My love for paddles...
- Thread starter Redtail_Watcher
- Start date
The paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, grows to be an average 7ft and can weigh almost 200 pounds.
These fish are suited for large ponds with smooth curved walls. In aquariums or flat walled ponds, they invariably suffer bill damage that will quickly lead to their death from septic infections. In large ponds, they will filter feed but, begin taking larger prey at an early age. Mine began taking rosy reds at a foot long. They learn to roll belly-up to take pellets, flake, and FD krill/plankton, from the surface, also at an early age.
Care needs to be taken to keep water conditions optimal. These are scaleless fish, with only a few patches of dermal scutes and denticles, and can easily contract fungal/bacterial infections from even minor scratches. They also require strong currents and high DO levels. Therefore, whatever pond they're kept in needs to have a good plume at the pump outlet to maintain good oxygenation for these beasts.
If you can adequately house these fish, stand by for a life-long partnership. These oddballs can live over 50 years.
These fish are suited for large ponds with smooth curved walls. In aquariums or flat walled ponds, they invariably suffer bill damage that will quickly lead to their death from septic infections. In large ponds, they will filter feed but, begin taking larger prey at an early age. Mine began taking rosy reds at a foot long. They learn to roll belly-up to take pellets, flake, and FD krill/plankton, from the surface, also at an early age.
Care needs to be taken to keep water conditions optimal. These are scaleless fish, with only a few patches of dermal scutes and denticles, and can easily contract fungal/bacterial infections from even minor scratches. They also require strong currents and high DO levels. Therefore, whatever pond they're kept in needs to have a good plume at the pump outlet to maintain good oxygenation for these beasts.
If you can adequately house these fish, stand by for a life-long partnership. These oddballs can live over 50 years.
Redtail_Watcher;491923; said:in my case i would be even lucky to catch one my brother has caught aleast 3 of them in ohio they are illegal to have.(nuts...! just my luck, but i still want to own one, because it is a unsually beautiful monster fish. I am willing to dismantal my tank down to 2 feet high instead of four feet and make me a 12 by 12, my pond liner is a 15by 20. i know they eat alge and small fishes and fresh water plankton(they been reminding me of who they are just like basking sharks.) My Zoo has paddle fishes, about 3-4 of them about 23-27inches when i go to the zoo next time i'll post them. but for now i'll leave you guys with these....babies, enjoy!
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those bottom two are basking sharks
meepster;493868; said:
yes there basking sharks, he made a reference to a basking shark so he posted pix so we know he knows what hes talking about or so we can see how similar they are.
i think it would be great for someone on this site to keep one (just not me, 'cause id kill it over night) i think the person to do it and do it right would be that canadian guy with the two or three mega tanks...what is his SN anyways?
arapaime...thats his name...not sure if i spelled it right (prolly not) but thats the guy with the tanks....i hardly see him post anymore, if at all.
