Just Received my First GATF!
- Thread starter Reedmaster16
- Start date
He has really filled out and "matured" is the best way to describe it. His scales appear to have hardened up alot, his tail is so incredible looking and the tips of the tail are growing lengthwise. Im not sure of exactly how much he has grown due to his constant movement making measurement nearly impossible, but hes gotta be close to a foot long now and BEEFY haha.
The other tigerfish I have in there has had a very similar growth spurt and they seem so comfortable and happy its awesome.
Side note a local cichlid breeder recently gave me a bunch of the fish he normally gets rid of (due to color/traits he does not want in them). They are incredibly strong and healthy fish and ive been testing using them as feeders. The cichlids are so fast and strong the goliath really has to work to catch one. While he is eating less (probable only 4 or 5 of the cichlids in a week so far) I believe the added stimulation from hunting and working to catch them has given him a more natural way to feed and combined with the tank size it has stimulated his growth and maturation.
The other tigerfish has yet to successfully catch and eat one of the cichlids yet due to the speed/strength of the fish.
The other tigerfish I have in there has had a very similar growth spurt and they seem so comfortable and happy its awesome.
Side note a local cichlid breeder recently gave me a bunch of the fish he normally gets rid of (due to color/traits he does not want in them). They are incredibly strong and healthy fish and ive been testing using them as feeders. The cichlids are so fast and strong the goliath really has to work to catch one. While he is eating less (probable only 4 or 5 of the cichlids in a week so far) I believe the added stimulation from hunting and working to catch them has given him a more natural way to feed and combined with the tank size it has stimulated his growth and maturation.
The other tigerfish has yet to successfully catch and eat one of the cichlids yet due to the speed/strength of the fish.
Absolutely stunning.
Will love to see continued updates and an appropriate home down the road. A GATF sized tank is going to be a part of my life sooner or later.
Awesome fish man.
Will love to see continued updates and an appropriate home down the road. A GATF sized tank is going to be a part of my life sooner or later.
Awesome fish man.
Hey lemarj, Thanks! Yea he is really looking healthy and happy. The tank is excellent. I did my first major scrubbing of the interior to remove a bit of algae growth and it came off easier than my glass tanks.
Thanks so much fleshy I really appreciate it. I will continue updates on him as a reference for everyone. Hes been alot of work so far but absolutely worth it (close to 1 year). Its sad most of the GATF I see in aquarium aren't given the necessary amount of attention, patience, and specific care resulting in missing teeth and mutilated snouts from bashing into the side of tanks.
His current setup appears to be a great fit and in the future if for some reason I am unable to make the next big upgrade for him I have been trying to get in touch with the managers of the brand new $70M greater cleveland aquarium that is set to be completed and open January 2012. I am not sure if they would even be able to take in a fish like him when hes bigger but its always worth a shot and it would be awesome for more people to get a chance to see him in person because pictures don't really do him justice lol.
Most likely in the future I will be putting Klee79's superb monster tank building ability to the test once again
Again I will keep everyone updated on his progress...
-Reed
I currently have 5 GATF's and they are awesome, have had them for about 6 months. They grow very slowly, mine has grown only about an inch in the 6 months and i feed the hell out of them. I can suggest being careful with whhats in the tank since they scare easily and go nuts when cleaning the tank, however that is getting better. I can also suggest, since once you get the fever its hard not to buy more, that having 2 is tough .... i bought 2you originally, and they fought to the point that 1i lost his eye, however i added 3salt more and now they are fine. They nip at eachother occasiionally still, but i feel thats normal, especially after feeding since they get in a frenzy, but its playful and not fighting, and dont cause injuries to eachother. Biggest fear is them slamming into sharp objects, or jumping out of the tank when cleaning. Good luck man, they are an awesome fiah!!!!
Didnt see all the other posts just the first page and that was almost a year ago, just saw the updated pics! Sry new at this forum thing, awesome fish man, very awesome! Something for me to look forward to!!!
Those are good observations and advice. They are very skittish fish. My advice on keeping multiple goliaths is once they reach about 8" or so things may get ugly. I have my FATF in with the goliath and they have been together their whole lives. The FATF is smaller and has grown even slower than the goliath but is very quick and more maneuverable allowing him to avoid the goliath when hes irritated. The best way to describe it is the goliath "tolerates" the smaller tiger fish species. I only have seen signs of fighting once and it was just before the tank upgrade. As long as the goliath is king of the tank and has sufficient room they get along great. With two or more goliaths I could see a constant war being waged for who is the dominant fish in the tank and it may not end well for the smaller or weaker/injured GATF's. Just my $.02 from my limited experience and observation.
Thanks, no worries ull get the hang of the forums quick. Any ?'s always feel free to ask. Although the growth rate is very slow with these fish, the opportunity and privilege of being able to raise and observe him over the past year has been very rewarding. There aren't many places you can go and get an up close view of something like this. Makes all the time, work, and money absolutely worth it.
-Reed
Hey lemarj, Thanks! Yea he is really looking healthy and happy. The tank is excellent. I did my first major scrubbing of the interior to remove a bit of algae growth and it came off easier than my glass tanks.
Thanks so much fleshy I really appreciate it. I will continue updates on him as a reference for everyone. Hes been alot of work so far but absolutely worth it (close to 1 year). Its sad most of the GATF I see in aquarium aren't given the necessary amount of attention, patience, and specific care resulting in missing teeth and mutilated snouts from bashing into the side of tanks.
His current setup appears to be a great fit and in the future if for some reason I am unable to make the next big upgrade for him I have been trying to get in touch with the managers of the brand new $70M greater cleveland aquarium that is set to be completed and open January 2012. I am not sure if they would even be able to take in a fish like him when hes bigger but its always worth a shot and it would be awesome for more people to get a chance to see him in person because pictures don't really do him justice lol.
Most likely in the future I will be putting Klee79's superb monster tank building ability to the test once again
Again I will keep everyone updated on his progress...
-Reed
lol Thanks again man! The set up looks great. We'll do a monsterous L shape next time
