How long in a standard 75 g?

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MrGuyPerson

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 5, 2007
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Hi all,

I've been registered for a while, but this is my first post here. I've been out of fishkeeping for a couple of years, but I am hoping to get my old 75 gallon going again this fall. I really want something strange and unique, and I've been considering Polypterus quite heavily. I've been momentarily side-tracked, however, by lungfish.

How long do you guys think it would take for a lungfish (probably Protopterus annectens) to outgrow my 75? I understand they can hit 3' long, but don't move all that much. What would be a suitable home in the long term? If I'm going to upgrade anyway, I may just get the bichirs for now, and go for lungfish when I have the money to house it long term (and am not an undergrad living like a nomad!).

Thanks guys.

-Ted
 
Welcome Ted,

You will be good for a while in a 75.
But, when the lung outgrows it get it a nice big tank.
I just got some new tanks and I wish I would have gone bigger next time I'll get some 7 ft tanks and 3 or 4 ft deep. I just love the way they move in a big tank. (and I have the feeling they like it to)
But you can house an annectens in a 4ftx2ftx2ft for live.
personaly I think that when your lungfish has a bigger tank it will move more, I have seen this article on the internet where they track lungfish in the wild and they could travel up to 5 KM a day.
 
Am I hearing you right - an annectens for life in a 4x2x2?


The lungfish won't be able to turn around comfortably, being 3 to 3 1/2 feet. Almost as long as the tank?

Bad advice, in my honest opinion.

A 75 will be ok for about a year and a half to two years, but then he will need a pond or something substantial.
 
MrGuyPerson;1035757; said:
Would the 4 feet of length on the 4x2x2 (a 120?) be enough for the fish?
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a 120g wide (4x2x2) will house an annectens lungfish for quite some time...well over 2-3 years generally speaking. although the annectens has a wild max of 3' and some change, they don't always reach this in captivity (and often don't), and if they do, it will take them quite a while to do it.

even a standard 75g (4 x18") would house the fish just fine for around 2 years, maybe longer. the main issue here is to understand that the lungfish would have to be housed by itself, as Africans will randomly and unpredictably attack tankmates.

good luck, and let us know if you have further questions--
--solomon
 
Thanks for all the help guys. I've had this 75 empty for 2 years now and I've been getting pretty pumped to get something into it again.
 
Annectens DO reach 3 feet rather easily in the aquarium. I have seen about four at that size in this past year alone - two of which are mine. a 2 foot wide tank will NOT be sufficient.
 
santoury;1037839; said:
Annectens DO reach 3 feet rather easily in the aquarium. I have seen about four at that size in this past year alone - two of which are mine. a 2 foot wide tank will NOT be sufficient.
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trust me, they won't need a pond that fast either. genetics, water changes, and feeding all play a role in the growth of a fish. i have an annectens that i recently gave to a friend (to make more room for my aethiopicus) this past year, and it was about 20" at 4 years of age...it did just fine in an 48" x 18" tank and had the best pattern i've seen on any annectens and no HITH.

there are different schools of thought on housing large predatory fishes, and although bigger is generally going to be better (not always right away as in cases with raising gars and some other fishes), sometimes frequent water changes and other methods can healthily maintain a fish in a smaller enclosure than one may think (i'm not suggesting putting a lungfish in a 5g either).

if you buy a YOY annectens, you could keep it in a standard 75g for a decent amount of time before you were ever really getting into trouble with the fish--
--solomon
 
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