Paddle Fish

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
bobVillanueva

bobVillanueva

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Oct 16, 2007
1,787
299
122
Philippines
www.youtube.com
Hi guys. Any info on Paddle Fish. Any variant (if there are) and care for them. I mean, I googled it up and can't seem to find a good link regarding care and maintenance. I think the search bar is busted coz it won't show me any results. so please guys, if you have info, please do share.

Info on feeding would be greatly appriciated. Also, tank space allotment and (if ever) possble tankmates. water parameters and lastly, the oh so popular question of growth rate. haha!

don't worry i may not be a master but i've been taking care of monster fish for more than a decade already. So please, don't bash or anything. Warnings will be fine tho:p

thanks!
Bob
 
Very hard to keep them in aquaria, they feed mostly on microorganisms/micro algea in the wild as they are filter feeders. Some people on here report they will take small feeders and frozen foods like mysis and bloodworms, but im pretty sure its hard to get them to switch to foods were used to giving our fish. They would be best kept in an outdoor pond or a 10'-12' diamater pool/pond indoors with not much other competition for food. I think ur best bet for info on care is to contact a hatchery where some are supplied from and see what they need. Alot of threads on them here and they most always die off in tanks within a few weeks. I dont think our tanks have enough "free swimming" microorganisms to sustain them. Also they need highly oxyogenated water with good flow at a cold/room temp. Amazing fish to own with the proper accomadations. A hatchery near me sells 12-14"ers for only $30.00 but i think there best kept outdoors basically in a pond without competition. Pretty sure corners in tanks are bad for them also as they are an open water free swimming fish. Im sure someone else with more info will chime in.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
I've heard of them eating pellets without a problem .... biggest issue is them destroying their paddle by constantly banging against the glass in corners and such, thus they need a huge tank, and circular would be best so they can continually swim and not have to swim and turn often as in most rectangular aquariums .... and they get absolutely massive

Sent from my SCH-I605 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
I actually was putting together a group buy on these things from the only farm in the USA that is FDA licensed to export these fish. Unfortunately it fell through because they lost the entire young of the year stock of 300,000 babies due to freak weather here in Missouri.

Here's a few things I learned.

Growth rate- can be phenomenal. Up to two inches per month for the first few months.

Housing- they need an immense tank with rounded ends. Either a circle tank or a racetrack. The farm uses 1500 gallon racetracks for the babies. This is to protect the rostrum as previously mentioned.

Feeding- These fish can be fed floating pellets but only when broken at the larval stage. If these fish are allowed to begin to consume microorganisms, they will not break. The farm I was working with was going to break some of their fish on to pelletized food for distribution to other farms and that is the stock they were going to sell fish for aquaria from. They feel that if they're not broken right off the bat, in other words the first thing they eat is pellets, they will not break.

Water perimeters- fairly hardy actually. They can live in ponds here in central Missouri that can get up to 90*. With the typical adequate flow and aeration that we keep in our tanks, these fish would be fine.

Dinks- If you can, try to find a farm that has some dinks. Dinks are natural genetic morphs that are essentially runts. These pop up from time to time at farms. They will live a nice long, healthy life but they won't get over about 14" long. They are normally culled by the farms but if you get in with them well, they might just save one for you.

For what its worth, the search function should be working now. We've been addressing it and it appears to be working.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MatteoTheEnder22
Chicxulub said:
I actually was putting together a group buy on these things from the only farm in the USA that is FDA licensed to export these fish. Unfortunately it fell through because they lost the entire young of the year stock of 300,000 babies due to freak weather here in Missouri.

Here's a few things I learned.

Growth rate- can be phenomenal. Up to two inches per month for the first few months.

Housing- they need an immense tank with rounded ends. Either a circle tank or a racetrack. The farm uses 1500 gallon racetracks for the babies. This is to protect the rostrum as previously mentioned.

Feeding- These fish can be fed floating pellets but only when broken at the larval stage. If these fish are allowed to begin to consume microorganisms, they will not break. The farm I was working with was going to break some of their fish on to pelletized food for distribution to other farms and that is the stock they were going to sell fish for aquaria from. They feel that if they're not broken right off the bat, in other words the first thing they eat is pellets, they will not break.

Water perimeters- fairly hardy actually. They can live in ponds here in central Missouri that can get up to 90*. With the typical adequate flow and aeration that we keep in our tanks, these fish would be fine.

Dinks- If you can, try to find a farm that has some dinks. Dinks are natural genetic morphs that are essentially runts. These pop up from time to time at farms. They will live a nice long, healthy life but they won't get over about 14" long. They are normally culled by the farms but if you get in with them well, they might just save one for you.

For what its worth, the search function should be working now. We've been addressing it and it appears to be working.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info sir. I've seen ones in captivity in an aquarium in chattanooga when i visited. I came from the philippines btw and those tanks were massive.

Heres the catch though, the importer got the species from China. I know that those kinds are extinct but did they import breeders to China?

I just found that fact interesting (coz even the shipping papers indicate they did come from china.

I believe that now is not the time for me to take care of them but i sure do hope that i get the chance to in the future.

There was one specimen left from the importer so imagine how hard that was for me to turn down. Lol.

To all those thinking about getting one of these, please know that its an investment that needs utmost mastery and care for you to be successful. Dont buy just to boast for a few months or weeks just for them to die later on.



Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
go to moontamans he's the expert mine died shortly after purchase. i bought it for about 50 dollars in korean money.l they can adapt to pellets and u have to get rid of the corners
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom