Nice.
My little managuense swam around with a smaller convict hanging out of his mouth for 2 days before realizing he wouldnt be able to choke and down and spitting it back out half digested. He needs to take some lessons from the catfish!
"><url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” alt=”
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
” />
Any other aquarists out there?
Cool video. That fish has got to be one of the many "gulper" cats based on the size of that bottom jaw. Wow.
Hey Spieg, I'm a fellow fish freak. Beauty manganese there! I've had a few of those for myself – smart fish. My house, like the earth, has been 3/4 water from time to time. Just drove down and picked up another 150 gallon in Ohio actually – if you are ever interested any custom acrylic tanks let me know and I'll send you some info.
I think I've kept every native Michigan warmwater fish at one time or another…my fav's being 'skis, pike, smallies, dogfish and gars. There's also some dandy little guys that rival tropicals for beauty and character – darters, golden shiners, madtoms, killifish, warmouth and pumpkinseeds to name a few. Of course, all cichlids are cool too..love the Africans myself.
Hey Pete,
Good to know there are a few other fish freaks out there. I just got the managuense, its my first one. Im not sure if im going to keep it long term or just let it grow up a little bit. So far im liking it, though. Ive got a pair of texas cichlids, a convict cichlid, and a few loaches and plecos in with it.
I might be interested in the acrylic tanks, depending on price and what not.
I had been considering keeping a grass pikerel but went the cichlid route instead. Maybe someday ill get into natives.
Ive never done Africans, but I have a shell dweller tank planned for the future.
At one time I was very into it, 4 Marine display tanks (2@65, 75, 125 gallon) plus 2 isolation/introduction tanks and two tanks to raise brine shrimp for food. Had anemone, clams, scallops, live coral, seafans, sea slugs, octopus, shrimp, seahorses plus the fish mainly clown, triggers, wrasse, damsel, tangs, mandarins, and Queen Angel.
I used to have coral shipped from Fiji and Hawaii before that became illegal. It was always cool to pick up the fish and coral at the airport rush it home to get it in the new tank and then wait over the next day or two to see what may have hitched a ride in the coral. Once got a hitch hiking Harlequin shrimp that preceded to kill a $50 Picasso trigger before cracking the glass aquarium. 
Pete,
I still have two aquariums with stands a 65 gallon acrylic and a 75 gallon glass and have been toying with the idea of setting the up with native Michigan fish, mostly panfish, Sunnies, Gills, crappies, perch. Anything special as to setting up the tanks, substrate? is beach sand the best idea, suggestions on plants? snails yes or no? Thanks in advance.
I would definitely recommend going native! Gills, p-seeds, sunnies, warmouth and green sunfish are all extra easy because they take any food (swimming, crawling, live, dead, pellets, flakes, etc). Perch and crappies are a little more finiky, and once they've eaten live food sometimes that's all they'll take. You know another tank to consider is a hodge-podge of minnows – emerald shiners, spottails, fatheads, goldens, chubs, etc – they all kinda group by specie and crank around the tank in a shimmering whirlwind. Some of the bigger ones can be mixed in with your panfish too, and they'll help dilute out the constant chasing and pecking of the panfish on each other, especially by the males.
For a substrate beach sand works ok, with a few drawbacks. It can wear out your filters due to the suspended fine particles that can't be avoided, and its lighter backdrop makes some fish colors look washed out and pale under artificial lighting. I always preferred pea stone, which you can get pretty much for free at any stone supply in bucket quantities. Be sure to wash it throughly with a hose until the water runs clear.
If you have good, bright lighting, almost any plant, native or from a pet shop, will do just dandy with your fish. If you do go local, valisnaria (eel grass) is tough to beat and easy to find. Coontails, millfoil and johnson's pond weed are also cool, as is a little bit of floating duck weed. But be sure to keep the native snails out! Those things reproduce like mad and clog everything. If a few adults do get in, and you have green sunfish or warmouth, they might gobble them up, but if they reproduce once the gravel and filter will be permanently loaded with them. Its a good idea to do an alum soak on live plants to kill any tag-alongs, including snail eggs. From experience, I would definitely stay away from snails, even pet shop mystery snails that won't reproduce, because they'll munch on your plants a bit.
Have fun…you're going to love the natives!
57
30