FishForums.com - View Single Post - ropefish (aka:Erpetoichthys Calabaricus, reedfish, snakefish)

patdbunny · 01-19-2005, 03:06 PM

I've never had ropefish, but I've kept its close relative the bicher:

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/polypter.htm

I've had ornate and senegal bichers in my 60 and 20 gal tanks. None of them have ever tried to climb out. They haven't been actively aggressive towards any tank mates. I've had them in with african ciclids and in very very peaceful community tanks. Only problem is anyone who can "accidentally" fall in their mouth. I don't think they can swallow a full size hatchet right off the bat-even the smaller marble hatchets, unless you get a huge ropefish. As for feeder guppies - they won't make it through the nite. I was doing that at first, but too big of a hassle. I've never actually SEEN my bichers eat their tankmates - but smaller bodies go missing through the nite and no one else in my tanks are likely culprits. They really don't seem that ravenous (unlike the mistake I made once of putting a little shovelnose cat into my community tank). Bodies would go missing one or two every couple of days.

I've heard the same thing about them being finicky eaters. Goes for bichers too. For WEEKS I had not seen my first bicher eat anything. I heard they can't resist little meal worms. It's true. If you want to see them mack out - throw in a couple of little mealworms.

As for keeping them with aggressive africans, I used to have one in with assorted malawi mbunas and everything was fine. 20 gal hex with about five ciclids from 2-4" each. The bicher didn't hassle the ciclids. But when a ciclid went to harrass the bicher, the bicher would turn around, face the ciclid and flare its gills. That pretty much scared the ciclids and they left the bicher alone. Don't know about the alkilinity thing. We have really hard water here.

Hope that's some help.
roz.

01-19-2005, 03:06 PM	#4
patdbunny Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: san diego Posts: 13	Re: ropefish (aka:Erpetoichthys Calabaricus, reedfish, snakefish) I've never had ropefish, but I've kept its close relative the bicher: http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/polypter.htm I've had ornate and senegal bichers in my 60 and 20 gal tanks. None of them have ever tried to climb out. They haven't been actively aggressive towards any tank mates. I've had them in with african ciclids and in very very peaceful community tanks. Only problem is anyone who can "accidentally" fall in their mouth. I don't think they can swallow a full size hatchet right off the bat-even the smaller marble hatchets, unless you get a huge ropefish. As for feeder guppies - they won't make it through the nite. I was doing that at first, but too big of a hassle. I've never actually SEEN my bichers eat their tankmates - but smaller bodies go missing through the nite and no one else in my tanks are likely culprits. They really don't seem that ravenous (unlike the mistake I made once of putting a little shovelnose cat into my community tank). Bodies would go missing one or two every couple of days. I've heard the same thing about them being finicky eaters. Goes for bichers too. For WEEKS I had not seen my first bicher eat anything. I heard they can't resist little meal worms. It's true. If you want to see them mack out - throw in a couple of little mealworms. As for keeping them with aggressive africans, I used to have one in with assorted malawi mbunas and everything was fine. 20 gal hex with about five ciclids from 2-4" each. The bicher didn't hassle the ciclids. But when a ciclid went to harrass the bicher, the bicher would turn around, face the ciclid and flare its gills. That pretty much scared the ciclids and they left the bicher alone. Don't know about the alkilinity thing. We have really hard water here. Hope that's some help. roz.