An ideal diet for a Rope Fish should consist of the following items:
- Bloodworms
- Mussels
- Insect Larvae
- Small Prawns
- Chopped Meat
- Calamari
- Mosquito Larvae
- Brine Shrimps
- Mysis Shrimps
- Earthworms
What do rope fish eat?
Some of the best foods to give them are bloodworms, chopped meat, frozen meat-based food, insect larva, and beef hearts. Some owners will give them flakes and pellets to round out their diet, but the rope fish that have lived the longest have usually been fed a meaty diet.
What size aquarium do rope fish need?
What Size Aquarium do they need? A rope fish will need at least a 45-gallon tank. A larger one will need an even bigger tank, so it’s safer to use a 50+ gallon tank. Try to choose a tank with as much floor space as possible, instead of a really tall one. Each additional rope fish you add will need roughly 10 gallons.
What kind of fish is ropefish?
Everything about ropefish (lat. Erpetoichthys calabaricus) is uncommon – its behavior in a tank, appearance and even its name. It has several ones: ropefish (or rope fish), reed fish, snakefish, african rope fish.
What fish can I keep instead of a rope fish?
Any fish you do keep need to be larger than a rope fish’s mouth so that they can’t be eaten. A few good examples include Angelfish, Bala Sharks, Clown Loaches, Dwarf Gouramis, Glass Catfish, Pictus Catfish, Plecostomus, Rainbow Sharks, Siamese Algae Eaters, and Yo-yo Loaches. Another thing to consider is the temperament of the tank mates.
How often should I feed my rope fish?
Feed them just before you turn out their light. They can go long periods without food in the wild but should be given a steady diet in captivity. You could choose to give them a little bit of food every day (e.g. 1-2 shrimp) or give them larger portions (e.g. 2-4 shrimp) every other day.
What fish will rope fish eat?
The species is carnivorous, and in their natural environment dine on insects, worms, small fish, frogs and crustaceans. In captivity, you can feed your rope fish meaty live or frozen foods, such as prawns, chopped meats, insect larva, earthworms, mussel and live blood worms (a rope fish favorite).
Can rope fish eat flakes?
Yes, rope fish can eat flakes. Most of the species of rope fish prefer to eat live food.
What do you feed large fish?
Live Food: Options include live brine or ghost shrimp, feeder fish (for larger carnivorous fish), crickets, and worms. Greens: If your fish are the type to munch on aquarium plants, such as anacharis, give them greens as well. Options include lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, and spinach.
What do I feed rope fish?
Some of the best foods to give them are bloodworms, chopped meat, frozen meat-based food, insect larva, and beef hearts. Some owners will give them flakes and pellets to round out their diet, but the rope fish that have lived the longest have usually been fed a meaty diet.
Will a rope fish eat snails?
Be mindful that this species are piscivorous and will eat small fish, shrimp, and snails if they can locate them.
Can I feed my fish bread?
Eating bread is bad for fish health because it contains too many carbs and, depending on the bread variety, too much fat for their digestive system to handle properly. Fish require a varied diet of protein and nutrients, which makes bread a bad choice when feeding your fish.
Are flakes or pellets better for fish?
High quality pellets will usually contain more nutritional value than high quality flakes. Fish pellets make it easy to judge and measure exactly how much food you are feeding your fish, which helps to avoid both underfeeding and overfeeding.
Is banana good for fish?
Yes, fish likes bananas because bananas are easy to be eaten by fish and also easy to digest by fish. Fish requires essential nutrients like potassium, but they don't get much potassium in their natural diets. They like to eat bananas to get important nutrients like potassium.
Is flakes good for fish?
Flakes are ideal for top or mid level feeding fish, while algae wafers and sinking pellets work best for bottom feeders such as plecos. Take care when feeding algae wafers; feed only one at a time and observe how long it takes your fish to eat them.
Are fish flakes enough for fish?
Flakes are great for surface feeders and those that swim in the middle of the water column. The downside to flakes is that they lose their nutrients quickly because they dissolve in the water, making them unsuitable for high-mercury fish that live at the bottom of your aquarium.
How do you feed fish fish flakes?
0:406:37Small fish feeding tip - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd I I know because that's how I used to do it where you just take regular flake food like likeMoreAnd I I know because that's how I used to do it where you just take regular flake food like like this one. And you just basically crumble it with your fingers.
Can you feed corn flakes to fish?
Just be sure to offer a wide variety to insure your fish get all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Our fish like every kind of breakfast cereal we've tried so far: corn flakes, wheat flakes, bran flakes, oat flakes (and Cheerios), puffed rice, muesli, and wheat germ.
What Are Rope Fish: Origins And Appearance
Rope fish are a unique looking freshwater species that, though carnivorous in nature, can abide peacefully with other large fish in a tank. Their particularly serpentine appearance makes them a favorite with fish keepers, as they add an interesting dimension to an aquarium.
Rope Fish: Lifespan
How long do rope fish live? The answer to this question might surprise you. Rope fish have a good amount of longevity, with lifespans often lasting between 15 and 20 years. This is typical for rope fish kept in a healthy tank and without major health issues.
Rope Fish: Behavior
Despite their size and sinuous appearance, rope fish are among some of the most tranquil and docile fish that you can have in your aquarium.
Rope Fish: Compatibility
Some fish prefer to be the only ones in the tank, while others need a wide group of finned fellows to mingle and thrive with. Where do rope fish fall on the sociability scale? Let’s discuss the compatibility of rope fish and discover what their social needs are.
Rope Fish: Habitat And Tank Requirements
Rope fish are among some of the best fish to keep in your home aquarium. However, their size and care requirements mean the tank needs to be maintained closely to keep the rope fish healthy. Let’s take a closer look at the tank requirements for proper rope fish care.
Rope Fish: Diet
As previously mentioned, rope fish are carnivorous, but they are known to be somewhat picky about their diet in captivity. To avoid having any of your smaller fish becoming a snack for the rope fish, make sure to feed them a varied and structured diet of their favorites.
Breeding Rope Fish
Breeding these fish in captivity is a very difficult task, and even fish experts have been known to have issues with its success. This is because natural rope fish habitat conditions are nearly impossible to replicate sufficiently for breeding to occur naturally.
How to keep rope fish from eating?
Use rocks to form some caves for shelter. They will spend a lot of time hiding here, especially in the day if they’re not used to daytime feeding. Since rope fish are carnivorous, you can safely add plants without them being eaten. They prefer well planted aquariums so you can include Java Fern and Amazon Swords.
How many gallons of water do you need for a rope fish?
A rope fish will need at least a 45 gallon tank. A larger one will need an even bigger tank, so it’s safer to use a 50+ gallon tank. Try to choose a tank with as much floor space as possible, instead of a really tall one. Each additional rope fish you add will need roughly 10 gallons.
What is a rope fish?
They belong to the Polypteridae family and are a freshwater species living in slow-moving rivers across West and Central Africa.
What does it mean when a fish is a predator?
Firstly, being a predator means they will eat fish if they’re hungry, even though this isn’t their main food source in the wild . They won’t be able to distinguish between the foods you give them and any snack-sized tank mates. Small fish like tetras, danios, and harlequins will start to disappear.
What fish can't be eaten?
A few good examples include Angelfish, Bala Sharks, Clown Loaches, Dwarf Gouramis, Glass Catfish, Pictus Catfish, Plecostomus, Rainbow Sharks, Siamese Algae Eaters and Yo-yo Loaches.
What do squid eat?
In the wild they would eat crustaceans, insects, and worms. They also eat fish, but this is usually the last choice. This means that they will eat small fish in your tank, so you need to be careful with your tank mate choices. They’re nocturnal creatures, resting in the day and feeding at night.
Where do rope fish live?
The natural habitat for rope fish would be brackish/fresh water in tropical areas. They are usually found in rivers such as the Ogun River in Nigeria.
What is rope fish?
The rope fish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus), is a species of freshwater fish in the bichir family, popular aquarium fish. It is interesting to watch reed fish in a tank, easy to keep it but you should bare in mind that its tank mates must be average or large sized. Rope fish takes smaller fish species as a food, since it is a predator by its nature.
Why is it important to keep a ropefish in a tank?
The most important thing is to make sure that your fish gets food in general and is not starving. This is especially important, if a ropefish has fast and omnivorous tank mates . The thing is that when looking for food a rope fish uses its perfect smell and sense of touch.
Why do ropefish stay out of water?
Because of low oxygen content in water ropefish has got used to get to water surface from time to time and breathe with atmospheric air. They even have lungs for this, with their help the reed fish can stay out of water for some time (at the condition of high humidity outside).
What do predator fish eat?
Predator fishes as a rule are active at twilight and at night. This one feeds on small animals, but first of all on insects and worms. African rope fish looks for food by means of its organ of smell, since the fish has rather poor eyesight.
What is the temperature of a ropefish tank?
The fish feels fine when tank water pH range is from 6,5 to 8 and comfortable water temperature for it is 22–28 °C (72–82 °F). Since this is a predator, it leaves a lot of organic waste, therefore a canister filter is required. However, aeration is not necessary for a ropefish.
Where do fish live?
The genus is spread in West Africa. The fish habitat stretches from Benin to Cameroon, at that the fish is most often encountered in Niger river delta. It prefers freshwater rivers and lakes, but you can also see it in brackish water basins.
Can reed fish escape from a tank?
The thing is that reed fish can justle through any crack and often escapes from tanks. Even the thinnest crack will give the fish a chance to escape and it can travel quite a long a way by land. If there are any chinks in a tank for tubes and wires, you’d better close them with a sponge.
What Makes a Good Tank Mate for Rope Fish?
Good tank mates for rope fish are generally medium to large-sized fish that are non-aggressive. They can be housed with other rope fish too, as long as you have a large enough tank to accommodate them.
Where Do Rope Fish Prefer to Live in the Aquarium?
Rope fish typically hang out near the bottom of the aquarium. However, this species has a lung-like organ attached to its intestinal tract. In the wild, this helps them to survive in times of drought because they can use this organ to take in oxygen from the atmosphere and absorb it into their bloodstream this way rather than from the water.
Aggressive Behaviors
The rope fish is a peaceful creature. They don’t display aggressive, attacking behaviors toward other fish. However, they are omnivores, so if you house them with smaller fish or crustaceans, they might mistake them for food and eat them.
3 Benefits of Having Tank Mates for Rope Fish in Your Aquarium
There are several benefits to having tank mates for your rope fish. These include:
Conclusion
The rope fish is a gentle giant that does just fine with other peaceful fish, as long as the other fish aren’t small enough for them to eat. They are interesting to observe as they will both lurk around the bottom of the tank and take trips to the surface.
Species Summary
Appearance
- The appearance of the rope fish is one of the main things that makes this fish so unique. They look like an eel or a snake and are often mistaken for them by people who’ve never seen one before. This is why the name rope fish (or reedfish) is so fitting. When you see them swimming it’s exactly what they look like! They have a slightly oval shape to them when you view them from th…
Size
- The average rope fish size can reach just over two feet in length when fully grown.This makes for quite a sight while they swim and means that you’ll need to provide them with ample space to keep them comfortable (more on that in the following section). Author Note:For some reason, the size of rope fish is something that a lot of new owners underestimate. Make sure you do your re…
Rope Fish Care
- Rope fish care is something that any aquarist can manage, no matter how experienced they are. A lot of people think that because of their interesting appearance that they might be high-maintenance, but it’s really the exact opposite! These fish are calm, peaceful, and hardy. In fact, assuming you have a large enough tank, we think they make great beginner fish. However, you s…
Food & Diet
- Rope fish are carnivores which means you’ll need to give them meaty foods as a staple in their diet.This will ensure that they get an adequate amount of protein and nutrients (as well as enrichment). Some of the best foods to give them are bloodworms, chopped meat, frozen meat-based food, insect larva, and beef hearts. Some owners will give them fl...
Behavior & Temperament
- Rope fish are an interesting fish when it comes to their behavior. They are relatively active (especially at night since they’re nocturnal), but also like to lounge. These fish like to hang out near the bottom half of the aquarium, although they aren’t pure bottom-feeders. This is because they’re comfortable swimming to the surface in order to breathe when necessary (you won’t see …
Rope Fish Tank Mates
- There are a number of rope fish tank mates that you can pick from if you want to keep these fish in a community tank. Here are some great tank mate options: 1. Rainbow sharks 2. Bala sharks 3. Pictus catfish 4. Dwarf gourami 5. Angelfish 6. Kuhli loaches 7. Honey gourami This list is just a small sample of possible rope fish tank mates we recommend. As long as you don’t try to keep t…
Breeding
- Breeding rope fish is something that basically never happens in a home aquarium setting. With that being said, it doesn’t stop people from trying it occasionally. If you’re going to try this you’ll need to increase the water temperature to mimic the warm seasons when rope fish naturally reproduce. Nothing on in this section is something you can skip, you’ll need all the help you can …
Conclusion
- Rope fish are incredibly unique and fun freshwater fish to own. They’re easy to care for, look amazing, and won’t cause trouble in your tank. We recommend them to anyone who’s looking to add a different look and feel to their tank. Seeing these long fish swim around never gets old! If you have any questions about rope fish care or the species in general make sure to reach out to …
Rope Fish Facts & Overview
Appearance
- They look like ropes, snakes, and reeds, which is why their names haven’t needed to be too imaginative. It’s their distinct appearance that makes them such exotic fish. They have a long cylindrical body that reaches lengths of up to 15 inches. If you haven’t done your research then their size can take you by surprise, so make sure your tank is big enough. Their whole body is co…
Habitat and Tank Conditions
- Though they look very different to most fish, rope fish live in similar environments to other common fish species. The natural habitat for rope fish would be brackish/fresh water in tropical areas. They are usually found in rivers such as the Ogun River in Nigeria. These areas have warm waterwith a neutral pH, perhaps slightly alkaline. Water movement would be low but plenty of lig…
Diet
- Rope fish are carnivores. In the wild, they would eat crustaceans, insects, and worms. They also eat fish, but this is usually the last choice. This means that they will eat small fish in your tank, so you need to be careful with your tank mate choices. They’re nocturnal creatures, resting in the day and feeding at night. They’ll quickly learn your...
Care
- It can be daunting to purchase a fish like this. They look different to ‘normal’ fish, so you might think that they’re hard to care for. This isn’t true; we’ve already discussed how they have similar needs to most species. A well setup tankshould keep them healthy. They’re a hardy species, accommodating a range of conditions and proving resistant to disease. They don’t cope well wit…
Breeding
- Successfully breeding this species in captivity is almost unheard of and unlikely to happen without hormone injections. If you’re going to give this a try, then raising the temperature slightly and adding more tall plants (like Water Wisteria) might help to encourage breeding. To court, a male and female will swim around the tank together. Once the female is ready they’ll sit motionless w…
Are Rope Fish Suitable For Your Aquarium?
- You can’t add these fish into any old tank, there are a few things you need to consider. The main limitations are tank mates. If you have small fish, then they will soon be eaten. Rope fish need large, peaceful tank mates that won’t fit in their mouths as a snack. In the wild, they can be found in African rivers that contain lots of other tropical fish species. Consequently, rope fish prefer wa…