Size
The largest size is 41.3 inches.
Physical Characteristics and Behavior
This fish’s body is forked at the caudal fin and is long and narrow at the ends. Each of its jaws contains a total of 8 teeth, which is a noteworthy feature of its enormous head. These teeth have pointed, conical shapes. The African Tiger Fish uses its teeth for gripping and slicing rather than ripping. Some of these teeth will need to be replaced during the course of its lifespan. The entire body of this fish is covered in large, iridescent, silvery scales, giving it a silvery blue hue that occasionally develops a golden sheen. Some creatures will have brightly coloured red and yellow fins. The two sexes behave and look alike. However, compared to their male counterparts, women are often stockier and smaller.
Keeping as Pet
- Water Conditions
The Congo River Basin, which contains the Lualaba River and Lake Upemba, and the waters of Lake Tanganyika are home to the native species Hydrocynus goliath. Regular lighting, water that is 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (22.2 to 27.8 degrees Celsius), a pH of 6.5 to 8.0, and a hardness range of 5 to 25 on the hardness scale are the perfect circumstances.
- Tank Size
To house your goliath tigerfish, a tank larger than 10,000 gallons is advised (hint: this will take up a huge amount of room in your living space). However, 15,000-liter tanks would be more than enough to ensure that this fish lives as happily as possible.
- Tank mates
Because they are predator fish and can be very hostile toward tank mates, including those of the same species, this species should always be kept alone in its tank. Young goliath tigers may group together with other fish, especially their larger tank mates. To prevent any mishaps, it could be a good idea to move your tigerfish to a different tank as soon as they reach adulthood.
It is strongly advised against keeping your goliath tigerfish in a tank with lesser fish because they will likely get torn to pieces. Even larger tank mates may be attacked and tried to be killed by this species. You can understand why the goliath tigerfish should be kept alone in its tank without any tank mates as the crocodile is the only predator of this species in the wild. If necessary, the goliath tigerfish may also kill a newborn crocodile in the wild, and many people who live nearby believe that the species is not at all frightened of crocodiles.
- Diet
It is crucial to keep this species of fish separate from other tank mates since they will view them as meals rather than buddies because they are naturally piscivores and will mostly only eat live fish. Although many owners of goliath tigerfish have successfully weaned them upon whitebait and other dead foods, you should eventually be able to feed them food from the shop as long as you feel you can.
If you are able to purchase a baby goliath tigerfish as a pet, feeding them may be simpler since they are easier to wean onto meals like insects, worms, and even shrimp. Live ghost shrimp, guppies, goldfish, and even sizable frozen shrimp are among the most typical foods to feed your goliath tigerfish.
- Maintenance
Due to the speed and power of these fish, there is no need for any decoration other than perhaps a sandy substrate. The best possible water should have adequate oxygen. Due to its extremely energetic swimming style, it needs a huge aquarium.
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