South American Lungfish

[JEAE21]

Can i get some basic info. on housing, feeding, care, etc.?

 

[beblondie]

Lepidosiren paradoxa - South American Lungfish
Freshwater
Subtropical
Temp.76-82F
pH: 4.5-7.5
dH: 0-12
Size:4'
Description:The young look like tadpoles with four external gills. During the first weeks of their life they breath only through the external gills.Within 2 months the gills begin to disapear
and air breathing begins
Tank:Furnish the tank with bog wood and a dark, fine gravel substrate.
There can be subdued lighting and still water. Ideally, woody material should be the most prominent decoration in the tank.and open swimming areas.
Distribution:Argentina,Bolivia, Brazil,Colombia, Fr Guiana, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela
Enviroment: Prefers stagnant waters where there is little current.
Foods:juveniles eat larval insects.Adults:snails, clams and shrimp,algae and plant matter
Plants: Echinodorus tenellus,E. intermedius Cabomba aquatica or myiophyllum brasiliense,Sword plants, Vallisneria, Heteranthera, Ceratophyllum, Lemma, Limnobium,water lettuce,and lemna
Notes: Same as african except they are reported more tolerant of tankmates

 

[Bogwoodbruce]

I've got one he's about 3", lovely little fish, just becareful with tanks mates as they are very delicate when small.

 

[JEAE21]

Hey can you train them to go onto pellets?
I live in CA but are they widely available; would I find them at my local fish store, instead of buying online?

What should the tank size be? And can I make it bare?
Also, what kind of tankmates are suitable when bigger?

 

[xander]

i dont think SAL will bite. but the rest prob will. so how aros?

 

[MrGuyPerson]

Hey can you train them to go onto pellets?
I live in CA but are they widely available; would I find them at my local fish store, instead of buying online?

What should the tank size be? And can I make it bare?
Also, what kind of tankmates are suitable when bigger?

Mine inhales just about anything that could be food. He loves pellets. And everything else. It shouldn't be too hard to find. I got mine at a pet store in the middle of farmland.

I've got mine in a 75, but will need to go larger in a year or so. 180 at least when I have the space and cash. The only thing in my tank is a fake log. I'd take it out but he uses it all the time so I don't want to deny him something that makes him feel more secure. Otherwise the tank is totally bare. Makes cleanup a lot easier. He drops huge loads pretty frequently, so it's definitely a plus. Tankmates...anything that he can't fit into his mouth, and that also won't pick off his limbs or otherwise harass him.

 

[Jesse]

My two-foot SAL eats practically anything it can find, especially sinking pellets. It's currently in a 180 gallon with bichirs, catfish, datnoids, and an African arowana.

 

[JEAE21]

mrguyperson; what kind of pellets?

hey icthyophile, do all the fish get along?

 

[MrGuyPerson]

I feed mine hikari sinking carnivore pellets as well as algae wafers. The problem with the sinking carnivore pellets is that they are really small and relatively expensive. My LF eats probably 15-20 a day at this point (he's ~16"). For these reasons I'm trying to find a good bulk sinking pellet. I would imagine that any sinking pellet would do just fine.

 

[JEAE21]

haha, yeah better if online..
i mean at my local fish store the 2lbs bag cost $110....wow nobody, NOBODY is gonna buy that.. it(bag) looked all old too..maybe from 5years ago.lol

i read that market shrimp is good too! tried that before?
what do they eat in the wild?