Newbie question about pike

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WillieWonka

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 2, 2007
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Canada
Hi, I'm considering purchasing four pike from a fellow and wanted to verify first which species that they are? Whether I can safely keep 4 of them in a 120 gal setup. Also, just how difficult a fish are they to maintain?

Thanks for any responses. I will probably have lots more to ask if I do end up getting them.

Fred

pike.jpg
 
if those are the 4 fish in question you are a lucky man! although 4 in that size tank probably wont work out. a pair would be awesome. maybe buy all 4 and keep the two that pair up, if they do.
 
Nice lookin lenticulata foursome, look to be about 5" size? Your 120 g. should be fine for a while - when they reach 7" to 8" watch out for trouble. If you end up with a compatible pair you've had good luck, they'd do fine in your tank - with plenty of rocks/caves, d-wood, etc.. Community cichlid tanks work well for us, raising young Pikes with other fish seems to make them tolerant when mature (not always). Good luck - keep a watchful eye when trying to grow 3 or more....
 
MTN PIKE;1386668; said:
Nice lookin lenticulata foursome, look to be about 5" size? Your 120 g. should be fine for a while - when they reach 7" to 8" watch out for trouble. If you end up with a compatible pair you've had good luck, they'd do fine in your tank - with plenty of rocks/caves, d-wood, etc.. Community cichlid tanks work well for us, raising young Pikes with other fish seems to make them tolerant when mature (not always). Good luck - keep a watchful eye when trying to grow 3 or more....
Click to expand...

They are supposed to already be 7-8 inches (haven't seen in person yet).
Would they be better in a 5 ft 120 gal or a 6 ft 108 gal as far as room for them to get away from each other? Would the pvc pipe be something to look into? What would be a fair price for 4 of them around 7 inches? Are they easy to acquire or not? Thanks for the replies.
 
Also, if there is only one in the group with a white dorsal fin, that would make one female and three males? or is it a sure way of telling?

If it is one female three males, is this a ratio that would work or does it matter? Do they pair off or does one male pick an available female like with some fish?

Thanks Fred
 
Lenticulatas, If one or all have a white stripe along dorsal it would be a female. If they aren't showing female yet then it won't be long, if you have a female. I would set up in the 6 foot 125 and they will do fine until you hopefully develope a compatible pair. Remove the extras and sell off after developing a pair otherwise the extras would probably be killed.
The male will try to pick a female but she also has to except the male, that is why you call them a compatible pair.
I personally don't use pvc but some do. I use a lot of African root which is really narley looking and they dig under it and use it like a cave. But that is a personal preference to give them someplace to hideout.
When breeding they require soft and low ph. But if now attempting to breed there water is not critical, just clean and well maintained.
If those in the pic are the ones in quetion they look nice.
 
Thanks... They are the ones in the picture and they are mine now. If they are two years old, they would have developed their adult coloration by now, wouldn't they? I'll post some newer pics once they are settled in. Is there a link to a thread describing the best methods for feeding and maintaining these fish? Also a link to a thread concerning the breeding of them would be great too. ( might be worth considering pinning these if they do exist)

Thanks again, Fred
 
No way they are two years old even if 7-8 inches, Unless under fed and kept in too small of a tank. By the looks of these I don't beleive this is the case. To nice looking.
My marm is appx 14 months and is already 10".
If they aren't eating pellets and frozen foods like mysis shrimp, krill, silversides etc get them on them. Stay away from feeders if possible.
As for as breeding, like I said earlier low ph and soft water are required to start. Get them settled in and develop a bonder pair first.
There is a member on MFK who has a really nice pair of Lents, Scatocephalus. After you get your pair try to pm him and see how he set up.
The Lugubris genera is a really hard pike to breed, there are few reports of breeding. Here is a link to some general info on pikes in gerneral.
First link is on the Marmorata which Dr Wayne Leibel bred which would be very similar.
Second link is two different articles on care etc.

http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/5491/art-wlmarmorata.html
http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/5491/articles.html

If you go to photos link it will let you choose some idividual species to view with some general info on that individual speceis.
There is also a link to an article of Orange Pike being bred.

GL
 
Very nice Lenticulata and congrats on the pick up......Hear they are a little more aggressive then other Lugubris pikes so watch for that but keep us posted on the situation
 
Thanks for the links and the kind words. I can almost guarantee that the fish weren't underfed or kept in too small of a tank, based on the setup they came out of. I must have misunderstood the part about being 2 years old. Although they are probably just over 9 inches (they fit in the bottom of a 5 gal. pail without bending). So, there is still a chance that the coloring might show one or more to be a female? There is one that shows a little whiter in the dorsal fin, but, not what I would say would be enough to really call it different yet.

They seem to be getting along great as a group so far, hopefully that part doesn't change. They are truly a beautiful and interesting fish to keep even if they don't end up forming a pair.

They are presently in a tank with a small group of convicts, two or three minnow type around 3 inches, a 4 inch firemouth, and about a 5 inch pleco. Are any of these going to cause a problem as far as the pike are concerned? I'm not worried about the other fish carrying any diseases as I have had them for months, only worried about them being too much for the pike to handle.

Thanks again, Fred
 
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