Auchenoglanis Occidentalis

lindasusantx · Post by **lindasusantx** » 08 Jul 2006, 18:17

I need to know how big my fish can get....also, how do I distinguish the sex. He/she is approx. 18" long. Very friendly and playful with his/her tank buddies. My tank is 105 gal.

Post by **Marc van Arc** » 08 Jul 2006, 18:26

Your fish will eventually become 90 cms (36"). More info:
Cat-eLog; Claroteidae; Auchenoglanis occidentalis.

lindasusantx · Post by **lindasusantx** » 08 Jul 2006, 21:38

oh my!!!!! Can he/she be content in a 105 gal tank? He/she is sharing it with 2 (20 year old) silver dollar buddies, electric blue and lemon yellow cichlids. Also, how do I tell what sex "it" is.
Linda

Post by **Marc van Arc** » 08 Jul 2006, 22:14

I'm afraid it will outgrow your tank in due course. I had one in a 180 gallon tank (also with silver dollars), but had to get rid of it because it kept on growing and simply became too large for the tank.
I don't know how to tell males and females apart. Sorry.

lindasusantx · Post by **lindasusantx** » 09 Jul 2006, 01:08

That makes me very sad to think I have to give him up. Mine has such a sweet personality and plays gently with all of my fish. What is the chance of survival if I place him in a pond?

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 10 Jul 2006, 12:28

if you heat it in winter to keep the temperature over 20-22'C, he'll survive.

it's a hardy fish, but it cannot be kept any colder than 20'C.

lindasusantx · Post by **lindasusantx** » 10 Jul 2006, 16:08

thank you guys! The thought of giving him up....someday...upsets me....but to know that he will survive in a pond makes the separation less painful.

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 11 Jul 2006, 09:44

Also, be careful not to think he'll "need a mate"....
despite it's gentle, playful manner, this is a FIERCELY territorial fish that will go out of it's way to bring hell upon a speciesmember. the gentle character switches to the other 'end' of behaviour if you keep more.....

to keep more than one (and possibly breed it) you'd need a fairly sized and heated swimming pool.

The Stig · Post by **The Stig** » 11 Jul 2006, 17:44

Your giraffe will be ok for now. I keep mine in a 119 us gallon tank. They are territorial, as i bought a wckii and he wasn't daunted by it whatsoever or the fact that it bit him round the head lol. Obviously the wyckii went and now the giraffe shares it with the fish in my signature. He/shes about 12 inch long now and doing well, they do have a great personality don't they!lol.

I think that they are not sexually diamorphic. You would need a huge pool to breed them though. Lets say they are mature at 2 foot, so thats 2 huge fish anyway, and then add that to the fact that they are highly territorial.

Carl.