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 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 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 are the challenges of feeding a rope fish?
The greatest challenge when it comes to feeding Rope fish is ensuring that they are actually eating. Because they have poor eyesight and are relatively slow (and usually hiding), they tend to be the last to locate food during feedings.
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.
Can rope fish eat flakes?
Most of the species of rope fish prefer to eat live food. At first, these fish will not eat commercial-made fish, but they can learn to eat pellets and flakes after some time. Flakes are perfect for the health of rope fish. Those fish that swim in the middle of water and are surface feeders, flakes are great for them.
What can live with a rope fish?
7 Best Tank Mates for Rope Fish in 2022Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) ... Bala Sharks (Balantiocheilos melanopterus) ... Glass Catfish (Kryptopterus vitreolus) ... Siamese Algae Eaters (Crossocheilus oblongus) ... Dwarf Gourami (Trichogaster lalius) ... Pictus Catfish (Pimelodus pictus) ... Rainbow Sharks (Epalzeorhynchos frenatum)
Can rope fish survive out of water?
Rope Fish Behavior in Aquariums A unique feature of a rope fish is that it can survive out of water for hours, because it possesses both lungs and gills. The fish are mostly nocturnal; however, they occasionally do come out during the day.
What do rope fish like?
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).
Will rope fish eat snails?
Small chunks of shrimp, fish, squid, or earthworm work equally well. Be mindful that this species are piscivorous and will eat small fish, shrimp, and snails if they can locate them. The greatest challenge when it comes to feeding Rope fish is ensuring that they are actually eating.
Do rope fish lay eggs?
If by chance you do have male and female Rope Fish in your aquarium, you might find eggs adhered to the vegetation you have growing in your tank. The Rope Fish eggs hatch in about 70 hours. If you do get Rope Fish young, try to isolate them from other fish so that they do not get eaten.
How big do baby Whalefish get?
StatsSize8 InchesHardnessModerateDietCarnivoreLifespan10 yearsMinimum Tank Size30 Gallons2 more rows•Jul 19, 2021
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.
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.
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 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.
Tank conditions
Since they grow to a sizeable length, Rope fish should be provided with the largest aquarium possible. An adult specimen should not be kept in anything smaller than a 55-gallon aquarium with plenty of open swimming space. Though they are primarily nocturnal, they tend to be fairly active swimmers once they become comfortable in their tank ( 1 ).
Feeding
Ropefish are carnivorous with a preference for meaty and live foods. Bloodworms and other small worms are eagerly accepted and readily available from local pet stores. Small chunks of shrimp, fish, squid, or earthworm work equally well. Be mindful that this species are piscivorous and will eat small fish, shrimp, and snails if they can locate them.
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…