New to Rope Fish - help on set up

[bottomdweller72]

I have been a fish lover for 30 years, but i have always been a very basic keeper. tanks ranging from 10 to 40 gallons, usually stocked with cory's, loaches, pleco's and some mid level fillers like tetras. i took a 10 year break from fish due to life just not allowing me to have them. back in april i got a 10 gal tank to start back up, all basic set up... 20 gal sub filter (new type to me, didn't like it much until hurricane irma came barreling through and we had no power for a week, i never lost my bb due to the submersion. now i love that filter!), basic river soft edge river pebbles, 2 decorations for hiding and playing games of tag through. I had a nice set up and very happy fishies moved recently and in the rush to pack and move due to the closing of the house not being known until 24 hours before hand, i packed the wrong bottle of water cleaner swiftly and quickly broke down the tank, moved it, reset it back up and no sooner did i put my fish back in, i realized i the cleaner i used for for clear water not for cleaning out the chlorine and crap in tap water. made a mad dash to the lfs down the road and back and slid into home base squirting that bottle into the tank. i was gone barely 20 min and it was too late. all but my cory's died. big break down and depression kicked in (yes, i really do love my fish a LOT). a couple days ago, i decided to get a new baby bristlenose and tetras again. my usual store massively raised the price on the bn's and didn't have the tetra's i was wanting. so i went on the hunt to a different place and found the bn at a more agreeable price. but still, none of the tetra's i wanted. then i spyed with my little eye the most fascinating fish i had ever seen! "What in the world is that!?" Rope Fish! the lady assisting me in the fish area said she had been keeping fish for as long as i have and had these fish at home. (mind you, i was leery after her comment of cory's not being resilient fish when in fact they are very resilient) so the questions came flying out, will it be ok in my 10 gallon tank? what does it eat? will the tiny neon tetras i just picked out be ok or will it eat them? her answers... .you will want to get a 20 gal soon but it will be fine for a short time in a 10 gal. they eat shrimp pellets and frozen brine shrimp and they scour the bottom like the cory's do and yes the neons will be just fine, they don't eat other fish. yeah, well... what i learned the next day was nothing what this person told me. i spent far more hours on the internet researching this fascinating creature than i care to admit to. ha! so... 3 neon tetra's became dinner she (the rope fish) won't eat the frozen beef bits but my cory's are sure enjoying that, such piggies they are. so i now know this is an ancient line of fish, it is a scavenger but also carnivorous. i need help people!

i'm on the hunt for a 50+ gallon tank currently, what is best, price etc... once i get that, i'll be beyond my basic knowledge. i do want to get a couple more ropes as i learned they are happier in groups of 2-3. i want to set up the tank to accommodate my bn pleco and my 3 spotted cory's, but i want the tank to be dedicated to the ropes as i am hopelessly in love with them now!

i have read i need to get sand for the bottom, 2-3 inches of it, lots of plants (i have only had a live plant once and my cory's demolished it, seriously, piggies!) i prefer to have double the filtration i actually need, not sure i can explain why, it is just my preference and i have always done that. so, will submersibles still be ok in a tank that large or will i need to learn about a new filtration process? what types of plants are good for the tank that won't require me to have canisters for them (co2 or something i read somewhere for aquascaping) i read they enjoy curling around reeds in the wild (hence being called reed fish as well), so what is most friendly and reed like? i have a daylight/moonlight led cover right now. will that be ok or what type of lighting will be better for the tank with plants in it? basically, i need help in setting up a proper tank dedicated to the bottom dwellers. the only fish i will be adding are 2 more ropes. my bn is currently barely an inch and my rope girls best friend already and my piggies, well, they could care less about who is in the tank, they just enjoy playing tag, eating and playing dead in the corners to see me have a heart attack thinking they are once again dead. i really want to go beyond my beginner ways and give my babies a proper tank house where i can drop in the live food and they can hide and play and feel at home. cheaply as possible but what ever it takes too. sorry this was so long, it was my intro as well? lol i no longer have beginner fish in my home so i need to not have a beginner tank thank you!! the pic is of her acclimating in her store bag. she doesn't keep still long enough to get a pic or just hides when she sees the phone to take her pic lol she is just gorgeous though

 

[thefredpit]

welcome to the rope club! first and foremost with ropes a secure lid is a MUST I've lost 2 to suicide. As far as food Hikari carnivore pellets, bloodworms, chopped up nightcrawlers and tilapia. You don't have to feed all that but they like it all. How big is yours? When you get the 55 gallon you might consider a sengalus also you will love them. They do like plants but are not necessary, just lots of places to hide.

 

[bottomdweller72]

welcome to the rope club! first and foremost with ropes a secure lid is a MUST I've lost 2 to suicide. As far as food Hikari carnivore pellets, bloodworms, chopped up nightcrawlers and tilapia. You don't have to feed all that but they like it all. How big is yours? When you get the 55 gallon you might consider a sengalus also you will love them. They do like plants but are not necessary, just lots of places to hide.

Thanks! yes, that was the one and only truth the lady at the lfs told me about this baby, secure lid and crevices lol (and i'm very sorry to hear about your's jumping ship) i lowered down the water level by 2 inches and secured all crevices and battened down the hatch i even have the sub filter caged so she can't crawl up into it.
thank you for the info on the food, do the blood worms need to be live, frozen, freeze dried? i know i will need to put enough for her and the 3 piggies because they eat everything except the cucumber my bn munches on haha bloodworms seem to be the one i see the most as listed food for them. never heard about the carnivore pellets, so i will be sure to add that to my list.
she is about 9" currently.
funny you mention the sengalus, i was wondering if they would get along with the ropes and if they did, how many i could add in with 3 ropes, 3 cory's, 1 bn pleco in a 55gal. they do look rather interesting and adorable
places to hide i can do for sure and i have a sketch started on what i want to do for them in the new tank. currently she has a big "stump" 4 holes in random places she likes to weave in and out of and a little "log" with a skull attached to it she likes to curl up and sleep in there (and it is super freaking cool when she comes out of the skull eye hole!)

so if i got a 55 gal, i would want a 110 or gal filtration system. pocketbook friendly, is there a prefered type that beyond beginners prefer? (seriously, i feel really dumb about this after 30 years of keeping fish)

thank you again

 

[Kittiee Katt]

magpie just took down her rope tank, maybe she could give you some advice?

Here's a link to her thread: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/udon-soba-and-the-noodles.681772/#post-7670715
Just reading that should give you some ideas for what to do with them, and hopefully mags chimes in soon.

 

[magpie]

I will be back tomorrow am with coffee.

Welcome to the rope club. It sounds like you want the best for her and we are happy to help!

 

[Mighty Wizard]

I have been a fish lover for 30 years, but i have always been a very basic keeper. tanks ranging from 10 to 40 gallons, usually stocked with cory's, loaches, pleco's and some mid level fillers like tetras. i took a 10 year break from fish due to life just not allowing me to have them. back in april i got a 10 gal tank to start back up, all basic set up... 20 gal sub filter (new type to me, didn't like it much until hurricane irma came barreling through and we had no power for a week, i never lost my bb due to the submersion. now i love that filter!), basic river soft edge river pebbles, 2 decorations for hiding and playing games of tag through. I had a nice set up and very happy fishies moved recently and in the rush to pack and move due to the closing of the house not being known until 24 hours before hand, i packed the wrong bottle of water cleaner swiftly and quickly broke down the tank, moved it, reset it back up and no sooner did i put my fish back in, i realized i the cleaner i used for for clear water not for cleaning out the chlorine and crap in tap water. made a mad dash to the lfs down the road and back and slid into home base squirting that bottle into the tank. i was gone barely 20 min and it was too late. all but my cory's died. big break down and depression kicked in (yes, i really do love my fish a LOT). a couple days ago, i decided to get a new baby bristlenose and tetras again. my usual store massively raised the price on the bn's and didn't have the tetra's i was wanting. so i went on the hunt to a different place and found the bn at a more agreeable price. but still, none of the tetra's i wanted. then i spyed with my little eye the most fascinating fish i had ever seen! "What in the world is that!?" Rope Fish! the lady assisting me in the fish area said she had been keeping fish for as long as i have and had these fish at home. (mind you, i was leery after her comment of cory's not being resilient fish when in fact they are very resilient) so the questions came flying out, will it be ok in my 10 gallon tank? what does it eat? will the tiny neon tetras i just picked out be ok or will it eat them? her answers... .you will want to get a 20 gal soon but it will be fine for a short time in a 10 gal. they eat shrimp pellets and frozen brine shrimp and they scour the bottom like the cory's do and yes the neons will be just fine, they don't eat other fish. yeah, well... what i learned the next day was nothing what this person told me. i spent far more hours on the internet researching this fascinating creature than i care to admit to. ha! so... 3 neon tetra's became dinner she (the rope fish) won't eat the frozen beef bits but my cory's are sure enjoying that, such piggies they are. so i now know this is an ancient line of fish, it is a scavenger but also carnivorous. i need help people!

i'm on the hunt for a 50+ gallon tank currently, what is best, price etc... once i get that, i'll be beyond my basic knowledge. i do want to get a couple more ropes as i learned they are happier in groups of 2-3. i want to set up the tank to accommodate my bn pleco and my 3 spotted cory's, but i want the tank to be dedicated to the ropes as i am hopelessly in love with them now!

i have read i need to get sand for the bottom, 2-3 inches of it, lots of plants (i have only had a live plant once and my cory's demolished it, seriously, piggies!) i prefer to have double the filtration i actually need, not sure i can explain why, it is just my preference and i have always done that. so, will submersibles still be ok in a tank that large or will i need to learn about a new filtration process? what types of plants are good for the tank that won't require me to have canisters for them (co2 or something i read somewhere for aquascaping) i read they enjoy curling around reeds in the wild (hence being called reed fish as well), so what is most friendly and reed like? i have a daylight/moonlight led cover right now. will that be ok or what type of lighting will be better for the tank with plants in it? basically, i need help in setting up a proper tank dedicated to the bottom dwellers. the only fish i will be adding are 2 more ropes. my bn is currently barely an inch and my rope girls best friend already and my piggies, well, they could care less about who is in the tank, they just enjoy playing tag, eating and playing dead in the corners to see me have a heart attack thinking they are once again dead. i really want to go beyond my beginner ways and give my babies a proper tank house where i can drop in the live food and they can hide and play and feel at home. cheaply as possible but what ever it takes too. sorry this was so long, it was my intro as well? lol i no longer have beginner fish in my home so i need to not have a beginner tank thank you!! the pic is of her acclimating in her store bag. she doesn't keep still long enough to get a pic or just hides when she sees the phone to take her pic lol she is just gorgeous though View attachment 1276454

So you stumbled onto and opened pandora's box then? Well done, and good luck with that. I suppose alot of us did, I really can't ever see myself not having Ropes and Bichirs.

Ropefish are truly marvelous creatures, from an evolutionary standpoint and otherwise. They look and move as if taken straight out of some ancient norse viking saga, and have an incredibly interesting set of behaviors and features.

Just like you, I discovered one at my local lfs without ever having seen or heard about Polypterids before. Naturally I just had to bring it home, no matter the **** what. So I did take it home, and some six months later I now have five more Ropefish of various sizes and four Bichirs. I suppose some might call be obsessed.

I've found that they do indeed love plants, and you can really see differences in behaviour directly depending on the amount of plants and structure of the tank. Plants are like crack to Ropefish, they'll feel secure and their personalities will really come out. I've seen a lot of people complaining around the internet that Ropefish are inactive and shy, but with a heavily planted tank to make them feel safe and happy they'll be out and about almost all the time. I've also noticed my ropes often being very gentle with plants, almost considerate. I never once had a Ropefish uproot a plant despite a lot of digging otherwise.

As for specific plants, I've found Cabomba and big mature Java Ferns to be favourites of my ropes, and Anubias are always a nice, easy to care for addition. Any plant that provide cover will work. Floating plants are also appreciated, especially floating plants that form lumps or similar for the ropes to hang out and hide in. But if you're new to plants then I specifically recommend you get some Cabomba if it's not regulated where you live. It's what I started out with, it will grow an inch or two a day under the right conditions, and is real easy to grow as it takes in most of its nutrition through its leaves and will tolerate a wide range of temperatures. It will form nice bushy structures if trimmed correctly (the easy way) and also works great as a floating plant.

Attaching plants to driftwood is also a great way to add vegetation. Java Fern, Anubias, and Bolbitis are all great plants that will stick to driftwood with a vengeance, as well as various mosses. Attaching live plants to driftwood is awesome because it both looks great when done right and can't really be uprooted. Attaching plants to driftwood is incredibly easy, never mind the old fishing line or sowing thread. Simply go get your standard run of the mill instant super glue, which should contain mostly Cyanoacrylate. Making sure both the driftwood and plant is sufficiently dry, cut off the roots first, all of the roots down to the rhizome if dealing with Anubias, about 80% for Java Fern and Bolbitis. It will make the plant go into a panicked frenzy as it shoots out new roots, trying to wrap itself around something solid. Simply glue the plant onto the driftwood in whichever position you like, using a dab here and a dab there on the rhizome. Try to be smart in choosing contact points and don't overdo it, you want your plant to stick firmly for at least a couple of weeks, while still retaining as much clear space on the rhizome as the plant needs. Also try not to have the glue make contact with any open or fresh cuts on the main stem/rhizome. It might seem radical to use superglue in aquarium settings but it's actually completely harmless, even if it's not dry when it goes in the tank.

Other great plants are Amazon Swords, Crypts, and Pistia floating plants are awesome in low flow setups. However almost any plant that you like or can grow in your tank will make your Ropefish feel at home, so long as there's enough. Remember that in the wild these fish prefer conditions which puts the term "heavily planted" in a whole other perspective.

Caves and crevices or other secret hides are always a nice addition, but as long as the tank is well structured with for example driftwood and soft sand as substrate, the Ropefish will make their own caves, usually under the roots and sand of established plants or under driftwood in my two tanks

Ropefish also really like the company of other Ropes, and Bichirs are also great tank mates. But it seems you already have that covered

Also you must always keep the lid closed, properly closed, and make sure not to forget closing it after water changes and such. This can't really be said enough. Almost every Ropefish I have got out at least once, and although they usually magically quicken back to life after even several hours on the floor, its vital slime coat can be compromised by foreign particles and bacteria which often lead to infection and death. This happened to one of my juvie ropes, it got back to life only to die two days later. It can't have been out of the water more than some fifteen minutes. I find common kitchen sponges cut into size to be a great way to patch up those tricky gaps where wires go through and such. Just make sure the sponges are fresh and free of chemicals. Also if the lid doesn't have a locking mechanism or at least some weight to it, consider weighing it down. However ropefish generally dont try to escape their tanks if they're happy and comfortable.

One last thing; Polypterids are obligate air-breathers. If its slime coat and body is kept sufficiently moist, a Ropefish beyond the larvae stage can actually live its entire life on land, breathing only air*. But if denied access to atmospheric air they will actually drown, as their gills cannot provide sufficient respiration, even in heavily oxygenated waters. I managed to kill my first Senegal Bichir this way shortly after brought it home, it got stuck behind the filter pump and drowned the same evening. They're quite strong and agile so don't fret too much about this, just make sure that everything is placed in a sensible way and that nothing might fall or tilt onto your Ropefish and pin it down.

Anyways good luck with your Ropefish, he'll bring you lots of joy.

*In a controlled environment. I know that Polys don't live on land.

 

[bottomdweller72]

So you stumbled onto and opened pandora's box then? Well done, and good luck with that. I suppose alot of us did, I really can't ever see myself not having Ropes and Bichirs.

Ropefish are truly marvelous creatures, from an evolutionary standpoint and otherwise. They look and move as if taken straight out of some ancient norse viking saga, and have an incredibly interesting set of behaviors and features.

As for specific plants, I've found Cabomba and big mature Java Ferns to be favourites of my ropes, and Anubias are always a nice, easy to care for addition. Any plant that provide cover will work. Floating plants are also appreciated, especially floating plants that form lumps or similar for the ropes to hang out and hide in. But if you're new to plants then I specifically recommend you get some Cabomba if it's not regulated where you live. It's what I started out with, it will grow an inch or two a day under the right conditions, and is real easy to grow as it takes in most of its nutrition through its leaves and will tolerate a wide range of temperatures. It will form nice bushy structures if trimmed correctly (the easy way) and also works great as a floating plant.

Other great plants are Amazon Swords, Crypts, and Pistia floating plants are awesome in low flow setups. However almost any plant that you like or can grow in your tank will make your Ropefish feel at home, so long as there's enough. Remember that in the wild these fish prefer conditions which puts the term "heavily planted" in a whole other perspective.

Caves and crevices or other secret hides are always a nice addition, but as long as the tank is well structured with for example driftwood and soft sand as substrate, the Ropefish will make their own caves, usually under the roots and sand of established plants or under driftwood in my two tanks

Ropefish also really like the company of other Ropes, and Bichirs are also great tank mates. But it seems you already have that covered

One last thing; Polypterids are obligate air-breathers. If its slime coat and body is kept sufficiently moist, a Ropefish beyond the larvae stage can actually live its entire life on land, breathing only air*. But if denied access to atmospheric air they will actually drown, as their gills cannot provide sufficient respiration, even in heavily oxygenated waters. I managed to kill my first Senegal Bichir this way shortly after brought it home, it got stuck behind the filter pump and drowned the same evening. They're quite strong and agile so don't fret too much about this, just make sure that everything is placed in a sensible way and that nothing might fall or tilt onto your Ropefish and pin it down.

Anyways good luck with your Ropefish, he'll bring you lots of joy.

*In a controlled environment. I know that Polys don't live on land.

lots of great information, thank you for that! yes! the evolutionary standpoint, just amazing to me. I sat here for 2 days researching them and bichirs and am just amazed at them and how long they have existed... i mean, wrapping your mind around that is just, wow! i loved her at first sight before knowing all that about her but after learning everything about poly's, well, my life is just turned upside down now lol

anyway, than you for the information on the plants and giving names of some that will work. just quick question, so i need fertilizers, a co2 tank, special lighting for them? i would rather not have things to require such a set up (yet!) but willing to do so if it means making my girl and future residents happy.

nice tip on using the sponges, that never even occurred to me. i have plastic canvas sheets cut up and taped over the crevices and caged around the opening of the sub filter. i grow organic luffa sponges so i can probably use that instead and entirely safe.

my girl must be happy then, she is out quite a bit. i did read a lot about them being shy and hiding mostly etc. she is out quite a bit during the day slithering around playing with the bn pleco and weaving in and out of the fake stump and fake plants attached to it. she really does look to be quite gentle and elegant doing so too. i do think the piggies scare her though (the cory cats, i call them piggies, because, well, they are feast hounds lol), if they zip by her, she ducks away from them or just turns around and goes a different direction if they are where she was heading.

so, question on the substrate.. not sure if this is the place or not to ask that one, i understand sand will be needed for the poly's, but, i have the bn pleco and the cory's as well and i would love to put them in with the polys (i've never had a tank with out those 2 species) but can they be in a tank with sand? cory's probably can, but the pleco? i haven't found much information on that aspect of those 2. ok, afterthought, just the pleco, i just remembered the cory's destroy plants.

feeling better armed with knowledge, i just really want to make a proper and as close to natural habitat as i can.

oh filtration, over the back, submerse, or canister? mind you, i will have double the capacity of the tank size, so for a 110 filtration system, i don't mind having multiple filters but that just means more openings for the beauties to find.

thank you again

 

[magpie]

I agree with Mighty Wizard on the plants, definitely. I see you've been in my "noodle" thread. You can see how mine love to hang out in the Vallisneria - the tall flowy plants. Outside of that I had swords and anubias. I don't think they're picky about plants, but mine do love them.

You can DEFINITELY do plants without CO2 - you saw my tank and it was a low tech tank. So just need some sufficient lighting, and then I dose the tank with a liquid fertilizer at each water change (Flourish) and I put root tabs in the substrate maybe every 3-4 months. That is it.

Be very careful with your decor and be sure they can't get stuck inside any hole as they grow. We've had poly deaths due to decorations in the past.

I use duct tape at the back of my lids to seal up every single hole, all around the heater cord, etc. and I've never had a fish escape.

Sand substrate is fine for all of those fish - preferred actually for the cories. Plecos don't care what they're on, but they tend to like hiding places as well like under driftwood or in a cave.

Senegals would be great with ropes.

I wouldn't use bloodworms heavily, only as a treat or to get them eating initially if she's not already eating well. They're not all that nutritious.

A good pellet diet is great - I mix carnivore, cichlid gold, and NLS Thera-A all together for variety. I think it's important for max health to supplement this with fish, whether that is tilapia or cut up Silversides that you can get at any LFS, even Petco. I also feed catfish once a week or every other week as I read that this can help prevent bloat in polys, though not sure if this applies to ropes. Either way they LOVE catfish. It's a bit oily though, so be sure to rinse it and I feed the night before a water change.

I also feed live earthworms chopped up every couple of months, but they would love if I did that more. I also feed krill for variety. They also like live black worms but they're small so earthworms are nice.

I feed every other day - pellets are every other feeding. I probably go over the top for feeding, most fish would be fine probably with the bulk of the diet pellets and fish once per week (or the opposite) but I like to feed a variety of things and I think my fish show the benefits.

I LOVE ROPE FISH. You've also likely seen in my thread that mine eat out of my fingers nad will play in my fingers when I'm doing water changes. <3

I'm so glad you're researching, asking questions, and getting your rope a couple of friends.

 

[thefredpit]

Be very careful with your decor and be sure they can't get stuck inside any hole as they grow. We've had poly deaths due to decorations in the past.

My beloved Harley(albino sengalus) was one of those deaths. She got her head and right pectoral fin through a hole but her belly was to big and she drowned. Its weird to say my fish drowned.

You may also consider a polli they are awesome

 

[bottomdweller72]

I agree with Mighty Wizard on the plants, definitely. I see you've been in my "noodle" thread. You can see how mine love to hang out in the Vallisneria - the tall flowy plants. Outside of that I had swords and anubias. I don't think they're picky about plants, but mine do love them.

You can DEFINITELY do plants without CO2 - you saw my tank and it was a low tech tank. So just need some sufficient lighting, and then I dose the tank with a liquid fertilizer at each water change (Flourish) and I put root tabs in the substrate maybe every 3-4 months. That is it.

Be very careful with your decor and be sure they can't get stuck inside any hole as they grow. We've had poly deaths due to decorations in the past.

I use duct tape at the back of my lids to seal up every single hole, all around the heater cord, etc. and I've never had a fish escape.

Sand substrate is fine for all of those fish - preferred actually for the cories. Plecos don't care what they're on, but they tend to like hiding places as well like under driftwood or in a cave.

Senegals would be great with ropes.

I wouldn't use bloodworms heavily, only as a treat or to get them eating initially if she's not already eating well. They're not all that nutritious.

A good pellet diet is great - I mix carnivore, cichlid gold, and NLS Thera-A all together for variety. I think it's important for max health to supplement this with fish, whether that is tilapia or cut up Silversides that you can get at any LFS, even Petco. I also feed catfish once a week or every other week as I read that this can help prevent bloat in polys, though not sure if this applies to ropes. Either way they LOVE catfish. It's a bit oily though, so be sure to rinse it and I feed the night before a water change.

I also feed live earthworms chopped up every couple of months, but they would love if I did that more. I also feed krill for variety. They also like live black worms but they're small so earthworms are nice.

I feed every other day - pellets are every other feeding. I probably go over the top for feeding, most fish would be fine probably with the bulk of the diet pellets and fish once per week (or the opposite) but I like to feed a variety of things and I think my fish show the benefits.

I LOVE ROPE FISH. You've also likely seen in my thread that mine eat out of my fingers nad will play in my fingers when I'm doing water changes. <3

I'm so glad you're researching, asking questions, and getting your rope a couple of friends.

thanks Magpie yes, i loved nosing in your noodle thread lol beautiful babies you have! and yes, i really liked your set up but i will admit, i was spending more time eyeballing the babies the decorations though, i hear your warning on that. i actually thought of that this morning when she once again came sliding out of the eye of the little skull, i thought, it is so adorable and cool to see her do that but she is still going to grow, that might become an issue :/ so i will be keeping that in mind when i set up the new tank. but i plan on not putting any fake decor in the poly tank, it will be as au natural as possible.

the lady at the lfs said she uses duct tape too, is there no concern of them popping up that direction and getting their face stuck to it? that is what went through my head when she said it, so i opted to not do that lol

thank you for the added wonderful information i have never been this diligent about a tank set up, ever. not that i have been careless about it, i just never put this much thought into a tank set up before. i always keep the same bottom dwellers and usually add in tetras for mid level excitement lol i don't know what it is about this rope fish but am seriously hooked!

oh and yes, i did see them and your hand too, i hope i can get that type of relationship with my ropes once all is said and done <3