My first pikes-HELP

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aclockworkorange

Dovii
MFK Member
Jun 24, 2010
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Rose City
So i've been interested in pikes for a while. Recently posted on this section about keeping Atabapo II with a BGK... I think I have decided against that. Too worried about my BGK.


Just recently got a 90 gallon tank that I want to keep the pikes in. Tank is over filtered and my ph is around 6 and very soft (AKA I know what I'm doing disclaimer),

At my LFS, they have Atabapo II and Lents available. What would you guys recommend for me (leaning towards lents)? I would ideally like to just get two to pair up and keep those as a species tank in the 90 gallon (I know this would take a group of fish and time unless they are already paired up)... they can go in my 125 when I upgrade that, but don't see them going in anything much bigger any time soon.

Any other suggestions/advice is welcome.
 
Yeah I saw that link, thanks though. I'm more just looking for a pair based on the size of the tank, not so much to breed them--that would be a bonus though.
 
Honestly, being your first Crenicichla, I'd stay away from the atabapo II. They can be touchy in regards of HITH, and generally take a LONG time to color up. They are great pikes though, and definitely worth that little extra effort.

Having said that, I'd definitely go for the lents. They are pretty attractive from the start, and only continue to get better. My avatar is of my female lent just for a little reference. Only problem with them is they are definitely more aggressive, and get a fair amount larger. So its a toss up.

Cool thing about pikes is that there are different variants of the same species depending on their collection area. For instance my lents are collected from Rio Atabapo, where as some lents collected from Rio Negro would be different looking. Its really quite fascinating, and its awesome to see all the different variants next to each other as well!

You might even want to wait a little and try some Saxatilis group pikes first. They are just as awesome, stay 'smaller' and are much easier to breed. Plus they are super sexy!

Either way, definitely get at least three, if you can afford more seriously do so. Its MUCH easier to REMOVE pikes, then it is to ADD them. ;) They generally don't fully pair up until they are around 10" - 12". If they are still chilling 'peacefully' with each other around that size, then you might have a bonded pair.

In a 90gal I would grow out a group of three at least, but make sure you have some dithers in there like silver dollars or convicts. Something 'cheap' that can take a beating. It'll help spread out the aggression a little more as well.

Hope that helps a little! Take pictures when you get a chance!
 
i had some crenicichla venezuela, i loved them. they were in a 110 with some cichla (of course). i had a male and 2 female. first one of females disappeared.. no clue where she went. then the male died mysteriously a few months later.

and then about a year after that i had some kinda water quality issue and almost lost everything in the tank, i got the pike moved to the 150 but it was too late, she didn't make it. neither did the cichla that were in the tank when it all went to poop.

i had nothing but bad luck keeping fish in that aquarium, i won't put more fish in it. the guy i bought it from said the same thing, everything he put in the tank died.. i shoulda listened.

i think, if i were to get more crenicichla i would go with the lents.. i like them.
 
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