TankBud

Yellowcheek

Elopichthys bambusa

Also known as Giant freshwater barracuda, Yellowcheek carp

FreshwaterFish

Yellowcheek (Elopichthys bambusa)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
59–77°F
15–25°C
pH
7.0–7.5
Adult size
78.7 in
200 cm
Minimum tank
5,283 gal
20,000 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Amur to Pearl river systems, East Asia

Overview

The yellowcheek is a huge, solitary open-water predator for a public aquarium or a large pond, never a home tank. It is for experienced keepers only.

Did you know

The yellowcheek is one of the largest fish in this catalog. Despite hunting like a barracuda, it belongs to the minnow and carp family, a giant relative of the goldfish and the humble pond minnow.

Caring for the yellowcheek

Shops sell the yellowcheek now and then as a slim, silver juvenile. It grows to about 78.7 in (200 cm), and no home aquarium can hold it. Treat this page as a warning rather than a care sheet. Housing an adult means many thousands of liters, and the minimum of 5,283 gal (20,000 L) is really shorthand for do not buy it.

It needs long, open, oxygen-rich, flowing water to hunt in. Keep it at 59 to 77°F (15 to 25°C) and a neutral pH of 7.0 to 7.5. If kept at all, it eats whole fish and other large meaty foods.

The yellowcheek is a fast, restless hunter of the middle and upper water that chases down other fish. It would eat almost any tank mate and injure itself against tank walls, so it can only ever be kept alone. Its breeding is not documented in aquarium terms.

Good to know

Elopichthys bambusa is among the largest predatory cyprinids in the world, reaching over fifty kilograms. A hard knob on the lower jaw fits a notch in the upper jaw, helping it grip the fish it catches. It is a food and sport fish across its range rather than an aquarium subject.

In the wild

The yellowcheek ranges across East Asia, from the Amur basin of Russia and China south to rivers in northern Vietnam. It patrols open river channels after prey. Unlike most fish in this catalog, it is a temperate species, living in cool to warm water.

Common questions

What size tank does a yellowcheek need?

A yellowcheek needs at least 5,283 gal (20,000 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a yellowcheek need?

A yellowcheek is comfortable at 59–77°F (15–25°C) with a pH of 7.0–7.5.

What does a yellowcheek eat?

A yellowcheek, if kept at all, eats whole fish and other large meaty foods.

How big does a yellowcheek get?

An adult yellowcheek reaches about 78.7 in (200 cm).

Related species