View Full Version : elephant nose fish
i saw some elephant nose fish in the store, says that they were arguably the smartest fish due to their brainsize compared to their body. does anyone have one of these? are they hard to keep? i have a 55 gal with 2 black tetras, 1 painted glass fish, 1 neon tetra( getting more though), a beta, 6 zebras, 2 mollys, 4 platys, 1 dwarf gourmi, 1 small cory cat, and one small bumblebee cat, and a small pleco(not sure what kind) would the elephant fish be compatable in here? thanx guys :rolleyes:
ChilDawg
04-18-2003, 10:42 AM
I would guess no. And, while I'm at it, gouramies and bettas don't mix. Neither do zebras (fin-nippers) and either of those two.
I would first finish off the shoal of zebras and then the shoal of cories.
You also should know what the pleco is in case it will get much bigger than you think.
I am not sure that an elephant nose wouldn't get nipped, and, also wouldn't feel cramped in such a crowded tank.
my gourmi is the calmest fish in my tank. i did alot of reading on them , and people say that it depends on each one. he is a shy fish, and keeps to himself, the most aggressive fish in the tank is the painted glass fish. and no, the tank is not crowded. it is a custom made tank, and the fish have tons of room. and i was told that betas would do fine in my tank with what i have, as long as i got community fish.
ChilDawg
04-18-2003, 1:44 PM
Okay, I just redid the calculations and you are right in that it is not crowded, but it is still a little much for an elephant nose to handle.
I am surprised that the betta and gourami haven't nipped each other's fins off!
As for the glassfish, its colors will fade, and it needs to be kept in brackish water.
yeah i put some aquarium salt in. mollys like brackish water too i guess. i was quite suprised at the gourami, and the beta. thats another crappy lfs story, we had the tank cycle with 3 zebras in the tank for about a week, we bought 2 gouramis(only sold in pairs), and imediatley i saw that one wasnt right, we put them in the tank, one swam around loving his new home, the other sunk like a rock, and i dont think ever moved. i like about 3 minutes from the lfs and put the bag in the water like your supposed to, i just think the fish was a little sick. also the girl who caught me the fish was a psycho, pinning the fish against the wall of the tank to catch it, she was brutal.anyways, in a few hours, the sick one was belly up.
ChilDawg
04-18-2003, 1:59 PM
What? They only sell gouramies in pairs? Wow, your LFS is "amazing," and probably not in a good way. Hopefully the betta and gourami remain unaggressive toward each other, but a two-gallon tank with all the fixin's is cheap if you decide to remove the betta.
yeah i have been keeping an eye on them. my beta usually stays at the surface and my gourami is a bottom lover. all and all i think i have about 30 inches of fish or so. so im just looking to add something to my tank. and i live in the middle of no-where so you have no idea what the lfs is like. oh yeah. one more question for ya, ever grow jungle veil? when we got it, it was all green and pretty, lfs said no need for special bulbs or feed. now its kinda got some brown spots
pinballqueen
04-18-2003, 8:15 PM
An e-nose is a very intelligent fish, but it needs a good 25 gallons to itself to be happy. They are very selective about their food (preferring living foods to prepared foods, and are often starved before they come home with you because of that.), and like things that a lot of other fish think are "great treats" like baby brine shrimp and blackworms, so they are often outcompeted and starve to death.
Also, since they have an electomagnetic organ, sometimes having radio/tv/air conditioner return near the tank will cause them to be stressed. Even having an older heater in the tank can freak them out because all of these things, as well as many others, put off an EM signal that can mess with their equilibrium.
They and any other member of the mormyrid family are not the best choices for a beginner IMO.
point well made pinballqueen. i will definately research the e nose a lot more before i buy one. or maybe i will wait untill i get a bigger apartment. i am still looking for a fish to kind of, offset the rest. alot of my fish have a silverish tint, and i want something to be well, the center of attention. the only other fish that i will add, are some sort of ram. but not untill my tank has been running for atleast a month.
pinballqueen
04-18-2003, 8:47 PM
Wouldn't know what to suggest, as right now I'm growing out gars in my 55.... I don't think they would work with your fish somehow....
:D
i have a longnose gar in a 55 gallon. hes neat. i see them when im out boating around in the summer time. ive seen some over 4 ft long! mines only about 8 or 9 inches though hehe