# FW cudas and Hepsetus Odoe (African Pike)?



## ColdCanuck (Apr 13, 2004)

Already have the Falcatus, just wondering if adding a similarly sized (maybe slightly larger - ie. 5-6") african pike would work. I understand the pike can get larger than the cuda in the wild and I've heard the pike might be a little more aggressive. Any thoughts on this? Acestro?


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

I'll be honest, I don't know. I've seen it done and I think those pike are really nice looking animals. I too have heard that they are more aggressive.


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## ColdCanuck (Apr 13, 2004)

acestro said:


> I'll be honest, I don't know. I've seen it done and I think those pike are really nice looking animals. I too have heard that they are more aggressive.


 Hey! Thanks for getting back so fast









Yeah, I really like them too. Similar to the cudas, and of course I really think those types of fish are the coolest. Reason I'm asking is I'd like to add one or two more tankmates since my "herd" has kind of thinned out in the last month (only 2 fish at the moment







). LFS had some 5-6 inch pike a month or two ago - they're probably all gone, but I figured I'd go have a look-see. I was at a different location today thinking about picking up another datnoid, but the ones they had didn't have very vivid markings, so I passed. If I don't get a pike, I'm not sure what I'd go for. I have very particular tastes...


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## fwlion (Nov 7, 2003)

I'm wondering the same thing can I keep the 2 together I've got 4 red tail barracudas coming to me on Mon.


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## ColdCanuck (Apr 13, 2004)

fwlion said:


> I'm wondering the same thing can I keep the 2 together I've got 4 red tail barracudas coming to me on Mon.


 Well, looks like I have an answer. A guy on predfish.net said he had a cuda and pike in the same tank (about a 90 gal I'm figuring) and they got along fine. They started at 4 inches and eventually grew to 6 before he sold them. Posted a pic of them together if you want to go over and check the thread I started about it.


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## baddfish (Feb 7, 2003)

that is correct but he also had a few OTHER species with them. Put the 2 together (alone) and i'll give your cuda LESS THAN 6 months before it becomes just another bad memory.


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## piranha45 (Apr 8, 2003)

baddfish are you assuming by pike he means northern pike? or pike cichlid, or what?

yeah a northern pike would outgrow your cuda and gulp it, not to mention a northern pike really cant be kept in a 90g for very long anyway.


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## ColdCanuck (Apr 13, 2004)

piranha45 said:


> baddfish are you assuming by pike he means northern pike? or pike cichlid, or what?
> 
> yeah a northern pike would outgrow your cuda and gulp it, not to mention a northern pike really cant be kept in a 90g for very long anyway.


 I'm assuming he is in fact thinking of Hepsetus Odoe, not the Northern Pike. I'm hearing from a few people now that an Odoe would likely outgrow a cuda and would be the more aggressive of the two. I'm just wondering if I got an odoe that was maybe a couple inches smaller than the cuda (say 4" when my cuda's 6") if that'd work better? I'd just really like to have a tank with those two species work out.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

From what I've seen and know (but again, not experienced) a large tank will alleviate all of this (cudas are plenty fast if not cornered).


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## piranha45 (Apr 8, 2003)

I'm pretty unfamiliar with pike/cuda characins. Is the hepsetus genus closely related to acestrorynchus or not? are both regularly available in the trade?


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Somewhat related (both, of course, are nowhere nearly related to true barracuda or pike) because they are characins but not really close. Some researchers have put hujeta gars and acestros close but the tigerfish, african pike, f/w cuda link is mostly convergence on a toothy and shiny form.


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## piranha45 (Apr 8, 2003)

do they have similar/identical behavior/care requirements in the aquarium, excluding size differences? Are all Hepsetus species a good deal larger than acestros?


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## Vampor (Feb 15, 2003)

Im not sure if you can keep it with a african pike, i have one and it strikes evrything that goes down the water, even if its my hand or other fish... but if you gonna try divide the tank in two and then add the fish to see how they react...


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## con man (Mar 7, 2004)

african pike cichlids or african pike? pike cichlid only stays aroun 8-10 inch mark


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