|
| FAQs on Pike
Cichlids
Related Articles:
Pike Cichlids, Oscars,
Neotropical Cichlids, African Cichlids,
Dwarf South American Cichlids, Cichlid Fishes in
General,
Related FAQs: Neotropical
Cichlids 1, Cichlids of the World,
Cichlid Systems,
Cichlid Identification,
Cichlid Behavior,
Cichlid Compatibility, Cichlid Selection,
Cichlid Feeding,
Cichlid Disease, Cichlid
Reproduction,
|
|
Sveni Pike Cichlid compatibility – 09/26/09
I have the chance to get a sveni pike cichlid roughly 6".
<Ah, Crenicichla sveni, closely related to Crenicichla saxatilis. Nice,
if shy, fish.>
Would they be compatible with some lima shovelnose catfish.
<Provided the Lima Cats weren't too big to eat them, and provided the
tank had the strong, well oxygenated water flow Crenicichla sveni
requires, yes, they could be combined.>
The largest is 10", then I have three smaller ones about 5" in a grow
out tank.
<Hmm... very difficult to say if the 10-inch Lima is too big: you're
going to have to judge this yourself. My gut feeling is they'll be fine
together, but because Crenicichla are so slender, they're comparatively
at more risk
of being eaten than, say, a deep-bodied cichlid of similar length. This
said, Lima Cats are generally very mellow and once used to being fed
"easy to catch" foods like pellets and earthworms, aren't especially
predatory.
This is how public aquaria get sharks to live with smaller fish, by the
way; once predators get used to regular, easy meals, they don't tend to
view their tankmates as prey. If you're doing the *wrong* thing and
using feeder fish, then all bets are off, because you're training your
fish to attack any small fish dropped into the tank. Moreover, the use
of feeder fish appears to increase aggression, which isn't going to
help. I mention these issues because in some parts of the world the
dangerous and hopelessly outdated idea of using cheap, store-bought
feeder fish still persists, despite all the evidence that Minnows and
Goldfish in particular are unhealthy, and cheap fish are
disease-ridden.>
I am worried because both occupy the lower portion of the tank.
<Lima Cats are actually much happier at the mid to upper levels,
provided the vertical and/or horizontal overhangs are available. With a
bit of planning, you should be able to create some narrow crevices for
the Crenicichla, while also providing ledges or tall plants for the Lima
Cats.>
The larger tank would be a 90 gallon, footprint of 48" x 18", the grow
out is a 29 gallon, footprint 30" x 12". The other thing I am worried
about is either the larger catfish eating the pike, or the pike eating
the smaller catfish. Would it be safe to add the pike to either of these
tanks.
<As I say, depends on various factors. Cheers, Neale.>
Pike Cichlid ID/Info - 3/16/2006
My husband and I recently purchased a Crenicichla xingu 2 and we are having
a hard time finding information on this particular species. I have found 2
pictures online, both of which are completely different from one another. I
wanted to see if you know any information on this species and if you know what
exactly they will look like when full grown. Thank you. David Fillmore
< Crenicichla sp. Xingu II comes from the Rio Xingu river in Brazil. These are
one of the big ones and can get close to 18 inches when full grown. They prefer
water in the mid 70's F. A pH of around 7 is fine. It is a meat eater that will
take small fish as well as worms and frozen food too. It likes a tank that is
not too bright that is decorated with stones roots and caves. The male is
overall a faint steel blue color with the top of his head being an olive color
and the bottom of the head being an off white. The female is the pretty one. She
has an olive brown body with a rosy pink belly. Her fins are red and edged in
white and then black. The top of the head is an olive brown but the bottom is a
bright yellow gold color. This is a pretty rare species in the hobby. Most of
the time the Crenicichla species Xingu I or better known as the orange pike is
offered for sale. The big problem with pike is that they need clean water or
they start to get sick.-Chuck>
Pike Cichlid Beat Up And Hiding
Hello, I have a 3 inch golden pike which has a problem. He was originally
in a 55 gallon tank along with a 5 inch tiger Oscar, a 3 inch jack Dempsey, 2
inch Pleco, and a 2 inch catfish. The 55 gallon tank is temporary and
eventually they will be in a 90 gallon tank. Yesterday I noticed that my pike
had some red spots on his side which I could tell were not part of
his colorization. I spoke to a guy at the LFS who knows his stuff, and he
told me it is probably hemorrhaging, caused by the other fish who are picking
on him. Then today I noticed that he would not come out of his cave and when
he did he got viciously attacked by the Oscar and Dempsey. I took him out of
the tank and placed him a 10 gallon tank which I had bought recently as a
quarantine tank. However the tank has gotten a chance to cycle and has only
been running for half a day. I placed the pike in there because I though
he wouldn't make in the 55 tank another day. He has been in the 10 gallon for
about four hours and hasn't moved at all, he's still breathing but I don't know
what to do. Any advice that you could lend me on this situation would be
greatly appreciated. Thank you. Jim
<Pikes really don't do too well with other aggressive cichlids. The pike
cichlids mouth is for catching smaller fish. It doesn't do too well against
other cichlids that may bite it and break it. Your pike is pretty tough and will
probably recover from the attacks, but the tougher question is where to put it.
The other fish get big but your pike will not be able to tolerate the more
aggressive cichlids. Your pike will get about 18 inches when full grown s will
need at least a 55 gallon tank all on his own.-Chuck>
Pike Beat Up II
Thanks for your quick response. However since I sent my email to you the
Pike while in the 10 gallon still hasn't moved, eaten and is breathing heavy
and looks really stressed. He still has the red marking on his side. I even
put so live food in the tank with him and he didn't even acknowledge it. When
I took him out of the other tank (55 gl) I was treating it with quick cure for
protozoan parasites which some of the fish had especially the Oscar. Can the
parasite from the 55 gallon be the reason for his heavy breathing and stressed
out condition. I put PimaFix in the 10 gallon to help him, but nothing. Is
there any medication that I should give him that would help him recover. Thank
you in advance for your help. Jim
< Sounds like you pike really got beat up. The Nitrofuranace will help with both
bacterial and fungal infections. If you pike is listless and non-responsive you
could try adding a teaspoon of rock salt per 5 gallons, but after that there is
not much you can do except keep the water clean and warm (80+F).-Chuck>
|
|
