Same here. I am surprised how interactive mine is. I got him on an impulse. I've only had him a few months but he already comes on being called "Hey, boy". He chases and attacks my fingers thinking he'd be fed. Yesterday he attacked my hand during a water change. He's very active around the tank and he likes using his tail to anchor himself on various objects and plants, almost monkey like so his tail is not the burden I thought it is for those fish but a tool they seem to know how to use very well...
Poor Man's Arowana
- Thread starter Balistik928
- Start date
Same here. I am surprised how interactive mine is. I got him on an impulse. I've only had him a few months but he already comes on being called "Hey, boy". He chases and attacks my fingers thinking he'd be fed. Yesterday he attacked my hand during a water change. He's very active around the tank and he likes using his tail to anchor himself on various objects and plants, almost monkey like so his tail is not the burden I thought it is for those fish but a tool they seem to know how to use very well...
I would not go with a chalceus in a 55. They do get too large and while not particularly active they are skittish and lightning quick. My pinktail has smashed his lips a couple times on the wall getting spooked. When they dont have sufficient room to bolt in the tank they will attempt to go airborne frequently as well.
Not really comparable to aros in behavior, but they do have shiny big scales.
I think a solo Chalceus should be OK in a 55. It maxes out at 10 inch, and because it likes to stay motionless, it doesn't need much room to move around. In that respect, it is very much unlike Eros that paces back and fort constantly and thereby need room to turn around.
Its surface hugging and jumping behavior, however, is very much like Eros. Eros keepers have to keep the lid weighted so the fish can't push over to escape. I have never seen my Chalceus ventured down to feed, always attack food at the surface.
Its torpedo shape means that Chalceus can dart at lightning speed, and can bump and hurt itself if startled. Mine was skittish at the beginning, but calmed down once it feels comfortable. When I picked up my Chalceus in the LFS, all have broken nose, not sure if the injury was from banging the glass or jaw locking. I saw them attack one another constantly, so chalceus is best kept solo, or a group of 6 if you have a monster size tank.
Its surface hugging and jumping behavior, however, is very much like Eros. Eros keepers have to keep the lid weighted so the fish can't push over to escape. I have never seen my Chalceus ventured down to feed, always attack food at the surface.
Its torpedo shape means that Chalceus can dart at lightning speed, and can bump and hurt itself if startled. Mine was skittish at the beginning, but calmed down once it feels comfortable. When I picked up my Chalceus in the LFS, all have broken nose, not sure if the injury was from banging the glass or jaw locking. I saw them attack one another constantly, so chalceus is best kept solo, or a group of 6 if you have a monster size tank.
Have to agree to disagree with ya on this one. My PTC is 7-8" now and im starting to feel like his 150 is getting tight. They are anything but motionless!
celebrist
keeps a group in a 400 gallon tank if im not mistaken which is probably an adequate setup imo.Do you keep a group or one. In a group, they engage in constant battle, so they move a lot. I kept one in a 75. He has no interaction with other fish, and stays in one position motionless.Have to agree to disagree with ya on this one. My PTC is 7-8" now and im starting to feel like his 150 is getting tight. They are anything but motionless!
I keep one with various tankmates in a 150. He does hang in one spot like that, but moves from spot to spot often enough and becomes quite active at feeding time. A 75 is better than a 55...i feel like a chalceus would bounce around like a ping pong ball in a 12" wide tank and hurt itself.
I used to keep several female betta in a community planted tank when I was a kid. My recollection is that they like to stake out their own territory and don’t move very much, certainly don’t pace back and forth like Eros. Although they prefer to stay near the surface, they are not exclusive surface hugger, and do forest all over the tank and feed at the bottom.
African Butterfly fish can work great in a 55 and i feel are like mini arowana. They constantly patrol the surface and have a large trapjaw mouth just like an arowana. But be careful just like arowana they WILL jump
