Mouth size...???

[Yoimbrian]

So it's very common in the aquarium world to say "as long as fish A doesn't fit in fish B's mouth, they'll be fine together." That seems to hold true for most species of polypterus.

So here's my question - how big is their mouth relative to their length?

For example some species gets to 14" length and could eat a 4" fish, while another species gets to 20" length and could eat an 8" fish (those are totally made up numbers, but that's what I'm looking for).

I'm trying to decide what species of polypterus to get, and basically I want the biggest poly that won't eat my other fish....

Note - I intentionally left details on my other fish / plans blank since I want to keep this high level, if possible.

 

[Hendre]

It really depends on the body profile of the other fish. And as a rule of thumb (as I've heard) lower jaws are more capable of eating big fish. Particularly endlicheris if you've seen the live snacks thread here. Upper jaws are less capable anatomically I believe. It all depends on your other stock.

 

[DRteugelsi]

I believe of the upper jaws the biggest poly you're going to get with the least ability to eat large things would be a teugelsi. They stay pretty slender and get up to 24"+ (not usually that big in the aquarium hobby) of the lower jaws I am thinking a Lap would be the way to go.

 

[Vancouver_98683]

Slender and torpedo shaped tankmates require a larger length than per se than a cichlid type shape (round) w/ some girth. Quite frankly, to ease your species selection. Poly members here probably should share their trial and errors :--) I'll start.

ACCUSED / VICTIM / OUTCOME
14" ornate / 8" Ansorgii / death by bite head hold
20" pbb. / 4.5" Apollo Shark / swallowed
20" pbb / 3" Datnoid / swallowed
20" sp. Vancouver (undescribed specie) / 4-5" apollo shark & 6" Senegal / grab & release


List below of what has worked for me are round type cichlid shapes. Housed with multiple bichirs up to 21"
4" flagtail 2x
4" Datnoid
4" thai silk flowerhorn
4" chalceus characins 2x. Got lucky cuz they'e slender. But stay up top
4" Apollo sharks. 6 out of 7 made it. Downside is silver and torpedo shape. Upside is that their top swimmers.
4" distochidous sexfaciatus 2x
5" Royal Pleco

 

[Alexkoj]

Slender and torpedo shaped tankmates require a larger length than per se than a cichlid type shape (round) w/ some girth. Quite frankly, to ease your species selection. Poly members here probably should share their trial and errors :--) I'll start.

ACCUSED / VICTIM / OUTCOME
14" ornate / 8" Ansorgii / death by bite head hold
20" pbb. / 4.5" Apollo Shark / swallowed
20" pbb / 3" Datnoid / swallowed
20" sp. Vancouver (undescribed specie) / 4-5" apollo shark & 6" Senegal / grab & release


List below of what has worked for me are round type cichlid shapes. Housed with multiple bichirs up to 21"
4" flagtail 2x
4" Datnoid
4" thai silk flowerhorn
4" chalceus characins 2x. Got lucky cuz they'e slender. But stay up top
4" Apollo sharks. 6 out of 7 made it. Downside is silver and torpedo shape. Upside is that their top swimmers.
4" distochidous sexfaciatus 2x
5" Royal Pleco

informative but hilarious at the same time. can't help but feel that you were pushing your PBB / giving it an expensive snack by adding in an apollo shark and datnoid, especially at those sizes.

 

[Vancouver_98683]

informative but hilarious at the same time. can't help but feel that you were pushing your PBB / giving it an expensive snack by adding in an apollo shark and datnoid, especially at those sizes.

It was a trust issue for sure. As you'll notice my sizing threshold is 4". If they've got height and some thickness to them. The more confident I am. For example. I introduced this 4" Thai silk yesterday. Would be the same if I still had a mix of 10+ polys. Then again, i had several 6" Senegals. One was in my biggest polys mouth within the hour. But 6x 6" geophagus worked fine. Lol

 

[Yoimbrian]

Fascinating!

Thanks for all the replies so far.

So be more specific im looking to mix clown loaches and polys (among other top swimmers) and am trying to decide two things:
-how big of a head start to give the clowns (slow growers...)
-what species of poly to get.

I'll post a full build thread this weekend, once I get the tank full of water and cycling.

 

[thefredpit]

I'd say upperjaws just to be safe and the jumpstart would depend on which species and how big you start with the polys. I would say 4" on the loach would work with almost any upperjaw of any size

 

[jaws7777]

Fascinating!

Thanks for all the replies so far.

So be more specific im looking to mix clown loaches and polys (among other top swimmers) and am trying to decide two things:
-how big of a head start to give the clowns (slow growers...)
-what species of poly to get.

I'll post a full build thread this weekend, once I get the tank full of water and cycling.

It really depends on the siz3 of the clowns. What stinks is as you know they grow slow. So you'll have to start out with decent sized clowns and unless your getting them nice fat and chunky at say almost adult size i would cross out any lower jaw (endli,lap, congicus) along with ornate, weeksii, and teugelsi.

 

[twentyleagues]

That sounds like an expensive way to loose 2 fish at one time. More the likely the clown will take the poly with it. To avoid death I'd go as stated above largest possible clowns and smaller uj polys.