View Full Version : Silver Tank Update
ctoychik
12-28-2008, 11:48 PM
OK, it is Saturday and i am in the office ... so might as well do an update on the silver dragons tank. To be precise: 3 silver aros, jar, green aro, endli bichir and a motoro ray. The green aro has been moved back from the 8 footer due to his aggression toward the new aros... sadly it has a swiming problem (tilted swim) that he has developed since very early on (i remember it started swiming funny after swallowing a large frog) - in any case, the condition does not seem to bother him.
Yes, i am aware that the 7' tank is getting crowded, i will be setting up my empty 6 footer for the jar ... i suppose i better order another 8 footer next year.
The resident beast eat just about everything: Hikari, crickets and prawns. The preference of silver aros vary, but jar eats all. I have not seen motoro nor jar eat Hikari =( ... don't think motoro eat crickets either
No issue with aggression so far - pecking order was established without any torn fins or lost scales ... jar is at the bottom of the pecking order (thankfully ... lets hope it stays that way).
I have been recently playing around with liquid test kits (ammonia, NO2 and NO3) - quite good fun. The readings for N02 are OK (<0.2 yellow with no change in coloration), NO3 is also OK (~40). Theser results correlate with the dip sticks. Ammonia reading is rather off ... like wayyyy off (the darkest color change on the chart hmmm 8 if i am not mistaken). If MFK lore is to be believed, all of the fish should be dead - obviously they are not and eating like pigs. Ammonia reading stays the same despite water changes. The reading does not change according to the time: morning, afternoon and evening. I never seriously tested water before - just started recently for fun. Anybody got a take on that?
hmoobvwj
12-28-2008, 11:51 PM
Very nice setup! How big are those guys?
ctoychik
12-28-2008, 11:56 PM
Very nice setup! How big are those guys?
Thanx ^^ hmmm have not measured them with a ruler yet, but i would say low 20" no more than 2' in any case
hmoobvwj
12-28-2008, 11:59 PM
Nice! Can't wait until mine get that big. :)
haynchinook334
12-29-2008, 1:44 PM
Looking really nice.
HPIZZLE
12-29-2008, 2:06 PM
sweet.
hey, how the hell does your filte work??!??!?!?!?!?!!!
ctoychik
12-29-2008, 8:28 PM
sweet.
hey, how the hell does your filte work??!??!?!?!?!?!!!
My ghetto set-up, i would say ^^ I am not yet familiar with name of filters they are (it would be great if some one could point out to me ^^)
Submersible pump that run the water on top through a box with lots of bioballs and white wool thing for mechanical filtration (water runs from left to right). The water just falls back - you can see the splash on the right side.
On the left, you can see a glass tower which has a pump at the bottom. The water is sucked in from the top (there is a grill to take big stuff) then goes through the white cloth (for more mechanical filtration) then goes through a column of bioballs. There is ventury attached to the outlet, hence the bubles that you see on the right being blown out.
There is one big sponge filter on the right and several air stones. Note that i finally found an airpump with inbuilt DC battery (last 17hours!) and switches on automatically when AC goes out.
I used to have a large outside EHEIM but it needed re=priming if the electricity goes out (in those days it did alot). So it is idle outside ... 300 euros worth of euipment ... until i make the car battery into AC, i won't be using this pump anytime soon ... in addition, i got really put off by possibility of biomedia going poisonous after extended lights out.
So, far my set-up works great. I never used to check water param ... only after recent trip to US (and joining MFK) i got meself dip stick from PA, but then i read on MFK that these are not reliable so i got meself some liquid stuff (NO2 first then the other two my gf got for me in Ozland as these are not in demand except by marine fishkeepers). Anyway, the read out on N02 and N03 are fine less than 0.2 and 40. But ammonia reading is funky - but the fish should be dead at that levels if MFK to be believed ... so i am looking for another test kit or explanation
TLkmDN
12-29-2008, 8:47 PM
dude u have virtually the same setup as me! with the jar, green and silvers in the same tank! crazy! looks good man.
ctoychik
12-29-2008, 9:23 PM
dude u have virtually the same setup as me! with the jar, green and silvers in the same tank! crazy! looks good man.
I know it is crazy, ain't it? ... hehehehe i have a slight head start on the aros :naughty: plus two bottom dwellers: a bichir and a ray
Bogwoodbruce
12-30-2008, 6:39 PM
They are looking great
ctoychik
01-23-2009, 3:40 AM
Hey hey,
Some pix of the silver tank :naughty: not so much change in a month surprisingly ... i guess they do slow down or what?
They eat everything meaty (live or dead ...though not feeding live at the moment except for frogs from time to time). Yes, they eat HIKARI floating sticks... these look really puny compared to aro =P
Only one has DE in one eye - hope it stays that way ^^
silverdragon
01-23-2009, 5:55 AM
Nice setup they look awesome!
ctoychik
04-27-2009, 6:01 AM
Might as well update you guys on the silver tank ... they have not grown significantly. The 8' tank is ordered but not yet complete. I will be trying out sump filtration system (the fish shop guy says he can do it).
The new tank should be ready by next week (hopefully).
Much to my dissapointment the fishes in this particular tank are not very friendly at all. I saw a jar in the restaurant and if you jiggle keys in front of it, it goes berzerk. My fishes in this tank just swim away if i approach the tank. They can be handfed but one jump on food too strong so i don't handfeed very often.
Only one aro has DE on one eye.
PS: green aro still swims diagonally ... wonder if it can be rectified
benzjamin13
04-27-2009, 1:59 PM
Very nice!
gigas12
04-27-2009, 2:09 PM
Hi,nice aros
Nice~ Proper light on the top and a good background and your fish will look great.;)
ctoychik
04-27-2009, 9:25 PM
Very nice!
Hi,nice aros
awesome
Thank you guys for your kind words of enouragement. Can't wait to get the bigger tank - but dread moving the residents. Hopefully, it will be the last time i move these beasties. As usual, green aro will be the water tester.
The old tank will be inherited by BB for himself and a new fancy pleco
ctoychik
04-27-2009, 9:31 PM
Nice~ Proper light on the top and a good background and your fish will look great.;)
Yeah, my fishes in this tank do not like lighting for some reason (they get really spooked). actually, there is lighting in the canopy but it is never used ... when i move the residents out, i might start using it. Hmmmm, background ... yes, i think i might tint the background to blue or something ... that should go well with BB
TLkmDN
04-28-2009, 8:22 AM
WOW REALLY FAT AROWS! especially the jar!! great job lolz!
ctoychik
05-11-2009, 8:16 AM
New tank arrived but not yet set-up ^^ :headbang2:headbang2:headbang2so just updates for the fish
Arapaimaman
05-11-2009, 10:42 AM
Hello Ctoychik;
Awesome collection! All you need is a African arowana. I had three of them.That would complete your collection
Arapaimaman
ctoychik
05-11-2009, 9:36 PM
Hello Ctoychik;
Awesome collection! All you need is a African arowana. I had three of them.That would complete your collection
Arapaimaman
Thanks for your kind words, Arapaimaman
I have seen african aro being passed as arapaimas over in Thailand ... can't say i like them too much (though i have never seen an adult specimen) plus from what i read they don't eat the same things like the other aros - filter feeders? and not true carnivors so would be a hassle to feed (i have troubles feeding the ray as it is cos food does not get to the bottom - need to physically make sure that it does) - and be bitten by aros in the process <sigh>
I am replacing my arapaimas (those that died in winter) in a week or so and my black aro is arriving next week from singapore - now then the collection would be complete (<sigh> ... too many asian morph colors to collect - but i am getting to it too) :D:D:D
AU_Arowana-RG
05-12-2009, 2:50 AM
After seeing all your pics and fish, I must say. WOW!
BTW, despite being Filter Feeders, African Aros will eat pellets. From what I hear, sometimes more readily than the True Aros. Do a search for pics of adults and you'll find that they are quite unique.
Also, a Lei would make your collection complete. That would give you at least 1 of each true Arowana species.
ctoychik
05-12-2009, 4:16 AM
After seeing all your pics and fish, I must say. WOW!
BTW, despite being Filter Feeders, African Aros will eat pellets. From what I hear, sometimes more readily than the True Aros. Do a search for pics of adults and you'll find that they are quite unique.
Also, a Lei would make your collection complete. That would give you at least 1 of each true Arowana species.
Never seen a lei for sale in Laos or in nearby Thailand (perhaps in BKK but not on the border LFS). I am not so sure i would be able to tell the difference between a small lei and jar.
Hmmm, afro aro on pellets - a bit risky. to this day i can not make my asian aros (green aro excluded) to eat pellets. red takes very little, BB flat out refuses, x-back is upredictable. Ironically, those that ate pellets HBRTG, black and another green all took pellets from day one. Heheheheh this particular silver tank accept all available food that there is!
AU_Arowana-RG
05-12-2009, 4:31 AM
Most of the guys here have gotten Afros on pellets. Also, they seem to be able to eat things that their true Aro cousins would eat as they grow bigger.
Actually, from what I see, it seems that Afros are easier to get on pellets as compared to true Aros (Please confirm, ARo experts...). So feeding shouldn't be too much a problem as you think there might be.
ctoychik
05-12-2009, 4:34 AM
Most of the guys here have gotten Afros on pellets. Also, they seem to be able to eat things that their true Aro cousins would eat as they grow bigger.
Actually, from what I see, it seems that Afros are easier to get on pellets as compared to true Aros (Please confirm, ARo experts...). So feeding shouldn't be too much a problem as you think there might be.
Now you got me all thinking and scheming ^^ but i still have to setttle in new arrivals (more asian aros and paimas) then i might start looking for one. they don't appear to often around these parts. seen them only once actually
AU_Arowana-RG
05-12-2009, 5:52 AM
Now you got me all thinking and scheming ^^ but i still have to setttle in new arrivals (more asian aros and paimas) then i might start looking for one. they don't appear to often around these parts. seen them only once actually
Yeah. Best to concentrate on the beauties you'll be getting right now. :D
Anywho, most tend to come at 3-4 inches and any individual larger than that would cost significantly more than that size.
YOu'll probably get better info from the guys who keep them, though. I'm only stating the things I've heard/seen from them.