Epic Overhaul/Builds: 3D Backgrounds 300g-125g-120g

[Muni]

Sounds good to me. I've got a Home Depot and a contractors discount and I'm not afraid to use it.

I'm hoping to get my 300 up and rolling so I can get an Arowana. Been wanting one for a long time. Haven't decided what else I want to populate the tank with.

Any suggestions?

And thanks for the pics.

 

[JK47]

Sounds good to me. I've got a Home Depot and a contractors discount and I'm not afraid to use it.

I'm hoping to get my 300 up and rolling so I can get an Arowana. Been wanting one for a long time. Haven't decided what else I want to populate the tank with.

Any suggestions?

And thanks for the pics.

Congrats on getting your 300 rolling along bro! I have always wanted an arowana (a black) and have just never pulled the trigger.

Try and track down some larger Satanoperca Daemon. A school of 6-8 or so. They will be too large for the aro to eat, are extremely colorful/peaceful and will occupy two different regions of the tank. They will keep your sand spotless. I NEVER stir mine, they do, lots better than snails... That sand is a little fine for Satanoperca as well but if you keep your intakes mid tank up than you would be fine. They are like a 10" version of orino pbass but peaceful and utilitarian..

(credit to MFK member peathenster for this pic, not me) <<< Peter is the man..

 

[Muni]

Spotted demonfish? Looks interesting.

My intakes are going to be upper level/skimmer type down to my sump. So sand shouldn't be an issue.


The thing I keep running into with the Arowana(and I want a Black too btw) is they grow so damn fast and could potentially eat anything they can fit in its mouth which is a lot. So my choices get narrowed to buying LARGE adult specimens which is more costly or growing some out a bit before they go in the 300, or growing them out in the 300 which pushes my date of actually getting the Aro down the time line. Which I'm not happy about.

 

[JK47]

Spotted demonfish? Looks interesting.

My intakes are going to be upper level/skimmer type down to my sump. So sand shouldn't be an issue.


The thing I keep running into with the Arowana(and I want a Black too btw) is they grow so damn fast and could potentially eat anything they can fit in its mouth which is a lot. So my choices get narrowed to buying LARGE adult specimens which is more costly or growing some out a bit before they go in the 300, or growing them out in the 300 which pushes my date of actually getting the Aro down the time line. Which I'm not happy about.

Yeah that is 100% what I would do but that's just my opinion, I am biased! Once you own them your going to look at them like just as good a centerpiece as the aro, trust me. Honestly I would take to John (snook21) and ask him to bring in a group of adlts for you, he is a great vendor and cost friendly.. You only get to pick your fish once, do it right..! He might cut you a break because all the adults are for you, never hurts to ask?

 

[Muni]

Woo. Houston we may have a problem.

Nice looking fish but just pulled a care sheet for them and they like low PH. I can't do that easily and it conflicts with my Aro which is my goal.

As mentioned above, Spotted Demonfish specimens available for aquarists have usually been collected in Colombian blackwater biotopes and will therefore appreciate such water conditions in the aquarium. Blackwater habitats have acidic and really soft, i.e. a pH-value in the 3.5-5.3 range and water hardiness below 1 dH.

 

[DaveB]

Muni, in my experience, silvers grow way faster than blacks. If you don't powerfeed, a black can grow very slowly. Mine has only gone from 12-16 in the past 19 months.

Now, part of that might be tank size. I think that growth is inhibited by that. My Uaru, for instance, got 6 meals a day when they were in a growout, and at maybe 2.5" I put them into the 125 and they were at 5" nearly overnight, even when only eating about once every 2 days after the move. For that reason, I expect a growth spurt from my black when he finally gets his big home.

 

[Muni]

Muni, in my experience, silvers grow way faster than blacks. If you don't powerfeed, a black can grow very slowly. Mine has only gone from 12-16 in the past 19 months.

Now, part of that might be tank size. I think that growth is inhibited by that. My Uaru, for instance, got 6 meals a day when they were in a growout, and at maybe 2.5" I put them into the 125 and they were at 5" nearly overnight, even when only eating about once every 2 days after the move. For that reason, I expect a growth spurt from my black when he finally gets his big home.

Sounds like I just need to get the fish I want. (compatible of course) and power feed.

End thread Hijack. Lol. Sorry JK47

 

[Conner]

Woo. Houston we may have a problem.

Nice looking fish but just pulled a care sheet for them and they like low PH. I can't do that easily and it conflicts with my Aro which is my goal.

Dang, sounds like I should have had a breeding group of those back when I had my 125g planted tank. I had a digital pH meter, and it was consistently reading anywhere from 3-4.5, depending on how recent the water change was.


Also Muni, pool filter sand is pretty cheap, good for eartheaters, and is a fairly bright white. It has some darker grains mixed in, but it looks pure white compared to that Lapis Lustre that JK is using. It's only $9 for a 50lb bag at any pool supply. Apparently you can also get different colors, but so far I haven't found any pool supply near me that can get it.

 

[Muni]

I'll look into that Conner.

It's interesting to see how the water varies from area to area. I live on a plateau above a river area and have an underground spring that runs through my property. My well water is like liquid rocks with a PH of 7.5-8.5

 

[JK47]

I'll look into that Conner.

It's interesting to see how the water varies from area to area. I live on a plateau above a river area and have an underground spring that runs through my property. My well water is like liquid rocks with a PH of 7.5-8.5

Sorry to re-derail but I broke my laptop so no pics this weekend. I'll have it fixed monday but am stuck on the BB for a bit. If your water is hard, I would add a colony of fronts. Similar to geos in the regions of the tank they occupy. (Clockwork wishes he could keep those)