Juvenile Lepidosiren Paradoxia (South American Lungfish)

[synodontisjack]

No worries mate, sometimes it's hard to tell what people mean when it's all text!
Anyway, nice fishy! Would be interested myself but all my tanks have Snakeheads or moody Oscars in and they might have something to say about it!

nice, i've always fancied auranti's myself, but i feel there a fish which deserve their own tank and i've just never got round to it.

 

[erythrinus]

I'm new to this forum but not to fishkeeping and am hoping some others keeping this species can help me out with some answers.
I have 3 SA lungfish I have had for 1+ years now. Got them at a wholesalers when they were the size of earthworms and now they range from 8"-12" (3 different sizes). These creatures have defied many of my expectations. First off, they will not eat live food except maybe blackworms or brine, but readily take cichlid pellets and carnivore sticks. There are still some red minnows in the tank from the last time I tried to feed them and they have yet to try for them. They also have never eaten any other fish in the tank even though the largest one easily can. Are they really the aggressive predators I have read they are or do they have a different disposition from the African variety?
The largest one is missing his two front feelers (legs, fins ..?). I have no idea how they were lost and am concerned it may have been another lungfish. Do these regenerate in this species ?
I am currently keeping them in a 29g tall hex tank. they live with a bristlenose, 4 black ruby barbs, 1 jurapari, a small porthole cat and a butterfly fish. They have all coexisted for about 6 months. THey have no trouble getting to the top and regularly come up for air and to feed on pellets.
These are really cool but it is really hard to find info on them. I know they need bigger digs, but for now the tall tank actually seems to suit them better than the low one I had them in before.

 

[synodontisjack]

From what i've seen these lungfish are very peaceful towards other fish which is surprising as they closely resemble the african species protopterus dolloi. When i first got mine I had 2 and they were a bit aggresive to each other and i suspect one may have taken a small piece out of the others front limb. However 1 managed to escape from his floating tank and was eaten by a datnoid. Whether or not yours will co- habbit is probably up too the individual personalities though i think if one of yours has its front limbs missing the most likely suspect. Don't worry though this species does regenerate and i've hears stories of entire chunks of body being lost during aestivation and regrowing them.

 

[dave_oddballs]

did you get it from bas jack? just got back from there with my ray and a tigerfish and saw a couple of the sa lungfish at the bottom in one of the small tanks, was looking at it for a while! they were only cheap i thought they cost more than that!

 

[synodontisjack]

I did yes, Do they have more now? I bought the only 2 they had at the time (unless some were hiding). They are usually more than that but it was a very good price, wildwoods have had them at that size for £120!
What Dat did you get from BAS, last time i was there they had some huge AT's