Just for you, Koltsixx...

[Hendre]

Have any bred for you without your assistance? Just curious because of the great care and large accommodations you give your fish, I wonder if you've ever happened upon a unplanned breeding or fry?

+1

They are great cats but if you do get one be wary of their mouths and make sure you put them with fish that can compete with them for food as they are extremely boisterous

I have heard many stories of that. I would love to mix them with large knifefish, hopefully big enough and a afer knife is a greedy eater. I would dedicate a tank to some of these alone if I could.

They're almost always hiding, it's usually only when food is on the agenda that they make guest appearances. This is usually the best you're gonna get with Trachys.

I want to keep my shy fish in heavily decorated and planted setups to see how that would affect behaviour. I think a redo with driftwood, darker sand and floating plants could lure them out more. Maybe using a more blue light at viewing times as well

 

[koltsixx]

I have heard many stories of that. I would love to mix them with large knifefish, hopefully big enough and a afer knife is a greedy eater. I would dedicate a tank to some of these alone if I could.

Afer are alright eaters I had one myself and while they're good eaters for Knives I wouldn't call them aggressive or boisterous eaters. Unlike the Trachy who uses their heads to bulldoze the competition aside and will resort to feigning attack with that huge open mouth charging at intended fish making most fish retreat.

The Afer also likes to be able to hide so if he's not bothered by the Trachys he himself may become a problem as Afer can be pretty aggressive depending on the individual. And with both fish competing for the best hides there maybe friction.

My Albino Knife was larger then them when they ate him. I said 12 plus because I knew he was bigger then 12 inches but wasn't sure how much and would rather underestimate then over. Even though it took two to tear him in half. It only took one to kill him by suffocation. At night is when Trachys are most dangerous and that's when they got the knife. Knives are pred's but let's face it their body is built for speed not durability and they can be damaged pretty easily if they can't escape by running away. So if you choose to cohab them just keep a sharp eye on everyone.

I want to keep my shy fish in heavily decorated and planted setups to see how that would affect behaviour. I think a redo with driftwood, darker sand and floating plants could lure them out more. Maybe using a more blue light at viewing times as well

I have everything but the dark colored sand. Which I maybe getting garnet soon as I'd like to try Poly's so I might get some for the Trachy tank as well.

By the way you and thebiggerthebetter might be interested in knowing they've started acting amorous again. Well, the male has any way. Made his move just yesterday after feeding. Followed the female into a hide which I noticed only because of the ruckus.

I heard what sounded like muffled, growling then purring; turned to see them both face forward in a hide swatting one another with their bodies broad side. Their tails slapping against one another and the male looking like he was trying to position himself. The female let out her typical but louder then usual grunt and exited the hide post haste. The male spurned I guess returned to his typical favorite hide very slowly(walk of shame. lol).

Some things that might also be worth mentioning, one the hide chosen was a hide neither of them have shown interest in before. Two they've both increased in feeding activity, much more vigorous and aggressive then normal. And the female has been trying to eat tankmates left and right. They're both offered live food in the form of worms,snails, etc but I notice that the female becomes very piscivorous at certain times of the year. Perhaps a prelude to breeding is eating fish for more protein?

 

[Hendre]

Afer are alright eaters I had one myself and while they're good eaters for Knives I wouldn't call them aggressive or boisterous eaters. Unlike the Trachy who uses their heads to bulldoze the competition aside and will resort to feigning attack with that huge open mouth charging at intended fish making most fish retreat.

The Afer also likes to be able to hide so if he's not bothered by the Trachys he himself may become a problem as Afer can be pretty aggressive depending on the individual. And with both fish competing for the best hides there maybe friction.

I hear more of them being crazy active than anything, knives aren't the best eaters I guess. I have plenty of time to figure out if I eventualy get a trachy

My Albino Knife was larger then them when they ate him. I said 12 plus because I knew he was bigger then 12 inches but wasn't sure how much and would rather underestimate then over. Even though it took two to tear him in half. It only took one to kill him by suffocation. At night is when Trachys are most dangerous and that's when they got the knife. Knives are pred's but let's face it their body is built for speed not durability and they can be damaged pretty easily if they can't escape by running away. So if you choose to cohab them just keep a sharp eye on everyone

Ouch!

I heard what sounded like muffled, growling then purring; turned to see them both face forward in a hide swatting one another with their bodies broad side. Their tails slapping against one another and the male looking like he was trying to position himself. The female let out her typical but louder then usual grunt and exited the hide post haste. The male spurned I guess returned to his typical favorite hide very slowly(walk of shame. lol).

haha. sounds like an interesting courtship though

 

[koltsixx]

I hear more of them being crazy active than anything, knives aren't the best eaters I guess. I have plenty of time to figure out if I eventualy get a trachy

Seriouslyfish has this as their description of Afer as do others found in a quick google search.

An aggressive species that should only be kept with very robust species. It can be kept in a group when young, but as it matures it becomes increasingly territorial, particularly towards other knifefish but also towards any fish it takes a disliking to. While there are reports of it coexisting peacefully with other large fish such as arowana there are at least as many of it attacking the same species in other aquaria.

Which is a little bit more then crazy active. So whether you get a Afer or Trachy I suggest choosing tankmates with due consideration before attempting a cohab.

Ouch!

Yeah, they weren't pleasant experiences for me, more so the fish though.

haha. sounds like an interesting courtship though

Lol Hopefully the female Trachy will let him round the bases one day.

 

[Hendre]

Seriouslyfish has this as their description of Afer as do others found in a quick google search.

An aggressive species that should only be kept with very robust species. It can be kept in a group when young, but as it matures it becomes increasingly territorial, particularly towards other knifefish but also towards any fish it takes a disliking to. While there are reports of it coexisting peacefully with other large fish such as arowana there are at least as many of it attacking the same species in other aquaria.

Which is a little bit more then crazy active. So whether you get a Afer or Trachy I suggest choosing tankmates with due consideration before attempting a cohab.

thanks for that, not a fish I can keep soon so I haven't done research. The other African knives are too small or are an aba aba....

Lol Hopefully the female Trachy will let him round the bases one day.

He's gotta up his game!

I'm wondering how long they can produce viable eggs from the time that they mate

 

[moe214]

@koltstixx I wouldn't knock knives for there durability after DB's clown knife survived Lucy's jaws head first lol.

And I can attest to the trachy's greedyness. I've been telling anyone who asked about it that it's as close to a vacuum you'll find in a fish, cause the the thing sucks up food like nothing and in seconds. Since I've gotten it I've had to do two handfuls of massivore, one for the trachy, and one for everyone else. I thought my wyckii was greedy, but now I think he just tries to grab as much as he can before the wolf comes, well the trachy bulldozes through the wolf and wyckii for the food. I'm surprised he wolf hasn't bitten or shown any aggression to the trachy because of this.

 

[koltsixx]

moe214 Mine didn't survive his Trachy encounter but I will admit they seem to heal rather well. Few fish I've noticed that seem to me to be exceptional at healing from wounds are Silver Dollars, Armatus and Trachys. I've seen my Armatus get it's dorsal amputated by my Curu but the Arm kept trucking, didn't get fungus and regrew the dorsal fin. My Arm used to constantly shank my Dollars but they to just kept it moving and healed seemingly no worse for the wear. While thr Trachys have both torn each other to shreds at one point where there was ragged skin hanging off with noting but their pink insides showing. And I mean large, large areas and there where several. Yet the Trachys healed so fast it seemed like every time they ate they healed a little more.

lol Yeah, Trachys really love food. You should see the commotion when it's two of them going at it while eating. And I feel your pain. I never went through pellets faster. These So and So's eat everything and mine have absolutely no issue eating from the surface. It's funny to see the pikes doing everything they can to gobble down the food before the Trachys smell it and come out of hiding. Then the mock attacks to try and dissuade the Trachys which are of no avail.

The only one who can cause them momentary pause and flight is my Ingot whose a minimum of 10 inches long and just about as high. Dude looks like a BP on roids and he hates the Trachys. The only one who puts the Ingot in his place is the unidentified wood cat who hates both the Trachys and thinks the Ingot might taste good. That wood cat always moves slow but scares the other fish. The Ingot tries to bullly the wood but all that does is make the wood curious about the thing biting her. So she turns toward the Ingot who keeps biting her in the face and she tries to bite the Ingot back but not in an aggressive way. She looks like she's merely curious about his taste. Her movements are very slow while she tries to bite the Ingot which frightens the Ingot so he backs up and turns sideways at the surface trying to escape. She usually finally mouths him, leaves no damage that I can see and turns around and looks for more food.

 

[Hendre]

lol Yeah, Trachys really love food. You should see the commotion when it's two of them going at it while eating. And I feel your pain. I never went through pellets faster. These So and So's eat everything and mine have absolutely no issue eating from the surface. It's funny to see the pikes doing everything they can to gobble down the food before the Trachys smell it and come out of hiding. Then the mock attacks to try and dissuade the Trachys which are of no avail.

Sounds like my knives with the polys. I need to try and get the knives on floating stuff

The only one who can cause them momentary pause and flight is my Ingot whose a minimum of 10 inches long and just about as high. Dude looks like a BP on roids and he hates the Trachys. The only one who puts the Ingot in his place is the unidentified wood cat who hates both the Trachys and thinks the Ingot might taste good. That wood cat always moves slow but scares the other fish. The Ingot tries to bullly the wood but all that does is make the wood curious about the thing biting her. So she turns toward the Ingot who keeps biting her in the face and she tries to bite the Ingot back but not in an aggressive way. She looks like she's merely curious about his taste. Her movements are very slow while she tries to bite the Ingot which frightens the Ingot so he backs up and turns sideways at the surface trying to escape. She usually finally mouths him, leaves no damage that I can see and turns around and looks for more food.

Sounds like quite the story! Please try film it some time

By the way, black sand made a HUGE difference. Both polys never hide, the knives go round and rest outside the wood and my synodontis that never comes out during the day took a spin of the tank a few hours after settling in. May be worth a shot someday?

 

[koltsixx]

Sounds like my knives with the polys. I need to try and get the knives on floating stuff

Whose the bullies? The knives? Or the Polys?

Sounds like quite the story! Please try film it some time

Thanks! I will. I'm hoping once I get things going I wanted to do some more videos. Even if I have less then a hundred subscribers. lol

By the way, black sand made a HUGE difference. Both polys never hide, the knives go round and rest outside the wood and my synodontis that never comes out during the day took a spin of the tank a few hours after settling in. May be worth a shot someday?

I'm glad to hear. I personally never had an issue with Poly's hiding. My Koliba and Endli where pretty active. Well the Endli still is, the Koliba unfortunately jumped and passed away. The Endli actually spends much of his time resting on a piece of pvc pipe I have suctioned cupped to the side of the tank in the open, close to the surface. The rest of the time he swims close to the surface looking either for food or to escape, not sure which. My Xanthic Syno though does hide quite a biyt but does patrol a couple times day. I plan on trying garnet so hopefully it means the Xanthic at very least might become more active if your results are any indication.

 

[Hendre]

Whose the bullies? The knives? Or the Polys?

Polys are freaking gluttons

Thanks! I will. I'm hoping once I get things going I wanted to do some more videos. Even if I have less then a hundred subscribers. lol

I just add videos to link to forums, don't care about subs. had 12 last time I checked
I wanna see it all!

I'm glad to hear. I personally never had an issue with Poly's hiding. My Koliba and Endli where pretty active. Well the Endli still is, the Koliba unfortunately jumped and passed away. The Endli actually spends much of his time resting on a piece of pvc pipe I have suctioned cupped to the side of the tank in the open, close to the surface. The rest of the time he swims close to the surface looking either for food or to escape, not sure which. My Xanthic Syno though does hide quite a biyt but does patrol a couple times day. I plan on trying garnet so hopefully it means the Xanthic at very least might become more active if your results are any indication.

Sorry to hear
It's more the knife activity than anything, I love it. They also are a really deep colour now

I hope for your sake he is