# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna >  do altums eat small fish?

## Tristan

hi guys..
do altums eat smaller fish like neons and danios?

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## Simon

nothing is for certain.. depending on individual

mine like cardinal, pencilfish, yamato

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## sherchoo

The norm is is the fish that can fit into the mouth, it may end up as dinner. But it all depends on the fish itself. Sometimes, although it's carnivourous, it may not attack other fishes. Maybe fir those reared from very young in a tank may not whack the fishes. 

$0.02

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## UnderWaterWorld

I also think it also depends on how hungry your altums are, if u din feed them for sometime, they might make your smaller fishes as dinner... some others may turn to tear up your plants. :Wink:

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## Simon

> ----------------
> On 12/22/2001 1:07:47 AM 
> 
> some others may turn to tear up your plants. 
> ----------------


they do?[:0] [:0]

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## DEA

ehh wilson so fast jump ship liao  :Wink:  
but i never see altum tear up plants before though
my discus used to snip off my tenellus and blxya japonica
not to eat
for FUN [:0]

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## UnderWaterWorld

Simon: Mine last time like to tear up my Cambomba and E stellata young leaves... but it mati some time back [ :Knockout: ]

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## David

hi tristan.....like what everyone has mentioned....but confirm for sure if you have any shrimps like malayan or yamatoes .....will be eaten, or chased till the jump tank.....and errrh altums do nip off plants but not to eat and like what DEA has mentioned for fun!!!! :Sad:

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## Tristan

wa.. like that har? ok... thanks guys...
just wondering... cuz whenever i see those planted tanks will about 5 altums and hundreds or cardinals... always wonder why the cardinals never end up as lunch... :Smile:

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## DEA

they do
just that there're a lot of them 
and only 5 altums
if they aren't fed i can confirm + guarantee the cardinals will go

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## Tristan

oh.. ok.. so what would make a good tank mate for altums? heckels?[ :Grin: ]

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## David

if the 5 are the super big ones like in the Taiwan Shop confirm sure eaten in two days.....[:0]

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## Simon

i notice my altums goes into hunting mode after lights off..  :Mad:

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## UnderWaterWorld

Anyway, altums are a kind of cichlid, I am not surprised that they eat shrimps, snails and tearing up plants like their African counterparts... :Wink:

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## sadie

I've recently witnessed my altums makan-ed two malayan shrimps. They seem to digest pretty quick. In morning you see their belly round (with food) and full but by mid noon they are almost flat again. Big eaters.

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## Tristan

woah... someone once told me that altums are shy and peaceful fish.....

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## David

shy to the point of being chicken yes.....peaceful not really.....their disputes usually last to a few pecks and a short chase unlike discus which the alpha will chase the rest round and round the tank...all day long :Sad:

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## Simon

> ----------------
> On 12/22/2001 11:49:21 PM 
> 
> woah... someone once told me that altums are shy and peaceful fish.....
> 
> ----------------


who told u?? Altums are shy but never peaceful.. they hunt by nite or in the dark

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## ectan

I guess my Altums are unique, in a way they are quite the opposite from the others.

Mine are never shy, from day 1. They will swim right up to you, ready to be fed. They even feed right off my hands.

They definitely like shrimps. Used to have hundreds of them, now hardly sees the the shrimps anymore. On 3 occasions, I saw them attacked &amp; ate my Oto. They leave my Golden Tetras &amp; Pencilfish alone though.

And mine actually eat plants, &amp; not for fun.
They like to nip on pointed leaves of the tenellus &amp; Blxya japonica.
They also like to pull off the Java moss, strand by strand, &amp; eating them.

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## Simon

kekeee.. ectan, what u feed your with?

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## ectan

Frozen bloodworms, brimeshrimps &amp; dried pellets.

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## Simon

mine used to luv beefheart, flakes and bloodworm.. but now, they onli like bloodworm.. wonder y the sudden change of taste

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## David

hi ectan

guess that would be the first and the last time they ate an otto? :Smile:  

anyway still going to the taiwan shop to see the XL altum........*sign* think my tougue is still dangling somewhere in the shop.[ :Grin: ]

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## Redarmy

Have u guys ever c the altum tank @ Gen X ...

So far the altums seems to be living peacefully with the Yamatos + Malayan shrimps ... how come they are not eaten ???? Any idea y ????

BTW the "XL" altum 2 Taiwan shop selling for S$150 each !!!!

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## DEA

why don't you ask justin about how many shrimp he has to keep on adding into that tank?  :Smile:

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## David

redarmy

you should ask the guy wearing glass when the lady is not around.....can get lower[ :Grin: ]

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## LiquidFX

Yeah, the guy wearing glasses is quite a friendly guy. I was initially turned off by the attitude of the other staff in the shop, but the glasses guy quite helpful (almost wanted to type make me turn on).

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