Building My 50,000 Gallon Monster Mega Tank

[arapaimag]

You reckon the Arapaima have stopped growing??
What makes you think that??

Only from my experience in keeping them in the past and monitoring the growth rates of a few at public aquariums over the years.

I did not realize that you have raised them. What is your experience in their growth rate?

 

[arapaimag]

This is a 120g tank of malawi cichlids of mine. All I bred and raised together.

 

[arapaimag]

This is a 180g grow up tank of eleven silver dollars (Metynnis argenteus) I bought in 2010 at Aquarium Services in Mississauga at 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" for $1.99 each. I had bought 2 in 2008 at an auction raised them and put them in the 15,000. I noticed they did not always enjoy shoaling with the Myleus and Myloplus in the tank much so decided to get these for them to shoal with when I have raised them to adult size.

The tank has a couple of Synodontus in it including a S. petricola and the eupterus pictured above the head of a 13 year old 12"-13" Pterygoplichthys scrophus.

The Leporinus arcus I am raising for the 15,000. They are sometimes called the lipstick leporinus and I picked three of them up at Dragon Aquarium Mississauga in 2009 for $4.99 each. They were too aggressive to each other to keep in the same grow up tank so I have a second one also in a 180g and the third grew faster and is in the 15,000 already.

I have 4 in the 52,000 and no problems with aggression due to he size of the tank. They are a very smart fish and I put 4 in the big tank in 1995 and they are still in it having neither been eaten or died from old age. I bought those 4 from Aquarium Services London, Ontario in 1993 at 3" for $5.00 each.

 

[arapaimag]

more pictures of the big tank

 

[maxcow]

Do you ever rescue large fish such as Oscars, Pacus, or RTC?

 

[arapaimag]

I have more so in the past.

None of those fish in the past 5 years or more.

 

[Dav]

How meany arapimas do you have it looks like you have 2 in the one picture mate ?
Dav.

 

[arapaimag]

How meany arapimas do you have it looks like you have 2 in the one picture mate ?
Dav.

Yes I have 2 in the tank. Both are the same size and age.

I originally had 3 when I bought them in Oct 2005.

One was a bit smaller than the other 2 and got eaten by the female Wallago leerii when it was about 33" long.

The two I have do not like each other so there are some huge fights.

 

[Dav]

Thanks very much.

I see you live on Mars......Great place to visit and go there often....in my dreams

I'm not sure what you consider large i.e. MONSTER.

Since I have a lot of catfish under 3 feet lets use 3 feet or bigger as Monster.

5 Oxydoras niger ranging in age from 12 years to 19 in my tanks and 36" to 44"

acquired from:
Aquarium Centre, Randellstown Maryland (Dennis Hare)
The Fish Place N. Tonawanda New York (Jake Mang)
Pets Plus Lockport New York (John & Fred Kick)
Randy & Dorothy English Woodstock area Ontario

3 Phractocephalus hemioliopterus ranging in age from 7 to 5 years in my tanks and 36" to 46"

acquired from:

The Tropical Fish Room Brantford Ontario (Jerry Draper)
Sheldon Brantford Ontario

1 Sorubimichthys planiceps 5 years in my tanks and 44"

acquired from:

The Tropical Fish Room Brantford Ontario (Jerry Draper) and Sheldon Brantford Ontario

2 Wallago leerii the male 12 years the female 20 years in my tanks and M 46-48" F 58-60" estimated by my friends who have been in the tank with them.

acquired from:

Female: Aquarium Services Mississauga Ontario (original Dundas St location) (Monty)
Male: The Fish Place N. Tonawanda New York (Jake Mang)

I also have owned a few other catfish over the years that have been 36" or bigger.

Here is a 26" black shark that killed three of my previous Phractocephalus hemioliopterus including my biggest at 90 lbs and 52".

The shark is in a 225g for the picture.

Ha, yes mars is ok bit hot though ,
OMG ....... just under 4 foot niger catfish and redtails I am rather impressed, nice to see someone who can house them with a massive tank, I had one of those black sharks years ago killed my pacu he was about 11" long and pure evil, but 26 inch ! , thats the biggest ive ever seen ive seen them at 20 inch, but god thats a beast, and planiceps are stunning cats, arnt the wallago like welscatfish ?
would love to see some pictures if possible of those beast!
Thanks,
Dav.

 

[Dav]

Yes I have 2 in the tank. Both are the same size and age.

I originally had 3 when I bought them in Oct 2005.

One was a bit smaller than the other 2 and got eaten by the female Wallago leerii when it was about 33" long.

The two I have do not like each other so there are some huge fights.

I bet you lose some water dont you .