Oxydoras Niger Growth Rate

[chbgator]

I've read a lot about these brutes growing fast but exactly how fast? I have one in a 600G 96x48x30, its about 5" right now but I want to make sure he will keep up with my 4.5"-5" Silver Arowana and 3x 3" Peacock Bass specifically, both of which are growing at over 1" a month. The water temp is @ 82F I'm feeding frozen Blood worms, Hikari Sinking Carnivore pellets, Freeze dried krill and Hikari Carnivore sticks. I also toss in frozen beef heart on occasion for a Knife fish also in the tank but I noticed after the lights were off that he was also indulging himself in a little beef heart. Thanks.

[Chrysichthys]

If well fed, as it sounds like yours is, a growth rate of 1" per month is certainly possible. They can easily be hand-tamed, and so can be fed special treats.

[chbgator]

Great! thank you for the reply!

[Richard B]

given the space you have available, with good diet you shouldn't have a problem - even if the others do start to overtake him he'll be alright as his armour would protect him (if that's what you were concerned about)

[chbgator]

Yes that was a big concern. He's been the most expensive fish in my tank so far so I'd like to keep him around for a while.

[Richard B]

The niger is a bony fish & the scutes down the side are quite sharp.

The arowana is a surface feeder & would probably avoid the niger, the peacock bass when large would certainly think it could make a meal of a small niger but they are very well prtected by their armour & once a bass had tried they should not go back again. I had to catch & transport a 26" specimen one time which was not a particularly pleasant experience, even through a double wet towel the writhing fish was gouging my arms as i held it after removing it from the tank & they are a powerful fish.

I am not sure about the niger but some of their close relatives have a gland on their pectorals that can secrete a milky looking fluid which is (toxic?) a repellant as an additional protective measure. (A.Cataphractas?)

All in all doradids are not fish to be taken lightly!

[Chrysichthys]

All in all doradids are not fish to be taken lightly!

I have even kept O. Niger and

Megalodoras uranoscopus

with

Hemibagrus wyckioides

. If the wycki ever bothered them it must have soon learned not to.

[KNH]

Feed him well and he will grow fast! Mine has gone from a tiny 4" to a fat 28" in 17.5 months. Great fish. Enjoy him.
KNH