This is per my conversation with Oddball, who has had large sucesses in keeping polypterus alive thriving and growing.
Polys come from waters with limestone bedrock and occur in or near the african great lakes. So, I keep their water hard with a high pH and the addition of rift lake salts (calcium carbonate). I've yet to witness "sudden poly death" or "sudden endli death" that others experience here. Even with polys bought from the same shipments that others have experienced losses. I also keep a supply of Metronidazole and epsom salts on hand in case I do observe any signs of bloat from intestinal/gastric problems in newly caught/shipped specimens. I never feed my polys feeder goldfish since I believe their copper levels are well into the toxic level for polys. I feed feeder minnows, raw frozen shrimp/clams/mussels, sinking sticks, and slow-sink salmon pellets.
Polys come from waters with limestone bedrock and occur in or near the african great lakes. So, I keep their water hard with a high pH and the addition of rift lake salts (calcium carbonate). I've yet to witness "sudden poly death" or "sudden endli death" that others experience here. Even with polys bought from the same shipments that others have experienced losses. I also keep a supply of Metronidazole and epsom salts on hand in case I do observe any signs of bloat from intestinal/gastric problems in newly caught/shipped specimens. I never feed my polys feeder goldfish since I believe their copper levels are well into the toxic level for polys. I feed feeder minnows, raw frozen shrimp/clams/mussels, sinking sticks, and slow-sink salmon pellets.
