Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey there,

I just signed up for the forum today, but I have been reading all of your posts for quite some time & usually get the answer I am looking for. I have a Dwarf Caimen & I am almost finished with the new enclosure I made for him I got the instructions from the GARF site on how to build a plywood & glass enclosure & then I added my own concepts to creating what I think will be a very sharp looking tank.

I was wondering if there are any fish that I can keep in the tank that my caimen will not use as a food source. in example can i maybe keep an Oscar or two in the tank ?? If the fish is large enough, do you think the caimaen will leave it alone ? Just wondering. Any feed back will be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris

Virtually anything that can be killed, will be killed eventually.

The only reason I ask is because at the Bronx Zoo in New York, I saw they had Dwarf Caimens being kept with turtles & a fairly large group of dark colored fish about 12 to 18 inches in legnth.i WISH i KNEW what type of fish they were, but I assume they were not food because they were quite large...(even for a caimen).

Thanks for the feed back.
What are your thoughts on keeping tutles in the same enclosure with 1 dwarf ? Will this possibly cause health problems for my caimen ?

Thanks,
Chris

your caiman will probably either lose toes or will have damage to them. Most water turtles will attempt to feed on the toes. I wouldn't recommend housing them together unless they are in a very large habitat.

Bill

I was wondering if there are any fish that I can keep in the tank that my caimen will not use as a food source. in example can i maybe keep an Oscar or two in the tank ??

I have seen large fish such as large Oscars kept with dwarfs up to about three and a half feet in large and deep enclosures with apparently no problems. However I have not tried this. I prefer to keep fish that I don't really care if the caiman eats and add more fish from time to time as they are eaten. Safer that way.

Seth

Thanks Seth,

What kinds of fish do you stock your tank with as food ? I've only used comets so far, but they are a bit expensive & usually get eaten in the first day or two. Any suggestions ???

Thank you.

I kept some Jack Dempsies in with mine until the fish started to have babies. But I have thought about this to, I have tried numerous other types of fish and they have all been eaten or killed, or in a couple of cases damaged beyond recognition. But I ill keep trying until I can find something that my gators won't eat. Good luck yourself on your conquest.

Michael

Thanks Seth,

Thank you.

I catch my own fish from drainage ditches that abound in my part of the country. Usually mosquito fish or Feral Sail Fin Mollies but sometimes little bluegills and other misc. fish. I got some store bought fish and my experiences mirror yours. They were all eaten or just killed in just a few days. Wild fish are much faster and live much, much, longer on an average before being caught. I don't know where you live but if its in the south U.S.A. Just get a long handled fine meshed dip or landing net and go catch something. Most man made drainage ditches are full of native and feral wildlife and are a lot of fun to poke around in, even for adults. If you live in the North you will probably have to wait for spring. For having a lot of fun and finding a lot of neat stuff fast a nice man made drainage ditch can't be beat in my opinion.

P.S. Caimans Love crayfish to.

Seth