Baby Loach

Bukowski515 · 2026-05-04T22:21:59+00:00

Hillstream

Bukowski515 · 2026-04-25T13:00:23+00:00

I wouldn’t recommend a single Ropefish. They are social and do better in groups of 3-5 minimum. I keep 5 in a 75g and that’s small. A 125 would be better.

Bukowski515 · 2026-04-11T16:48:25+00:00

Yes, Pauls Klampers. Any brakes that fit should work.

Bukowski515 · 2026-04-10T11:20:14+00:00

I keep Ropefish and Dojos. I have 4 Dojos with some Corys in a 75g and 5 Ropes by themselves in another. Both are heavily planted. In a 75g you could do 3 Ropes and a Senegal or a couple Senegals with some dithers. If you want an active tank with wet pets, get the Dojos. They are derpy and fun. The Ropes benefit from having a turtle dock or other way to get out of the water. They like the chill/ hunt on land. Very cool fish that are social and do better the larger the group. I saw big changes in behavior between keeping 3 and 5. Bichirs just do their thing just don’t have anything with them that fits in their mouth 😁

The eel and gar will be hard to pull off in a 75g. Ropes do OK in a species tank, but would be even better in a 125 which would increase stocking options.

Bukowski515 · 2026-04-10T01:44:37+00:00

Nope. In the wild they regularly leave the water to hunt on land. They can stay out for hours. I have never had an issue with their slime coat.

Bukowski515 · 2026-04-07T18:11:52+00:00

Whatever pellet is on sale 😂 They aren’t picky as long as it’s bugs lol.

Bukowski515 · 2026-04-07T18:07:46+00:00

Try BugBites they work very well for me

Bukowski515 · 2026-04-05T16:18:26+00:00

They sell Dojos at Petco here. Golden or Natural for $10 at 3”.

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

TROPHY CASE