Elephant nose and neons

[mandymartinez]

I have had many aquariums and have some experience with them. I have a 55 gallon aquarium that has been set up for about a month and we just began adding fish. I did a little research on Elephant noses and thought it would be a neat fish to have. We purchased it and had 1 pleco and 6 neons. The elephant nose seems to come out well at night and eat the bloodworms I give him, however our neons have ended up dead. Does anyone know what has happened to the neons. What other fish would be compatible with the elephant?

 

[Rowangel]

I have not kept this fish personally, but from what I have read about them they are extremely intelligent fish that have the ability to emit an electric shock through the base of their tail if something were to bite down on them.

As for compatibility there seem to be mixed feelings on this. One article I read suggested a minimum of 3-5 of these fish for them to feel comfortable (not really an option for you as they can get quite large, up to 10”), yet another said “Peaceful with fish of similar size although they are somewhat territorial and quarrelsome among themselves.” Some better info said;

The Elephant Nose is a very exotic fish. It has a very unique body, which makes it a highly desired aquarium fish. The Elephant Nose is semi-aggressive. They will accept some fish, but others will be chased away. Elephant Nose Fish will tend to find a 'spot' in the aquarium, and they will defend that spot as their own. If you want more than one Elephant nose you should get more than three. In groups of three or less, strongest one will usually make the others miserable. In larger groups they tend to leave each other alone, provided they are not over crowded. If you should decide to keep more than three of these fish, they should be housed in a tank that is at least 100-gallons. In smaller tanks they usually start to fight over territory. Elephant Nose Fish can defend themselves with an electrical charge. They can also use electric pulses to communicate with other fish, as well as navigate their environment. Elephant Nose Fish should be kept in large aquariums, with dense plant and rock decoration. The Elephant Nose needs plenty of places to hide during the day, such as caves. Also, live plants are much preferred by the Elephant Nose. It has also been reported that they like blue light and will come out more often when it is used.

This would lead me to believe that shrimp wouldn’t make it in this tank and neither would other small fish, quite possibly this is why your neons died. And aggressive fish would be bad idea too, they would most likely harass you Elephant nose. IMO I would try some of the larger barbs out in this tank, my favorite being Odessa barbs which are beautifully marked and very active. A nice group of those and maybe one other larger schooling fish would look amazing in a 55g and not likely to become a victim to or overly bother your elephant fish.

 

[mandymartinez]

I guess I should have done a little more research. It is really cool fish...I love to watch it eat at night but I really wanted the shrimp because they are also cool. I had a salt water tank and really enjoyed the shrimp. Maybe the neons are getting zapped but the electricial current. What do you think about kissing gourmis with it? The pleco stays in the cave with the elephant nose and seems to be doing fine. I wonder since the elephant nose doesn't have very good vision if the neon colors aggrevate it? Just a thought. Let me know if you find out anymore. Thanks for the input.

 

[Rowangel]

I wouldn't suggest Kissing Gourami, they get quite large at 30 cm. I would still suggest larger schooling fish, barbs and such. Check out this link to look at fish profiles. This might help you find some non-agressive larger fish. Good luck!

 

[fishcatch22]

hmmm.... I don't know... maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to house him with anything else other than maybe a snail or another peaceful bottom feeder, such as a khuli loach. you said he was leaving your pleco alone, right? I can't say for sure, as like rowangel, I have only read about EF and I don't really have a lot of experience with them.

 

[pugwash]

What about Congo Tetra's? They are an african tetra, grow to around 3 inches and look great imo. A shoal of 8 of these would be perfect, and continue the african theme. As they're more active than neons to, I doubt they'd become a meal.

Only other issue would be finding them, as they can be rarer and command a higher price.


Edit: Would be curious to see pics of the elephantnose and it's tank.