Is my LFS right about Red and Yellow Tail Barracudas being difficult to keep?

[AquaAlex1993]

Today I went into my LFS to start putting in orders for some of the fish for my new 6' aquarium. I am going to be getting the tank in just a few weeks to maybe even next week.
I placed an order for a few plecos L027, L160, L114, L191, L190, and L200, to which he said he'd get them no problem but couldn't guarantee my size of 4'' medium size is what I want.
When I brought up the Cudas and how I want 4 of them, he said no he won't bring them in because they are very difficult to keep and everyone he sold people brought back a dead fish. He claims they die suddenly even when kept in a group and don't eat??? Is he true or is he avoiding them because of price?
I think personally I am going to drip accumulate, and leave the lights off for a day and minimuze any chance of stress. Feeding isn't a problem, I will wean them onto shrimp.
What do you guys think?
The LFS says no to Cudas, but will get me either a schom or armatus payara no problem? aren't they difficult too?

 

[kno4te]

Theybare wild caught and transfer is tough on them. End up getting ich quite often.

Don't think they are hard to acclimate. Probably issues with their own water or tank (too small).

I've ordered them online and was fine.

Give it a try.

 

[Vampire fish]

cudas can be really skittish and kill themselves by running into walls. Payaras are pretty hardy in my experience also skittish at a young age but not as bad as cudas.
The owner is probably telling the truth about the cudas.
You should get armatus they are very smart, your plecos, and some silver dollars. This would be a nice tank.

 

[AquaAlex1993]

Theybare wild caught and transfer is tough on them. End up getting ich quite often.

Don't think they are hard to acclimate. Probably issues with their own water or tank (too small).

I've ordered them online and was fine.

Give it a try.

I'm going to give them a try they are nice looking. I will have a group of them and keep the water clean.

cudas can be really skittish and kill themselves by running into walls. Payaras are pretty hardy in my experience also skittish at a young age but not as bad as cudas.
The owner is probably telling the truth about the cudas.
You should get armatus they are very smart, your plecos, and some silver dollars. This would be a nice tank.

Armatus are gorgeous, I may get one too. Can they live singly?

 

[Vampire fish]

Armatus are gorgeous, I may get one too. Can they live singly?[/QUOTE]

Armatus can live alone. They can get to about 2feet. Scombs are much smaller. If you choose to keep armatus with silver dollars raise them together from a young age. Armatus will not attack fish that swim on the ground like plecos (Not 100% but unlikely).

 

[moe214]

Don't recommend and armatus for you.

 

[AquaAlex1993]

Armatus are gorgeous, I may get one too. Can they live singly?

Armatus can live alone. They can get to about 2feet. Scombs are much smaller. If you choose to keep armatus with silver dollars raise them together from a young age. Armatus will not attack fish that swim on the ground like plecos (Not 100% but unlikely).[/QUOTE]
Good to hear... the silverdollars will be added first, the armatus lasted or I will QT them together.

Don't recommend and armatus for you.

May I ask why not?

 

[moe214]

Will likely predate on some of the fish you plan on having and eventually kill the others and then outgrow your tank.

Btw. They can get over three feet under the right care, we hobbyist just haven't found out what the right care for them is hence no one reporting raising them past 2' which they attain in about five years. But aquariums have larger than 2' specimens, we don't know if they're wild caught or actually raised up to that size though. Likely wc at a large size.

 

[AquaAlex1993]

Will likely predate on some of the fish you plan on having and eventually kill the others and then outgrow your tank.

Btw. They can get over three feet under the right care, we hobbyist just haven't found out what the right care for them is hence no one reporting raising them past 2' which they attain in about five years. But aquariums have larger than 2' specimens, we don't know if they're wild caught or actually raised up to that size though. Likely wc at a large size.

AW good to know. I probably won't get one anyway their expensive, and I feel fish like that belong in the wild but if people succeed that's cool. How big do schombs get and how are they with tankmates?

 

[moe214]

Scombs get to around 1' but people also struggle keeping them. They're not really territorial, with them you just have to make sure they can't eat anyone. They are easily bullied so mixing them with something like cichlids is recommended.