My Public Aquarium: exhibit blues - how to make them?

[Viktor Jarikov]

[Viktor Jarikov]

We have kept half a dozen or more of these TSN x RTC hybrids in this 4500 gal tank and they all behave the same around this age and size, that is, as brazen, aggressive, pushy robbers of tank mates who haven't swallowed their food yet...

[Viktor Jarikov]

[Viktor Jarikov]

[Viktor Jarikov]

[Viktor Jarikov]

[Viktor Jarikov]

[Viktor Jarikov]

[Viktor Jarikov]

Snails and pellets for the jerk tank:

[Viktor Jarikov]

[Viktor Jarikov]

[bekateen]

So it doesn't seem to bother them. I wonder if it gives them a temporary upset stomach... Would we be able to tell if it did?

Cheers, Eric

[Viktor Jarikov]

If one kept track of the defecation, perhaps this could be knowable. But I don't. All I can tell so far, over the last 10 years, a hundred of fish who once in a blue moon had eaten a Cuban tree frog, haven't shown any obvious ill effects afterwards, that I was able to notice and connect the dots.

...

[Viktor Jarikov]

Apurensis again, for the second time, leaves the 4500 gal tank as a result of tank mate aggressive taste-testing. No plan to place it back in there.

[Viktor Jarikov]

I made another mistake. Turns out apurensis is nasty to tank mates in small tanks now. Many years ago at smaller size and age it shared a tank with a Distichodus sexfasciatus for a year just fine. But overall, yes, having kept it in large tanks lately, I forgot that they can be and usually are aggressive to most tank mates in smaller tanks:

[Viktor Jarikov]

[Viktor Jarikov]

The half a year old black ear shark catfish duo: closing in on 1 foot, high strung and nervous rockets with amazing tails. Comparison to a 7 year old kin and to paroon shark catfish:

[Viktor Jarikov]

New rescue TSNxRTC hybrid, named Greta, 8 yo, 22 in:

[Viktor Jarikov]

The septet of Cubans is about 14"-15" on average now. As stated above one is a bit smaller, 13", and thinner but feeds. They bite each other tails mercilessly sometimes. I wonder if this is hunger and I should feed them more or if this is hierarchy (?). I've never observed or read of gars having hierarchies before, so I doubt the latter. But the bodies of 6 are nice and round, which makes me second guess the hunger... but it can't be anything else it seems.

[Viktor Jarikov]

One or both Peru piraiba in the 4500 gal tank attacked Big Bad, the dovii. When I discovered it in the morning, it was too late. The dovii went into a shock and never came out of it. Ever since they attacked a marble Pim catfish two weeks ago, I started feeding them 2x more... but obviously still not enough, or maybe it's the season to gorge up on food. Fish go through such seasons.