what to do with my tat...

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

pwmin

Giant Snakehead
MFK Member
Nov 26, 2007
5,619
274
146
CO via PA
www.myspace.com
I've posted some of this background info before, but here it is again. I have a couple new questions about it. I apologize in advance for the novel.

I got a 6" tat probably a month or so ago, maybe a little more, and it's gone through lots of hardships. I had it in my 210 (well, it was a 125 back then but with the same inhabitants) and it lost its right eye and had its caudal fin torn to shreds by the ornate. So, I put it in a divided 55g for a while, but the time came where I needed the 55g for something else. That led me to try it in the now 210. The next day, it had a torn tail again, so I took it out and put it in my other 55 w/ a 5" jardini, marbled goby and black lancer catfish. The jardini was so stressed out by it (still skittish) that it threw a couple scales and had a couple torn fins. So, I had to take it out and the only place for it was by itself in a 10-gallon tank. I'd really like to get it into a larger tank, but I have no more options as my other tanks have fish that are too small and would get eaten.

The other problem is that I still cannot get it off of live food. If I put anything in there, it just ignores it. Do you think it's a lost cause and I should get rid of it or should I divide the 55 w/ the jar, etc. and put it in there and see if the jar still stresses out? I think it's a really cool fish, but it's pretty boring even by the standards of the fish I have (i.e. lazy lapradei). I have an AC110 and Penguin 350 in the 55, so there is quite a bit more current. Maybe that will help it to eat some FD krill or something as it would make it look like it has some life. I'm pretty sure it would do okay in the 210 if I got it up to about the size of the other fish, but getting it there is the problem. I am planning on swapping out the 55 for a 75, but that probably won't help this situation that much.

edit: I forgot to mention that it's tail has fully grown back, but hasn't gotten the red back in the areas it wasn't messed up (which is most of it)
 
patience these guys can be pretty tuff to get off live food but don't lose hope it can be done mabye let it get good and hungry

i would try it back in the 55 to get some size so it can go into the 210 mabye add some plants or something to break up the line or sight or mabye add some dithers like silver dollars or silver fish to distract the jardini from it that may make the problem with the jardini worse

how does the jar act does it look mad or is it just skidish like you said or does it act like its panicking or does it stop eating ?
 
i would find out what fish are picking on him in the 210 and take them out. once u get the tat comfortable and fattened up, he will be able to stand his ground. then put the others back in.

ur tat will always feel more comfortable in a big tank.
 
killerfish;1664217; said:
patience these guys can be pretty tuff to get off live food but don't lose hope it can be done mabye let it get good and hungry

i would try it back in the 55 to get some size so it can go into the 210 mabye add some plants or something to break up the line or sight or mabye add some dithers like silver dollars or silver fish to distract the jardini from it that may make the problem with the jardini worse

how does the jar act does it look mad or is it just skidish like you said or does it act like its panicking or does it stop eating ?

I had some tinfoil barbs in w/ the jar and they were getting too aggressive at feeding, so I had to remove them. I tried some mollys (want to breed them later), but the marbled goby ate them all (as well as the rosy barbs I tried). the jar doesn't mess with anyone and acts afraid of it, but will still eat. it looked terrible, though after only a day w/ the tat, but it might be okay if the tat is divided off.

vamptrev said:
i would find out what fish are picking on him in the 210 and take them out. once u get the tat comfortable and fattened up, he will be able to stand his ground. then put the others back in.

ur tat will always feel more comfortable in a big tank.
I have never actually seen anyone mess with it, but others have said that the ornate bichir picks on it. I had it in a divided 55 w/ a petsmart trimac on the other side and it healed up in its presence. the problem is I have nowhere to put the ornate as all the other fish I have are too small and it would eat them. it never bothers anyone else, which is weird why it would pick on the tat. I thought maybe it was because the tat was weak from me starving it trying to get it off of live, but when I put it back in the 210, it had already healed up and I had been leaving feeders in with it, so it was fed plenty. I guess I could possibly put the ornate in my 55 if I divided it off, but my black lancer got through when I had it divided off last time, so I don't want it to get over there somehow and get eaten.
 
sounds like u have a problem. oh oh oh i got it! get another tank:ROFL::ROFL:
 
vamptrev;1664604; said:
sounds like u have a problem. oh oh oh i got it! get another tank:ROFL::ROFL:

ya, that's about it!:ROFL:



I think I'm going to try dividing the 55 w/ the jar and putting it in on the other side. if the jar doesn't freak out, I will remove the divider after a while and hope all goes well. If this darn jar would just grow faster, it wouldn't be such a problem.
 
got the 55 divided and the jar and lancer are on one side and the goby and tat are on the there. hopefully, this will work out, at least until I can do something else.
 
so far...okay. no one has any frayed fins. i put some FD krill in there and the current was moving it around, but it still pays no attention to anything but live.
 
I pulled the divider out today to put a smaller screen on it to keep the food from migrating. It took me about 15 minutes and when I got back, the jar had already stressed itself and lost a few scales right at its spine :irked:. the black lancer was swimming over by the goby and tat when I got back, too :nilly: my jar is such a pansy!
 
pwmin;1674276; said:
I pulled the divider out today to put a smaller screen on it to keep the food from migrating. It took me about 15 minutes and when I got back, the jar had already stressed itself and lost a few scales right at its spine :irked:. the black lancer was swimming over by the goby and tat when I got back, too :nilly: my jar is such a pansy!

my old jar was like that until he hit about 7 or 8 inches. he will grow out of it.
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com