Lungfish anyone keep them?

[mr.dark-saint]

I've had mine for 10 years or so 30+inches in a 100 gallon with a sump full of bio-balls (marine system gone fresh). Since, he/she is so large it's kind of hard to locate another of it's size he/she won't kill it. Very alert when it's belly is empty waiting for me to drop in a bit of tid-bits (likes liver chicken or beef) but mostly leave feeder goldfish for him to snack on. I did drop in clawless crayfish (leftover from a fishing trip) he seems to enjoy those. I did have a 8/10 inch Nandopsis dovii (what ever did happen to Cichlasoma?) but after my return from vacation I found him dead. Which surprised me since they were fine for over a year.

[maxpayne_lhp]

Sorry for your loss. It sounds like a neat fish to keep. I've never seen them in aquarium or on aquarium sites though I read about them...

[leongreenway]

http://www.aquafriend.com/modules.ph...article&sid=69

this is quite useful

[solar-ton]

it sounds like an african lungfish theyre kinda aggressive so tankmates wouldnt be a good idea.then theres the australian lungfish(queensland lungfish) wich is very peacful but gets 6' and can weigh up to 150 pounds im pretty sure nobody would want him lol.

[mr.dark-saint]

Well I suppose the Dovii was asking for it.

maxpayne_lhpSorry for your loss. It sounds like a neat fish to keep. I've never seen them in aquarium or on aquarium sites though I read about them...

I would love owning a pair or three of those but with the current CITES and laws it's pretty near immpossible (dollar wise and the hassel) but for now the African will do (big over stuffed Salami looking thing ).

solar-ton it sounds like an african lungfish theyre kinda aggressive so tankmates wouldnt be a good idea.then theres the australian lungfish(queensland lungfish) wich is very peacful but gets 6' and can weigh up to 150 pounds im pretty sure nobody would want him lol.

[fishboy]

africian lungfish is on my top ten of the fish i'd love to keep to keep along with other large fish like the giant puffer but i don't have the space or the money. Man i wish i could some how get a free 150 gallon (a friend of mine got one) and make it into a species tank for a fish like that

[mr.dark-saint]

That sounds swell but I'll bet the Puffer would kill the Lungfish or at very least chew him up. I had some Convicts (got them as feeders) the ones that managed to live were "smarter than the average feeder". The few that lived would pick on the lungfish's dorsal fin (as in nipping it) until they slipped up. Knowing what a puffer can do I wouldn't risk it.

Originally Posted by fishboy

africian lungfish is on my top ten of the fish i'd love to keep to keep along with other large fish like the giant puffer but i don't have the space or the money. Man i wish i could some how get a free 150 gallon (a friend of mine got one) and make it into a species tank for a fish like that

[fishboy]

i meant that the lung fish and other large predatory fish such as the giant puffer are some of my favorite fish which i'd like to keep in seperate aquariums not together

[Jonno]

you couldn't keep the giant puffer in a 150 seeing it will out grow it when it gets bigger they get to about 30 inch and min size is 1000 gallons(us)

http://www.pufferlist.com/

- Jonno

[euRasian32]

MrDS: which do you have, the African, Australian, or the South American? I'm guessing the african, and definitely not the SA.

The african is on the top of the chain, then the aussie, then the SA. The aussie will live in waters that don't dry up, but will use their lungs in more stagnant water. Aussies are the closest relative to their prehistoric ancestors. The South American, however, relies on air alone, not being able to extract oxygen from water.

[mr.dark-saint]

I do have the African but would love to have the Australian or three (they have the cooler fins not to say the noodle fins aren't cool).

I've been wondering this for a few years about sexing them. Since I don't have many keepers locally I might as well pose it here. What I was wondering was the way the anal vent was pointing could be used to sex them. Unlike most fish it's not straight down but the one I have (the fish's) is pointing to left. Now to have them mate logic would make the opposite sex point "right", right? I can sex Juvenil Hapichromis all day long by the way their of jaw positions. Just wanted to know if I may be on to something with the lungfish.

[solar-ton]

i think australlian lungfish are a protected species and they cost A LOT of money

[starrfish71]

I had one for 10 years- an African Lungfish- named Spike. He was 34inches in length. He could eat a full grown live crawfish, claws no problem, just bit them in half, chewed them up, casual. Sometimes I would put large feeder goldfish in there and one would live for a few months, and then one day... gone. I did for a time keep guppies in there. It seemed that if the fish were very tiny Spike left them alone. Some friends of mine told me they thought Spike was a female, but I never knew for sure.

[mr.dark-saint]

>>solar-ton i think australlian lungfish are a protected species and they cost A LOT of money<<

Yeah it's been listed on the CITIES I gave up long ago in keeping them in my lifetime unless I move to Australia (not likely to make the move). So, I haven't looked at their status, they may have changed like the Asian Arowana which are captive raised (that's still an iffy market with shadowy figures).

starrfish71 how do you think they arrived at that conclusion (she laid eggs?)? I suppose DNA test would be proof positive like they do with macaws. Will I have this done not likely (I'm cheap like that) .

[starrfish71]

My friends told me it had to do with her very round shape-- unfortunatley Spike died, and I'll never know. I had to commit my largest tank to him for so long, that I don't think I'll get another large, aggressive, "loner" type fish any time soon. I want to put my severums and my chocolate cichlid in my 85g, with my shovelnose cat and clown knife. A nice "big" fish community tank....

[sick lid]

i have a s.a lungfish now he's a lil guys right now about 1.5 inches long, quite active 2

[mr.dark-saint]

So, Sick how big's the tank he's in? What are you feeding? There's a guy on e-bay selling some big 'uns (electric eel, too).

Mine's been just wandering around (African Lungfish) and giving me the "stare" also, known as "I gots nothing to eat" but I need to put in an Alternator in my car so I too am in his boat. Got to love them Top Ramen $2.50 for a case. I suppose I'll get him a tub of chicken liver since they're about a buck (I do hope he doesn't mind sharing some with me ). I'll make it up to him next week when I get paid and he'll have a tank full of large goldfish.

[j55]

I would love one but I have no tank big enough,
is there any re;atives that have the same fins etc.

[fishboy]

Mr.D-S do you have a digital camera?, we'd all love some pictures!

[flamingo]

I can get a lungfish from my lfs for like 20-40 dollars. I don't have the space for one and even if I had that big of tank I'd get bichers or something.

And what puffer are you talking about? They certainly dont need a 1000 gallon tank.Most fish 30 inches dont even need that big a tank. The two biggest I know of are some wierd one that lives in lake tangynika that needs a 200 or bigger and a fahaka that needs a 180 minimum since they get 18 inches and up. Just had to ask though because ive never heard of a 30 inch fw puffer that needs a 1000 gallon tank.