Just got myself a 10" Tig- I'm looking to compile some advice/tips together in order to achieve the best growth/pattern on this guy.
Post away!
Post away!
Tigrinus Keepers- advice/tips?
- Thread starter mshill90
- Start date
nice to see who got that tig..... trust me and no need to worry as long as you keep it alive that is gonna be a NICCCCCCCE Tig !!!!!!!!!!
UNKNOWN;4782081; said:
Well, that's the thing.. I wanna be able to keep it alive. I know they are super sensitive.
They are not difficult to keep provided you follow the basic principles.
They are difficult to keep well because most people can't be bothered doing the required work and just put them in with other fish in a large tank and are surprised when they only last a year or less.
High flow rate (massive) Hi oxygen and lower range temp's 75-78 degrees(25c)
They a a fish that dwells in the rapids and need massive water movement.
They require particularly clean water , I mean crystal clean so think 2 x 50% WC's a week , every week ...forever.
They require a large tank (but not as large as a TSN) something like a 6' x 3' x 2.5' would keep a tig for life.
They require careful selection of tankmates they are not agressive and their beautiful trailers can be damaged. I keep them alone.
They require feeding of preferably mixed foods but only every 2nd day.
I use UV's, Chemicals, large 50% WC's every 2nd day and a minimum of 300gal per fish with 10x turnover and I have not lost one yet and I've grown up 8 so far. All to over 20" from tiny little babies including one that is now 28" which i think is the biggest tig ever grown out in a tank and has just got his own 570g tank.
My regime for keeping my tigs is pretty simple, do the very best possible. Zero tolerence, Zero comprimise.
I keep them alone I've never had success with tigs with tank mates. Whenever they have had tankmates they either try and kill them (which they are hopeless at and usually end up hurting themselves) or go off their food. I keep them alone, 1 per tank.
I have a very specific and set regime for keeping my tig's I don't expect many people to be able to do it this way but it will offer some ideas for those having issues.
When they are tiny I feed them naturally on live food (neons, blackworms).
Gradually I introduce earthworms and rehydrated freeze dried blackworms.
Once they are eating the freeze dried I insert crushed massivore tablets inside the clumps of blackworms and introduce silversides and small frozen fish.
Once above 12" I move to a diet of the freeze dried blackworm/massivore cocktail and small dead fish.
I keep my feeding regime for adult fish as follows ..
Day 1 feed blackworm/massivore
Day 2 50% WC no food
Day 3 feed 4 small dead fish thawed in seachem nourish solution
Day 4 50% WC no food
Day 5 Large Earthworms
Day 6 50% WC no food
Then your back on day 1 again .....
I believe Chemical filtration is important so ......
I also have a totally seperate filter (Eheim 2078 Pro3E) filled with
6 x pouches BiochemZorb
4 x pouches Nitrazorb
2 x 500ml bags Seachem Purigen
This filter outputs through a 72w UV sterilizer.
All the chemicals are changed for new (not regenerated) on the first day of each month.
Normal Filtration in the 300g's consists of
1 x Eheim 2080 Pro 3 XL
1 x Eheim 2180 Pro 3 XL thermofilter
I also use 2 x Eheim 2252 internal sponge filters with diffusers for additional circulation and aeration instead of a airstone.
The new tank is 570g up from 300 and has a 2nd 2180 and 2080 in addition to the 3 other filters and the internals.
I will gradually replace the other tanks with bigger 500+ g tanks as the fish in each reaches the size when its streamers can almost touch the rear of the tank if its on a 90 degree angle I'd never let the fish feel restricted in any way when turning.
PH is kept at 7 always
GH 4 KH 4 and I TEST (yes actually do the tests) all parameters weekly.
I've never missed a water change, a chemical change or a filter maintenance ....ever.
I personally consider Tigrinus to be the greatest fish in the world ......they are my passion (my wife would say obsession).
It might be weird to have 2800 gallons and only 8 fish but its the way I do things.
They are difficult to keep well because most people can't be bothered doing the required work and just put them in with other fish in a large tank and are surprised when they only last a year or less.
High flow rate (massive) Hi oxygen and lower range temp's 75-78 degrees(25c)
They a a fish that dwells in the rapids and need massive water movement.
They require particularly clean water , I mean crystal clean so think 2 x 50% WC's a week , every week ...forever.
They require a large tank (but not as large as a TSN) something like a 6' x 3' x 2.5' would keep a tig for life.
They require careful selection of tankmates they are not agressive and their beautiful trailers can be damaged. I keep them alone.
They require feeding of preferably mixed foods but only every 2nd day.
I use UV's, Chemicals, large 50% WC's every 2nd day and a minimum of 300gal per fish with 10x turnover and I have not lost one yet and I've grown up 8 so far. All to over 20" from tiny little babies including one that is now 28" which i think is the biggest tig ever grown out in a tank and has just got his own 570g tank.
My regime for keeping my tigs is pretty simple, do the very best possible. Zero tolerence, Zero comprimise.
I keep them alone I've never had success with tigs with tank mates. Whenever they have had tankmates they either try and kill them (which they are hopeless at and usually end up hurting themselves) or go off their food. I keep them alone, 1 per tank.
I have a very specific and set regime for keeping my tig's I don't expect many people to be able to do it this way but it will offer some ideas for those having issues.
When they are tiny I feed them naturally on live food (neons, blackworms).
Gradually I introduce earthworms and rehydrated freeze dried blackworms.
Once they are eating the freeze dried I insert crushed massivore tablets inside the clumps of blackworms and introduce silversides and small frozen fish.
Once above 12" I move to a diet of the freeze dried blackworm/massivore cocktail and small dead fish.
I keep my feeding regime for adult fish as follows ..
Day 1 feed blackworm/massivore
Day 2 50% WC no food
Day 3 feed 4 small dead fish thawed in seachem nourish solution
Day 4 50% WC no food
Day 5 Large Earthworms
Day 6 50% WC no food
Then your back on day 1 again .....
I believe Chemical filtration is important so ......
I also have a totally seperate filter (Eheim 2078 Pro3E) filled with
6 x pouches BiochemZorb
4 x pouches Nitrazorb
2 x 500ml bags Seachem Purigen
This filter outputs through a 72w UV sterilizer.
All the chemicals are changed for new (not regenerated) on the first day of each month.
Normal Filtration in the 300g's consists of
1 x Eheim 2080 Pro 3 XL
1 x Eheim 2180 Pro 3 XL thermofilter
I also use 2 x Eheim 2252 internal sponge filters with diffusers for additional circulation and aeration instead of a airstone.
The new tank is 570g up from 300 and has a 2nd 2180 and 2080 in addition to the 3 other filters and the internals.
I will gradually replace the other tanks with bigger 500+ g tanks as the fish in each reaches the size when its streamers can almost touch the rear of the tank if its on a 90 degree angle I'd never let the fish feel restricted in any way when turning.
PH is kept at 7 always
GH 4 KH 4 and I TEST (yes actually do the tests) all parameters weekly.
I've never missed a water change, a chemical change or a filter maintenance ....ever.
I personally consider Tigrinus to be the greatest fish in the world ......they are my passion (my wife would say obsession).
It might be weird to have 2800 gallons and only 8 fish but its the way I do things.
I picked him up for $280- and less than 48 hours, and he's the most expensive fish to ever live in my trash can.. 
WHAT?!? I was so happily reading the posts ...
Can't believe that it didn't make it! Did you acclimate him properly?
Can you post the tanks size and tank mates it was housed in?
How long ago was the tank you put him in? Was it a new tank?
Sorry for your loss!!!
Can't believe that it didn't make it! Did you acclimate him properly?
Can you post the tanks size and tank mates it was housed in?
How long ago was the tank you put him in? Was it a new tank?
Sorry for your loss!!!
123456;4786063; said:WHAT?!? I was so happily reading the posts ...
Can't believe that it didn't make it! Did you acclimate him properly?
Can you post the tanks size and tank mates it was housed in?
How long ago was the tank you put him in? Was it a new tank?
Sorry for your loss!!!
Tank has been set up since November 2009. I do weekly water changes of 50% every 3 days. Check water parameters every day without fail.
It was a 125 gallon tank (the 240 is cycling for their would have been move)- It houses 3 senegal bichirs, 1 ornate bichir, 1 pleco, a jag, and a RTxTSN.
The Jag is AFRAID of any fish in the tank, and he often nestles with my bichirs. The bichirs do their own thing, are not aggressive, and are normally on the other side of the tank.
The pleco, which is huge, and I thought would be an issue has his corner, and he's fine..
And the RTxTSN chills in his pot.
I walked down stairs today checked on him.. he was chilling beside the tube he was hiding in, and all was fine. Went into the fish room for not even 3 minutes- I come back, and I notice he hasn't moved.. I like to check my fish on occasion because some fish you don't know if they die as their stance is the same... like plecos... well I put the net in, and he was stiff.
I really think that is was stress. When we got him, he flopped like crazy in the net when the person was pulling him out of the tank. When we put him in the bag he was swimming upside down, and then seemed to be ok... that should have been a sign to just put him back...
That sucks man.
Are you going to be able to get a refund?!
How did you acclimate him?
I purchased 2 at the same time and placed them in the same 150g with a divider. Did the exact same thing for both of them. One made it and the other didn't...
Are you going to be able to get a refund?!
How did you acclimate him?
I purchased 2 at the same time and placed them in the same 150g with a divider. Did the exact same thing for both of them. One made it and the other didn't...
123456;4786094; said:
No, it was bought from another fellow MFKer- I really think because our tanks were so much different played a part- plus like the poster above stated if not kept in proper conditions they won't live past a year... the guy had no current, or oxygenation in his tank.. and I had tons of oxygenation and current.. I added all this 2 weeks before getting the tig.
I always drip acclimate. Then once placed in tank the lights go off- and no food for 24-48 hours.