How We Moved Our 5 Foot Arapaima Gigas

[johnptc]

How we moved our 5 foot arapaima gigas …

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/gigas.jpg


We began thinking about how to move the gigas several weeks before the move. We searched the internet for information which was sketchy at best. We emailed a few people and talked to a few on the phone. The first major decision was that we would have to anesthetize the fish in order to move him safely, both for his safety and our safety.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/68gmtricaine.jpg

We decided on a tranquilizer for fish called Tricaine-S ( Tricaine Methanesulfonate) also know as MS 222. The next step was to decide on the dosage to add to the water. Since the gigas are air breathers the amount adsorbed through their gills would be small and most of the adsorption would be through the skin, it seemed that most guidelines would not be appropriate. The best expert we could find recommended 50 ppm and the fish should roll on its side in 2-3 minutes…..

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/stretcher.jpg

A 6 foot stretcher was fabricated from 2x4’s and a sturdy beach towel. Rope was run through both ends and a lifting pulley was mounted on a steel beam between the two tanks.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/giga_move_002.jpg

Doing the math I calculated that by dropping the water level to 14 inches, that 68 grams of Tricaine-s would give a 50 ppm concentration in the tank. ( Note that you need to buffer the tricaine-s will the same amount of sodium bicarbonate ).

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/lowering2h2o.jpg


The date was set and helpers were recruited. The final team was Michael my son, two guys from the LFS, two friends of mine Gary and Alan, my daughter Danielle as photographer and yours truly. My in laws showed up as spectators. This may sound like a big team but everyone had work to do !!!


The gigas tank was drained to fourteen inches, its pumps shut down and the interconnection between the old and new tanks was closed.

With Michael in a protective wet suit, the forklift providing a working platform and the fish stretcher in place we mixed the first dose of tricaine-s , sodium bicarbonate and a gallon of tank water. The dose ( 50 ppm) was added and stirred into the tank…..we waited the allotted 3 minutes and found it had had no effect at all.

We the repeated the first step adding another 15 ppm and waited three more minutes……and again there was no effect.

So as naïve gigas movers we added another 15 ppm fully expecting a knock out in 2-3 minutes more.

Well we thought he slowed down and coaxed him into the sling and began the lift. Nothing doing and with an explosive move he was out of the sling. Checking for injuries showed nothing serious for Michael or the fish. Zach from the LFS hopped in the tank to give Michael a hand.

We now mixed up another 40 grams which added another 30 ppm to the tank. We waited 3 more minutes and moved the fish into the sling. Again with a flury the gigas refused and was out again.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/medsonhead.jpg

Now wondering what we had gotten into we mixed up another batch of 40 grams which brought the total up to 160 ppm…….this seemed to make little difference.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/coaxing.jpg

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/gigainstcher.jpg

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/gigainstcher2.jpg
Gary mixed another dose of 40 ppm which would bring the total concentration in the tank to 200 ppm. This dose was poured directly on the gigas head and about a minute later the gigas rolled on its side…. Now I worried that I just killed my pride and joy. He was slipped into the lifting sling and from the pallet on the forklift Rob ( LFS) and I hoisted the gigas out of the old tank and trying to keep everything level slid him into the new tank. Clunk….he slide from the sling to the gravel banging his nose a little…meanwhile I am really wondering if he is dead and Michael getting into the new tank and lifting the gigas head to the surface.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/lift1.jpg

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/lift2.jpg

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/deadithought.jpg

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/dead4sure.jpg

After a very tense minute for me, Michael reported a wiggle in the tail. From that point on it got better and better. Michael continued to walk and swim the gigas in the new tank. He took off a couple of times in a drunken fashion lightly banging the walls to be rescued by Michael….after about 10 minutes he was about 90 percent back and within the hour he no longer touched the walls.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/mikegigarevived.jpg

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/mikengigas.jpg

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/mikengiga2.jpg

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/mikengiga3.jpg

As the gigas affectionately know as Sam enjoyed his new tank we drained the medicated water, washed the gravel and refilled the old tank. This was important as we needed to get the old biofilters back on line to filter the new tank while its biofilters age. Now about midnight we restarted the old tank’s pumps and heaters. By 6AM the water was warmed from 60F to 80F. The two tanks were interconnected once again. The Sam was being hand fed within 36 hours of the move at was eating floating food within 24 hours.


http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/mfkarticle/johnptc5kgigamove/gigas.jpg

[neoprodigy]

great article John... did your heart drop on the floor when you thought Sam was dead? :) the fastest way to revived a MS-222 fish is put the a power head in mouth with air buble and water run through the gill... :)

[redtailfool]

Fish all twisted like that is a gut wrenching sight . . . I am glad everything turned out to be ok. :headbang2

[freeskierrocket]

that is awesome....divers up!!!!!!!!:) :headbang2 :D

btw...gorgeous fish and monster setup!! love it!!

[ewurm]

Amazing work. Scientists and doctors do not consider moving a 60" fish when developing meds, which made your move all the more difficult. I theorize that the scales protecting the skin broadly inhibited absorption of the mediaction, which is why the dosage had to be much higher than expected. I am not a doctor, veterinarian, or biologist, and hindsight is much more effective than foresight. I applaud your effort, and congradulate you on a successful project. When we move our fish, even as Monster Keepers, a large net and a plan is usually all that is in order. Great job.

[Euge]

wow that was a thumpin good read. i'm glad he made it. Beautiful fish

[jones]

yup, seein those pictures of him 'sedated', i can see that being a brutally tense minute for sure!!!

glad all worked out as planned...

all the best

[davo]

Awesome article to read, cheers. Looked like an adventure. A lot of effort went into moving that beautiful gigas, but then again, this is MonsterFishKeepers.

[Loubard]

Very interesting article! Thanks for sharing all this!

[Joshy]

I am so glad it all worked out! Well done on your planning, holding your ground and not dropping a brick through your pants during the very tense times. You are a flagship to our hobby!

[bmxer4ever]

OH NO...............

[bmxer4ever]

PHEW.....THAT'S BETTER....!

[The Happy Mud Skipper]

how did you lift him?? and how far away is the tank you moved him from?? How did you transpot mit and how long out of water was he??

[The Happy Mud Skipper]

your the man

[Zoodiver]

John,
I'm happy to see this thread finally! Good job on the move. Looks like it wall went very smooth. I know the feeling of waiting for fish to recover from MS222 oh too well.
Love the pictures and a well written summary of the event. Congrats! :clap

To everyone else,
Sedating obligate air breathers (especially arapaima) is an art that not many professional aquarists will tackle. The words and pictures here can't begin to describe how much prep and care went in to such a task. This is huge for a hobbiest to accomplish.

[odalisay]

How much bigger is the new tank? Congrats on the successful move!:woot: :clap

[johnptc]

thought it was all over.......

dont forget gigas breathe air....not thru their gills !!!! so this slows the whole thing up !!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:


great article John... did your heart drop on the floor when you thought Sam was dead? :) the fastest way to revived a MS-222 fish is put the a power head in mouth with air buble and water run through the gill... :)

[johnptc]

wow.........so am I !!! thanks
!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:




Fish all twisted like that is a gut wrenching sight . . . I am glad everything turned out to be ok. :headbang2

[johnptc]

thanks !!! he's my baby !!!! !!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



that is awesome....divers up!!!!!!!!:) :headbang2 :D

btw...gorgeous fish and monster setup!! love it!!

[johnptc]

not only the heavy scales..gigas breathe air so there is minimal adsorbtion thru the gills.......!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:




Amazing work. Scientists and doctors do not consider moving a 60" fish when developing meds, which made your move all the more difficult. I theorize that the scales protecting the skin broadly inhibited absorption of the mediaction, which is why the dosage had to be much higher than expected. I am not a doctor, veterinarian, or biologist, and hindsight is much more effective than foresight. I applaud your effort, and congradulate you on a successful project. When we move our fish, even as Monster Keepers, a large net and a plan is usually all that is in order. Great job.

[johnptc]

thanks for reading it !!!!
!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:




wow that was a thumpin good read. i'm glad he made it. Beautiful fish

[johnptc]

i am not at all sure what i have done if if didnt !!!!

!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



yup, seein those pictures of him 'sedated', i can see that being a brutally tense minute for sure!!!

glad all worked out as planned...

all the best

[johnptc]

this is monsterfishkeepers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks

!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



Awesome article to read, cheers. Looked like an adventure. A lot of effort went into moving that beautiful gigas, but then again, this is MonsterFishKeepers.

[johnptc]

how does the tank cam look in holland ????

www.ptcmetrology.com near bottom of page

!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



Very interesting article! Thanks for sharing all this!

[johnptc]

i will never tell about the brick !!! thanks for the nice words !!

!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



I am so glad it all worked out! Well done on your planning, holding your ground and not dropping a brick through your pants during the very tense times. You are a flagship to our hobby!

[johnptc]

thats monster better !!!!!!!!!
!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



PHEW.....THAT'S BETTER....!

[johnptc]

look thru the photos....you will see that:

we mounted a pulley on the roof and lifted him in a sling....the new tank is next to the old tank.....out of water less than 60 secs....but he is an air breather.......

!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



how did you lift him?? and how far away is the tank you moved him from?? How did you transpot mit and how long out of water was he??

[johnptc]

Matt...........thanks for all your help and advice along the way !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



John,
I'm happy to see this thread finally! Good job on the move. Looks like it wall went very smooth. I know the feeling of waiting for fish to recover from MS222 oh too well.
Love the pictures and a well written summary of the event. Congrats! :clap

To everyone else,
Sedating obligate air breathers (especially arapaima) is an art that not many professional aquarists will tackle. The words and pictures here can't begin to describe how much prep and care went in to such a task. This is huge for a hobbiest to accomplish.

[johnptc]

old was 1800 +600 ( sump and filter) gallons

new is 5000 +-- gallons


!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:


How much bigger is the new tank? Congrats on the successful move!:woot: :clap

[Zoodiver]

Matt...........thanks for all your help and advice along the way !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No problem. You are more than welcome. Sometime you'll have to come see my set up once it's up and running.

[Eupterus]

Quite an undertaking. I guess you'd have to have the same setup for moving other larger fish such as red tail catfish.

What a chilling picture to see this beautiful arapaima floating, glad everything turned out ok. Will Sam live in that tank untill grown up?.

[johnptc]

The plan is that sam will live there until he out grows it.....then either off to a public aquarium or i will have to build a lake !!!!:ROFL: :ROFL:



Quite an undertaking. I guess you'd have to have the same setup for moving other larger fish such as red tail catfish.

What a chilling picture to see this beautiful arapaima floating, glad everything turned out ok. Will Sam live in that tank untill grown up?.

[johnptc]

that would be great.should i bring the wet suit ???????????????


No problem. You are more than welcome. Sometime you'll have to come see my set up once it's up and running.

[FishSkins]

intense very cool thank you for sharing wish i had the room

[johnptc]

we are very lucky to have the space to do this !!!!! plus the temperture in so cal allows an outside installation..............:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:


intense very cool thank you for sharing wish i had the room

[neoprodigy]

The plan is that sam will live there until he out grows it.....then either off to a public aquarium or i will have to build a lake !!!!:ROFL: :ROFL:

i say next year... take the 5k + 2.4k out... and Build a "L" shape tank that run along your walls.. and you can setup the filter on the top :)

[Zoodiver]

that would be great.should i bring the wet suit ???????????????

Yes, full length and a mask, and your dive cert card. We'll provide the rest of the gear.

[johnptc]

i love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:


i say next year... take the 5k + 2.4k out... and Build a "L" shape tank that run along your walls.. and you can setup the filter on the top :)

[johnptc]

deal :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:

Yes, full length and a mask, and your dive cert card. We'll provide the rest of the gear.

[neoprodigy]

i belive if you make a L shape tank along the wall .. that space should be enuff to start a giga breeding project :)

[johnptc]

maybe loose the tables !!!! that would be 12000 galllons:screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy:


li there should be alot og ftp pics !! have hi res versions also


i belive if you make a L shape tank along the wall .. that space should be enuff to start a giga breeding project :)

[neoprodigy]

maybe loose the tables !!!! that would be 12000 galllons:screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy:


yeah... 12000 gallon GIGA Breeeding tank :)

[johnptc]

i dont know how much room they need to breed........i think i could retire after having a pair breed in my own tank :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2
:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



yeah... 12000 gallon GIGA Breeeding tank :)

[DeLgAdO]

we are very lucky to have the space to do this !!!!! plus the temperture in so cal allows an outside installation..............:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:

?????

im freezing my nuts off right now!!!!! :cry:

[johnptc]

its still warmer than minnnnnisoda !!!!!:D :D :D




?????

im freezing my nuts off right now!!!!! :cry:

[DiXoN]

thats an exceptional read and fantastic pics and a very well planned move.
thanks for that it was very enjoyable.

[johnptc]

thanks....i am glad you enjoyed it....was a little tense until it was over
:arapaimag:arapaimag:arapaimag:arapaimag:arapaimag :arapaimag:arapaimag


thats an exceptional read and fantastic pics and a very well planned move.
thanks for that it was very enjoyable.

[Zoodiver]

its still warmer than minnnnnisoda !!!!!:D :D :D

It's not cold here....yet. Above zero is just a light coat. Anything above -40F is still "ok". Anything below that and I need to grab gloves and a hat.

[dovii88]

man props on u...in my aquaculture class last year we used ms222 to knock out the trout we used to grow for dem when we measured and did trout surveys to record there growth and how much we should feed them..

[johnptc]

1) do you happened to remember the dose and how long it took to knock them out ??

2) how long did they take to revive ???

thanks johnptc

:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



man props on u...in my aquaculture class last year we used ms222 to knock out the trout we used to grow for dem when we measured and did trout surveys to record there growth and how much we should feed them..

[gomezladdams]

Wow that had to be scary watching that great fish float like that till it woke up.Glad it was ok and excellent article

[johnptc]

very tensed !!!!!
:arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :arapaimag :turtle:



Wow that had to be scary watching that great fish float like that till it woke up.Glad it was ok and excellent article

[Steve_89]

Seeing your fish like that must have been terrible.

Good work with the move though and thanks for sharing it :thumbsup:

[johnptc]

thanks.hope the info will help others !!



Seeing your fish like that must have been terrible.

Good work with the move though and thanks for sharing it :thumbsup:

[Nic]

had me nervous reading that and seeing it twisted glad everything worked out for you great article

[johnptc]

a very scary moment !!!!!!!!!!



had me nervous reading that and seeing it twisted glad everything worked out for you great article

[Opiate]

good work!!!! :thumbsup:

[johnptc]

thanks

did you see the jardini on the tank cam....???



good work!!!! :thumbsup:

[carl87gt]

Very nice article. I love both the tanks. I have watched your webcam several times. I have no idea how you get any work done with fishtanks at the workplace - I would be sitting around all day watching the fish. I would need to move my desk in front of the tanks to be able to get any work done!

[johnptc]

or sit at your desk and put the tank cam on:naughty: :naughty: :naughty:



Very nice article. I love both the tanks. I have watched your webcam several times. I have no idea how you get any work done with fishtanks at the workplace - I would be sitting around all day watching the fish. I would need to move my desk in front of the tanks to be able to get any work done!

[jadon]

i'm inpressed i had trouble moving some oscars and stingray from a 55 to a 125 how big are the two tanks.

[johnptc]

1800 and 5000 gal:screwy: :screwy: :screwy:


i'm inpressed i had trouble moving some oscars and stingray from a 55 to a 125 how big are the two tanks.

[kk.shinsiri]

good on you,,

[johnptc]

thanks


good on you,,

[benzjamin13]

Wow...that's incredible!

[johnptc]

Wow...that's incredible!

thanks.it was a little hairy for awhile...............

[joeytoe]

Extremely impressive Tanks, fish, knowhow an ability. I have a hard time moving fish from my 75 to my 120.

Is that webcam still hooked up an running?

[johnptc]

Extremely impressive Tanks, fish, knowhow an ability. I have a hard time moving fish from my 75 to my 120.

Is that webcam still hooked up an running?


yes the tank cam is on the new tank http://72.245.13.213/en/AViewer.html

pc friendly... load ther activex item from the camera
username: ilovefish password: ptcptc
:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[joeytoe]

yes the tank cam is on the new tank http://72.245.13.213/en/AViewer.html

pc friendly... load ther activex item from the camera
username: ilovefish password: ptcptc
:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

Sweet, I enjoy seeing your fish from time to time. Gives me something to shoot for, well if i had the means to do it.

[R1_Ridah]

I must say. I applaud you guys for the commitment and dedication to providing adequate homes for your Giga's. Truly an inspiration. :cheers:

[johnptc]

sadly 5000 is not enough for an adult gigas....!!!


I must say. I applaud you guys for the commitment and dedication to providing adequate homes for your Giga's. Truly an inspiration. :cheers:

[joeytoe]

sadly 5000 is not enough for an adult gigas....!!!

I smell another expansion for the tank.

[johnptc]

I smell another expansion for the tank.

your sense of smell is pretty good for being so far away !!

[RedDevilDon2005]

whats the next upgrade gonna be and when? :)

[Open Water Predator]

I could watch that webcam for hours...

:popcorn:

[johnptc]

you should and i do :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:


I could watch that webcam for hours...

:popcorn:

[Open Water Predator]

i love the corona bottle!

[johnptc]

i love the corona bottle!

i need a nice plastic lime for it :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL:

[Horiyoshi III]

You mean to tell me that the Gigas dosen't eat those smaller fish?? Once in a while,right?

[johnptc]

once in a while is correct.........but with all the rocks they seem to be able to stay out of trouble..........he nevers picks on any of his tankmates...but once in a while..............:eek: :eek:


You mean to tell me that the Gigas dosen't eat those smaller fish?? Once in a while,right?

[Horiyoshi III]

Is it owner responsive?? NOTHING could beat the sight of 60"+ A.Gigas doing the feed-me dance at the front glass!!

[johnptc]

only one thing beats it !!! after he sees me and does the dance I get to hand feed him :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2



Is it owner responsive?? NOTHING could beat the sight of 60"+ A.Gigas doing the feed-me dance at the front glass!!

[Horiyoshi III]

Yeah,that does beat it,what do you hand feed it? Pellets? I'm shure Jumbo Shrimp with the shells on right? And not to be gross,but when i had Largemouth Bass and they were big 20"+ they would poop pretty big,so your A.Gigas must have you vaccuming pretty frequently so as to avoid the sight of a Massive fish's solid waste sitting in view...No??I'm curious,because i really don't know anyone else with a TRUE Monster like that.
Thanks:headbang2

[johnptc]

i have only hand feed larger foods....smelt, shrimp, trout....
the pellets he loves but not by hand....if i drop them in above him..he comes up and smacks them pretty hard....

being scientific about the poop.....it seems that the channel cat leaves large droppinging in the tank....the gigas must do a better job digesting !!!!!
:barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf:




Yeah,that does beat it,what do you hand feed it? Pellets? I'm shure Jumbo Shrimp with the shells on right? And not to be gross,but when i had Largemouth Bass and they were big 20"+ they would poop pretty big,so your A.Gigas must have you vaccuming pretty frequently so as to avoid the sight of a Massive fish's solid waste sitting in view...No??I'm curious,because i really don't know anyone else with a TRUE Monster like that.
Thanks:headbang2

[koff]

lucky sam...

[johnptc]

LUCKY AND ALOT OF RESEARCH ALL THE WAY AROUND !!!



lucky sam...

[ultimatejay]

LUCKY AND ALOT OF RESEARCH ALL THE WAY AROUND !!!

John, congrats on the new tank and successful move. Awesome tank and fish. I thought my 750 gallon tank was big. hehe. I think a couple of large Widebar dats and maybe a couple of perch- like a Nile perch and barramundi, would compliment your tank. Sorry, I can't stand cichlids other than P-bass. Great job, keep up the good work. All your fish look really healthy.

[no1lungy]

nice arapaima i want to get one whare did you get it

[no1lungy]

Please click one of the Quick Reply icons in the posts above to activate Quick Reply.

[johnptc]

did you peek in my grow out tank ??

2 nile perch
2 pbass
1 'mundi
1 wide bar
2 baby gigas
...............++

ps.... dont write off a really large dovii...........:popcorn:



John, congrats on the new tank and successful move. Awesome tank and fish. I thought my 750 gallon tank was big. hehe. I think a couple of large Widebar dats and maybe a couple of perch- like a Nile perch and barramundi, would compliment your tank. Sorry, I can't stand cichlids other than P-bass. Great job, keep up the good work. All your fish look really healthy.

[johnptc]

nice arapaima i want to get one whare did you get it

1) babies came from brian at ocean blue in Orange, CA nice guy great store..........

2) the big quy was small once and came from http://www.riverwonders.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=86&osCsid=fc206c79c3a4f5534069566fcbdd39a0

make sure you plan ahead with large enough tanks.....they seem to grow at a rate of about an inch a month.......which gets huge in a hurry.....the 5 footer is about 2.5 years old :WHOA: :WHOA: :WHOA:

[drpez008]

hey by the way how heavy are these fish??

[johnptc]

the big guy SAM is +- 80 pounds


hey by the way how heavy are these fish??

[albee63]

very cool article, it remins me in a very much low scale. how i move my two arowana. over 20" long.


john albee

[ultimatejay]

did you peek in my grow out tank ??

2 nile perch
2 pbass
1 'mundi
1 wide bar
2 baby gigas
...............++

ps.... dont write off a really large dovii...........:popcorn:

That's what I'm talking about! Hopefully the nile perch and bari will eat the red devils in time. I'm surprised the pima doesn't knock off a few. You must feed him alot with a growth rate as you've had.

[Muske]

once in a while is correct.........but with all the rocks they seem to be able to stay out of trouble..........he nevers picks on any of his tankmates...but once in a while..............:eek: :eek:
Unreal Tank!!! Truely Awesome! What floating food does he/she eat? If you do breed it, how do you sex it. Again, awesome tank.

[rickson]

very good article.
happy to see him well un the end:nilly:

[johnptc]

Unreal Tank!!! Truely Awesome! What floating food does he/she eat? If you do breed it, how do you sex it. Again, awesome tank.

all types of hikari foods floainging and sinking

sexing very difficult until they breed .....:drool:

thanks.....

[chipopo]

Amazing !!!

[johnptc]

Amazing !!!

glad you like it !!!!

[Miguel]

Congrats on a very well done job! I just wonder whether, with the tanks being adjacent, the system you figured out to move the Arapaima, and all the help you had, it really was necessary to sedate the fish..I am sure I would have tried it without sedation, all things considered..but I may be wrong..anyway, what you guys did is serious fiskeeping at its best!!

[johnptc]

appreciate your thoughts......... we thought about it alot.......
and weighed the risks of injury to both the gigas and
to personnel............

the few times he has been twitchy in the tank, water
and objects went flying and a pile of gigas scales end
up on the gravel.......... pretty impressive to see and scary
at the same time because there is nothing that you could
do one way or another !!!
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D



Congrats on a very well done job! I just wonder whether, with the tanks being adjacent, the system you figured out to move the Arapaima, and all the help you had, it really was necessary to sedate the fish..I am sure I would have tried it without sedation, all things considered..but I may be wrong..anyway, what you guys did is serious fiskeeping at its best!!

[halofishboy]

Glad it worked out ok... that picture of the gigas with its belly up was kinda...eh

[johnptc]

Glad it worked out ok... that picture of the gigas with its belly up was kinda...eh



or worse !!!!!!!

[BIGgourami]

Dude you're my hero.
That's so totally awesome! I wish I had a big ass pond/tank and arapaimas!

[johnptc]

Dude you're my hero.
That's so totally awesome! I wish I had a big ass pond/tank and arapaimas!


thanks for the kind words !!!!!!!! :) :)

[johnptc]

will a bump here help potm ???

[g-money1990]

AWESOME!!! love the colors of the fish....and its so big!! how much does that thing weigh (probably mentioned that and i missed it)?

[padge]

OMG.. that would have scared the crap out of me, i freak when i move my 5$ Cichlids!!!

[johnptc]

80 to 100 lbs ???:grinno:


AWESOME!!! love the colors of the fish....and its so big!! how much does that thing weigh (probably mentioned that and i missed it)?

[steigelman89]

WOW if i had a fish like that and that happend to me i would flip out. but thank god it came around and lived its a nice looking fish

[johnptc]

WOW if i had a fish like that and that happend to me i would flip out. but thank god it came around and lived its a nice looking fish

who said i didnt ????????????:WHOA: :WHOA: :WHOA: :WHOA: :WHOA: :WHOA: :WHOA:

[johnptc]

the webcam has been updated........acess thru www.ptcmetrology.com (http://www.ptcmetrology.com) near bottom of page.

[johnptc]

new tank cam web page

www.fishtankwebcam.com (http://www.fishtankwebcam.com)

[Hopliasman]

Awesome feat! Glad everything worked out

[608004]

When you catch a fish and have it out of the water a long time, you hold the fish and push him back and forth through the water to push water through his gills.

[johnptc]

When you catch a fish and have it out of the water a long time, you hold the fish and push him back and forth through the water to push water through his gills.


the gigas however is an air breather !!!!!

[gik]

great job !! great article!!

[Lan]

i can't bealive that paima is just 2.5 years old...sweet!!

[sma]

good article john. i love watching your webcam

[roisu]

woo~ I am new here~ and I like your fishes very much.
I gotta finish your drink in front of the tank~ I like to watch your webcam too~

[roisu]

please tell me what time you going to feed your fish~ I wish i can see the feeding time in your webcam.

[johnptc]

please tell me what time you going to feed your fish~ I wish i can see the feeding time in your webcam.


i try for m-f 0900 pdt -7 gmt breakfast

dinner is varied...........

i will be at the dentist today...........:( :(

[johnptc]

woo~ I am new here~ and I like your fishes very much.
I gotta finish your drink in front of the tank~ I like to watch your webcam too~


i am still looking for a lime...........;)

[roisu]

i try for m-f 0900 pdt -7 gmt breakfast

dinner is varied...........

i will be at the dentist today...........:( :(

Hello johnptc,
thanks to telling me the time.. but i am not sure can i see it in the time. hopefully, i can see you feeding them sometime!:)

[fortune]

makes me feel a little better about moving my 2ft. arowana!

[johnptc]

makes me feel a little better about moving my 2ft. arowana!


take comfort... 2 feet becomes three feet !!!!:popcorn:

[Tat2NYer]

You are now, who I will be in another 5 or so years....amazing! You know your fish!

[johnptc]

You are now, who I will be in another 5 or so years....amazing! You know your fish!


thanks for the kind words...gl on your fish quest:)

[johnptc]

thanks for the kind words...gl on your fish quest:)


bump

[Koji]

Try moving my 3 feet gigas before too. use of tranqulizer is not possible. Almost the whole small bottle of it is in the water but the fish is still ramping the bag.:eek:

[plausible]

lol your gigas is immune to meds:D

[johnptc]

Try moving my 3 feet gigas before too. use of tranqulizer is not possible. Almost the whole small bottle of it is in the water but the fish is still ramping the bag.:eek:


koji........... we used the tricane s .started with 50 ppm and ended with 200 ppm.......... after 100 ppm we poured each dose right on sams head !!! took at least 30-40 minutes for knock out !!!

[Mystix212]

Do you think he will ever get pass 7-8 feet? if so once he reaches 9 foot, then what? Then again in may be more then 6 years before he reaches 9 feet? Just a thought.

[johnptc]

Do you think he will ever get pass 7-8 feet? if so once he reaches 9 foot, then what? Then again in may be more then 6 years before he reaches 9 feet? Just a thought.


he could go 9 feet :headbang2 :headbang2

[Alex.P]

You're crazy, love it.
Alex

[johnptc]

You're crazy, love it.
Alex
:screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :screwy: :grinno:

[davidefc]

that was amazing nice tank also doesnt any of his tank mates disapear and what have you got in there with him also you have to big crazy plecs the were rushing allround the place

[iefster]

Great story indeed. Ad it turned out well, too. At my work we use the MS222 indeed to sedate or kill fish (mind you, I'm working with carp at the largest). Taking the dosage up a step at the time is indeed the most safe way to go but with such big fish you're indeed in 'uncharted territory'. Weren't there any zoo-specialist that could recommend anything? I know that in Holland Arapaima have been moved between zoo's (approx. transport distance 150 kilometer). Anyway, nice job and good luck with the tank!

[flapper12]

Nice job.

[llanos924]

Great article and thread, and I loved the pics! After reading it I hope that I never have to move our arapaima, at least not anytime in the near future! Fish looks great, and I can't wait to check out the webcam.

[dielikemoviestars]

Awesome article and webcam. Was that a beer bottle next to the tank yesterday?

[djthicks]

great article

[yourockit]

"Gary mixed another dose of 40 ppm which would bring the total concentration in the tank to 200 ppm. This dose was poured directly on the gigas head and about a minute later the gigas rolled on its side…. Now I worried that I just killed my pride and joy."
lmao! great story. I expect to experience something like this someday.

[ccdoido]

mine will be a little harder to do

[johnptc]

mine will be a little harder to do


????

[pirarucu319]

mine will be a little harder to do

you have pirarucu too..monster size i guess

[ccdoido]

50 - 60 pounders

[K626]

My heart dropped with the pics on its side............ u truly have guts, and a heap of knowledge.

[johnptc]

My heart dropped with the pics on its side............ u truly have guts, and a heap of knowledge.


or i am :screwy: :)

[flmatty]

Great article

[johnptc]

:):):):)

[coldDUKE]

great work, thanks for sharing! brilliant

[oscarboy5556]

lol u just go swimming with ur fish

[DrBranDo]

i envy this whole experience. cool :)

btw how heavy was the gigas?

[Land Shark]

This was very informative and entertaining. Thanks!

[Boots]

he was out, lol

[Passionate 4 pikes]

Beutiful tanks, beautiful fish and a wonderful article!!:headbang2

[Lord Barium]

Sweet fish!

[SchizotypalVamp]

Y'know..I promised myself. I said, ok, arrowanas are the farthest you can go, arapimas are off limits. And then I looked at the picture of yours.

Now I want one.

Damnit! lol.

[johnptc]

Y'know..I promised myself. I said, ok, arrowanas are the farthest you can go, arapimas are off limits. And then I looked at the picture of yours.

Now I want one.

Damnit! lol.

just dont get a small and plan on a bigger tank

they can grow2-3 inches per month !!!

[LBathory]

Are there different spieces of arapimas that have different colors or sizes or anything like that?

[johnptc]

Are there different spieces of arapimas that have different colors or sizes or anything like that?


they are in the bony tongue fish group

in that group there are aros and pimas

many types of aros only one pima

[honey17]

a 5 foot fish?! .. wow thats a site to see for sure.. : )

[fishoverlivingspace]

So, if he was 5 feet and 80 pounds almost a year and a half ago, what are the measurements now?? Updates! I can't seem to view the webcam, so yeah...
Just keeps on askin for the password, I put it in, and it asks again and again and again and again and again....

[johnptc]

So, if he was 5 feet and 80 pounds almost a year and a half ago, what are the measurements now?? Updates! I can't seem to view the webcam, so yeah...
Just keeps on askin for the password, I put it in, and it asks again and again and again and again and again....


cam needs ie and a pc ilovefish,ptcptc


sam is now about 5'5'' and 160lbs

he was probably only around 4'10 when we moved him....

the baby samantha ( formerly the fish know as the son of sam) passed her 4 foot birthday about 2 months ago and probably in the 70-80 pound range

[fishoverlivingspace]

cam needs ie and a pc ilovefish,ptcptc


sam is now about 5'5'' and 160lbs

he was probably only around 4'10 when we moved him....

the baby samantha ( formerly the fish know as the son of sam) passed her 4 foot birthday about 2 months ago and probably in the 70-80 pound range

I've entered the password and username multiple times, and it just asks for it again, right after I've entered it. I'm not going to worry about it too much.... it would be appreciated if you'd post an update here and there on this thread though!!:D That fish is every MFKer's dream.

[GobyMaster]

I am extremely jealous of you, I would love to have a tank that big!

[plec master]

i now a friend who moved his oscars in a 5 ft tank it shattered on him because of the weight i dont think he will do that again.

[XguppyX]

I would never want to move a fish that big

[oscar n redtail cat]

great thread :D i love sam i recon lol :)

[SaintSin7]

wow he looks amazing

[johnptc]

wow he looks amazing


see the live webcam

[oscar n redtail cat]

have done john your so lucky :D

[LemonHead]

Great article. I'm sort of late on this but man... What a monster! Beautiful at that also.
Had no idea there were red scale gigas.. Took my breathe away when the thud of fish head drops,
and a picture of a fish with a curl body.

[LemonHead]

So are you working on that L shape breeding tank? Just wondering..

[johnptc]

So are you working on that L shape breeding tank? Just wondering..


http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74523

[ltofwt]

big move big money

[meemawspond]

That was awesome!!!!! I have to hand it to you, I would not have known where to start. Beautiful fish!!

[GUNA]

A great show!

Like to move an Manati :)

[cooper_420_420@hotmail.co]

thats a sweet tank what did it cost 2 bulid?

[Arachnar]

It's funny that once the tranquilizer didn't work you just kept on dumping more in, but it worked out.

[johnptc]

It's funny that once the tranquilizer didn't work you just kept on dumping more in, but it worked out.


the starting dose of 50 ppm was a suggestion......since the gigas is an air breather it was not surprising that more was required.............

[angelinaz79]

Job well done! I have contemplated how I will move my RTC in 10 years, when he is full grown, and I move across the country. Sedation is a great idea, and the improvised sling was ingenious, as well. I will have to experiment with the dosage as well, starting very low, considering the catfish skin.

[angeltc]

Don't know if this has been answered or not yet (didn't feeling like reading however many pages this was), but what's going in the 2,500? A giant pacific Octopus would be pretty sweet. Although I guess it probably wouldn't work out so well if the two tanks shared the same water/filter.

[bmthomps84]

Wow, projects like this make me realize that I'm a very small if fish in a BIG friggin pond.

[Eoibio]

AWSOME TANK CAM FOR SAM!LOL altough it is abit laggy for me I haven't seen sam yet ...

[tcarswell]

Nice work. Where can I get some of this fish sedative??

[johnptc]

Nice work. Where can I get some of this fish sedative??

aquticeco http://www.aquaticeco.com/

[tcarswell]

All kinds of good stuff on that website thanks for the link!

[coltsr2]

Amazing pictures!!!

[busterbrown]

Thats awesome how long have you that guy

[iamhoo]

Man, is there anyone out there with an arapaima for sale? I would like to buy one or two. 12 inch to 18 inches would be best, but I will look at other sizes.

email me at richardquade@hotmail.com.

If you have one it is a 100% chance I will buy it.

Thanks!!

[johnptc]

Man, is there anyone out there with an arapaima for sale? I would like to buy one or two. 12 inch to 18 inches would be best, but I will look at other sizes.

email me at richardquade@hotmail.com.

If you have one it is a 100% chance I will buy it.

Thanks!!


where would they live ??? pics ???

[indiana.dutton]

I agree ^^^ pics+responcibility

[Bpweitzm]

That's a pretty awesome move story, glad everything turned out ok. ALso glad to hear you slowly increased the ppm and not one big dose!

[marvhopak]

great article John... did your heart drop on the floor when you thought Sam was dead? :) the fastest way to revived a MS-222 fish is put the a power head in mouth with air buble and water run through the gill... :)

This sounds like an easy way to lose a powerhead.

[mr.reef24]

wow now that's a fish incredible story about the move.

mr.reef24

[i.baptista90]

beautiful fish man, looks like it was quite an adventure

[CichlidFiend]

That pic where your arapaima is curled up floating at the top of the tank and the one that follows might just be the scariest pictures of fish I've ever seen.

Do you have any ideas as to why you needed to add so much tranquilizer?

[johnptc]

That pic where your arapaima is curled up floating at the top of the tank and the one that follows might just be the scariest pictures of fish I've ever seen.

Do you have any ideas as to why you needed to add so much tranquilizer?


the pima is an air breather most fish would adsorb it thru the gills

[lamanuts]

i personally love pimas i have a 4 footer and they are a pain to move and eat everything but they pay themselves off

[Danny123]

What an amazing fish, and a tough job. Well done.