I know the picture is small but I believe this is a Rhaph... This is the largest specimen I have ever seen. I thought I would share it with yall. Let me know what you think.
Rhaphiodon max size?
- Thread starter apriliarider15
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Beautiful specimen, planning to pick up a shoal of them after i make some room in the tank. I'd choose these guys over Armatus anyday, unless it's a equivalent price 
Yeah I have been looking for a shoal of tats but knowing these guys have the capability of this size makes me rethink things a little. As far as I know the largest specimens in captivity are around 14". I wonder how we could get them to this size?
sanman3510;4105465; said:
Well the one pictured is clearly over 20" and I wasn't asking max size I just wanted to share the picture with the MFK guys... Thanks though
Hope you have a pond. 300 gallons lasted mine to a foot then it got clostrophobic. I had to put it in my pond as the 2.5' width wasn't enough. Still spazzed. Very skiddish and capable of permenent damage if they freak. Chose tankmates carefully as they can make a skiddish fish even more flighty.
You're not choosing a tank size for the fish itself but rather it's temperment. Mine enjoyed a big pond and frequently traveled it all making high speed passes at food before breaching the surface for food as it hit the surface. If keeping in a tank it would be wise to drop the water level several inches to allow for thier backflip style striking.
Good luck.
You're not choosing a tank size for the fish itself but rather it's temperment. Mine enjoyed a big pond and frequently traveled it all making high speed passes at food before breaching the surface for food as it hit the surface. If keeping in a tank it would be wise to drop the water level several inches to allow for thier backflip style striking.
Good luck.
I don't have any yet because the largest I have seen was 14" maybe? I have have been looking for a shoal of tats for over a year but no luck. These guys are readily available so I think I might get some. I have 4 150s 3 are 6ft, 525 which is also 6ft, and I'm building a 14 x 5 x 4 plywood. Tank mates in the plywood will include several small cichla sp. (orinocensis, kelberi, etc), A. falcirostris, P. castexi, P. schroederi, P. leopoldi, B. tigrinum. Future stock when I find them would be a shoal (5-7) H. tatuauia, shoal B. cuvieri. Would they be fine in that situation?
If they are big enough for your rays not to eat. I wouldn't mix them with Cichla though, they'll never eat.
They may get bigger then 14, that's just all the bigger I could get mine. I had it a long time and only started properly caring for it the last year or 2 I had it. Got it out of tanks and into a pond, stopped doing large WCs and installed a drip system.
All payara are delicate when it comes to being prey, doesn't take much to mess one up. Rays are very underated predators. Not a great combo.
They may get bigger then 14, that's just all the bigger I could get mine. I had it a long time and only started properly caring for it the last year or 2 I had it. Got it out of tanks and into a pond, stopped doing large WCs and installed a drip system.
All payara are delicate when it comes to being prey, doesn't take much to mess one up. Rays are very underated predators. Not a great combo.
I hear ya on the rays I had a female motoro that would kill any fish I put with her.... Hmmm.... Well thats a shame with the Cichla because that's been my main focus the last couple years