What kind of vampire tetra?

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Industrial

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 22, 2010
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Buffalo, NY
I found this vampire tetra at a LFS today. It's 30 bucks and I am wondering what kind of vampire tetra it is. Another LFS has scombs (I believe) for 20 dollars each. They look different than this guy. They tend to kind of flinch every two seconds and this guy didn't do that. He was also darker than the silver scombs I saw at the other store.

I am not sure on what kind he is but I think i might want to get him. He would go in a ten gallon tank and I would end up upgrading a little at a time up until a 125 when he gets larger.

Sorry about the picture quality, the tank was very dark so I had to use a slow shutter speed.

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Industrial;3860381; said:
I found this vampire tetra at a LFS today. It's 30 bucks and I am wondering what kind of vampire tetra it is. Another LFS has scombs (I believe) for 20 dollars each. They look different than this guy. They tend to kind of flinch every two seconds and this guy didn't do that. He was also darker than the silver scombs I saw at the other store.

I am not sure on what kind he is but I think i might want to get him. He would go in a ten gallon tank and I would end up upgrading a little at a time up until a 125 when he gets larger.

Sorry about the picture quality, the tank was very dark so I had to use a slow shutter speed.
Click to expand...

No red tail, No large fins, Must be a scomb. A tat has red tail and fins. And the armatus have large purpleish fins. So that's a scomb
 
Okay so I looked at it again when I went to the store to pick up my Spotted Rafael Cat and I am pretty sure that it is a raphidon and I bought it.

It swims level most of the time, it twiches like most vampire tetras that I have seen do, has large pectoral fins, it's a little longer and it's tail does not fade from black to clear. Right now I put him with a same sized baby whale in a 20g (he will be upgraded to a larger tank as he grows and will likely end up in a custom tank if he reaches more than 12"). There are some old feeder guppies in there which he will eat before he would think of attacking the baby whale.

I just hope to get confirmation of this exact fish. Does it seem to be a raphidon?

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mynheers_a_pint;3860429; said:
Pretty sure it's a Rhaphidon Vulpinus.
Click to expand...


I agree 100% Rhaph

Get ready for a monster tank. These guys get big and need alot bigger tank than other fish of the same size. A member here has some in a 300g I think and says that would be his minimum for this fish.

They like to dart and do back flips when they eat. So a 16-18" fish that acts like that needs alot of room.

Good luck

I have yet to own these.
 
i would say that $30 is a very good price for that fish, jump on it man!!
:D
 
yea def a rhap vulpinus .. the way to tell them from a scomb is there dorsal fin is way further back on there body than on the scomb plus there entire body is longer. also head isnt as large. its a pretty sweet fish im thinking about getting some. and u got it for heck of a deal there 25 bucks around here and that is the wholesale price. i have a armatus thinking about getting a few of those and a few scombs to go with it
 
Get it in something bigger ASAP. I had one in a 20 gallon and it rubbed it's snout against the glass so much that it caused permenent unhealable damage. Best to take whatever steps necassary to get the water level down a few inches from the top. They WILL smash thier faces on the lids/tops when they do thier "backflip" while eating floating food like freeze dried krill.

VERY skiddish and unflexable fish that require a big tank. I had one at about 14 inches in a 300 and moved it to my pond cause of the skiddish temperment.

These are a very neat fish to have, just need room and carefully selected tankmates.

Yours looks tore up and missing scales. I'd add salt and bump up the temp.
 
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