Pink Tail Chalceus

[fry_lover]

I believe that website is wrong. The rounder snout and yellow fins are C. erythrurus and not C. macrolepidotus (my bad on the wrong species name, getting frogfish mixed up). I would say you have the former. Some reference pics are found on fishbase for C. erythrurus and C. macrolepidotus.

Why would I not be surprised you had issues with 3? I started off with about 3, before upping the numbers to 9 in my 6x2x2. At my height I had 3 C. macrolepidotus and 6 C. erythrurus, but I have lost a couple over the years. I found the former to grow slower but be more aggressive.

Based on the links you provide i would agree with you about the ID issue, thanks for the input.

My reference to having 3 of them, was that i read on a lot of sites that anything less than groups of 6 to 8 carries an increased risk of aggression amongst themselves. I ended up with the 3 of them shoaling when disturbed, but apart from that when ever they got near each other they would lash out, resulting in damage, sometimes quite noticeable chunks missing!

I re-homed two and kept one. You did advise me (ages ago) that keeping them on their own isn't the best, i think i've been a little fortunate, i think his colouration is strong (the pics dont quite reflect this) and i don't appear to have any of the skittish issues i read about with such frequency.

One of my fave fish Andy, he doesn't bother anyone and no one bother's him.

He's been taking the Wax Worms out my hand tonight, chuffed with that. I wont use them too much though, very fatty apparently, although also very high in protein.

 

[fry_lover]

Andy, having looked about further i can see the difference's and i have a Yellow Fin (Chalceus Erythrurus), they are quite different looking fish in many way's the Erythrurus and Macrolepidotus. It was Wildwoods that sold me them.

Not much on the internet about differences in behaviour, habitat, diet etc....... i think they are very similar?

 

[andywg]

I have found them to be extremely similar. As I pointed out, I have found the C. macrolepidotus to be the aggressors more often when they are sorting out pecking order, and that the C. erythrurus to grow quicker (and thus I would assume to reach a larger size in captivity). Other than that they are identical in the way they interact with the tank.

 

[invader]

Sorry to derail, but really nice dat! Looks just like mine, actually, except mine has a half bar in between the two bars on it's left side. Yours might get it, too, as mine didn't have it when I first got it.

Also, I love Chalceus. I considered buying some for my 125, but never did. Whenever I upgrade, though, I would love to add a group.

 

[fry_lover]

Thanks Invader