First Polypterus: need advice!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
yeah it is making me want red sand and remove all my driftwood but it would stress my eels too much. Eventually I will put the bichirs in their own tank dedicated to them and any fish going in there will have to match their needs
Yeah, im not a eel expert but ive read they love hiding spot, the can bend thier body like crazy not like polys.
 
Agreed - just a thing they do sometimes. More swimming room might help some. But this is more swimming than actual thrashing.

They do really prefer temps up higher, like 78-82. Your plants are just adjusting - you should be able to keep plants in 78-80 no problem... I've heard of others having issues above that but my plants were fine 80-82 - they were established, though.

Thanks for the tip! The guy at the store told me plants prefer 70-76F. Good to know that they can adapt to warmer temperatures.
 
  • Like
Reactions: magpie
How big is your tank? I've comes across one source that says polys are territorial and that its difficult to keep more than one in a single tank. Have you ever had that issue? I'm wondering if I can get away with 2 delhezi and a palmas in a 4' by 2' 50 gallon...

And by the way, you mentioned parasite guard in an earlier post. Do you mean the tablets by Tetra? And do you think I should treat the bichir I already have in his tank while treating the new arrivals in the QT just to be safe?
 
Part of it with polys depends on the individual fish temperaments. You should be fine with 2 Dels and a Palmas as long as one isn't just a jerk fish. ;) Many of us have had jerk fish - I had to rehome one Palmas for pretty notable aggression. I had a Teug that was doing some fin nipping but that ended up settling down into nothing. Sometimes they just need to work out their pecking order.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Polyaddict86
You should be fine with 2 del and a palmas.
My tank is 65g 4’x15” and i have 18 UJ, lolz.
Ive deal with aggressive polys before too, but the more numbers i put in the the the aggression became less, like magpie magpie mentioned they just have to work the pecking order.

Parasite gaurd are tablets made by tetra, it wont hurt to qt the new fish and old fish, i do it all the time.
 
I gotta say though, Polyaddict stocks more heavily than most, and his fish are currently juvies - not adult size. (Dude, don't make people think that's normal, Kurt! LOL) How are those nitrates? :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: Polyaddict86
MonsterFishKeepers.com