Redtail Armored Chalceus macrolepidotus

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KurseD

Jack Dempsey
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Jun 16, 2005
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my lfs just got in a shipment of these, they look like mini ATF's with red tails...i'm thinking about getting one, but am unfamiliar with its care. i've done a google, but would like more fish keeping experiences...they have some pretty nasty looking teeth so i'm thinking they are predetors. can anyone here give me some info on them? temperment, max size, appetite, growth rate...etc...i want to put him in with a blind 5in jardi and a 4in. s.prochilodus

chelseus.jpg
 
I have two of the chalceus macrolepidotus and one of the chalceus sp. in a community tank of mine. Tankmates include 2 apollo sharks, 5 filementosa barbs, 9 clown loaches, and 5 baja sharks (pretty sure im going to ditch all or maybe just 4 of these). Even have had a couple of platies in there for a few weeks and have had no problems with aggression.

The chalceus eat well on blood worms, red worms, night crawlers, frozen krill, hikari floating pellets, and even flake.

I would think the jardini might eat them when it gets larger though, the chalceus will only get 8" or so.
 
not really a great pred in my opinion but they are cool when they get bigger and more colorful. more of a peacefull oportunist
 
They arent too agressive at all, but can hold their own with other fish. They are a little skittish, so the bigger the tank, the less jumpy they will be. You cant really keep a pair together because one will dominate the other. Go for at least 4-5 if you want to keep a group of them. They pretty much eat anything from flake to pellets to FD Krill to MP. Did I forget anything? Oh yeah I kept one with a jardini and they seemed fine, but out of the blue the jardini decided to eat him. HTH :character0063:
 
they are placid fish and i think quite attractive with there red tails but as previously stated dont be surprised if your jardi eats them cos it will out grow them and will be way more aggressive.
 
they generally peaceful, but DEFINITELY a predator. Not sure why anybody would say they are not a predator. Mine eats large smelt and prawns. LOVES it if I throw some insects in there or feeders. Very nice color. Can be quarrelesome sometimes, but no real damage done. Mine will mix it up fighting with both my dorado and atf (both of which are larger). It would be best to have at least 5 of them. They will quarrel a bit, but they also seem to like to "hang" together when not fighting. They should have a pretty large tank, not because they are active, but because the swim VERY fast and are skittish sometimes (though mine is not very skittish at all?)

Get VERY nice coloration as the get larger. Yeah, 8" seems to be the norm. I have seen them over 10" in a friends tank, but that is unusual.

I am not sure about the jardini eating them (mine is in with a 2ft arro), but because jardinis are so mean, you run the risk of the jardini murdering these guys.

In all, a great fish, beautiful, and under-appreciated. They are heavy and sturdy fish, have BEAUTIFUL deep red tail and bright yellow fins when water conditions are good.
 
i'm pretty sure my jardi would eat him, heh, if he could see...i have to hand feed him. i've been looking for a tankmate for him for awhile and this red tail seem to be doing pretty good. he eats up all the left over that the jardi can't find.
 
they have a huge one at my lfs........it's in with a big common pleco and just swims around looking pretty peaceful...........they said it doesn't even accept feeders...........
 
I got one last week. He is a pretty awesome fish to me. Eats everything I gave. It loves flakes though it ate rapidly chiclid sticks brine and mysis shrimp live ghost shrimp and even tried some guppies though it doesnt seem to be a good hunter. It stays almost all the time at the surface.
 
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