# anyone own a barracuda?



## epicseller2012 (Mar 1, 2014)

I'm just wondering if anyone has housed a
Rhamphochromis cf. macrophthalmus?
personal experience with them?


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## jw85 (Dec 24, 2013)

They are awesome. I got my 14 months ago. He has grown from a tiny little bugger of ~2 inches and looking like a golf pencil with eyes to a manly fish longer than my hand.

He isn't aggressive at all, and the other fish seem to leave him alone. Not a super colorful fish, but ventral fins and eggspots are a very bright yellow, almost like yellow lab yellow. Has awesome teeth.

Assuming you have a good size tank, I'd say you can't go wrong. Mine is my favorite fish.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Any pics jw?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

I've had them in the past too... interesting fish... no pictures though.


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## PhinFan1981 (Nov 15, 2014)

I had one about 15 years ago and he was about 6 inches long when he tried to eat a fish about 3 inches long and it killed him.It got lodged in his throat. They are cool for a short while but dont do very much worth watching in the tank. I used to keep all large predatory fish. One day my fish supplier traded me my first dozen African cichlids for an overgrown Arrowanna and I fell in love and never looked back. Back then my favorites were Arrowanna and the big predatory catfish.If I remember correctly the barracuda grows to 2-3'. If you are looking for barracuda chat/pics I think their is a website called monster fish keepers.


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## jw85 (Dec 24, 2013)

I'll make a video of him later. I suck with pics.

I don't think we are taking about the same fish PhinFan. This is a hap cichlid, not the barracuda most non-cichlids owners would think of, and not really comparable to an arowana. They grown to 12 inches.


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## PhinFan1981 (Nov 15, 2014)

LoL. I thought we were talking about actual Barracuda. I was wondering why it was posting on Malawi.I haven't heard of a barracuda Hap...but then again Im a mbuna guy. The only hap I own is a single Fryeri in my all male mbuna tank.


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## jw85 (Dec 24, 2013)

Haha.

So, I've been dealing with some issues in my tank, and it looks like ****, so I'm going to not make a new video - ha.

You can see him in this one. The video is from nearly 4 months ago - I can tell he is bigger now.

He comes in and out throughout the whole video, but I zoom in on him around the 2:04 mark.


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## Marconi (Oct 7, 2013)

Sooooo cool...and real nice tank


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Love the huge Spilonotos!

Dude... jw....you need a background. Stat. Glossy black is the best IMO.


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## jw85 (Dec 24, 2013)

Ha, yea, I loved that background when I saw it in GoofBoy's tank, but once I had it set up I knew it wasn't for me.

(Un)luckily for me, when a seal in that tank gave out I had to buy a new (pre-drilled) tank, so I went with a black background and a brand new rock aquascape with no plants - I can't wait to show if off, haha.


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## epicseller2012 (Mar 1, 2014)

beautiful tank!


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## epicseller2012 (Mar 1, 2014)

how big was he before you could sex him? mines maybe 4 inches.


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## jw85 (Dec 24, 2013)

I trusted the vendor (a site sponsor). They said they had a tank of them and even at a small size they felt comfortable picking me out a male. It sounded to me like I got the dominant fish from the tank that displayed good egg spots. They also made be believe they would vent them.

I see you already posted vent pics, I'd assume that is the only sure fire way to do it. I don't trust egg spots.

Its been 14 months now and I haven't seen any indication that my guy is a girl. So they were either lucky or it is possible to tell at a small size.


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