Flagtail Prochilodus

[mattlee]

sorry not sure if this is an oddball or not but my lfs has a few in and just wondered what they are like.... i know they get big and its best to keep a single fish but can anyone give me any more info?

Matt.

 

[nmonks]

Semaprochilodus taeniurus are large characins. They used to be fairly widely traded, but from the late 1980s onwards you hardly ever saw them in the shops. Only in the last couple of years have I seen them being traded quite regularly. They are omnivorous, i.e., they eat plants as readily as invertebrates (and potentially very small fish). Not aggressive towards most fish, though territorial amongst its own kind and usually kept singly rather than in groups.

Do beware that the little specimens you see will grow quite big. I think the maximum size under aquarium conditions is around 20 cm/8 inches, though wild fish supposedly get a bit bigger. Wild fish are famed for their migratory behaviour, and adults will swim hundreds of km each year. So a big tank with plenty of swimming space is essential.

Otherwise not difficult to keep, and one of those few big fish that (more or less) retains the bright colours of the juveniles throughout its life. Used to be a popular choice for use alongside big catfish, South American cichlids and so on.

Cheers, Neale

sorry not sure if this is an oddball or not but my lfs has a few in and just wondered what they are like.... i know they get big and its best to keep a single fish but can anyone give me any more info?

Matt.

 

[mattlee]

Thanks, Neale.

im thinking of getting 1 for my 6x2x2 that im soon to get and keep it in qt until then. my lfs has some about 4 inches and they look great. would they be ok with datnoids as im thinking of adding these for my main fish but then there are so many to choose from..... im really struggling to pick what i want to go in it! if not dat maybe red spotted sevs or similar

 

[simonas]

great fish in my opinion
I kept one until last year when I sold it thinking it may rasp at my ray

bags of character, cute and easy to keep

no bother in my tank and it was amusing to see it think it was a silverdollar and part of my large shoal

get one you won;t regret it

 

[MadMan-JaMeS]

mine had itfor a while now great fish.

 

[emski]

hey

i have been looking for one of these fish for awhile now, could i possibly take the details of your local fish shop and if they are near by i could go get one

cheers!

 

[mattlee]

hey

i have been looking for one of these fish for awhile now, could i possibly take the details of your local fish shop and if they are near by i could go get one

cheers!

sure i saw them at maidenhead in Stapleton near Hinckley, i didnt get one and have not been back for a few weeks so not sure if they have any left or not.....

 

[Flagtail]

I have flagtail prochilodus. I have four of them. 3 are in my big tank and one little guy in the 55. I saw a comment on this thread that stated flagtails need to be solitary. That is true to some extends. However, in the wild flagtails will school. It can be done in the aquarium. What you will need to do is buy the flagtails together, and then make sure they go in the same tank. MAKE SURE you buy more than 2. If you just buy 2 they will def fight until one is dead or badly beaten. Make sure you buy either 3-4 so they can school. If you have a big tank, 6 will be good. Their may be fights during feeding but make sure you throw enough food in to feed the others.
Here are some pics: