Building My 50,000 Gallon Monster Mega Tank

arapaimag

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Sep 13, 2005
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Where are you thinking of putting the attu?

Have you ever had large iridescent sharks before?
I'm going to move the attu up in tank size slowly it might eventually get the 15k and if the Wallgo leerii passes away maybe the 52k

Yes I have had the P. sanitswongsi twice in the big tnk. I lost 6 thirty six inchers in 2004. I had 3 smaller ones in the tank in the 2006/7 period but gave them away to another hobbyist with an indoor pond because they were bothering the Arapaimas and Arowanas during feeding.
 

Good_Times

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May 16, 2011
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South-Africa
I find that the Hydrocynus I have had are very skitterish and although they are tough among themselves they are very delicate when receiving bites from other fish. They also are easily injured and seem to lose scales easily, just bumping into plants or other objects. Perhaps when they are large they are a lot tougher but since I have never even owned one that reached 20" yet I can only relate to my own experiences.

I know that you are very restricted in what fish are legally owned in South Africa. I don't think from the list I saw on your South African fish forum that you can keep Hydrocynus as pets. Is that right?
Yup among the 12 pages worth of species names Hydrocynus Spp "African Tiger Fish" is one of them. It's interesting the tough behavior towards their own kind, but the lack thereof against other aggressive species. I guess it's because in their natural environment there aren't other aggressive mid/top water dwelling species as-well as the expanse of the water body, but they still put up a heck of a fight when hooked.

By the way how is you're notorious Dovii, is he still around and kickin?
 

PIE.

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Dec 22, 2011
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P. sanitswongsi is an amazing fish (though I can only dream of keeping them). Sorry about your sharks...
Are you interested in P. hypophthalmus?

Megalodoras uranoscopus (Giant Raphael Catfish) is a nice yet peaceful monster. Do you have any?

I have also heard that you had/have a Asian Redtail Catfish that didn't grow big. Is it alive and well?

Sorry about all the questions but I am really interested in your monster tank and fish. :)
 

arapaimag

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Sep 13, 2005
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Yup among the 12 pages worth of species names Hydrocynus Spp "African Tiger Fish" is one of them. It's interesting the tough behavior towards their own kind, but the lack thereof against other aggressive species. I guess it's because in their natural environment there aren't other aggressive mid/top water dwelling species as-well as the expanse of the water body, but they still put up a heck of a fight when hooked.

By the way how is you're notorious Dovii, is he still around and kickin?
It is a shame that so many fish are banned.

You still however seem to have a lot of serious hobbyists that enjoy the species that are available.

I have seen several tanks of hobbyists on Predatory Fish Keepers (Singapore website) that have theirs in with several species of fish and have no problems.

The Parachromis dovii in the 15,000 was killed in 2009 by the even more notorious Black nasty. My 26" Morulius chrysophekadion.

My Black shark was amazing in his killing spree over the years.

In 2003 he killed a 5 foot 5 1/2" (166 cm) Arapaima arapaima that weighed 125 lbs (56.8 kg). Between 2003 and 2004 he killed 4 Phractocephalus hemioliopterus. The smallest was over 36" (90cm) and the largest was 52" (132cm) an weighed about 90lbs (41kg). We eventually drained the tank down to about 3 feet and caught him. After that I kept him in smaller tanks between 225 and 360 gallons (851 litres to 1362 litres) from 2004 to 2007 in the colder months and in outdoor ponds in the warmer months. In 2007 I thought he would be OK with smaller fish found in the 15,000. So I stupidly put him in the 15,000 in the fall of 2007. The first night in he killed my largest Atractosteus tristoechus who was only about 24" (60cm). Then the second night he killed my old Dovi who had been measured at 22" (56cm). Friends then got in the 15,000 and caught him he noe resides once again in the small tanks over the winter months.

I do still have another Parachromis dovii in the 52,000. He is about 18" and although generally peaceful was very vicious in the past and is a beautiful fish.
 

arapaimag

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Sep 13, 2005
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P. sanitswongsi is an amazing fish (though I can only dream of keeping them). Sorry about your sharks...
Are you interested in P. hypophthalmus?

Megalodoras uranoscopus (Giant Raphael Catfish) is a nice yet peaceful monster. Do you have any?

I have also heard that you had/have a Asian Redtail Catfish that didn't grow big. Is it alive and well?

Sorry about all the questions but I am really interested in your monster tank and fish. :)
The Pangasius sanitswongsi is just an incredible fish and more so as it grows. When I had my six 36" inchers (91cm) they actually acted just like sharks do as they circled food at the bottom of the tank.


The key was watching them from above.


They strut themselves just like a small group of sharks do.


The P. hypopthalmus is a nice fish (I've owned some) but mine lacked the behavioural character exhibited by the P. sanitswongsi from about 12 inches (30cm) up.


Megalodoras uranoscopus are a really nice Doradidae and I have owned 2 (when they were sold as M. Irwini). I only managed to get the longest living one to get to 16" (bought at 2 1/2" in 2000 from Jerry Draper at the Tropical Fish Room in Brantford). I kept them originally in a 810 gallon (3066 lire) tank then moved them to a 560 gallon (2119 litres) tank instead of the 15,000 gallon ( 56,781 litres) because they were very slow to get to food and perhaps would have starved in the 15,000. The last one died in 2010. I have been tempted to replace them but have not done so yet........


Actually I still have a Hemibagrus nemurus that was at one time sold as Mystus nemurus and called in stores in both the USA and Canada called the Asian red tail catfish.


The true Asian red tail catfish is actually Hemibagrus wickioides and I have never owned one. This also is why perhaps most hobbyists buying what they thought was the Asian red tail catfish never got them to the large sizes that the real Asian red tail catfish can grow.


I have over time owned 5 individuals of the H. nemurus species starting in 1990. The only one I still have is a gold form that I purchased from Jake at the Fish Place in North Tonawanda (USA) in January 1997 at 3 1/2”. It is only 15” long now and has not grown at all for the past few years.


I really did not know what species of Mystus it was at the time having never seen one in the gold form before.


The fish was housed originally in smaller tanks 50 gallon to 180 gallon (189 litres to 681 litres). In time it made its way to the 15,000 (56,781 litres). As I culled out larger fish in that tank it became the nastiest fish in the 15k even dominating the larger vulture catfish Calophysus macropterus. When catching a few bigger fish out of the tank in Feb 2010 my friends caught it and I moved it eventually to a 120 gallon (454 litres) tank. It was not compatible with any other smaller fish so I moved it about 3 months ago to the 52k (196,841 litres) It made its way into the rock structures and I might never see it again but it will have a great life eating smaller fishes living there.

Btw This forum is all about sharing our experiences and you might as a hobbyist be surprised how much they differ among MFK members keeping the same species of fish.

Glad you are now a MFK member and please have a fantastic New Year.

in just over 58 hours assuming you are using the Gregorian calendar.........

PIE reminds me of Pi
 

arapaimag

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MFK Member
Sep 13, 2005
2,265
70
2,068
Quaoar
The Pangasius sanitswongsi is just an incredible fish and more so as it grows. When I had my six 36" inchers (91cm) they actually acted just like sharks do as they circled food at the bottom of the tank.




The key was watching them from above.




They strut themselves just like a small group of sharks do.




The P. hypopthalmus is a nice fish (I've owned some) but mine lacked the behavioural character exhibited by the P. sanitswongsi from about 12 inches (30cm) up.




Megalodoras uranoscopus are a really nice Doradidae and I have owned 2 (when they were sold as M. Irwini). I only managed to get the longest living one to get to 16" (bought at 2 1/2" in 2000 from Jerry Draper at the Tropical Fish Room in Brantford). I kept them originally in a 810 gallon (3066 lire) tank then moved them to a 560 gallon (2119 litres) tank instead of the 15,000 gallon ( 56,781 litres) because they were very slow to get to food and perhaps would have starved in the 15,000. The last one died in 2010. I have been tempted to replace them but have not done so yet........




Actually I still have a Hemibagrus nemurus that was at one time sold as Mystus nemurus and called in stores in both the USA and Canada called the Asian red tail catfish.




The true Asian red tail catfish is actually Hemibagrus wickioides and I have never owned one. This also is why perhaps most hobbyists buying what they thought was the Asian red tail catfish never got them to the large sizes that the real Asian red tail catfish can grow.




I have over time owned 5 individuals of the H. nemurus species starting in 1990. The only one I still have is a gold form that I purchased from Jake at the Fish Place in North Tonawanda (USA) in January 1997 at 3 1/2”. It is only 15” long now and has not grown at all for the past few years.




I really did not know what species of Mystus it was at the time having never seen one in the gold form before.




The fish was housed originally in smaller tanks 50 gallon to 180 gallon (189 litres to 681 litres). In time it made its way to the 15,000 (56,781 litres). As I culled out larger fish in that tank it became the nastiest fish in the 15k even dominating the larger vulture catfish Calophysus macropterus. When catching a few bigger fish out of the tank in Feb 2010 my friends caught it and I moved it eventually to a 120 gallon (454 litres) tank. It was not compatible with any other smaller fish so I moved it about 3 months ago to the 52k (196,841 litres) It made its way into the rock structures and I might never see it again but it will have a great life eating smaller fishes living there.


Btw This forum is all about sharing our experiences and you might as a hobbyist be surprised how much they differ among MFK members keeping the same species of fish.


Glad you are now a MFK member and please have a fantastic New Year.


in just over 58 hours assuming you are using the Gregorian calendar.........
 

arapaimag

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MFK Member
Sep 13, 2005
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Quaoar
WHAT! I just looked up a black shark... that thing killed a pima!?! How? They dont look like they could hurt anything at all...
Yes, That little 2" (5 cm) black shark ) develops into a terror when it gets past about 12" (30 cm). On large fish like red tail cats and Arapaimas it sucks holes through their skin and in time they succumb to the number of open wounds getting infected and they die. I was however surprised it could kill the wolf cichlid in one night.

My guy was bought in March of 1992 at 1 3/4" from a store no longer in business.
 
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