Just purchased beat up Wolf fish

[peteyablo821]

Hi guys, I purchased a 7-8" common wolf fish at a LFS, this poor guy was looking totally miserable in this 10 gallon and looks like he got mauled because he has next to no fins left at all! I know these fish don't move around alot but when he does swim he just kind of nudges around so I know feeding him will be extra hard. I have been reading up on wolf fish for whatever I can find any advise is greatly appreciated on diet, temperature, likes and dislikes. So far from what I've read through past threads:

they grow to about 24", are nocturnal, like hiding places, super aggressive, like to eat raw shrimp, worms, tilapia, sometimes live feeders.

Anything else I should know and how can I get his fins to grow back, I hear salt is a pretty useful tool.
He
Right now he's alone in a 75 gallon with some driftwood and plants, tank is cycled, temperature at 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

Before this I housed Oscars, Jack Dempsey's, Green Terrors, etc. gettin back in the fish game.

 

[channarox]

welcome to the wolf world.
he should heal ok.
just add salt and keep the temp at around 86.
he'll heal fast.

 

[peteyablo821]

welcome to the wolf world.
he should heal ok.
just add salt and keep the temp at around 86.
he'll heal fast.

thanks, it says on the salt to add 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons so for a 75 gallon I'm looking at 15 tablespoons, but doesn't that seem like a bit much? Also whens the next time I add salt after that? During a water change?

 

[hybridtheoryd16]

yep thats right 1tbs per 5g. And thats not that much at all. Alot of people use up to 3tbs per 5g with sick fish. And you don't add more until you do a water change. Some people keep it in the tanks for life. But I only use it when the fish are sick or injured. I do this because if the salt is allready in the tank and the fish gets sick then what.-------------So i would just keep it up until the fish is healed up and then just let the normal maintenance water changes take it out.

 

[hopelessamor]

Hi guys, I purchased a 7-8" common wolf fish at a LFS, this poor guy was looking totally miserable in this 10 gallon and looks like he got mauled because he has next to no fins left at all! I know these fish don't move around alot but when he does swim he just kind of nudges around so I know feeding him will be extra hard. I have been reading up on wolf fish for whatever I can find any advise is greatly appreciated on diet, temperature, likes and dislikes. So far from what I've read through past threads:

they grow to about 24", are nocturnal, like hiding places, super aggressive, like to eat raw shrimp, worms, tilapia, sometimes live feeders.

Anything else I should know and how can I get his fins to grow back, I hear salt is a pretty useful tool.
He
Right now he's alone in a 75 gallon with some driftwood and plants, tank is cycled, temperature at 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

Before this I housed Oscars, Jack Dempsey's, Green Terrors, etc. gettin back in the fish game.

hi p.821,
i just bought 3 common (white wolf fish) wolf fish(hoplias malabaricus),myself,2 weeks ago.THEY too are 7"-8"...but mine are very robust n great eaters.in fact they can gulp down 3" to 4" feeders each every 2-3 days! I have to be careful not to overfeed them....nwyz,im sorry to hear your wolf was in bad shape.hopefully,he willl heal quickly.common wolves are nocturnal.they are inactive when compared to,say,an aimara or my black sp.wolf.BTW,i keep my common wolves with the AQ. light off most of the time.in the wild,different variants may reach 28+".most grow to 20".in the home aquaria a bit less,say 16+".with the AQ. salt,u are doin the right thing.I would put the temp. to 28 degrees celsius or 82.4 fahrenheit.IMO i would feed my common wolves mainly MASSIVORE pellets.they are beginning to like it.i only feed them feeders after the feeders have gone through a 3-4 day quarantine.best of luck!they(it) are great fish!

 

[wonword]

hey, when i picked up my red wolf, all of them in the tank ate(i think) each others fins off! so mine too had no fins when i bought him, he healed up fine! try to get it for a lower price if it had no fins!

 

[peteyablo821]

hey, when i picked up my red wolf, all of them in the tank ate(i think) each others fins off! so mine too had no fins when i bought him, he healed up fine! try to get it for a lower price if it had no fins!

Well I got him for 20 bucks which I think was pretty good. I've had him for about 3 days now and I haven't seen him eat and he barely moves having a hard time swimming with no fins. I did put 3 gold fish feeders in their and one minnow which I haven't seen for a day or so (I'm assuming the Wolf got him). I've got a couple big pieces of driftwood that are great caves and he loves hiding in those. Trying to keep the light off most of the time and keeping the heat at about 81 degrees. Maybe I'll try some sinking pellets so he doesn't have to work for the food too hard.

 

[peteyablo821]

hi p.821,
i just bought 3 common (white wolf fish) wolf fish(hoplias malabaricus),myself,2 weeks ago.THEY too are 7"-8"...but mine are very robust n great eaters.in fact they can gulp down 3" to 4" feeders each every 2-3 days! I have to be careful not to overfeed them....nwyz,im sorry to hear your wolf was in bad shape.hopefully,he willl heal quickly.common wolves are nocturnal.they are inactive when compared to,say,an aimara or my black sp.wolf.BTW,i keep my common wolves with the AQ. light off most of the time.in the wild,different variants may reach 28+".most grow to 20".in the home aquaria a bit less,say 16+".with the AQ. salt,u are doin the right thing.I would put the temp. to 28 degrees celsius or 82.4 fahrenheit.IMO i would feed my common wolves mainly MASSIVORE pellets.they are beginning to like it.i only feed them feeders after the feeders have gone through a 3-4 day quarantine.best of luck!they(it) are great fish!

Thanks for the info! Good luck with your Wolves, I hope mine starts eating soon.

 

[famous323]

Just adding to what others have said, if your wolf fish has problems feeding on feeders and such try feeding him with tongs.

 

[wonword]

Well I got him for 20 bucks which I think was pretty good. I've had him for about 3 days now and I haven't seen him eat and he barely moves having a hard time swimming with no fins. I did put 3 gold fish feeders in their and one minnow which I haven't seen for a day or so (I'm assuming the Wolf got him). I've got a couple big pieces of driftwood that are great caves and he loves hiding in those. Trying to keep the light off most of the time and keeping the heat at about 81 degrees. Maybe I'll try some sinking pellets so he doesn't have to work for the food too hard.

thats a good price, i was just saying that for others reading. i got my price cut from $30 to $15. id get him on pellets or shrimp right away, just drop it infront of his "cave" and he should be able to squirm over there!