Lungfish tankmates
- Thread starter madshadow
- Start date
depends on the kind of lungfish, i would imagine. African Lungfish are reputed to be murderous - no tankmates that you aren't willing to lose. South american and aussie lungfish are more peaceful, and they might be compatible with aros... afaik
It will murder the arowana eventually. It might seem to work for a little bit, but you'll wake up to a dead arowana after a certain time.
I haven't heard the above about non-african lungfish being less aggressive--it could be true. But in my understanding (and personal experience--I had a lungfish bite a huge chunk out of a RTC), lungfish are extremely mean and should *only* be housed alone. You might not see signs of aggression (they won't chase around, harass other fish) but eventually fish or parts of them will go missing.
I'd also be careful hand-feeding it. Not to say you can't if you know your fish, but a big one could/would really mess up your finger.
I'd also be careful hand-feeding it. Not to say you can't if you know your fish, but a big one could/would really mess up your finger.
I've kept Lepidosiren paradoxa in comm setup before with no biting issues ever. The last one was a 40 incher in a 450 with other bottom fish and a pair of silver aros. They were together for almost 4 years before a burst tank seam forced me to separate them into other tanks.
Was at my LFS a couple of days ago. Lungfish took a chunk out of a jardini..... One expensive chunk of jardini...
I have never kept a lungfish,
That being said in my visting of many zoos and aquariums, I have only seen a few tanks were lungfish had tankmates, most are kept alone
The first one was a monster that looked like a log at Disney World, It was kept with Bichirs and OB Peacocks. this tank was several thousand gallons, but I saw a tank on youtube where a lungfish was kept with a big group of bichirs, an African arowana; I think a breeding group of African Cichlids may be a good idea too, just have a pile of rock they can retreat to and hopefully it wont eat too many.
The second is at the California Academy of Sciences, where Australian Lungfish are kept with a large shoal of rainbows. This idea is get a large group of nimble surface dwelling fish that should not be around the lungfish, from my experience of seeing them they mostly just sit on the bottom, I have seen them move, and they are pretty fast, an actual lungfish keeper might have a better clue on how fast one can move.
If I was getting a lungfish I would buy the local big box petstores out of Rainbows and Giant Danios, or start up a colony of ob peacocks or some rock dwellers from any of the lakes.
My guess on your question is it really depends on the lungfish, some may be peaceful, others might actively try and bite fish, and some will bite if presented the opportunity. Depending on how tall the tank is, arowana may be more safe, Probably Silvers are best because I have never seen a healthy/active one not just bellow the surface, while Jardini or African Arowana appear to be all over the water column, putting them in proximity to a lungfish. But people who have actually had lungfish are much more knowledgeable than me, I would like to hear about how active and quick lungfish are by someone who has observed them for a few years.
That being said in my visting of many zoos and aquariums, I have only seen a few tanks were lungfish had tankmates, most are kept alone
The first one was a monster that looked like a log at Disney World, It was kept with Bichirs and OB Peacocks. this tank was several thousand gallons, but I saw a tank on youtube where a lungfish was kept with a big group of bichirs, an African arowana; I think a breeding group of African Cichlids may be a good idea too, just have a pile of rock they can retreat to and hopefully it wont eat too many.
The second is at the California Academy of Sciences, where Australian Lungfish are kept with a large shoal of rainbows. This idea is get a large group of nimble surface dwelling fish that should not be around the lungfish, from my experience of seeing them they mostly just sit on the bottom, I have seen them move, and they are pretty fast, an actual lungfish keeper might have a better clue on how fast one can move.
If I was getting a lungfish I would buy the local big box petstores out of Rainbows and Giant Danios, or start up a colony of ob peacocks or some rock dwellers from any of the lakes.
My guess on your question is it really depends on the lungfish, some may be peaceful, others might actively try and bite fish, and some will bite if presented the opportunity. Depending on how tall the tank is, arowana may be more safe, Probably Silvers are best because I have never seen a healthy/active one not just bellow the surface, while Jardini or African Arowana appear to be all over the water column, putting them in proximity to a lungfish. But people who have actually had lungfish are much more knowledgeable than me, I would like to hear about how active and quick lungfish are by someone who has observed them for a few years.
From my experience, which is still limited, the marble lungfish doesn’t attack other fish. But mine are not huge yet and only had them a few months. So far they’re so peaceful that my cichlids will destroy them. I have them with angels, guppies, and silver dollars. They haven’t killed anyone yet. They’re content to eat pellets and frozen foods. So peaceful and lazy in fact that I have been playing with the idea of putting them in a community. But maybe in a year or two after i really know the fish better.
The west African lungfish is a solo fish. Ate everything in its tank 1 by 1...and they don’t like other lungfish either. They wanted to kill everything. Solo fish 100%
The west African lungfish is a solo fish. Ate everything in its tank 1 by 1...and they don’t like other lungfish either. They wanted to kill everything. Solo fish 100%