# Do lungfish make good aquarium pets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lungfish-make-good-aquarium-pets/330585 "2005-11-11T16:36:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lungfish-make-good-aquarium-pets/330585/1 "2005-11-11T16:36:08Z")
[They seem to be fascinating creatures](http://www.whozoo.org/Anlife99/lashawn/africanlungfishindex4.htm). Just curious if they would be OK in a home aquarium? How big would it need to be? [Queensland Lungfish](http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/nforsteri.htm) ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lungfish-make-good-aquarium-pets/330585/2 "2005-11-11T17:44:24Z")
Probably not, assuming you mean a home aquarium. Most home aquariums cannot properly accomodate a fish that will reach lengths of up to 2 meters. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lungfish-make-good-aquarium-pets/330585/3 "2005-11-11T18:06:31Z")
Australian Lungfish are not a good idea (and probably not commercially available). [African Lungfish](http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Oddball,%20Lungfish.htm), which are rather different, seem to be available in the pet trade. You would need to keep it by itself since they eat other fish. Size of the tank is not so important (though a large tank would be best for a big individual) since they are quite hardy, and are even able to survive in dry blocks of mud for months on end. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lungfish-make-good-aquarium-pets/330585/4 "2005-11-11T23:00:16Z")
[QUOTE=astroJust curious if they would be OK in a home aquarium? How big would it need to be? [/QUOTE] Well, they need some land, a continent or so, so they can evolve, grow legs, eventually walk erect, make tools, and participate in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contests. You’ll watch for eons with fascination, as your pets wriggle their way up the vertebrate evolutionary ladder. Don’t leave them alone with matches when they get to the “making fire” part. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lungfish-make-good-aquarium-pets/330585/5 "2005-11-11T23:57:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Not readily available as an aquarium species. Only one licenced commercial breeder produces this fish for sale (see [www.lungfishbreeders.com](http://www.lungfishbreeders.com)). All commercially produced fish are micro-chipped and CITES registered, fish may not be taken from the wild. Due to high costs and legal requirement involved in breeding these fish, lungfish are not cheap to purchase, so they are really only suitable for the committed enthusiast. In addition, you may require a licence to hold this species, depending upon local laws. > > Nevertheless, the fish are easliy kept, well mannered aquarium subjects. However, because these fish are very long lived and can grow to a very large size, if contemplating this species you need to be prepared for the long haul. [http://www.nativefish.asn.au/lungfish.html](http://www.nativefish.asn.au/lungfish.html) And with a lifespan of 80+ years they really do mean it when they say long-lived. This is not a pet for Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lungfish-make-good-aquarium-pets/330585/6 "2005-11-12T07:52:04Z")
Years and years ago I worked in an exotic fish store. We had the regular things like mollies and neons, but we also carried carpet sharks, bat fish, sea horses, and hatched reef sharks for special order customers. It really was a cool job (the pay sucked though) We had an African Lungfish in the store for a few months. I think I’m safe in saying just because a lungfish is an interesting animal doesn’t make it an interesting pet. He really didn’t do much. He’d sit at the bottom of the tank most of the time and just stare at you. He was impressive when he ate goldfish though. We used to joke about putting a leash on him and walking him around the block. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lungfish-make-good-aquarium-pets/330585/7 "2005-11-12T14:25:12Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > I think I’m safe in saying just because a lungfish is an interesting animal doesn’t make it an interesting pet. He really didn’t do much. He’d sit at the bottom of the tank most of the time and just stare at you. Since African Lungfish are adapted to living in stagnant water, they need to be good at conserving energy. Their major activity is lurking. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lungfish-make-good-aquarium-pets/330585/8 "2005-11-12T14:31:46Z")
Lurking Lungfish Band name?