate

 

[Arapaimaman]

I was 11 years old and my first fish was a S.A.lungfish.44 years later I have 5 Australians.I think I got hooked !

 

[JimmytheCrud]

Weird, I was just reading the morning paper yesterday, and darned if there wasnt an article about the Shedd aquariums lungfish Granddad.He arrived at the Shedd in 1933 and is still going strong.If you take care of yours you could have a buddy for life

 

[Simcan]

ara-man, do you have any pictures of your five Aussies? How are you keeping them?

 

[lungfish72]

I saw a lungfish in a local fish store the other day, and fell in love with it. Someone had ordered it and never come by to pick it up, and the owners really wanted to use the tank it was in for other fish, so they gave me a great deal. I asked them some questions about taking care of it, and they told me that water quality wasn't a big deal, and neither was the aeration. They had a couple feeders in with it, but it didn't seem very interested.
Since then I've read that you can feed them lean meats cut into strips, earthworms, slow moving fish (which is why the feeders didn't work), and sometimes dry foods.
I was wondering what I should use as a staple for it's diet, how important water quality REALLY is, what type of substrate I should use (if any), and pretty much any other tips.
It's 18" long right now, and I have it in a 29 gallon. I'm setting up a 65 in a few weeks which I'm planning on moving it into.
Thanks for the help.

I would plan on a 125 gal minimum, but he will be alright in smaller tank for awhile. I have 3 lungfish that I've had for years. I keep mine at 78 degrees, 25% water change once a week. I feed mine freshwater smelts, shrimp, and tilapia fish meat. Also beef heart. You can get these food items at the grocery store, it's alot cheaper then the pet centers,just make sure the food you buy has no preservatives in it. I got good growth w/ my lungfish by feeding the tilapia meat. My S.A. lungfish is named "Elmer". He is in a 180. He is about 4 years old and over 3 ft in length. Good luck with your fish.