I'm bumping this thread because I have a reedfish/ropefish, and I'm wondering about longevity. I've had mine 20 plus years, and now he's not looking or acting well. I had to relocate my fish, and they've been in their new tank for about two weeks. I set the tank up, planted it, and let it run for about a week before moving my fish. The relocation was an emergency move.
To answer the original question, mine took to shrimp pellets, and was an active feeder during the day. I kept him with a tinfoil barb, bumblebee catfish, and clown pleco. No problems, and he'd often share a hiding spot with the catfish.
I've heard the escape artist problem, and never had that problem with mine. He was content to hide inside a decoration most of the time. However, I had a lowered water level too. Overall he's one of the easiest fish I've ever kept.
When they escape it's because they were able to slither over the lip and side of the tank. If you drop the water level, they can't simply slither over. Hypothetically speaking....
