Keeping 2 sailfin's together?

[Sp0oner]

I have someone who is interested in my sailfin but has a 300 litre tank with a sailfin already. He wants to know if they can be kept together and if so will 300 litres be too small?

I think they can be kept together but only ever seen them in a huge specialist aquarium tank. Not sure 300 litres for 2 sailfins is enough? I'd be very happy to be wrong as it means he could have a new home!

[Carp37]

300 litres sounds too small to me long-term- my tank is 675 litres and I'd say that's a bit small for my sailfin (I bought the fish before checking the internet- none of my 1980s books suggested that they grow to 2 feet long). Older sailfin and common plecos have a slight reputation for being aggressive with conspecifics at feeding time, but if food was offered in several locations at once, I don't see why two fish of a similar size couldn't coexist- in my experience Pterygos are among the most placid plecos.

Other people who've kept these together as adults might have more relevant personal experience.

Best of luck with rehoming him/her, by the way.

[MatsP]

Debatable subject, I'd say... In one way, it's at least as good as the tank you've currently got the fish in.

But the other side of that is that a 300 liter tank is on the small side for a fish that potentially grows beyond 50cm.

Filtration would potentially be an issue...

But as for keeping them together it shouldn't be any huge issue in and of itself.

--
Mats

[Sp0oner]

Thanks for the replies. My conecern is 2 in 300 litres, he has said he has double the filtration that is standard for the tank and does a 25% water change once per week without fail and is very particular in this respect.

So he will be in a bigger tank than he now but he will be sharing it with another. For me this still seems a better option than the fish shop where he could be in a small tank waiting weeks/months to be rehomed with no guarantee he will go to a big tank.

Hi Mats, how is little panaque getting on?

[MatsP]

The little Panaque is completely invisible in it's new home - I finally found it under a piece of wood. They are really adapted to hide within different bits of wood.

Not exactly what the tank looks like right now, but all the bits of wood in this picture are in the tank - just re-arranged a bit.


--
Mats

[Sp0oner]

Thats excellent. He'll have a great time hiding in there compared to the cave he lived in in my tank

[2wheelsx2]

I think it's bit tight for 2 sailfins. I had a 13" one in my 125 gallon which is a 6' tank and he seemed crowded in there. I imagine if you had a 6' tank that is 24" wide (mine is 18" wide) you could break up the sight lines and give them their own territories. Mine used to fight terribly with my Oscar and Chocolate cichlid. I've since rehomed both the sailfin and the Oscar.

[Sp0oner]

I've had an offer of a home in a 5x2x2 tank over on a plec forum and it is fairly local to me so waiting to confirm. Will be VERY happy if he goes there

[andywoolloo]

I just want to say I think it's great you are working so hard to make sure your fish are ok in their new homes and getting new homes. and yeah to Mats for being one of the adoptive care givers.

[Sp0oner]

Thanks for your reply. I am very happy to say I have rehomed every single fish now and so all gone to good homes