Building My 50,000 Gallon Monster Mega Tank

[arapaimag]

You had much experience with RTC x TSN??
and Merodontotus Tigrinus??

I just had the one hybrid which was sold to the original buyer as a RTCxTSN but I am sure had Sorubimichthys planiceps mixed in.

Just a note because I also sometimes in a rush make the error....The genus of a fish's first letter is always capitalized and the species first letter is always lower case. A few people lately have been using capital letters for the first letter of both genus and species notably a few fish forums...but this is not correct.

The Merodontotus tigrinus was named in 1981 and is the popular but incorrect name of Brachyplatystoma tigrinum (Britski, 1981). It became popular as the name we all used due to it books like "an Atlas of Freshwater and Marine Catfishes" by Dr. Warren E Burgess (TFH) and the well read Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine. I know I always called it Merodontotus tigrinus and on dealers and wholesalers lists that is still what it is most often called.

However it appears to be correctly placed in the genus Brachyplatystoma.

I have never had great success with this fish but have owned a few. They need a very strong current and I feel that I have never done a good enough job in this area.

Planet catfish states the maximum size as being 19.7" (500mm) but I have owned 3 that have all exceeded 24" SL (and 28" TL). I have seen one in the late 80's and early 90's that appeared to be around 36" TL.

When the fish first came on the market (around 1983) They sold for $15,000 each with all of them going to Japan and a few to Germany for the first 2 years. When they were first available in North America (1985) they retailed for $7,000 to $8,000. The price came down a lot after that but the first one I bought was in 1991 when they were very pricey still at $2,000 list ( I did get mine for $1,800).

The longest I have kept one alive is 8 years. At present I have a 26" TL Brachyplatystoma tigrinum that I bought at 9" in 2006 from Jake at The Fish Place in North Tonawanda for $375.00

In North America I have seen them sell for under $200.00 (3") a few times. So the price is very reasonable today.

A great fish to own and your proposed 8 foot tank seems ideal.

Here are a couple of pics.

The smaller one got to be 20"tl. The bigger one is still alive and about 28"tl today. The pics was taken a couple of years ago.

 

[arapaimag]

Here is Richard unpacking the 300 foot coil of 1" Pex. It is quite rigid and does not bend as easily as I hoped.

 

[klik339]

this is the coolest thing i have ever seen in my life

 

[mashy51]

this is a real monster

 

[troutking]

I just had the one hybrid which was sold to the original buyer as a RTCxTSN but I am sure had Sorubimichthys planiceps mixed in.

Just a note because I also sometimes in a rush make the error....The genus of a fish's first letter is always capitalized and the species first letter is always lower case. A few people lately have been using capital letters for the first letter of both genus and species notably a few fish forums...but this is not correct.

The Merodontotus tigrinus was named in 1981 and is the popular but incorrect name of Brachyplatystoma tigrinum (Britski, 1981). It became popular as the name we all used due to it books like "an Atlas of Freshwater and Marine Catfishes" by Dr. Warren E Burgess (TFH) and the well read Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine. I know I always called it Merodontotus tigrinus and on dealers and wholesalers lists that is still what it is most often called.

However it appears to be correctly placed in the genus Brachyplatystoma.

I have never had great success with this fish but have owned a few. They need a very strong current and I feel that I have never done a good enough job in this area.

Planet catfish states the maximum size as being 19.7" (500mm) but I have owned 3 that have all exceeded 24" SL (and 28" TL). I have seen one in the late 80's and early 90's that appeared to be around 36" TL.

When the fish first came on the market (around 1983) They sold for $15,000 each with all of them going to Japan and a few to Germany for the first 2 years. When they were first available in North America (1985) they retailed for $7,000 to $8,000. The price came down a lot after that but the first one I bought was in 1991 when they were very pricey still at $2,000 list ( I did get mine for $1,800).

The longest I have kept one alive is 8 years. At present I have a 26" TL Brachyplatystoma tigrinum that I bought at 9" in 2006 from Jake at The Fish Place in North Tonawanda for $375.00

In North America I have seen them sell for under $200.00 (3") a few times. So the price is very reasonable today.

A great fish to own and your proposed 8 foot tank seems ideal.

Here are a couple of pics.

The smaller one got to be 20"tl. The bigger one is still alive and about 28"tl today. The pics was taken a couple of years ago.

The 3 inch ones sell for like $60 if u find the right lfs

 

[arapaimag]

The 3 inch ones sell for like $60 if u find the right lfs

Wow that is cheap.

Nothing under $200 right now in my area for 3" babies.

What store/state are they at for $60 ?

 

[sje106]

tigrnus are around £300 plus for babies at mo. while back i see some at £250 but prices have shot up.

Juruense are around £60 for babes

 

[arapaimag]

tigrnus are around £300 plus for babies at mo. while back i see some at £250 but prices have shot up.

Juruense are around £60 for babes

Wow! that is a big difference from North American prices on the Brachyplatystoma tigrinum (Merodontus tigrinus) to those in Great Britain.

I have noticed the few Brachyplatystoma jurense I have seen to have a price similar to yours though ($100 range).

 

[prcastellanos]

OMG....I thought my starter tank was gonna be expensive imagine this.

 

[arapaimag]

OMG....I thought my starter tank was gonna be expensive imagine this.

What size is your starter tank?