Amazon Project starts (pics)

[Peanut_Power]

Hmmmm.....lookin great man!! You should invest in some of the Hoplarchus psittacus from Rapps!! Would look awesome in there! Didn't see any pbass though! That would really round off the list!! Or are you trying to stay away from the larger predatory cichlids?

 

[evilxyardxgnome]

Ya it would be nice to see some pbass in there.

 

[lambari de sanga]

First of all, congratulations Matt!!! for your work and for sharing this experience with us. For me it is the best topic ever, not only because the fish that are very good but the chance to see behind the scenes. As someone has said, that is where the magic happens.

Talking about the backstage:

Just the spray bar is the 1100 number, the rest is fed up from under the gravel.

I would like to have an idea of why is that necessary and how did you build it? Is there any false botton? Doesnt the sand clog the return? Does it cover all the botton area?

Another thing I got curious:

... We have all the pacu in now...and NO, I DON'T WANT MORE. We have 7 adult blacks (over 40 lbs), 6 juvie red belly and an adult group of piractus. That is enough pacu for me. Our blacks are already spawning! That is a great way to kill your bio filter, let me tell ya! Oh and the midas are pair off and spawning as well. We've got a ton of fry already.

How about the pacu spawning??? Here in Brazil, we call "piracema" (reads anything like py-rah-ceh-mah) the spawning season of a majority of fish that goes up the rivers to breed. It means that these fish seems to need running waters. In fish farms, they dont spawn naturaly in the tanks. They are induced (injected) with hormones and when they produce eggs and sperm, they are taken from the water, have their bellies squizzed, male after female and the eggs are externaly fertilized. Then returned to the tank.
Are your blacks spawning into the community tank? Tell us... That would be amazing.
And the last: why is it a great way to kill your bio filter?

Thanks and congrats again!
Tomaz

 

[Zoodiver]

The black pacu spawned in our holding tank. The eggs clogged the filter rather quickly, and it required backwash after backwash to clear it out. We also removed eggs with fine mesh nets. A side issue was the ammonia in the holding spiked very high, and we had to remove all the fish almost right away. Even after several MASSIVE water changes, we ended up having to 'restart' the system and start over with cycling the tank.

As for the reverse undergravel, there is somewhat of a false bottom to the tank, so that the return pipes are not in contact with the actual substrate. This prevents the lines from plugging with sand.

I tired to peacock bass, and maybe someday I'll get them. Other than my good experiences with them, everyone else here seems to think they will pick off too many smaller fish. From what I have seen, if you switch them to prepared foods when they are small, they stay on them. The fear is that they will eliminate out school over close to 400 silver dollars (with over 200 more still in holding growing up).

 

[SHeRRiO]

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!

I really cant find words to thank you , I spend HOurs watching the LiveCam, its like a dream !!!
I hope I can catch you one day feeding them, as you said ''If you are watcing the webcam today (and everyday from now on) at 2:30 PM (Central time in the US), you'll see me in the water feeding'', is that when you really dive with them ? I'll try to stay tuned 2:30 pm central time, iam 7 hours ahead, time difference sux, keep the good work going, YOU ARE THE BEST and I MEAN IT !!!!

 

[Zoodiver]

Right now the announced feeding dives have been cut back to just Monday and Friday at 2PM (Central time). I'm getting in a lot more than that, but they happen when I have time in my day....so it's hard to get word out.

 

[Zoodiver]

Here's the video of moving the arapaima from holding to the main display. I'm the short guy who tosses the blanket and lands on him - and the last one into the water as we release him. Yes, that is me grunting when he hits my chest while trying to subdue him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg3lTIch5f0

 

[Arachnar]

Wow very nice, wish Boise had a public aquarium.

 

[awk]

Absolutly gorgous.

 

[TheMightyOscar]

this place is looking awesome since i last posted here, great job!