Next is Hoplerythrinus with three species, and Erythrinus with two. aimara and macrophthalmus are separate species, although H. The largest group is the genus Hoplias with 11 species and we assume that H. The sub-family consists of three genera, totalling 16 species. Special rules apply, but these fish are hardy and easy to maintain. The wolffish family has something for everyone: Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus, the smallest, will reach just over 20cm/8”, while the largest (Hoplias aimara) will reach 130cm/51” and more than 30kg/66lb.ĭespite their reputation wolffish can be good aquarium fish and are surprisingly interesting with other fish or in groups. In the dry season it’s not unusual to find Hoplias the last survivors in an emptying pool. Because the wolffish can breathe air it can survive where few others could. They are part of a characoid sub-family of 16 species, found from Costa Rica to Argentina in nearly every kind of water. This is the family of the Amazon wolffishes and they have many names, including Trairão (sp.’Trai-ron’), Aimara, Guabina and Fasaco. However, South America is home to another group of fish that are far more voracious and much more aggressive. They get nervous when the aquarium is approached and prefer to bite pieces of other fishes’ fins rather than devour them whole. No freshwater fish has a more fearsome reputation than the piranha, but, as many aquarists soon learn, these are actually quite timid. It's cheaper and safer than live foods.Piranhas are pussycats! The Hoplias of South America are the predators to really fear, says Oliver Lucanus. Enjoy.īTW- Mine were rather easy to convert to eating shrimp (just buy a bulk frozen bag from the grocery store and defrost a few at a time for feeding). These fish are best suited for species tanks, without a doubt.Īll the above being true, I absolutely love them and will probably always have at least one in the collection.
Mine ate everything in the tank when they were still juveniles (about 5-6"), including fish larger and toothier than themselves. Tankmates of other species, however, are not an option in my experience. As long as there are plenty of areas to hide from one another, I've had little problems with more than one fish in a tank. They prefer a very dim/dark tank with tons of floating vegetation (go plastic, I assure you on this one), so even the tank itself won't be much to look at in the conventional sense. They are very messy, and they really don't do much other then sit still waiting for prey. I'd recommend you get the red or hifin wolf, it's smaller and less aggressive.Ī 120 gallon tank is a great size for wolf fish. And before you get them, why dont you post up what kind it is, because there are a few variations that the LFS will have sometimes. Hell, I wouldnt even call it aggressive.i'd call it superaggressive. (Just go to your local butcher and he SHOULD dish out some of this for free.that's what i did) Now, they arent that active, but they're beautiful and ferocious fish, so I would do it. Dont even expect it to accept much other than live foods or beefheart. They're messy eaters, so do NOT put anything bigger than it's mouth in to feed them, or there will be a gigantic mess. Just make sure you've got at least 3 or 4 biiiig logs or caves for them, and dont expect them to move around alot and love you.
The thing is, you cant put a small wolf fish in with HUUUGE cichlids, it will die, and you cant put them both in the tank as babies, because I almost guaruntee you that the wolf will outgrow the cichlid and eat him, and just coming along and adding a huge cichlid to a huge wolf tank is a surefire way to watch that big cichlid get massacred.Īs for another wolf fish.I've never been successful with that for over 6 months. The only thing I would keep with them would be very large and very aggresive cichlids. Look, let me tell you something that I dont think most people realize when they buy a wolf fish: We're talking over a foot in a little over a year. If you're getting the common wolf fish -hoplias malabaricus- well, he's gonna get real big real fast in a 120 gal.
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