elephant nose fish and gravel

[jeman]

Hello - I have a 55 g planted aquarium - heavily planted and just acquired a 3.5 inch elephant nose fish - Is the eco- complete gravel going to be an issue with this fish and long trunk/nose?
I have read that they require a soft substrate like sand. Thanks

 

[jeman]

Let me rephrase my question - has anyone kept an elephant nose fish in a tank with a gravel substrate without any harmful affects to the fish ( particularly the nose) ?

 

[OrionGirl]

Sorry, I haven't. I believe they hunt using their nose buried in the substrate, so try running your finger about a half inch in. If it irritates your finger, the fish won't like it either. Some of the planted substrates are very sharp--but I've had fish bury themselves in with So, best bet...watch the fish. If you see damage, consider adding a basin with sand for it to root through, and where you can target feed it to encourage it.

 

[jeman]

Thanks - I already positioned a small mason jar on it's side and placed good quality frozen black worms in it- it seemed excited and went in several times - I think it ate some but so difficult to tell because of their small mouth and the dim lighting when it feeds. I was going to try live black worms but wondering how likely they will escape the fish feeding frenzy and take root in the substrate- Honestly I am not too keen on this idea but maybe some people do this intentionally. Has anyone allowed these worms to take hold and develop a colony in the substrate? Has anyone regretted doing so? I am interested in others experiences with these worms. It sounds idealic- a growing sustaining colony of live food .

 

[OrionGirl]

I've fed lots of live blackworms and only had a few tanks where they were able to establish and reproduce. It's harmless, and I never saw any problems. Never happens in tanks with serious predators though--they will find and eat every thing, eventually.

 

[jeman]

Thanks for the info everyone- such a great site. I think sometimes we like to generalized about the care of certain fish and we forget about their individual personalities/preexisting health status - It is day 7 since aquiring the ENF. It is content in the tank- plenty of caves within the drift wood and thick plant growth. Housed in my dark study so light is on several hours /day and dark the remainder of the time. I have fed it blood worms both live and frozen- unclear whether he/she is eating but goes to the tinted globe jar with sand in it and blood worms protruding vertically from the sand. I use a turkey baster to place the frozen worms in there as well. It actually looks quite cool in the 55g planted tank. I have read about this fish....call me stupid but I was ready for the challenge to keep this fish alive and well. The statics are rather gloomy- some say a 90 % mortality rate by 2 months after acquistion but occassionally you here the story from some hobbyist that their ENF ate immediately and would even eat dried food- some people have all the luck. Some say one fish per tank if you can not afford to get 3-4 fish but never 2 due to bullying. Some say that this fish in general is not meant for captivity in a tank.... sorta like the killer whale or the great white shark.While others post videos of feeding their ENF by hand. I think thats what makes fish/plant keeping so fun... the challenge to create a beautiful healty enviroment for fish and plants for you and others to enjoy - it is like art work with your own personal flare. I will keep you posted on my success or failure with my elephant nose.

 

[jeman]

Well after day 9, sadly my elephant nose fish died. If there is a silver lining, it would be the learning experience gained in this process albeit sad. I do believe my tank parameters were not the cause- several year old established planted aquarium with no additions for years. What did I learn : Firstly I would make sure you select a healthy specimen. The other ENF in the aquarium at the time of the purchase looked ill- wobbling distressed - I selected the healthier of the two or perhaps the less terminal in retrospect. I never noted any lesion on my fish at the time of purchase or at its demise. Secondly, make sure you see the store feed this fish ( bloodworms ) and watch it eat... if the fish does not eat, DON'T BUY IT. Many of these fish have had a horrible life since captured and many are malnourished. Mine was very thin. I compare the capture of tropical fish to the puppy mills that we are trying to eliminate in this country. These fish are caught in large volumes and sometimes with chemicals to stun them and then placed in overcrowed bags and ultimately transported for sometimes days in suboptimal and often lethal conditions, only to be thrown in a tank alien to their natural condtions and filled with other diseased fish. It is a wonder how some of these more sensitive fish survive. i have read the mortality rate in this transport process is staggering. This only supports my third point, find a good supplier who has seperate filtration for their tanks, has a wealth of knowledge, and willing to give sound advice to the buyer. That advice may be do not buy a certain fish. These LFS are often private establishments. Hopefully my next post will have a happier ending. " What is a fish without a river? What is a bird without a tree to nest in? What is an Endangered Species Act without any enforcement mechanism to ensure their habitat is protected? It is nothing" - Jay Inslee