Acestrorhynchus altus
The Acestrorhynchus altus inhabits the Amazon and Orinoco rivers in South America. The fish can be found swimming in groups, in small streams with clear water. With the onset of the rainy season, red-tailed barracuda often migrate to flood zones. The fish are quite interesting and will surely appeal to aquarists looking for something exotic to keep in their aquariums. Keeping these fish is not recommended for novice aquarists, due to certain requirements for their maintenance and feeding.
Acestrorhynchus altus has an elongated body shape. The mouth is large, with razor-sharp rows of teeth. The body is silvery, with a golden hue in the reflected light. Belly lighter than the rest of the body. The fins are transparent with an orange tint. The tail plumage is bright red, with a large dark spot at the base. Females are slightly larger than males. The maximum size of fish in nature reaches 23.5 cm. In an aquarium, they are slightly smaller.
The Acestrorhynchus altus is a predatory fish. Keep these fish preferably in a species aquarium alone or in a small group of 3-4 specimens. It should be noted that the red-tailed barracuda keep in flocks while they are young, adult fish prefer to swim alone. It is possible to keep barracudas in a common aquarium with other fish of similar or larger size. All fish that are at least half their size will sooner or later become barracuda food. Also, when buying barracudas, make sure that they are of comparable size, otherwise the smaller ones may be attacked and eventually eaten.
The Acestrorhynchus altus are generally very active and extremely fast fish, which is why the aquarium needs to be large, with a basic minimum size of 250x90cm. Given the fact that the fish spend almost all their life in open water, the aquarium should be a minimum of decoration. If you want to recreate the natural environment of these fish, use sandy substrate, and place several small snags in the aquarium. Anubias and echinodorus bushes can be planted around the perimeter of the aquarium. The aquarium must have a cover, as barracudas red-tailed can jump high out of the water.
Water parameters: temperature 22-28° C, hardness dH 8-15°, pH 6,0-7,5. Efficient water filtration is required, as the fish excrete a lot of waste products. It is advisable to create a small water current in the aquarium, e.g. by routing the water filter outlets along one of the long aquarium walls. A weekly change of up to ½ of the aquarium water with fresh water is required. Do not introduce fish into an aquarium which is not yet biologically balanced.
Acestrorhynchus altus are carnivorous fish. They only feed on live fish, which may cause difficulties for many aquarists. Over time, barracudas can be taught to eat fish meat, but this process is quite lengthy. Like the vast majority of predatory fish, this species should not be fed with mammal or bird meat. The lipids contained in this meat are poorly digested by the fish and may cause obesity or even degeneration of internal organs. Also do not feed barracudas only goldfish, which do not have a high nutritional value.
Reproduction
Acestrorhynchus altus do not breed under aquarium conditions. All fish that occasionally appear in the domestic trade are imported from their natural habitat.
The lifespan of the Acestrorhynchus altus in aquarium conditions is about 8-10 years.
