I have had this fish since his parents spawned him about 6.5 years ago. His parents were each hybrids of 2 different species making him a hybrid of 4! I am a scientist, he was spawned in a research facility that was investigating farm raising tilapia hybrids.
I brought all the fry from that filter home with me. He's one beautiful fish with an odd history of tank mates. He killed all the other tilapia I had him with. He was housed with turtles for 2 years without problems. While he was still small enoug to live in a 75 gallon tank he got a few tank mates. First I put in a school of danios that were discarded from the lab, he ignored them. Then I added a sail fin pleco... hey, why not and a tiger loach. An odd community but one that lasted 3 years. At that point he had outgrown the 75 and he was moved into a 210.
I also put into the 210 (same time) a small pacu and all of his tank mates. For 3 months all was well then he started trying to kill the pacu, a divider went in while a new tank could be attained.
Currently he is in a 125 gallon tank all by himself. Water quality is good, 0 ammonia, nitrite and nitrates about 7ppm. He has now been in there 13 days and still hasn't eaten. All of his behavior is normal... digging holes, tearing up plants, moving drift wood, greets me at the glass, follows my hand etc.... but he hasn't eaten a thing since I put him in there all by himself!
My two questions:
1.) should I try to soak some food in garlic juice for him? Or just keep waiting?
2.) I would like something else in there with him, any thoughts? Paratilapia have my attention at the moment, but so do bala sharks, polys and congo tetras. I am really not sure how I want to progress with the tank.... push it towards the aggressive side (poly's) or the peaceful side (tetras), or split the difference with the bala sharks. FYI he is about 15" long.
I brought all the fry from that filter home with me. He's one beautiful fish with an odd history of tank mates. He killed all the other tilapia I had him with. He was housed with turtles for 2 years without problems. While he was still small enoug to live in a 75 gallon tank he got a few tank mates. First I put in a school of danios that were discarded from the lab, he ignored them. Then I added a sail fin pleco... hey, why not and a tiger loach. An odd community but one that lasted 3 years. At that point he had outgrown the 75 and he was moved into a 210.
I also put into the 210 (same time) a small pacu and all of his tank mates. For 3 months all was well then he started trying to kill the pacu, a divider went in while a new tank could be attained.
Currently he is in a 125 gallon tank all by himself. Water quality is good, 0 ammonia, nitrite and nitrates about 7ppm. He has now been in there 13 days and still hasn't eaten. All of his behavior is normal... digging holes, tearing up plants, moving drift wood, greets me at the glass, follows my hand etc.... but he hasn't eaten a thing since I put him in there all by himself!
My two questions:
1.) should I try to soak some food in garlic juice for him? Or just keep waiting?
2.) I would like something else in there with him, any thoughts? Paratilapia have my attention at the moment, but so do bala sharks, polys and congo tetras. I am really not sure how I want to progress with the tank.... push it towards the aggressive side (poly's) or the peaceful side (tetras), or split the difference with the bala sharks. FYI he is about 15" long.
