Why are Payara so hard to raise past 10 inches?

[HugeGhost]

why would anybody put a baby paraya in with a wolfish, law of nature

 

[starrfish71]

I am considering getting one of these- my local PetSUpermarket, of all places, has three, $30 each. I was wondering if they needed to be in groups, how to feed, water quality parameters, etc

if they only reach 10 inches, and they stop growing b/c of water qualitys, are they in a suspended juvenile state?

 

[YOULOOKLIKEAFISH]

It needs a larger tank and much higher filtration then normal fish. Pristine water conditions it's whole life is a must. As soon as you slack there goes your fish

 

[Big Business]

I've read in a few places that "Brown-blood" disease may be the culprit for these losses. I have yet to find lab findings to support this. But, it stands to reason that water quality tends to drop as the fish gets larger (increased biomass to the system). And, the demand for higher DO levels to maintain larger fish could prevent the adult fish from clearing itself of nitrate-induced brown-blood disease.

what is brown-blood disease?

 

[dacox]

if they only reach 10 inches, and they stop growing b/c of water qualitys, are they in a suspended juvenile state?

They don't just stop growing at 10", they die when they reach that length.

 

[rumblesushi]

except if your name is "woodysun-taiwan"

 

[dacox]

except if your name is "woodysun-taiwan"

Yep, check out pics of his tank. Looks like he's got tons of circulation, DO, and feeds his a diet of loaches if I remember correctly. That may have contributed to his success.

 

[Miles]

I was just thinking that.. perhaps the live foods they have in Asia better suit the dietary requirements of the payara.. Frogs, and Dojo loaches.. much better and more likely disease free than what is available in the US..

 

[dacox]

Yeah, I feel like the O2 requirements and diet could be major factors in their survival in the aquarium. As mine gets bigger, I think I'm gonna end up giving him his own tank with crazy filter turnover and DO and experiment with other types of feeders. Maybe some of the cheaper SA fish that the LFS gets in. I figure that would closest match their natural diet. Maybe start up a breeding colony of some type of cichlid.

Has anyone out there had any success converting them to prepared foods, and if so have you grown yours past the 12" mark? Maybe getting him on white fish filets or something like that could be key too.

 

[HugeGhost]

so is it true from what woody says there are 2 kinds of Payara

one kind get huge and one kind get only 1 foot! still cant figure whats up mine does not have a red tail so is he a smaller version!