DeanAsploded

Stocking List Idea is:
3x Sorubim Lima
6x Altifrons Cichlid (Geophagus Altifrons)
10x Brown Hoplo Catfish
2x Giant Whiptail
1x Silver Arowana

Tank Dimensions: 96''36''36''

Tank Setup Includes: Sand substrate, dense planting on both ends, but a clear swimming space with just a few rocks in the front 2/3-3/4 of the tank, and driftwood along the back wall to provide hiding spots for the cats.

The people at PlanetCatfish are telling me the tank is too small for a Silver Aro. (Two people.)
The people at MonsterFishKeepers are telling me that if an Aro was put in there it would be better off than 99% of those in the aquarium trade, and that the tank has PLENTY of room for it. (Seven people.)

So, I come to you, the people of Fishlore, to offer up the same question.
Will a Silver Arowana work in this set-up?

platy ben

An arowana would be absolutly fine, I personally would recommend atleast 150Gallon for an arowana so 500G is fine

Would love to see pics of your tank!

peacemaker92

A Silver Aro requires more than a 150 gal, Ben They are very large and long. So yeah, as Ben said, a 500 is fine but I'm not sure whether it'll be fine with all those fish and in a lightly planted tank. It's a lot of hardwork just to warn you.

platy ben

Oops my bad lol. Thanks peacemaker

MaddieLynn

Well, I think that if there were no other factors to consider, 500 gallons is plenty for a silver arowana. However, they can get to be 40+ inches, and you said your tank is only 36" front to back, so that could potentially be a problem.

peacemaker92

Don't worry about it

Good point there. IMO, if the tank's length is 36", the aro would stop growing when it reaches probably 34-37" due to stunted growth. It's not bad but the aro might just have to get himself dizzy by turning a lot. When it reaches around 34", I'd advise removing or moving some of the fish to another tank.

Tony G.

Agreed, 500g seems plenty for an aro. however the Hoplo's get large too.. and 10 seems like alot... maybe 3 or 4

DeanAsploded

Thank you all for the opinions, but I've actually cut all interest in this tank, due to being accused of being "bad for the hobby. period." at planetcatfish, simply because I mentioned Monster Fish Keepers forum gave a 100% yes on the Aro. So, oh well. I appreciate the opinions so that I may help others in the future with Aros though.

Tony G.

Wait... someone said that to you? You see that's the problem nowadays. Since the person has different opinions they end up being rude about it since they cant face you and tell you in person... They dont feel threatened so they act like jerks, trust me, i've met quite a few.

If you've been given 100% yes on Monsterfish i would listen to them. The folks there are far more experienced with aros than planetcatfish... thats just My opinion. The People at monsterFish know more about them..

Go with what you want

platy ben

I agree, if your'e talking about arowanas the people at monster fishkeepers are the people to trust!

DeanAsploded

P.C. usually goes by 2x the fish length X 4x the fish length for footprints, which is quite a bit more than 500 gallons so I can hardly blame their anger. I'm 5'6''. If I lived in a box only 5'6'' wide my entire life I can imagine the stress, and can therefore understand why they suggest 750-1500 gallons per Aro as opposed to the regular 150-200 that they actually get.

But either way I've been really getting fed up with most fish forums these days, which makes me fed up with aquariums in general. Any moment someone trips up and makes a mistake everyone just starts attacking them. Cripes, my stocking list wasn't even set in stone, I was just considering an Aro, and I got torn into. Meh. It's just really turned me off the idea of setting up the big tank this year.

Tony G.

Dont let them get to you. They're just jealous and like i said dont care for others. FL is totally different. here we try to be as nice and helpful as possible. Sometimes we get a few members who are rude but they soon realize what we are like and turn into nice people

LOL

Ive only been on Fishlore... when it was down i betrayed and joined another one. I was just weirded out LOL it doesnt feel like home ya know?

Dont give up just because you ran into a bad one... there's tons of bad ones out there, but there are also good ones. I guess i am trying to convince you not to give up yet just because you ran into some trouble...

Hope you dont give up..

sirdarksol

Simply because a group is named appropriately doesn't mean they are always right about a topic. For example, seven members of the forum said that the listed stocking would be appropriate, but we're talking about many very large fish. Ignoring swimming space for a moment, the bioload of such a stocking would be enormous, enough that the tank would likely have dangerous levels of nitrates by the end of each day.
I recently ran across a group whose name included the words "wildlife conservation," who want to wipe out half of a species that is barely hanging on in the lower 48. Not a very conservationist attitude.

As far as how the question was answered, I think that both forums answered wrong. DeanAsploded asked a question, which, in my mind, meant he wanted to know if it was a good idea or not, and wanted to learn why.
The PlanetCatfish answer was, perhaps, closer to correct as far as logical thinking goes, but they didn't really foster any learning. Their answer is something akin to mocking a student who asks a question about his/her homework.
The Monster FishKeepers answer was more polite, but again, didn't really foster any learning. Their answer is like an instructor not pointing out errors in a student's project.

My opinion in the matter (aside from the fact that the setup listed is just too much fish for 500g), is that Arowana belong in tanks that are four or five feet on the narrowest side (depth isn't as important, as they are surface fish.) Thus, my opinion is that they belong in more of a pond than a tank.

DeanAsploded, no need to give up on the big tank... just adjust your stock list. Stick with fish that are 20" or less (this will allow you to stock more fish, too), and you'll still be able to put together a brilliant Amazon biotope (I think that's what you're going for... am I right?) with some pretty impressive fish.

DeanAsploded

Leaving the obviously big Aro out all the fish previously planned were under 20''.
Sorubim size: 14''-18'' in most aquariums.
Hoplo: 8''
Altifrons: 12'' for males, less for females.
Whiptail: 9-11''
(Some people claim Sorubims can reach 24'', but I'd consider that unlikely, even in this large tank, as both the Hoplos and Altifrons are very active and hungry fish.")

So, then, sirdarksol, what would be your opinion on stocking numbers for just those species to fill out the tank? That, is yet another question of mine that no one has bothered even attempting to answer.

MaddieLynn

I have nooooo idea what kind of fish you are talking about there, but I think it would be super cool if you got a bunch of livebearers (like guppies) and let them breed... some of them would survive and some of them would be eaten. It would be just like a natural body of water!

DeanAsploded

I was honestly considering throwing some feeder guppies in, just to see how fast the Sorubims would eat them and if they would even manage to survive long enough to breed, but they carry disease too easily, so it's not worth it.

peacemaker92

Hi Dean,

I'm so sorry there are people out there who can be so harsh and careless. Those kind of people are plainly the wrong people to mix with and they just bring people like us down. I hope all your questions can be answered and you'll eventually set up your tank. Just be patient and surely you'll receive your answers. After setting up the tank, it'll be all worth it. Don't give up.

DRock914

I agree with not trusting feeder fish. Long time ago I had a fish die from a diseased feeder fish. You could try plays though or other inexpensive livebearers. Maybe if you add a couple hiding spots the bigger fish can't get to they would have a chance at surviving long enough to breed. Don't give up on the tank so fast, I think your attitude towards the tank will change once you see it set up.

MaddieLynn

THIS is the kind of tank that would be great for an arowana:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/fo...ead.php?t=8952

LOL

That's also where I got the guppy idea.

DRock914

That is an insane setup. I hope he finished off the viewing area and didn't leave it just a concrete slab. I think BB would agree that is the type of client I have been waiting for my firm to get.

Amanda

There's a youtube video of them building that tank...it's about 4 or 5 yrs. old now.
It's literally a building filled with water...nothing fancy. I personally don't likie it. I want more than to just SAY I own the fish, that's pretty much what they say. The tank is nothing pretty to look at IMO

DeanAsploded

If the owner wasn't paralyzed from the chest down I imagine at least the decor in the tank would look much prettier. Still though, the concrete is something relatively believable for money limits. A fancy tank like those in aquarium centres and zoos would be a bit unrealistic for a single person's budget.

Viewing area would probably be just as dirty, though. The predatory fish in that tank tried to bring down a dinghy with a cleaner in it once. lol.

bolivianbaby

I TOTALLY agree! The engineering aspect of that tank would be FUN!

DRock914

I like the concept but there is a lot missing from that project. I just watched that youtube video. He has the biggest of everything in there and he probably bought the fish already that big. I find it fun to get a fish small and see it grow not just to get a huge full grown fish.