getting a gatf, what to look for when picking one?

[FISHSTICKS89]

the fish guy i go too has a batch of golaiths with the lil red mark on the tails. theres about 12 of them in a 40g and they close to 3 inches.ones got a missing eye they dont look well fed or taken care of.

what would i wana look for in a healthy gatf? would it be best to pic the most domanate one? or the most in tact? how well do they heal?

the price is steep so i only wana buy one i have faith i can restore and keep alive.

any replys would be great thanks.

also how hardy are they?


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[RampageRR]

If you want a goliath for sure, you may want to post pics of them in here for a positive ID. Even though they may have red on the lower portion of their tail fin, they still may be one of the other ATFs.

I'd personally pick the one that was in the best shape scale and fin wise, and looks like it isn't thin. If they all look beat up, I'd look to a vendor before I just jumped on one of these. They do heal pretty quickly, but they're expensive enough that I'd be sure to pick the one that looked the healthiest to my own eye.

Good luck!

 

[Chicxulub]

The key thing to look for is that the fish you have is actually a goliath. Forskahlii and brevis also have red lower lobes so that's not an effective diagnostic trait. Brevis and tanzaniae also tend to lack stripes at that size so again, not a good diagnostic trait.

Post a pic so we can identify it for sure.

As for health, these things heal like Wolverine. I would recommend trying to get the one with the best shape to his tail and dorsal fins. These are the two that are most easily damaged and are the least likely to grow back correctly.

If you give them the specialized conditions they need to thrive and get them eating pellets, aggression is largely to completely eliminated.

I really need to finish work on my ID and care thread. >.<

 

[FISHSTICKS89]

ima work on getting some pictures before the purchase, is it true its impossible to get anything out the.congo right now? hes telling me ill never be able to buy these fish anywhere else hes the last guy with them.

he also has one he grew out thats larger aroound a foot atleast, very skittish and dark hard to get a close view but ima try and get pics when i see him this weekend for a positive id.

thanks for the pointers guys, i also heard rumors they bang them selfs up good. are they as skittish as arowanas?

the big one he has seems like a spazz might be cause hes in a lil cube where he cant even dart double his length, but in a larger tank should this die down a bit?

 

[Chicxulub]

ima work on getting some pictures before the purchase, is it true its impossible to get anything out the.congo right now? hes telling me ill never be able to buy these fish anywhere else hes the last guy with them.

Yes, it is essentially impossible to get anything out of the Congo river right now. The Central African Republic just got over a nasty little spate that was destabilizing the region and affecting the exports from the river. It ended as of yesterday so hopefully things will be back to normal by the time the normal spring shipments are ready.

he also has one he grew out thats larger aroound a foot atleast, very skittish and dark hard to get a close view but ima try and get pics when i see him this weekend for a positive id.

The one that's about a foot, if its banged up, won't heal nearly as nicely as a smaller one will, however. If its beat to hell, I'd personally avoid it.

thanks for the pointers guys, i also heard rumors they bang them selfs up good. are they as skittish as arowanas?

I haven't worked with nearly as many aros as I have ATF, but the aros I have worked with seem calm, cool and collected compared to the spastic ATF.

the big one he has seems like a spazz might be cause hes in a lil cube where he cant even dart double his length, but in a larger tank should this die down a bit?

Yes they do calm down quite a bit once they're in a bigger tank.

 

[cichlaumbriferus]

Calm companions will definately help in the process of getting them more comfortable in the short term. Sadly the dithers may receive some unwelcomed attention from the Goliath. Getting them off of feeders seems to be the best strategy with the added benefit of eliminating the possibility of introducing parasites to the system.

 

[Chicxulub]

Calm companions will definately help in the process of getting them more comfortable in the short term. Sadly the dithers may receive some unwelcomed attention from the Goliath. Getting them off of feeders seems to be the best strategy with the added benefit of eliminating the possibility of introducing parasites to the system.

Very true. Well said sir.

I favor tinfoil barbs as dithers and teachers. I've had resounding success with them, as have several other members here using my method.

See my method here ---> So you want your new African Tiger Fish to eat pellets?

 

[cichlaumbriferus]

Very true. Well said sir.

I favor tinfoil barbs as dithers and teachers. I've had resounding success with them, as have several other members here using my method.

See my method here ---> So you want your new African Tiger Fish to eat pellets?

I went and bought a Bala Shark and a Tinfoil barb today as companions for my terrible twins; so far so good. It's funny as I had never kept either species before!

 

[Chicxulub]

I went and bought a Bala Shark and a Tinfoil barb today as companions for my terrible twins; so far so good. It's funny as I had never kept either species before!

Keep me posted on how the bala works out. Every time I've ever mixed a bala with tigers, they end up going ape on it and killing it. I've never seen them eat it, either. Wierdest dang thing. I've now watched this behavior out of a GATF, TATF and two different VATF. Tinfoils always work well for me. Whatever you use for dithers, I'd recommend a trio. I worry one may end up being bullied by the tigers.

 

[cichlaumbriferus]

Keep me posted on how the bala works out. Every time I've ever mixed a bala with tigers, they end up going ape on it and killing it. I've never seen them eat it, either. Wierdest dang thing. I've now watched this behavior out of a GATF, TATF and two different VATF. Tinfoils always work well for me. Whatever you use for dithers, I'd recommend a trio. I worry one may end up being bullied by the tigers.

I will for sure. I was thinking a 6 to 1 ratio to keep the dithers as safe as possible.