# (PICS!) My new Sabertooth Characin



## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

Just picked this guy up yesterday. He was really freaked out so I decided to wait untill tonight to take pics.

I got him from the store I work at. Of course it wasn't that easy. Seeing how I've worked for this LFS for 6 years, I knew the wholesalers in the Atlanta area farily well. I had wanted a Payara since the first time I'd seen one. I saw a post on here about it and that inspired me. I emailed the wholesaler and asked them if they could find some from their shippers in SA. I never got a reply. BUT! two weeks later, "Saber tooth Baracuda" was listed on their availibity list. I knew they had found my fish.

I frantically set up a 20 gallon long rearing tank (will be moved to a 55 then 125, possibly 800+ gal tank in future). I had to do an emergency cycle so I decided I'd give Marineland BioSpria a shot. It's precultured Nitrosoma, Nitrospira, and Nitrobacter bacteria. Cycles your tank instantly. I was skeptical. I added the stuff after I frantically set up the tank and threw some feeders in there. 3 losses out of 16 fish. Not bad.

After 2 weeks of waiting, the bad boy came in. He was very shakey at first, very bleached out. I drip acclimated him over a 3 hour time span. He seemed ungodly happy to be in such a nice tank(I like to brag about my planted tanks, damnit).

Today his stomach was nice and fat so I'm 99% sure that he's eaten some of those platys.

Anyways, here's lots of pics. His name is "Ole Scary Tooth":
View attachment 50753

View attachment 50754

View attachment 50755

View attachment 50756

View attachment 50757

View attachment 50758

View attachment 50759


His current tank:
View attachment 50760


My new goal is to get some feeding pics. Show off those huge fangs.


----------



## marco (Jan 2, 2003)

wow. very nice fish. did you get ti from jon?


----------



## marco (Jan 2, 2003)

nevermind. i see u got it from ur work


----------



## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

Gumby said:


> I got him from the store I work at. Of course it wasn't that easy. Seeing how I've worked for this LFS for 6 years, I knew the wholesalers in the Atlanta area farily well. I had wanted a Payara since the first time I'd seen one. I saw a post on here about it and that inspired me.
> 
> I emailed the wholesaler and asked them if they could find some from their shippers in SA. I never got a reply. BUT! two weeks later, "Saber tooth Baracuda" was listed on their availibity list. I knew they had found my fish.
> 
> [snapback]908048[/snapback]​


Ah, I was a little slow with my smart ass remark


----------



## K fizzly (Aug 27, 2004)

how bgi to they get? nice fishy


----------



## MR.FREEZ (Jan 26, 2004)

K fizzly said:


> how bgi to they get? nice fishy
> [snapback]908152[/snapback]​


*big*


----------



## channafreak (Mar 27, 2004)

I dont think anyone has gotten one over 14" in captivity though. Mysterious death at a foot size.


----------



## Ccoralli (Feb 4, 2005)

very nice fish


----------



## Gordeez (Sep 21, 2003)

Thats f*cking Awesome!


----------



## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Wow, nice little Payara









Congrats, and all the best of luck with it - hopefully he won't die mysteriously, as so many do... Keep us updated


----------



## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

nice fish and pics


----------



## traumatic (Jan 29, 2003)

that fish looks in great shape, nice pics too!


----------



## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

K fizzly said:


> how bgi to they get? nice fishy
> [snapback]908152[/snapback]​


Heh. H. armatus gets around 65cm. Huge, like other's have said. Once he hits around a foot (if it doesn't do the mysterious death thing), I'm going to move it into my 125 with my pygos. Right now he'd make an easy meal for them. In the future I plan on buliding my own 400+ gallon tank. That should make a happy home for him and the piranhas. Thats a good 3-5 years down the road.

I'm happy he's eating though, my biggest fear was that he wouldn't eat because it looked pretty emaciated when I picked him up. A day later there are 2 less plattys in the tank and he's swimmin around all fat and happy









Wewt! Finally aquired my dream fish!


----------



## K fizzly (Aug 27, 2004)

where did u buy him at


----------



## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

Ermm... I know pictures are pretty, but it helps if you read the stuff that goes along with the pictures


----------



## K fizzly (Aug 27, 2004)

hahaha...u noticed huh


----------



## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

nice. hope you can get him nice and large. i've also heard about the mysterious deaths of these fish at a certain size in home aquaria.


----------



## psychofish (Jun 5, 2004)

Great looking fish


----------



## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

dam they are awesome
they were feeding them rosies at the lfs near my house
and they are mean mofo's


----------



## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

Gumby said:


> Heh. H. armatus gets around 65cm. Huge, like other's have said. Once he hits around a foot (if it doesn't do the mysterious death thing), I'm going to move it into my 125 with my pygos.
> [snapback]908793[/snapback]​


good luck with that idea.... you sure as hell are gonna need it


----------



## rbp 4 135 (Mar 2, 2004)

the death at 12 in rule is ususally due to peeps not having large enough tanks, these things moove extreemly fast when feeding, and it is belived that they die of stress from ramming the glass. however a proper sized tank could, and probably would fix this.


----------



## Jagman (Jan 31, 2005)

Look at those teeth!!!!


----------



## thePACK (Jan 3, 2003)

very nice..please keep us updated on his progress...very nice pixs


----------



## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Gumby said:


> I'm going to move it into my 125 with my pygos. Right now he'd make an easy meal for them. In the future I plan on buliding my own 400+ gallon tank. That should make a happy home for him and the piranhas. Thats a good 3-5 years down the road.
> [snapback]908793[/snapback]​












While that would be awesome as hell, in the wild, they eat piranhas dude. Fishermen catch them with piranhas as bait as a matter of fact, there's no way I'd mix those two together.

That's one fantastic fish though


----------



## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

Well by that time the Pygos will be about 7 inches an the Payara will be about 13-14. I doubt either one will eat each other.


----------



## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

Gumby said:


> Well by that time the Pygos will be about 7 inches an the Payara will be about 13-14. I doubt either one will eat each other.
> [snapback]910430[/snapback]​


----------



## pamonster (Jun 26, 2003)

aaw, that is damn awesome!


----------



## JAC (Jan 19, 2004)

Nice, payaras are awesome.


----------



## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Picture a shredded payara or this...

(not a good mix) by the way your fourth shot is incredible!!


----------



## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

JAC said:


> Nice, payaras are awesome.
> [snapback]910749[/snapback]​


You must be a few hours drive from catching these guys eh?


----------



## Fresh2salt (Jul 16, 2004)

sweet fish


----------



## hrdbyte (Feb 2, 2005)

wow I wish I can own one.. your very lucky man....


----------



## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

View attachment 51214


That about sums up why it won't work


----------



## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

very nice fish congrats


----------



## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

The guy is doing great. And I am beginning to realize it'll be a real feat (to say the least) to keep this guy with the Pygos. I'll probably build it it's own huge tank when the time comes around. I've always wanted to try building my own anyway.

I forgot to pick up feeders the other day when I made my run to work to pick up all the stuff I needed to fix up my Pygo tank, but I did get a bunch of Rosy barbs to clean up some hair algae. I put one in the Payara tank for the hell of it. I came back an hour later, no rosy barb and the Payara was sitting there fat as hell looking at me like he was says "What?!? You didn't think I'd eat it?"

So today I picked up some feeder goldfish and tried my damnedest to get some action shots of him eating. He's still very timid around people, so the best I could get were some blury hunting shots. It seems his method of hunting is swimming slowly, almost drifting towards the food, sinking below it, then using his huge pectoral fins to launch himself upward and spear the fish with his teeth.

Here's the pics I did get, although they're boring. Yes, I know, the glass is filthy and the broadleaf sag is dying. Get off muh nuts









View attachment 51219

View attachment 51220


----------



## hughie (Sep 7, 2003)

Awesome.... just awesome!


----------



## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

God damnit, I introduced too many feeders at once and the tank had an ammonia spike. Should have known better with a newly set up tank.

Anywho, Ole Scary Tooth has ich now and he's being treated. I hope he pulls through. I put some quick cure in the tank and cranked the temp up to 83.


----------



## jan (Apr 24, 2004)

Once in a while there is a member that really makes me jealous, and I can tell you that you are one of them









That fish looks awesome and I woud love to own one some day


----------



## greebo (Aug 19, 2003)

3 months on now, hows he doing?


----------



## Avatar~God (Oct 21, 2004)

I love those fish, very mysterious.


----------



## 94NDTA (Jul 14, 2003)

Pictures.....now.


----------



## flyboy (May 11, 2004)

That is awesome! I have heard about the mysterious deaths when they reach about 8 inches, I hope you can beat it. I wouldn't put them with the P's though, as stated above.


----------



## waspride (Jun 13, 2004)

any updates on this guy?


----------



## Methuzela (Apr 27, 2004)

Gumby said:


> Well by that time the Pygos will be about 7 inches an the Payara will be about 13-14. I doubt either one will eat each other.
> [snapback]910430[/snapback]​


i wouldnt doubt it TOO much friend.....they are piranhas and i'm sure if you own more than one youve seen them hunt as a pack.

granted i'd love to see it. really nice fish bro. nice pickup keep us posted


----------



## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

i love your set up man. its amazing lookin. i love the water plants that look like grass.

J-Rod


----------



## psychofish (Jun 5, 2004)

come on, lets see more pics


----------

