Question about ATF tank setup

[Lugal]

Hello. I recently purchased 280 gallon blackened 3-sided tank to house my 8" GATF and 9" VATF with 2 albino tinfoil barbs in it. It currently is using external filter and water parameter is fine. My GATF isn't skittish, fat and accept prawn & tilapia right away. VATF is fat and is ready for dead food.

One day I saw that the tank has almost no current except from the filter tube on the upper left side and has a dead spot on the bottom right so fish poo goes there. Even those protein thing on the surface. Then... I installed a 1500L powerhead at the dead spot. All those things are gone and so the confident of my ATFs. They freaked out by it. Rubbing their mouths with glass, swimming around like crazy but strangely still taking guppies.

So... is powerhead necessary for ATF tank? I believe that the tank is quite big so the water need to be cycling. Also ATFs have current to play with. But the result doesn't look OK at all.

Should I remove powerhead? Do ATF actually need one? Or should I leave it there for them to get used to it? Thank you/

 

[moe214]

They're still small, and that seems like a good amount of current. In the wild for one, vatf don't live in areas with current, they live in calm waters. Gatf when large live in rapids, but not at a small size I would assume since they're still young and weak. If everything was going good, you shouldn't have added the current, from what you say, that makes waterchanges easier if everything is in one spot, just siphon that spot. It ain't broke don't fix it right? If you want the flow in there, then atleast reduce the amount to much less.

 

[Lugal]

I removed powerhead and... Gatf and Vatf are still rubbing mouths with glass. Not always but occasonally though. Guess I have to give them time to get set.
Gatf is basically fearless until I installed powerhead and submersible LED. He will accept shrimp or tilapia right away but now seems to bite and let go. My 3" barbs are now gotten so fat they'll outgrow tigers.

 

[KNH]

Lots have recommended high current but I personally think atf do better without it. Seems problems often arise with high current setups. I've had both gatf and vatf that have done very well without powerheads or any time of additional current added. Good luck with them.

 

[Lugal]

There's another thing. Do ATF needs well-lit tank? Do LED lamp need to be lit 24 hrs like Arowana? Thank you.

 

[Lobonator]

There's another thing. Do ATF needs well-lit tank? Do LED lamp need to be lit 24 hrs like Arowana? Thank you.

I leave my light on as much as I can. I found that every time the light was off for an extended period of time. (3-4+ hours) my atf would end up with all of his fins all split up. I'm not sure if I'm the only one that experiences this, but when ive left the light on for longer periods, the split fins go away.

 

[Lugal]

Well, my 280g tank is 7" GATF + 8" VATF + 2 Albino Tinfoil Barbs. This weekend I noticed VATF started harassing GATF to the point that GATF has scales lost, broken fin and they don't eat anything except chasing each other around. So I removed VATF from the tank and my GATF seems so spooked to the point it does nothing but rubbing its mouth with the glass.
The question is,
1. Do GATF needs tank mate with the same size and shape in order to do well?
2. Should I wait for him to be settled in or find tank mate like Mahseer or Bala-shark?
3. Or should I add 5" GATF into the tank? (Already have one in outdoor small pond with 5 Clouded Archer Fish)

Thank you.

 

[greenerinks]

Honestly, gatf are super skittish until they are much larger like sub adult sizes. I don't even advise keeping with masheers as they can be nippy to small gatfs. Keep them with non agressive fish until they are a decent size. I've kept a number of ATF and finally have a nice sized one after having many die on me even past the 12" mark..

 

[Lugal]

So... keeping 2 GATF together = bad idea?
What's a good tankmate for lone GATF? Bala-shark? Thnx

 

[Lugal]

OK, I added 1 Bala-shark and 1 Red cheek barb in the tank and he's much less skittish, not eating well like he's with VATF though. The strangest thing is he's not eating feeders but preferred fish fillet instead (he's fillet-trained but I want to powerfeed him anyway).

However, I'm thinking of adding 5" Megalops in there. Are these species compatible?
Honestly, I really want to dump my 5" GATF from another tank and 8" VATF back into my main tank but last time they were together in 150g tank the smallest GATF was hurt pretty bad. Now my 280g looks like ghost town with only 4 small fishes in it. T_T