Building My 50,000 Gallon Monster Mega Tank

[arapaimag]

You should get a bigger tank!
(sorry, I could leave it)
Is it possible that they get more food and grow larger in a smaller tank without threat?

It is an interesting hypothesis. I think I do need a bigger tank........

Actually I feel there are several reasons.

Not all fish grow anywhere near their maximum size for their species. I did not grow anywhere near the max for my species which is 8' 11 1/2".

The 2 fish I have were raised in small tanks and then traded in to pet stores. The pet stores had no idea of their age so it is conceivable they were as large as they could get in the unknown size of the tanks they were in and then grew a few more inches in my tanks.

Since I was able to get them to eat pellets and flakes, food is not a problem as they also eat smelt, mackerel, herring, trout and salmon and as I mentioned they hunt and catch african cichlids.

Also their size could be related to their parents size.

In a study I read on the web of Morulius chrysophekadion

The maximum size of the same species of fish varied depending on the country they lived in. The difference was very large and was surprising to the
to the researchers.

" Morulius chrysophekadion is one of the large cyprinids. The survey confirmed its distribution throughout the basin, from the northernmost stations in the Lao PDR and Thailand to the southernmost stations in Bassac and the Mekong delta in Viet Nam.

There is some variation in the maximum size attained by this fish in the four countries. In Viet Nam, maximum reported size of Morulius chrysophekadion was 40 cm, while in Cambodia and the Lao PDR it was 70 cm. In Thailand, fishes of 90 cm were reported (about 7 kg), which is considerably higher than the maximum size of 60 cm, reported by Rainboth (1996)."

Since the Notopterus chitala also lives in these areas it is conceivable that size could be related to the area they come from.

A pic of my 26" Morulius chrysophekadion I bought in 1992 at Marine Resources (Sean Wilson) in Brampton at 1 3/4" for $1.75. He is still alive and spend winters in tanks from 225 to 520 gallons and summers in ponds 16/18' by 8'.

 

[arapaimag]

I posted a thread on the Chisembe (Cornish Jack) hunting in Lake Malawi if you missed it try this link. It is an excellent video and an awesome hunter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kILqK3et8OQ

 

[xdolphinsx]

Howoften do you change the water in that thing

 

[lamanuts]

i know you have every fish known to man lol , but i have to ask if you have any goonch catfish(bagarius yarelli)??

 

[mqktandy]

Rolling up on 1 million views. Prob the most viewed aquarium on the web as it should be sense it def the best!

 

[kjfan1]

Let's push for the 1,000,000 mark by the end of February?

 

[arapaimag]

Howoften do you change the water in that thing

I have no regular schedule anymore and keep it flexible because I change water all the time by adding water constantly. I have a skimmer overflow like a swimming pool but the water goes to one of my outside ponds and it is being replaced by well water.

Here are a few recent posts to explain a few common questions I am asked.

Water Changes #2163
Feeding schedule #2162
Removing water #2166
List of fish in 52K #2182

Now I do extra water changes when back flushing the Bead Filters which are done just before every time I feed the fish so that food does not go out the skimmer overflow.

Also whenever Richard or my fishy friends are doing work in the tank like catching fish or work in the boats.

To catch fish I remove between 30,000 to 40,000 gallons.

To do work in the boats I lower it by between 6,000 to 10,000 gallons. It depends on which boats we are using as some sit higher in the water and thus need more water removed.

Here are pics with the water lowered when Richard, Ian and Marco caught 3 Pangasius sanitswongi and another time when Jeff, Scot and Richard were working on the lighting.

 

[JteSchertz]

The day I need a boat to catch a fish out of my tank is the day Im in heaven!!! Awesome tank...love the posts and pics!!

 

[arapaimag]

i know you have every fish known to man lol , but i have to ask if you have any goonch catfish(bagarius yarelli)??

Sadly I don't have a Bagrius yarelli anymore.

I bought one from Oliver Lucanus and Sean when they were Biotope Imports Inc. in Montreal in 1997. It cost $65.00 and was 6" long and called the grandfather catfish (A description seldom used anymore). It was a slow grower and I kept it in smaller tanks under 520g until it was 2 feet. Mine was neither active nor very aggressive.

I the put in into the 52k and SELDOM saw it again. The Wallago leerii drives some catfish to hiding in the back areas of the tank. The goonch found a cave more than 20' from the glass and on the other side of a four foot high reef of lava rock and thus was seldom seen. The last time I saw it was in January/February of 2009. It was only about 36 inches long. I have listed it as dead in my stock list.

 

[arapaimag]

Let's push for the 1,000,000 mark by the end of February?

Kjfan1 and mqktandy I was really surprised when I noticed it had gotten 10,000 views and shocked ever since the number kept rising.

I really credit Noprodigy the founder of MFK for the years of non stop work he has put into this site and the many thousands of serious big fish hobbyists who contribute to it being such a energetic busy site.

Thanks to all of you