Hi I was wondering how many wolffish I could fit into the mentioned tank. Also, can you mix species? or is that asking for a disaster? From what I see the black wolf fish is my favorite (so far).
How many wolf fish in a 72x24x24 (180 gal)?
- Thread starter Aladyne
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What kind of wolf? Hoplias? Only mala, curu, and australis. There are others species but you likely won't get ahold of them any time soon, such as brasiliensis or microlepis which are said to stay small. You can try to comm ery species in there, or try a small shoal of golds however very few have been successful with both situations. With curu you'll likely end up with just a curu if you add other hoplias. They don't like hoplias species for whatever reason, so if you do try this, make sure you start the curu off small as you can and keep him smaller than the other hoplias as well so he can't bully them. It will also depend in the specific specimens you get, one could be a jerk and decide you can't keep anything let alone other wolves in with it.
I have my curu, at about 14", in with a gold wolf that's 8" maybe a little more in a 120g. Blacks are rumored to grow 30" in the wild. There is a picture that looks like a bunch of blacks but no one can tell for sure could be aimara, they're exceptionally large specimens. Largest proof picture I can recall was 17-19" one. I think greenerinks posted a picture of a large one but not sure on the size. I've had mine for two years acquired at 8" give or take. I can see them getting larger than 19" no doubt but will take a number of years. So if you plan for life, width may become an issue, and may want to increase length to 8'.
Any specific questions? Specific species you're interested in? Any questions on those said species? Ask away.
I have my curu, at about 14", in with a gold wolf that's 8" maybe a little more in a 120g. Blacks are rumored to grow 30" in the wild. There is a picture that looks like a bunch of blacks but no one can tell for sure could be aimara, they're exceptionally large specimens. Largest proof picture I can recall was 17-19" one. I think greenerinks posted a picture of a large one but not sure on the size. I've had mine for two years acquired at 8" give or take. I can see them getting larger than 19" no doubt but will take a number of years. So if you plan for life, width may become an issue, and may want to increase length to 8'.
Any specific questions? Specific species you're interested in? Any questions on those said species? Ask away.
I am one of the few people who currently have successfully kept gold wolves in a shoal. I keep four in a 180g, along with a hoplias intermedias, a curu, 2 oscars (which i plan on rehoming when i find more golds to add to the shoal), and a softshell turtle. I have had this particular group of fish for over a year now, but still monitor behavior daily. I plan on upgrading my tank as need as a 180g will not be able to properly house my stock for life. Moe has more experience with wolves than I do so he should be able to answer most, if not all, of your questions.
Thanks for the advice! I was thinking a Hoplias curupira 8' may be an issue depending on how fast they grow. If they really are slow growers and I get it small it should be easier transition.
One of my main questions is luck of getting them onto pellets. From what I've read it seems near impossible with very few cases of success. But then again it's the internet and only those that had success that decide to post about it on forums or websites are seen. So there could be a better success rate than it seems. But I'm not sure of realistic chances.
Another thing is tank decor. I don't mind bare bottom, but lately I've been wanting to simulate more "natural" environments with my fish. From my understanding they are kept with gravel and maybe some stone/wood because of their activity. Is this really what their natural environment would look like? Do they prefer the non vegetative parts of rivers or is this a hobbyist preference because of it uprooting plants when moving? I would think as an ambush predator it would love vegetation.
One of my main questions is luck of getting them onto pellets. From what I've read it seems near impossible with very few cases of success. But then again it's the internet and only those that had success that decide to post about it on forums or websites are seen. So there could be a better success rate than it seems. But I'm not sure of realistic chances.
Another thing is tank decor. I don't mind bare bottom, but lately I've been wanting to simulate more "natural" environments with my fish. From my understanding they are kept with gravel and maybe some stone/wood because of their activity. Is this really what their natural environment would look like? Do they prefer the non vegetative parts of rivers or is this a hobbyist preference because of it uprooting plants when moving? I would think as an ambush predator it would love vegetation.
My black wolf eats Massivore as if it was candy. Highly recommend this species, very active and attached like a puppy.
I've had 2 Curus ever since keeping fish and have never had a problem with getting them on pellets. I had mine on shrimp wit no problem and then moved to pellets. From my experience they're pigs and will readily eat anything you give them. Of course each fish is different. At 8" the fish should still be easily trainable to get on pellets.
I will take a picture of my current set up for you as soon as I get off work. Hoplias species are ambush predators and they really do appreciate driftwood, roots, and caves to hide in. I keep all my wolves on a sand substrate and offer lots of floating plants, driftwood, caves, and hollow logs for my wolves to seek shelter and explore. Even the most active wolf species (gold wolves) enjoying finding a quiet spot to sit for periods of time.
the curu doesn't seem like a slow grower at all when in your tank because it may not grow in length that much or consistently like another fish, but the fishes body becomes very thick as it gets larger and that's where you will notice a lot of growth. You'll see it thicker then longer then thicker and so on.
As far as feeding, I've never had a problem with a wolf accepting new food or feeding after entry to a new set up. They usually eat within two days. Wolves are very greedy fish ime. I've had wolves go to the top and accept pellets and beg for them like a cichlid; this behavior will depend in the specimen. If you're seeing no posts about it, it's likely because it's considered common and nothing worth mentioning. The only thing I will mention that may hit a new wolf keeper by surprise is that wolves when larger can sometimes go on hunger strikes where they won't eat for a month+.
As far as Aquascape, no matter how active they'll appreciate it, golds will like floating plants as they stay near the top but my specimen loves swimming through dw as well. For hoplias species, dw can be a must when mentioning hides, as was mentioned they are ambush predators, they can blend in with dw very well ime and like to hide it in when they're not out and about. However they can be just fine without hides, but prefer it. As far as substrate, sand or rocks work fine, that's more of personal preference. In the wild you'll see them over both, you'll see them in heavily planted areas with large rocks and fallen trees, sticks etc. to hide in. Except for an aimara but you can't keep that in a 180. If you really want it to look natural go on YouTube, you can find a video of golds and what looks to be malabaricus living side by side in the wild with peacock bass and some pikes etc. just search for videos of them in the wild, they may be in different languages but you can get a good idea of what you wanna go for.
Some video titles to look into are:
- gold wolf and cichla, Venezuela
-French Guiana, wild fish in the wild
-hoplias malabaricus in the wild
Etc.
Here is my attempt at a natural aquascape. Been tossing around the idea of adding more driftwood and/or leaf litter to the bottom.
