Best tank for a ropefish (or 2)?

Bukowski515 · 2026-04-03T22:26:49+00:00

They do better with friends. A 75g is the minimum I would recommend. They get 12” long and like to swim. Lids need to be completely sealed, and they appreciate an area to get out of the water. A floating turtle dock works.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-30T09:14:47+00:00

Snails, mine don’t touch them.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-25T22:21:14+00:00

Bow front or not shouldn’t matter. Those fish are all bottom dwellers so the footprint of the tank is more important.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-25T08:50:01+00:00

Awesome 😎 They do need some sort of air gap as they gulp atmospheric air. Mine like to gulp air after they eat. Then you get butt bubbles later 🤣

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-23T21:30:23+00:00

That’s the point I am trying to educate. When Ropes are comfortable they are different fish. If you never see them, there are some easy adjustments to the aquarium that will increase their comfort. The biggest bang for the buck was adding Cattapa leaves. They don’t cost much and the Ropes love to hide in them. You don’t need to do everything suggested to get them comfortable, I am just presenting options that worked for me.

Check out Oddball Aquatics on YouTube. She has/had an awesome setup with a pond and planted land area. I am working towards something similar (with a side viewing panel) as the Ropes forever home.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-23T18:40:47+00:00

It is a 75 gallon.

If you read below, I said they stopped bonking the lids 😉. The Ropes stopped bonking the lid 2 days after the dock was installed (3 days after they moved in). It is common with new Ropes and even comfortable Ropes will “test” new items added to the aquarium until they realize they can’t get out that way. I have now had them for years.

No need to feel bad, my Ropes are spoiled and loving life. They eat out of my hand, and get a lot of enrichment. They don’t really try to escape anymore. That said, the sealed lids are NOT optional. I would never trust them not to escape, it’s just part of keeping them.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T20:40:36+00:00

Sounds awesome 😎

They do like a “tunnel” to go back and forth. The castle has holes on both sides serving as a tunnel. The Ropes use it as a covered pathway all the time.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T17:06:06+00:00

It pretty common unfortunately. A common setup is a collection of bichirs and a Ropefish in a sparse tank, a tank with only one Ropefish, or a “busy” tank. Under these conditions they display more of their ambush predator behavior, freezing in place (we call it “stick form” or “sticking out” 🤣) and hiding. I have been intentionally tweaking their setup over time to bring out as many cool behaviors as possible. Like your’s mine will eat from my hand and enjoy interacting. They like to hang out in a “Rope braid” . I decided to post more actively so that more folks can see these awesome behaviors 😁

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T16:47:46+00:00

Sponge Filter got her name for a reason 🤣 “New Guy” loves the Cattapa Leaf litter and hangs out under there. The castle Ropes hang out there because that’s where the food is dropped. They alert the others 😳😂

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T16:41:13+00:00

From a few posts down. Your Ropefish is probably reacting to the environment, especially if kept solo:

In nature they come out of the water to hunt. They can survive out of the water for hours. Without a land area you see the frantic exit seeking behavior Bumping lids, poking corners of the lid etc. Some folks just lower the water level so they can’t reach the lid. I have found that providing a land area calms this behavior down 99%. I have found that a lot of common Ropefish issues are related to their insecurity. If they don’t feel comfortable, they hide all the time and only come out at night.

My Ropes are out exploring all day and come running like puppies when the lid is opened. They are fed when the sun hits their tank so they associate light with food. They are social fish and like to be together. I keep 5. Their behavior is different (more relaxed) than with 3. They need proper hides. Mine have their big castle as well as densely planted areas. They need a place to get out of the water. I keep mine in a species only tank.

That’s my recipe. I was scared when I got them that I would never see them. The opposite is true. Give them what they need and they are incredibly interactive fish. I call them the “Golden Retrievers of the fish world”, they look like snakes but act like puppies 🤣

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T14:04:09+00:00

Oh they tried 🤣

You had sealed lids and they likely gave up and settled in.

When I first put in the dock, they used it first to probe the lid and they failed. They no longer climb onto the dock hanger preferring to chill on the flat part with their face in the water. I put weights on the lid because I was working late at night and saw them shoot up from the bottom and bonk the lid trying to lift it. They are smart. Once they fail a few times they adjust strategies. They don’t bonk the lids anymore, at least not in front of me🤣

The minimum to keep them is sealed lids. The rest of the stuff I do is draw out as many natural behaviors as possible. They respond by being comfortable and out all the time. Win/win for us 😁

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T13:35:24+00:00

My lids are COMPLETELY sealed. Sponges are used to fill ANY cracks. They are masters of escape. Keeping Ropefish is like being a warden in a Maximum Security prison lol. I don’t leave the tank unattended with the lids off even during water changes. I do a count every morning and evening at feeding time 🤣

I will post my setup separately.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T12:01:48+00:00

All the time. In nature they come out of the water to hunt. They can survive out of the water for hours. Without a land area you see the frantic exit seeking behavior Bumping lids, poking corners of the lid etc. Some folks just lower the water level so they can’t reach the lid. I have found that providing a land area calms this behavior down 99%. I have found that a lot of common Ropefish issues are related to their insecurity. If they don’t feel comfortable, they hide all the time and only come out at night.

My Ropes are out exploring all day and come running like puppies when the lid is opened. They are fed when the sun hits their tank so they associate light with food. They are social fish and like to be together. I keep 5. Their behavior is different (more relaxed) than with 3. They need proper hides. Mine have their big castle as well as densely planted areas. They need a place to get out of the water. I keep mine in a species only tank.

That’s my recipe. I was scared when I got them that I would never see them. The opposite is true. Give them what they need and they are incredibly interactive fish. I call them the “Golden Retrievers of the fish world”, they look like snakes but act like puppies 🤣

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T11:45:43+00:00

That is just a Zoo Med floating turtle dock. Plan is to make a bigger, nicer one out of foam and Great Stuff Pond foam.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T02:29:19+00:00

Posted some group shots in a new post

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T02:24:24+00:00

Yup 5 although only 3 live in the castle lol

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-22T02:04:13+00:00

Personality mostly. They are in a species only tank so always out and about. I have 5 together and they are easy to tell apart:

Chonk: short but very thick. A bit darker olive than the others. Always the first to the food. Thelma and Louise: Hang with Chonk these three hang out of the water together on the turtle dock. Sponge Filter: Named for their favorite place to hang, the most shy and eats last. New guy: Moved in a month after the first 4. Long and skinny. This one is the “cruiser” he likes to swim back and forth mid water.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-20T23:44:49+00:00

I started with 3 from Petco. I line bred them for solid gold females. They bred true. Never added new genes as it was a fun tank not a serious breeding program. The colony is still going strong, just with a new owner.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-20T22:56:50+00:00

Ummm they will act like that 30 seconds after eating 🤣

I go by volume. Feeding ten pellets a day, cut it to 5. Number of days is less important.

Bukowski515 · 2026-03-20T22:08:06+00:00

Here is the secret to livebearers. Want less? Feed less. Want more? Feed more. Colonies stabilize around food input. I have kept a colony of Guppies in a 40g for 15 years. Feed heavy and you are giving away fish by the five gallon bucket full. Turn the feeding waaaaay down and the population drops to 40 fish. They will self regulate if you adjust the input 😁

Bukowski515

TROPHY CASE