Rare Aquarium Fish: Wild Species From Africa | African Catfish, Oddballs, Tiger Scats and More!

[@spiritualspinster4222]

I used to have a pet rope fish. Toughest longest-lived fish I ever had. He ate dry shrimp pellets. He wasn't a picky eater. Best fish I ever had. Once I came home from work and found that he had somehow gotten out and was on the floor half dried out. Plopped him back in the tank and the next day he was almost back to normal. That fish lived for over 8 years. If I ever get back into aquariums, I will get another one.

[@thefishfiles]

Oh wow! Rope fish are pretty cool. We hope to see you back in the hobby soon!

[@englishtime5327]

Great video. So sad these fish are losing their habitat. Thank goodness we can keep them going in our aquariums

[@AnimalsVehiclesAndMore]

I used to have Synodontis catfish, and they're one of my most favorite aquarium catfish species. They're hardy (although they do need good oxygen levels in the tank), they're very peaceful and docile, they're pretty active, and they look really beautiful. Sadly, I had to rehome my Synodontis (and every single one of my fish, in general) after my aquarium suffered a catastrophic, irrecoverable cycle crash and ammonia spike. However, I do still have one of my aquarium pets: my Axolotl.

[@randyhegstad5754]

I found that really old synodontis don't take to big changes well, just like old people. But until they reach old age I think all the synodontis species are very hardy.

[@tteeydoc1]

Points of correction. Nigeria is in West Africa. Lake Malawi and Tanganyika are in East Africa, they're not in Nigeria.

[@elephantofdoom]

I think what he was trying to imply was that the main international distributer is in Nigeria, who buys the fish from sources in other countries first then sells them to European distributors as a middleman, but I agree it was a bit confusing.

[@Balingy]

Also thought it was funny when he said "global warming hasn't killed any fish but people sure have"

[@CrystalmarieGrz]

I love my Synodontis catfish. I have a male and female upside down cats and the female is almost 4 inches and quite round the male is about 3 inches and has a round belly but not as big as the female. I love them so much even if they hide under plants, wood, or in their caves.

[@Shade_91]

I think the Teugelsi Bichir and some of the Lapradei with the nice dark olive green patterns are some of the nicest looking Bichirs. One thing I did not here you mention about the Bichirs or the Rope fish is that they actually breathe air from the top of the water, This is another reason they "escape" so often and you should have tight fitting lids.

[@randyhegstad5754]

Shoot your right! Danggit that is important too.

[@CarAccelerationChannel]

Ornate Polypterus can get over 30 inches and Delhezi's 14-17. You're confusing with the Senegalus. I live in FL and work at a pet store, I can order Senegals and Endlicheris pretty much every week. I also wouldn't keep a ropefish in anything smaller than a 40 breeder.

[@Nathreim1]

Ropefish can be taught to eat dry tubifex worms cubes rather easily. I had 2 for many years they are very smart and when they heard me open the lid they poked their heads out if they saw me grab food they would rush out and wait till I threw the food in. Then they would snag a cube quickly before anyone else could.

[@victoriasrandomstuff]

Great information. Love your shirt. The Virginia aquarium was one of my favorite places to visit. In ND now so may have to make a trip into Chicago and visit the aquarium there. It is interesting as I don't see many African species in stores these days. I would like to add some kribs to my tank along with an upside-down cat.

[@randyhegstad5754]

I actually got married in the Virginia Aquarium! My wife was born and raised in Virginia Beach. Unfortunately she is a violinist and not an aquarium hobbyist.

[@woodyblakemore8401]

Hi. What is that translucent substrate you are using?

[@lorddion508]

Small correction i think is important. Pantodon buchholzi and Atya gabonensis can be bred. Its just hard.

[@elvinsworld11]

Nice

[@Grootsleftacorn]

I’ve seen The big little fish store in Dallas have the tiger scats, brackish and fresh

[@punkrockpapa84]

Ornate bichir can get 30plus inches bud

[@yungtree1082]

the largest of the upper jaw polypterus!

[@marcharley6465]

How ethical is it to buy wild caught African fish ? I'd be concerned that I was contributing to depletion of the wild stock, especially given the pressures on the stock mentioned in this video.

[@DisheveledSuccess]

Id hope that any harvesting is limited to let populations recover. Sounds like rivers are becoming uninhabitable.

[@smokeyjones1164]

Probably not very ethical at all, no way

[@Ripplenator]

Some animals are going extinct in the wild and only continue to exist in captivity. You may actually be helping to preserve these fish from extinction!

[@caloocanboy5800]

dawg theyre pretty common, most of these are food fish in africa like the ropefish and bichirs

[@ErikAndrew-q2p]

You’re really only helping conserve an endangered population if it’s a captive-bred animal (or animals) you’re purchasing, and then you breed them yourself and keep the process going, hopefully improving the bloodlines and not inbreeding… just ordering or buying any wild caught animal doesn’t mean you’re helping save its wild population. If anything, it’s the opposite, because… they were… wait for it… taken from the wild. Lol.

[@risenfromyoutubesashesagai6302]

Thats insame about Nigeria. I had no idea it was that popultated. Whats the deal? Work? Land prices?

[@eyalguz6303]

Thought your last entry would be a Goliath Tigerfish (Hydrocynus Goliath).

[@trainertealvgc2267]

Rope fish are sister Taxa to Polypterus correct?

[@majorbruster5916]

When I was exporting fish from Lake Tanganyika, I flew the boxes to Bujumbura, where they were transferred to a KLM flight to the Netherlands. From there the shipment was split into 2, one half was then transhipped to London and the other to Hamburg. Virtually no losses. The other arm of my operation exported wild caught fish, including butterflies and elephant trunk fish, out of Kinshasa to Belgium. Nigerians were not involved, they have their own businesses. Most west African fishes come from soft acidic waters, pH can be 5.5. You're confusing rift lake species, which live in pHs of 8.5 and cannot be kept below 7.0. Synodontis is not a family. It is a genus. The genus Synodontis comes under the family Mochokidae. The elephant noses, Gnathonemus petersi, (family Mormyridae) can't talk, so they don't have elocution lessons. They use their weak electric field to detect their prey and to communicate. This is called electrolocation, sometimes termed echolocation. The long "nose" is in fact an extension of the lower lip, densely covered with sensory cells to detect worms in sediment. In another species (Gnathonemus tamandua) both lips are extended to form a long tube. Bichir is pronounced "burr-chur", not biker, as in Hell's Angels, it comes from an Arabic word. These fishes grow big and need big tanks with lids on. Rope fish are good escape artists. There is so much misinformation in this video coming from somebody in the trade, who is supposed to be knowledgeable about his stock, that it beggars belief.

[@KKsFish]

I have a senegal Bichir, Chinese Algae Eater, Dojo loach and tmrw im looking to buy either a dragon fish (violet goby) and a ropefish to add to my oddballs.

[@KKsFish]

Ended up getting a large featherfin squeaker synadontis catfish, 2 eclipse catfish and a violet dragon goby today instead.

[@minsoochung4616]

What's the website you selling fish? Thxs.

[@thefishfiles]

HTTPS://www.Aquariumfish.com

[@rickywoods3101]

Why would you want a wild caught instead?

[@phantomgecko3712]

Breeding, he explained the F1 etc. if you want a pure line, you want to start at F0, if you aren’t a breeder it’s not nearly as important

[@Grootsleftacorn]

Not only for breeding,they are more robust with healthy immune systems, you can order 100 neon tetras from local breeders and 30-60 can and will die even with float and drip acclimation,but you overnight the same 100 from someone who has wild ones maybe 10-30 will be lost more than likely but your more often to get a full surviving order from suppliers with wild caught fish

[@rahulbarnwell1536]

Something wrong with that roap fish it can't stay down

[@curvingfyre6810]

Global warming has absolutely killed fiah

[@GuppyDundee]

Iis that catfish alive ? The viewiing tanks are terrible.

[@GuppyDundee]

Now them cococats look way better

[@phantomgecko3712]

Adult catfish never look very lively midday

[@technomad9071]

soo mo lia?? wtf is that??

[@MZUNGUWILLY]

I rarely heard so much bullcrap together haha. Go back to your books and biology!

[@majorbruster5916]

Asante sana, willy.