Lesta3474 Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 Hi guys, I'll be getting either young Siamese Tiger or Indo Tiger in the next few weeks. :bounce: Can anyone give me some pointers on how to care for it? I have a 3 ft tank for the fish. Got a fantastic piece of driftwood... (might post some pics... will have to figure out how first though :oops:) Preping and cleaning the wood now. I'm hoping tank should be big enough. Or at least for the next few years before I have to think of upgrading again. Tank will start its cycling process this week and will run for about for about 2 weeks. (Using water and also part of the filter media from another cycled tank) Will be running a 205 fluval canister filter. During this period I'll be introducing Java ferns on the driftwood... An Anubias plant and probably one algae eating fish.. Bristlenose ok? I'm afraid hillstream loaches will be too small and might become dinner... I need help with... 1) Choosing the fish. What should I look out for? I was thinking of getting a young one... like 6 to 8 cm in length. 2) How can I tell its age? 3) The most important part! Feeding. How do I wean of livefood? Market prawns - Shell on or shell off? Fish meat etc? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! kind regards, Lester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia-15 Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 my small dats feed on freezed dried shrimps, bt the big ones take fresh market shrimps, both get some bloodworms every two days. And if ur lucky, they mite also take pellets, floating and sinking. When picking fish, just make sure they have good fins, clear eyes, no red around the gills and no obvious scale problems. In fish shops they are usually hiding, u can see if they ar active by dangling your hands over the tank, they usually dart out. Dont worry if the colour of the dat, it may seem washed out and spickly. But this'll probably go away once you take it home. From then on, the stripes can come and go depending on tempreture, diet, tankmates, its territory, water parameter. And if kept in groups, try to keep them in groups of 3 or more. They are fantastic fish and develope fantastic personalities, mine rockets outta nowhere when it sees me, bt completely ignores my gf. Hehehe, enjoy the fish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia-15 Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 and excuse my spelling and grammar, trying 2 post this on my moblie and listening to my stats lecturer at the same time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia-15 Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 and excuse my spelling and grammar, trying 2 post this on my moblie and listening to my stats lecturer at the same time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 Thanks for the Silvia-15 (btw Nissan - S15 is a rocking car!! Was gona get myself one of those but no garage to keep it in so will have to hold off that for awhile ). Do you keep the shell on the market shrimp or peel it off before feeding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Peel them, especially for younger fish. What are the other dimensions of the 3' tank? They aren't fast growers, so it could be fine for 1-2 years. A bigger tank might make them grow faster from what I've found, both my small ones went thru a growth spurt when moved from a 200L 3' to a 300L 4'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Tank dimensions will 91cm x 38cm. I won't be filling it full of water though... Probably about 120L plus of water? Is this not enough for one Tiger? Tank max is 150L so might have to bump it up to that then. (tank will be upstairs in a wooden home which is why i don dare fill too much.. Afraid of the load on the floor.) You have details of the growth spurt? (inches in a year) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Probably about 120L plus of water? Is this not enough for one Tiger? You're joking right? Or are you only talking about short term? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 I have a 3 ft tank for the fish. Got a fantastic piece of driftwood... (might post some pics... will have to figure out how first though ) Preping and cleaning the wood now. I'm hoping tank should be big enough. Or at least for the next few years before I have to think of upgrading again. As a grow out tank which is why i was asking about the growth rate... So that for the next year or so I can make space for a larger tank. But I'm having second thoughts now... Mayb I should just make space first and then get the fish. What are your recommendations on the minimum requirements for a Tiger? 200L 4 ft tank at least? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia-15 Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 i had mine in a 60l, then a 150l (same size as yours) now then are in a 800l Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Cool! Do you have a time frame for the tank upgrades Silvia-15? Does not have to be dead accurate. Just an estimate so I have a rough idea what I should be expecting in the next 1 - 3 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 My largest is around 10" now, and in a 4'x20"x20", had it for a bit over 3 years now, and its been in the 4' for the past 2.5 years. I don't think he's that pleased about it, and I bet he'll cheer up a bit once in the 5'. Minimum would be 5'x2'x2' for life IMO. I'd say 12 months max in that 3' tank, then into a 4'x18"x18" or bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 10'' tiger! I'd love to see that... How old is i now? Thanks for the advice David R. Have a better understanding of what is needed and will have some long hard thinking to do. If anyone has any further advice for me, that would be appreciated. I hope I'm not in over my head here trying to keep a Tiger in a 3 ft tank for 1 - 2 years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 If you're starting out with a 1"er from the LFS then you'll probably be right, as long as its well filtered and you keep up the water changes. You might get faster growth in a bigger tank, but from 1" you'd be lucky to get it past 6-7" in two years I reckon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henward Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 well probably for all the rarer and monster fish, dats are the most popular here i think. dats will grow to 14inch plus but it will take probably minium of 5 to 6 years to reach this probably more. you can feed them 5 times a day and change the water 2 to 3 times a week and growth will be slow. thats good in terms of housing:D three foot will last you ages!!! sharp colouration. some say that STABLE dats will show colour i found that somepet stores will have dats and they never become stable. some dats are permanently non stable, other forums will confirm this. dark, light bars are a sign. get the ones with the really vivid bars to be sure. also i would personally get the ones that come to the front of the tank, they are more amusing and fun. hidey ones tend to never come out. feed shrimp, cooked , pink shrimps, or beef heart. pellets would be good but expensive. if you get them used to blood worm, then you will buy alot! cos they can eat lots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia-15 Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 1-2 years? i can be sure 1 year wouldnt be a problem... i had the tanks lying around so why not... my big dats pretty ugly, but shows some intense colour for 2-3 hours after each water change the smaller ones more stable (25 and 23 cm respectively). but my baby dats are ALWAYs stable. the 2 big ones can finish a whole pack of blood worms in a whole day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 I think from LFS they are about 2 - 3 ''. And yes I am not getting fish that have already grown... no fun getting a large fish.. Would definitely want to keep it and have it grow bigger. More sense of achievement too! :bounce: My water change schedule is weekly.... 10 - 15% of tank water... This is what i do for my current 70L tank of Convicts... Running a 105 fluval canister as well... This practice will be migrated over to the Tiger tank. I assumed this would be sufficient. However, it is a carnivorous fish so i'd assume more ammonia in the waste... Mayb I need to bump up the frequency of water changes? Twice a week? Or once a week but do 20-25%? I wonder if thats actually too much? Or is there never too much...? :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Whoa! 1 pack a day. Thas crazy! Back when i used to keep a CT Siamese fighter i use to thaw out the bloodworms and feed him individual bloodworms... I presume with Large Tigers you just give them a whole cube? Do you apply the same priniciple to juveniles of 2 or 3''? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookie Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 good on you for doing your homework Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia-15 Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 for the big ones they just take the cube, but i filter the worms for the little ones in a mesh net. my water change is 40% every 4 days, 5 if im lazy. i also net out the poo every morning i hear that clean water aids the growth of fish. but ive never done a comparison. and if you want, you can give them a treat of live food once in a while but do NOT get them used to it. you can go to your local river and catch some glass shrimps, they are high in protein despite looking tiny and lacking in nutrition. any small fish are also accepted. any you said you will get one dat... hahaha im gonna bet you wont last a month till you go back to get another... then another... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Need to curb my temptations!!! :bounce: Will Power!! :bounce: I know I'll probaby want more... But I think the space issue will put a stop to that... If not we won't even be having this 3ft tank conversation. I would have gone out and bought a much larger tank. because of space, I don think I'll be getting anymore then 1... But 1 is better then none! As long as I can definitely accommodate one... I don want to give my fish a crappy home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Why not look out for an American Tiger, Datnioides polota. They max out at around 12", grow even more slowly than en ST/IT, and don't seem to go unstable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Don't know... Haven seen one in the shops as yet... I heard that the Microlepis also grows slower and also not as big as the Pulcher.. is this true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.PROPHECY Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 got a american tiger if your kean $100 8cm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesta3474 Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Thanks A.PROPHECY! I'll think about it. Still considering whether i should try this or not anyway... Hopefully I can find a nice Microlepis. I'm from Malaysia (Borneo Island - State of Sarawak) kinda bias... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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