Building My 15,000 Gallon Mini Mega Tank

[arapaimag]

In this project, I designed and built a second mini mega tank in my main fish room in my basement. It is a lot smaller but I like it very much. My mini mega tank is also L shaped. The long part of the L is 28 feet, the short part 18 feet. the front to back of the long part is 6 feet for the first six feet then widens to 10 feet, The front to back of the short part of the L is 10 feet, The tank water height is about 6 feet. It holds around 15,000 gallons.

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Please note that none of this article or pictures can be reproduced or used in any article or story without my verbal and written permission.

[reefman]

you must have a good job or hit the megabux to afford these tanks :jaw: :jaw:

[Mourinho18]

hah, yeah. Seriously. A rich canadian though :screwy:


:ROFL: , jk



BUt seriously dude, you personify what a monster fish keeper is. I can only dream of having a tank that size. I can only think of it now. Stock it full of my favorite south american cichlids with tetras, piranhas, pacus, silver aros :drool:

[gomezladdams]

Now thats a fishroom :WHOA:

[Mourinho18]

:ROFL: , i meant to say rich :(

[redtailfool]

The mini mega rocks. amazing pics.. i wish you could show more of the fishes in the tank.

[PeacockBass]

superb set up.

[wayne the pain]

amazing :WHOA: but we need some fish pix :naughty:

[just101]

What an investment. More money in the tanks than the house itself most likely.

[Mourinho18]

What are you gonna stock the mini monster tank with?

[arapaimag]

What are you gonna stock the mini monster tank with?

The Mini has been up for 8 years.

I've got schools of arrowanas (silvers, formosa & jardini), brycons (3 species 12" to 24"), oscars, red hooks, schomburki, leporinus (5 species), goramy (both species), hoevini barbs, stingrays, giraffe cat, pteradoras granulosus, clown knives, a lot of larger central american cichlids, a few large african cichlids.


My alligator Gar was eating too many fish so I caught him and moved him to a 540 with a 38" african lungfish,

A female Motoro stingray who had some pups had to be moved because her mate was close to killing her trying to breed again. I put her in my 800

6 panigasius sanitswongi were caught by OLiver Lucanus because they were eating cichlids over 12" for late night snacks. They got moved to my 50k+.

[fishyboi]

Its every fish guys dream

[nolemite]

The Mini has been up for 8 years.

I've got schools of arrowanas (silvers, formosa & jardini), brycons (3 species 12" to 24"), oscars, red hooks, schomburki, leporinus (5 species), goramy (both species), hoevini barbs, stingrays, giraffe cat, pteradoras granulosus, clown knives, a lot of larger central american cichlids, a few large african cichlids.


My alligator Gar was eating too many fish so I caught him and moved him to a 540 with a 38" african lungfish,

A female Motoro stingray who had some pups had to be moved because her mate was close to killing her trying to breed again. I put her in my 800

6 panigasius sanitswongi were caught by OLiver Lucanus because they were eating cichlids over 12" for late night snacks. They got moved to my 50k+.

Hey Arapaimag, you forgot the absolute best fish in the 15K....the 24" Sorubim lima catfish!

[tenzokenny]

thats a big fish room

[just101]

Im dying to see more pics of your larger tanks fully stocked. You wouldnt happen to have a site or more pics you could post?

[ballsmcgee1234]

wowsy...

[joeytoe]

How much did it cost to build this "mini" mega tank?

Great job by the way. :thumbsup: :headbang2

hah, yeah. Seriously. A rich canadian though :screwy:
:ROFL: , jk
BUt seriously dude, you personify what a monster fish keeper is. I can only dream of having a tank that size. I can only think of it now. Stock it full of my favorite south american cichlids with tetras, piranhas, pacus, silver aros :drool:

Beni we all know youd just have millions of Neons an lemon tetras, especially now that your at petco. :ROFL:

[Clay]

I believe the best fish in either of the tanks was the fowleri :( I miss hearign stories about that one. It was 26 or 28" as I recall - larger than the maximum expected size of 24. :(

[Ripdevil]

so you have a 50K , 15K , many other large tanks, such as 800g and 540g, you must really have a lot of moeny for the electric bill

[AmazonPredator]

I think if he can afford all of those tanks then the electric bill is the least of his worries. :)

You could grow that alligator gar up to its potential size in a 50k tank. The fish I would put in there...if only. :drool:

[Mourinho18]

How much did it cost to build this "mini" mega tank?

Great job by the way. :thumbsup: :headbang2



Beni we all know youd just have millions of Neons an lemon tetras, especially now that your at petco. :ROFL:


20% off anything i buy instore, just imagine how much money i would save :drool: ,





:ROFL:

[Zorro]

:jaw: :clap

[Nic]

OMG WOW WOW WOW WOW :jaw: :shocked: that is amazing maby one day ill be rich enough for that

[DiXoN]

that is what i call a fish room.
dixon

[RowingMunkeyCU]

How much did this project end up costing you, just the construction of it, not the actual maintenance...?

[ballsmcgee1234]

wow! that must have took forever to build, and the maintance...

[kentobizmol]

correct me if i'm wrong, but i think i see an payara in there.
if you do, what do you feed it??

and on the 7th picture, that thing floating on the top...
is it a black version of a mekong giant catfish or just a giant driftwood?

[Mourinho18]

How much did this project end up costing you, just the construction of it, not the actual maintenance...?


no offense dude, but atleast 10 other people have asked him this. I doubt he's gonna tell us. If i built it, i def. wouldn't tell people what it cost. :)

[kentobizmol]

i'm guessing $700,000+close to a million
the weekly maintenance is probably around $500+(if a major company is doing this for him)

[arapaimag]

hah, yeah. Seriously. A rich canadian though :screwy:


:ROFL: , jk



BUt seriously dude, you personify what a monster fish keeper is. I can only dream of having a tank that size. I can only think of it now. Stock it full of my favorite south american cichlids with tetras, piranhas, pacus, silver aros :drool:


Thanks for the reply & a Nice choice of fish to put in the tank.

Remember the rule Money and the fish hobby.........

If you want to end up with a small fortune............Start with a large fortune :naughty:

[arapaimag]

you must have a good job or hit the megabux to afford these tanks :jaw: :jaw:

Didn't hit the megabucks either

I work hard because millions of people on welfare depend on me......

[arapaimag]

What an investment. More money in the tanks than the house itself most likely.


My friends say I used to have a handle on life.............but it broke :cry:

[arapaimag]

Hey Arapaimag, you forgot the absolute best fish in the 15K....the 24" Sorubim lima catfish!

So SOOOOOOOOOOORY

Yes I forgot to mention the 3 Sorubim lima. One of which is possibly 24 inches TL. I got her a few years ago from NOEL Nathaniel the Vice Pres of the Hamilton Aquarium Society. She is a magnificent fish.

[arapaimag]

I think if he can afford all of those tanks then the electric bill is the least of his worries. :)

You could grow that alligator gar up to its potential size in a 50k tank. The fish I would put in there...if only. :drool:


The Aligator gar is probably big enough to go in the 50k tank now (Remember it had been in the 15k before). Its over 30inches. But prior to now it probably would have been a late night snack for the Walego leeri, Sorubimichthys planiceps or the Phractocephalus hemioliopterus. Although I do have lots of cichlids in the 50K now it is because I added more lava rock a year after I built the tank. With the original supply of rock in the tank:

The Walego ate a school of 6..... 12inch Oscars the first night they were placed in the tank.

The Sorubimichthys planiceps ate a 28inch Arowana

The Phractocephalus hemioliopterus ate a 32inch eel. (The eel weighed about 3 lbs)

So the Gar would have been toast when he was smaller than 30 inches.

With the extra rock in place the smaller fish now have a lot better chance and in fact reproduce, live and are eaten much like in nature. Some of the smarter cichlids and characins have been in the tank for nearly 10 years now.

I leave 2 lights on in the tank at all times.

[dangitseric]

cool

[wayne the pain]

How does your Aba behave or is it on its own?
oh and some pix of the Wallago wouldnt go amiss :D

[woolfie]

that is truelly a monster tank i though a ten foot tank was big i have seen a seventeen marine tank and a twenty foot discus tank but wow you sure know how to do it big over there

cheers woolfie

[Scotty]

What an amazing tank. Gob smacked by it. :drool: :thumbsup: Would love this size filled with many Malawi cichlids. Would love to be able to swim with them when ever I want to. My own private little Lake.
:cheers: :mwave:

[arapaimag]

How does your Aba behave or is it on its own?
oh and some pix of the Wallago wouldnt go amiss :D

The Aba Aba is in its own 500 gallon tank. They are too viscious for most fish to handle at night.

The Wallegos are too dangerous to go in this tank they are in the 50k+

[arapaimag]

What an amazing tank. Gob smacked by it. :drool: :thumbsup: Would love this size filled with many Malawi cichlids. Would love to be able to swim with them when ever I want to. My own private little Lake.
:cheers: :mwave:

I've had large schools of Malawi cichlids in the 50k+ and it would be cool to swim with them.

I lived in Capetown for almost 7 years a while back. SA is a beautiful country. :thumbsup:

[peakesfancyfish]

Do you swim the fish? what is in that indoor pond? How much does a kick ass aqaurium like that cost. I want one bad!

[DeLgAdO]

dude this aint no "mini" more like a "super" and your 50,000 definately deserves the "mega" :clap

[boredcpl]

what do you have for small tanks? i keep 10 gallon tanks for little tanks. your scale of tank keeping you prolly have like 5-6 125 gallon tanks for fry and hospital tanks.. your set up is awsome better than alot of fish stores ive seen..
love to see more pics of the fish room and tanks.

[jsc]

truly inspiring, I drooled on my keyboard.
new to site, but I'm thankful to see and read about this, and would love to stay updated. Maybe people should stop asking about cost. Not really anyone's business.
Jeff

[fishnutham]

i want one ,that's bigger then my apartment :mwave:

[arapaimag]

what do you have for small tanks? i keep 10 gallon tanks for little tanks. your scale of tank keeping you prolly have like 5-6 125 gallon tanks for fry and hospital tanks.. your set up is awsome better than alot of fish stores ive seen..
love to see more pics of the fish room and tanks.

Hey I also keep 10 gallon tanks.

When I was 7 years old my dad gave me 2 used tanks. One of my uncles a farmer in Ontario had built them and the biggest was a 10 gallon.

It remained my biggest tank till my teens.

[Bizdaddy]

Great job! How about a little more info on the rest of your fishroom?

Justin

[downset21]

I come home from work everyday and look at this thread to see if any more pictures come up.... it's almost an obsession. I need to see more pics or I'm going to turn my studio apartment into a big fish tank and my girl will stab me. I NEED A FIX.... so please post updated pics... I'm truly amazed at the work you've done.

[tetracanthus]

I come home from work everyday and look at this thread to see if any more pictures come up.... it's almost an obsession. I need to see more pics or I'm going to turn my studio apartment into a big fish tank and my girl will stab me. I NEED A FIX.... so please post updated pics... I'm truly amazed at the work you've done.
:thumbsup: I agree I for one ( of many I'm sure) ,I would love to see some of these monster fish.
Keeping just about all of the fish you've listed is just a dream for me.
I could never afford to feed these guys let alone house them properly. :(
With that said I do appreciate the pics you have allowed us to view. :naughty:
The Planiceps is a real beauty what do you feed him, besides eel? :ROFL:
How big is your red tail cat? I've seen two in animal world ( medicine hat, AB.) they were roughly 24" long.
What are wallego and aba aba?

[dead4ever]

awesome

[arapaimag]

What an amazing tank. Gob smacked by it. :drool: :thumbsup: Would love this size filled with many Malawi cichlids. Would love to be able to swim with them when ever I want to. My own private little Lake.
:cheers: :mwave:


Hi Scotty,

Do you have any pics or website of the big tank in South Africa with the malawi cichlids.

[seung_k]

Amazing! You have a 50,000 and now a 15,000 "mini mega" ?!?!? You are my hero! I agree, you must have a kick ass job, and a very understanding wife!

[mcblack]

you never sieze to amaze me, two mega tanks!
you have a very supportive family :)

[amazonfishman]

Any pics of the shovelnose either the lima or the big boys in the 50K tank like the planiceps? ~Trent

[arapaimag]

you never sieze to amaze me, two mega tanks!
you have a very supportive family :)


Hmmmmmmmmmm...............Maybe......That's why my ex girlfriend moved back to Japan

[TortureXvidian]

hmm give me lol !!!!

[loganalexander]

Thats so cool to have in your house. How long did it take you to construct everything
and do you have any other projects in store for fish?

[arapaimag]

Thats so cool to have in your house. How long did it take you to construct everything
and do you have any other projects in store for fish?

The 50k took 1 year. The 15k took about 4 months. Both of these could have been done considerably faster if I was physically able. Paralyzed from the chest down does tend to slow wimps like me a bit. After those I did expand my pond collection, my fish rooms and both my indoor and outdoor bird aviaries. Since then I've had to reduce the number of ponds and am presently reducing the number of smaller tanks. My total gallons won't be reduced much. When this is done I might build a ......

[kdenny35]

you never sieze to amaze me, two mega tanks!
you have a very supportive family :)
I agree, I have so many ideas, but know my would go for it. :(

[gunblade77]

All I can say is WOOOW!! those are what i call tanks!!!

[paintboi101]

damn, your rich, like really really rich. lol

[aquafever]

And here Iam thinking a 220g would be such a big tank. If I could... Man, the possibilities are endless. More pics please... Im fiending :drool:

[Guillaume]

It's guys like you that make me belive...
One of these days i would like to have something big (not as yours :) )

Bravo !

Guillaume

[greenfish4]

I was wondering how many yards of concrete were used in the 15k?

[arapaimag]

I was wondering how many yards of concrete were used in the 15k?


I am sorry I really don't know. A friend had connections and supplied the concrete and labour. I never thought to ask him because I was so busy with the construction of the tank and all my other activities at the time. I can not find that info for the 50k+ either. The walls are 1 foot thick on both tanks. Since I built the 15k in an existing basement (Which has 2 walk outs) I only went 6 inches thick on the floor beacuse the existing floor was also 6 inches thick. The small tank has a lot of glass. There are 75 feet of glass sides on the small tank. Approx 320 square feet of 3/4" glass. The glass in the big tank is 1" thick. NO PROBLEMS YET!!!! The big tank starts its 12th year in 2006 and the small tank its 10th year.

[msobo2022]

awesome display. love it wish i had one.

[t-han]

All I can say is "WOW"!

[corpus7]

Did you design the plans yourself, or did you have any friendly architects/contractors/etc. help you out?

[rallysb1tch]

hell yes!

[Pangong_ilong]

When this is done I might build a ...... Why did you left as hanging? What's your nxt project?

[Nate_N_Nicole]

That is insane!!! In a good way though :thumbsup:

[eelkpr]

Speechless.....

Things of beauty.

[USMCtanker]

when your open pm and you can come over to work on mine. ya right im poor

[matthew.]

damn....mayeb one day you'll think of going saltwater and try your hand at some sharks?

[edpond]

Trully incredable

[matthew.]

^ understatement of the day

[T]

very nice tanks. thats amazing

[rook45]

:thumbsup:

[rook45]

parlyzed from the chest down and you built that. amazing what you accomplished..much respect

[goldclownknife]

Wooooooooow... truely awesome. Thats all I can say.

[arapaimag]

parlyzed from the chest down and you built that. amazing what you accomplished..much respect

Thanks, but I could never have done it with out the help of my family and friends.

[silveraro]

I will gladly pay you the price of admission for a tour of your place.
I will also bring over a case of beer and a sleeping bag.
Please, just let me sleep in your basement.

[arapaimag]

damn....mayeb one day you'll think of going saltwater and try your hand at some sharks?

I would go sharks. I would have a problem feeding them, because of my 2 big tanks, there already is a shortage of kids in my neighbourhood.

[aquaoahu]

I would go sharks. I would have a problem feeding them, because of my 2 big tanks, there already is a shortage of kids in my neighbourhood.


Sharks don't care much for human flesh. The dogs and cats in your neighborhood would do nicely.

[werdna]

:eek: :WHOA: :OMG:



i say

:banhim: he is too good lol
holy crap man amazin

[arapaimag]

Sharks don't care much for human flesh. The dogs and cats in your neighborhood would do nicely.


All the cats & dogs disappeared 5 years ago :grinyes: !!!!!!!!!!!

My fish like kids................. :grinno:

[mav]

Unreal.....makes my 125g seem wat to small. I would definitely pay admission and bring the beer.

[anton671]

Man , Seeing your 50K and now ur 15K man.... it just.... :clap :hearts: :y220d: :drool: :cry: brings tears to my eyes, you are my IDOL :clap

[Kevy01]

nice pictures showing your tank being built. Great Job

[arapaimag]

nice pictures showing your tank being built. Great Job

Thanks for the kind words and welcome to the MFK site. There are a lot of very serious and knowledgible members. I learn useful info all the time from these hobbyists.

[drano33]

AMAZING...a tank i can only dream of having...hehe...Awesome man... :clap

[Apexpredator]

What an amazing set up. You should charge admission to your house. Who needs to go to SeaWorld.....

Give all the neighborhood kids a snorkel and let them jump in :grinyes:

[mat_per]

beutifull, what else can be said

[mat_per]

The Sorubimichthys planiceps ate a 28 INCH AROWANA!!!! Man that must have been something to see.
I read that you used 3/4 glass on your 15k, and 1 inch on your 50k, what is the spacing between the braces?
I'm thinking of making a 700-1000, but can't decide as to wether or not to but a brace in the middle and two sheets of glass.

[arapaimag]

The Sorubimichthys planiceps ate a 28 INCH AROWANA!!!! Man that must have been something to see.
I read that you used 3/4 glass on your 15k, and 1 inch on your 50k, what is the spacing between the braces?
I'm thinking of making a 700-1000, but can't decide as to wether or not to but a brace in the middle and two sheets of glass.


I mainly used 3 foot spans between the steel posts. Best wishes making your tank. You and your fish will love it.

[hood9999]

Your tanks are truely awesome

[HiGhTiMeZ]

WHAT A MONSTER OMFG!!! :eek:

[oracle]

Thank you for sharing pictures of your massive tanks. Although we have quite a large number of fish fanatics in Australia, we are amateurs compared to what you have achieved. Please provide more updated pictures if possible. This is truly an amazing achievement.

[david b]

Once again nice Work

[arapaimag]

Thank you for sharing pictures of your massive tanks. Although we have quite a large number of fish fanatics in Australia, we are amateurs compared to what you have achieved. Please provide more updated pictures if possible. This is truly an amazing achievement.

Thanks for the kind words. I will try and update pictures of fish in the 50k soon.

[hoss62773]

what's a project like that cost? something i've been dreaming aboput for years

[arapaimag]

what's a project like that cost? something i've been dreaming aboput for years

I built my tanks in the 1994-97 period. So the cost would be different today.

Your main cost assuming you own your home and want to build it in the basement would be the glass. The steel frame members and the welding. Then the cost of the concrete and how you choose to line the tank. Price these costs in the area you live in because everything varies so much.

Go to John's site (building his 2400 gallon arapaima tank) for great details in building & filtering a large tank. He is much more knowlegeable in construction than I am.

Like me he encourages hobbyists who admire,own and raise large tropical fish to build large tanks to give them good homes.

[two_amen]

I know you have heard it like 15 million times. But those two tanks are off the hook!!!!

:mwave:

Your dedication to the hobby is most inspiring. I am certainly now challenged into finding or building “mega” tanks to properly house my favorite predatory fish.

Still the question - Best guess estimate of base cost for building the 15,000 gallons tank in 1997??? I am trying to get a proposal together to ask Uncle Sam for a grant to build something similar.
Sike!!
Seriously for the 15,000 footprint, the basic cost for concrete, concrete blocks, steel, glass, portable epoxy, silicone and, fiberglass about $30,000 – 50,000 US?????
C

[arapaimag]

I know you have heard it like 15 million times. But those two tanks are off the hook!!!!

:mwave:

Your dedication to the hobby is most inspiring. I am certainly now challenged into finding or building “mega” tanks to properly house my favorite predatory fish.

Still the question - Best guess estimate of base cost for building the 15,000 gallons tank in 1997??? I am trying to get a proposal together to ask Uncle Sam for a grant to build something similar.
Sike!!
Seriously for the 15,000 footprint, the basic cost for concrete, concrete blocks, steel, glass, portable epoxy, silicone and, fiberglass about $30,000 – 50,000 US?????
C

I do not live in the USA but I am sure you could build it in the range you estimate.
Best wishes in building a large tank for your big fish.

[JefeBille]

cool

[Dvs5k8nm0t0]

wow!!!!.. if u already have a 50,000 how did u get another 15,000?

[Oscar guy]

thats alot of money like food water changes heaters medicine no offence but u crazy ur like sick wit it but i would do the same thing in ur finnancal state

[rasdbo]

forget the money just the thought of coming home to that size tank and watching them is awsome :headbang2 .

have you ever thought about growing bichirs or maybe moray eels, also did the fish that ate the 28" aro swallow it whole or slowly eat it piece by piece? i wish that it could have been taped or filmed :ROFL: , i am truly sorry for the mistakes of others and i know this is a fish site but how about some pictures of your bird room too, i wonder is that like the atrium in jurrasic park 2 0r 3, maybe you have some condors or bald eagles in there. plus i'm a teacher in new orleans will send you kids if you need live bait for your tanks and birds :WHOA: :screwy: :naughty: :grinno: :grinyes: :woot:

holla back and great job!!!!! :thumbsup:

[bentank1]

In this project, I designed and built a second mini mega tank in my main fish room in my basement. It is a lot smaller but I like it very much. My mini mega tank is also L shaped. The long part of the L is 28 feet, the short part 18 feet. the front to back of the long part is 6 feet for the first six feet then widens to 10 feet, The front to back of the short part of the L is 10 feet, The tank water height is about 6 feet. It holds around 15,000 gallons.

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sweet

[arapaimag]

forget the money just the thought of coming home to that size tank and watching them is awsome :headbang2 .

have you ever thought about growing bichirs or maybe moray eels, also did the fish that ate the 28" aro swallow it whole or slowly eat it piece by piece? i wish that it could have been taped or filmed :ROFL: , i am truly sorry for the mistakes of others and i know this is a fish site but how about some pictures of your bird room too, i wonder is that like the atrium in jurrasic park 2 0r 3, maybe you have some condors or bald eagles in there. plus i'm a teacher in new orleans will send you kids if you need live bait for your tanks and birds :WHOA: :screwy: :naughty: :grinno: :grinyes: :woot:

holla back and great job!!!!! :thumbsup:


The planiceps swalled the aro whole............

I'm cutting back on the birds. They take a lot more time and I've had problems physically looking after them all. Hobbyists who keep a lot of birds must exercise caution due to the possibility of theft. I do have a friend who breeds bald eagles(and many other raptors) for restocking zoos.

[rottbo]

I do have a friend who breeds bald eagles(and many other raptors) for restocking zoos.
i would like to see pics of his facilities the bald eagles are just starting to repopulate the area i live in i love it they are awesome birds to go watch hehe i know where their nest is sssshhhh i will never tell wouldnt want somone messing with it its also about a 3 mile walk from a road

[arapaimag]

Here is their website http://www.goldencreekbirdfarm.com/services_breeding.htm They are located in Canada and supply the world. They breed several species of eagles, falcons and hawks.

[rottbo]

thanks for the link i enjoyed it

[g8ors]

WOW!! That Is Awsome!!!

[rickson]

you must have a good job or hit the megabux to afford these tanks :jaw: :jaw:

:iagree:

[Sampsin73]

very nice tank how much did it cost ya

[doubleA]

thats 1 nice tank:clap :clap :clap

[moush]

awsome :headbang2

[dmarinko]

Do you know Lee Finley? He mentioned you in the June 2005 edition of Tropical Fish Hobbyist. Your name is Michael Bryce, right? HE said you also have a larger 52,000 gal. tank. That is so cool!!!

[arapaimag]

Do you know Lee Finley? He mentioned you in the June 2005 edition of Tropical Fish Hobbyist. Your name is Michael Bryce, right? HE said you also have a larger 52,000 gal. tank. That is so cool!!!

Lee is a friend who I just saw in CT at the NEC (Northeast council of Aquarium clubs) annual convention. Wayne Liebel, Mike Schaddle, Ad Konnings, Chuck Davis and hundreds of others were there.

[seeks06]

Simply amazing, I take it there is alot of maintance on that tank.

[arapaimag]

Simply amazing, I take it there is alot of maintance on that tank.

Actually very little maintenance on this tank. Water changes 4,000 gallons a week. Lots of plecos keep the tank clean. Run the filter after large feedings and thats it.

[chris666]

In this project, I designed and built a second mini mega tank in my main fish room in my basement. It is a lot smaller but I like it very much. My mini mega tank is also L shaped. The long part of the L is 28 feet, the short part 18 feet. the front to back of the long part is 6 feet for the first six feet then widens to 10 feet, The front to back of the short part of the L is 10 feet, The tank water height is about 6 feet. It holds around 15,000 gallons.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=646/medium/building_mini_mega_15K_020.jpg (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=646/medium/building_mini_mega_15K_020.jpg)

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http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=646/medium/building_mini_mega_15K_013.jpg (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=646/medium/building_mini_mega_15K_013.jpg)

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=646/medium/building_mini_mega_15K_019.jpg (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=646/medium/building_mini_mega_15K_019.jpg)





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you go for it my son that is one ****ing big tank (thumbsup)

[Lil_Stinker]

Dude; let me know when I can stop by. I would love to spend a day at your place. Shoot the S41t & get some ideas.

I am looking to build an aviary with a pond & stream, with a viewing window. I like the way you think.

:mwave:

:cheers:

[Aras118119]

If i had these tanks they would be my dreams come true. They are awesome!

[ELDODEVILLE]

I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to do somthing like this one day.

[ken_cichlasomania]

truly amazing :headbang2 :clap

[RickPit7]

Those tanks are really neat! What kind of plastic or sealant did you use to water tight the concrete? How thick did you have to go with the glass on the 15k? or 50k?

[arapaimag]

Those tanks are really neat! What kind of plastic or sealant did you use to water tight the concrete? How thick did you have to go with the glass on the 15k? or 50k?


I used GE 1200 silicone and never had a problem in 12/10 years. 3/4 inch on the 15k and 1inch on the 50k. Again never a problem.:thumbsup:

[jsfunk78]

OMG~~ I just love your fish room

I really wish I can afford to do it too

[abpositive]

If you decide to move, I want first right of refusal on your house, we've been talking about moving to Canada...:)

[arapaimag]

If you decide to move, I want first right of refusal on your house, we've been talking about moving to Canada...:)


Move in July the snow is only 10 feet deep at this time:grinyes: .

keep smiling

[Majestic62]

Hi Arapaimag

I was just wondering, i was looking at your 15,000 gallon and i was thinking, how big do fish like your oscars get in comparison to one that was brought up in a 75 gallon or something similar. Is there a big difference?

[arapaimag]

Hi Arapaimag

I was just wondering, i was looking at your 15,000 gallon and i was thinking, how big do fish like your oscars get in comparison to one that was brought up in a 75 gallon or something similar. Is there a big difference?



Greetings to sunny south africa.



Given good water conditions and a good diet, I think that the fish would get about the same max size in either the 75 or the 15k.


The largest oscar I ever saw was raised in a 50 gallon tank. He measured 18 inches total length. I have never raised or seen any other oscar even close to that fish. The biggest I've ever raised was in the 13-14 inch area.

[Majestic62]

Thanks!!

I see. Thanks for clearing that up :D! Keep up the good work on the tanks!!

[arapaimag]

Hi everyone,

I just returned from the ACA (American Cichlid Association) July 19-23, 2006
Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights, IL in Chicago. It was one of
the best conventions and largest ever. There were over 2,000 bags of
quality cichlids in their final auction after already having several other
auctions and many hobbyists selling out of their rooms and the selling room.
The Greater Chicago Cichlid Association that hosted the event were friendly
and fantastic. In their incredible Show was a new TANK BUSTER CLASS in
memory of Mike Sheridan who passed away earlier this year. The welcome bag
of goodies exceeded any event I have ever attended.

The highlights were meeting Neoprodigy :thumbsup: , his wife Elsie:thumbsup:
and #1 son Jason (Neo 2) :thumbsup: (The Neo's was instructed to have more
children and a manual with full instructions were provided in case they
forgot how).

MFK helped as a ACA sponsor and set up a booth for the whole show where MFK
members and prospective members mingled. It was great to talk with some
hobbyists who actually keep over 600 tanks.

Neo wowed everyone with his recent pictures of his trip to the orient and
the best one was a movie of tank in Taiwan with 20 adult Arapaimas at
feeding time.

We went to the famous SHEDD aquarium and of course enjoyed the Arapaimas,
electric eels and other monsters. They had a number of Colossoma brachypomum
instead of the normal Colossoma macropomum and they also had a rare
Colossoma oculus. One of the great things is the tremendous number of top
quality speakers, book authors and explorers that attend and mingle with us
during the event. While observing the Amazon tanks Heiko Bleher:thumbsup:
(Led over 400 expeditions in his lifetime and author of multiple books and
over 1,000 magazine articles) was on my one side and Jeff Cardwell:thumbsup:
(A cichlid hobbyist, leader of 17 expeditions and conservationist who has
bought to preserve 2,800 acres of rainforest with 9 friends) on the other
side. People like this actually have gotten into the waters our fish come
from more times than they can remember. Other noted speakers and attendees
were Dr. Jos Snoeks | Dr. Phil Willink | Dr. Uwe Romer | Dr. Wayne Leibel |
Dr. Mark Mitchell | Juan Miguel Artigas Azas | Ad Konings | Dick Au | Mo
Devlin | Rusty Wessel | Eric Hanneman | Joe Middleton | Randy Carey | Ted
Judy |

Speaking with one of the curators regarding their Abba Abba Gymnarchus
niloticus he related the time a black bird had entered the building in the
working section above the exhibit and when attempting to have a drink of
water was pulled into the tank by the abba, eaten and the only evidence was
the large number of feathers floating in the tank after it happened. Another
feature of the trip to the Shedd was the behind the scenes opportunity to
see the maintenance side and talk with nearly one dozen of the curators and
assistants.

The event was hosted by the famous Greater Chicago Cichlid Association led
by Rick Borstein and 60 other dedicated volunteers. They put on a
spectacular event.:headbang2

They provided coaches to both the Shedd and also a boat tour of Chicago.

There was a large dealer showroom of dry goods. It was in this room that Neo
had the MFK booth. Mike and Robin Shadle had their book store, Sting Ray
Lucas (Kingfisher) had his display, John had a large Jehmco display, (I
bought another linear piston pump from him). TFH Tropical Fish Hobbyist had
a booth and editor in chief David Boruchowitz was on hand mingling with the
hundreds of hobbyists. FAMA and Aquarium Fish mags were both there also. I
requested more monster fish in depth articles from them both to match the
recent push David Boruchowitz has provided us with at TFH. As well Zoo Med
had a huge display. Many other booths were at the event with knowledgeable
hobbyists at them.

Discus Hans and his wife attended and had a whole room of incredible discus
available to purchase. The actual breeder Mr Stendker also came from Europe
to meet buyers of his beautiful fish. Heiko Bleher was also available to
sign copies of his new book Bleher's Discus Volume 1. It is magnificent and
covers many of the fish in the amazon while covering all aspects of the
discus. I bought a copy and you can also from AQUAPRESS
aquapress@aquapress-bleher.it

There were fish seller rooms with hundreds of tanks including Jeff Rapps.

Pam Chin led the Babes drive for funding for the Guy Jordan fund. I got a
copy of the 10th edition of Exotic Aquarium Fishes by William Innes in their
silent auction. It was donated by Mike & Robin Shaddle. Dick Au told me he
had been lucky to obtain a copy of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions ($100.00
for the 1st edition). I'm hoping I'm included in his will !!!

They had a great banquet and Dr Wayne Liebel had a speech on if the species
was legitimate and discovering the location of the original Flowerhorn
Cichlid in the wild. He had many slides in his presentation showing the
birthplace of this fish????. He also advised us of the next expedition he is
organizing to prove the existence of and discover the original birthplace of
the popular rainbow of colours Asian Parrot Fish. If you ever wanted to take
a trek in the jungles of the world contact Wayne.

At the banquet I also managed to piss off our host Rick Borstein when, after
he mentioned to everyone in the room that we all suffered from some sort of
Cichlid disease because of the large number of tanks we maintain. He then
mentioned that he had 22 tanks, An attendee named Warren from Wisconsin
mentioned that was nothing and that he had over 100 tanks so he and the rest
of us at the table must be really ill. Unfortunately Rick thought this was a
slight to his maintaining 22 tanks (He actually is a very good cichlid
keeper and breeds 28 species a year:headbang2 ). He avoided me the rest of
the convention. I got out of town as fast as I could before a contract was
taken on me. I was scared he might hire Rick Perez to run over me in my
wheelchair.

I apologize to you Rick for the misunderstanding. If Rick Perez was present,
the joke? would have been very quickly understood.

Speaking of The legend, Rick Perez of monster cichlid fame led many car
loads of hobbyists to his home to view his incredible 200 plus tanks. He has
dozens of tanks 180 gallons and up to 700 gallons. He breeds many species of
fish and among the monsters had 4 spawning of Cichla sp (Peacock Bass) to
actually view. Nobody else can even breed them in their lifetime and the
Peacock bass legend has 4 spawning on view at an ACA convention in his home
town.

He had about 1,142 adult Cichlas in his tanks and when I asked if I could if
I could buy 3 of the smallest.

He said GGGGGEEEEEEEE I really didn't want to part with any right now.

I mentioned this to members of the Greater Chicago Cichlid club. They
suggested I pay a few bucks to some of the big guys attending the ACA to
bend a few parts on Rick's body. But, I had made a mistake and had already
eaten a meal at a restaurant in the hotel and spent my entire budget for the
whole weekend on the hamburger.

The members then told me not to worry because nobody in the club liked Rick
Perez anyway :banhim: and would gladly welcome the chance to break a few of
his limbs on my behalf. The women all begged to be allowed to kick him while
the men were disassembling him. (The most eager woman looked a lot like
Rick's wife!)

I thought it over, then decided it would be a lot more gruesome if my best
friend Jason (Neo 2)took care of him. NOTE: Jason is small but I saw him
devour a bun in the restaurant and could only imagine what he would do to
the cichlid legend Rick Perez if given the chance.

SO.........Rick don't ever go into a dark room alone.......... My buddy
Jason (Neo 2):headbang2 has my contract on you.

However rejoice that I and all the people who know you, look forward to
visiting you in hospital:grinyes: .

I also have proposed a Rick Perez memorial award at the next live bearers
convention for the fish with the smallest
gonopodium...........................:ROFL:


The 2007 ACA Annual Convention will be held in Sacramento,
California, hosted by the Sacramento Aquarium Society (SAS) Dates: July 18 -
22, 2007 http://www.cichlid.org/ACA2007Convention.html.


Neoprodigy and his son Jason (NEO 2) have agreed to attend the
All Aquarium Catfish Convention 2006 Presented by the Potomac Valley
Aquarium Society October 20-22
Laurel, Maryland. http://catfish2006.com/
This will be a great chance for MFK members to gather, chat and meet
the legend Neoprodigy
(I might not be there because I have agreed to watch TV with Neo's wife
Elsie while he attends the Convention).

[hkfc]

Sweet!!!!!!

[AquataHolic420]

So whats ur address? i promise i want take your house over with Guerilla's just to say i owned that tank for a week...

[aaronskwod]

:grinno:

[melandlee]

wow another great tank:D

[ani-mal-lvr]

That is some serious tankage!

[Horiyoshi III]

For Mr.Bryce to get a mention in T.F.H. from noted aquarist Lee Finley is him flexing his muscles enough..............then he un-earths pic's of his Behemoth and crushes all you with his modesty.I'll tell you what arapaimag,i hope if i ever attain 1/10 of your gallonage that i am as modest and as humble as you....*bows down*

[arapaimag]

For Mr.Bryce to get a mention in T.F.H. from noted aquarist Lee Finley is him flexing his muscles enough..............then he un-earths pic's of his Behemoth and crushes all you with his modesty.I'll tell you what arapaimag,i hope if i ever attain 1/10 of your gallonage that i am as modest and as humble as you....*bows down*

Thanks for the kind words, Lee Finley has been a friend for 2 decades through the ACA & NEC initially. Do you attend the NEC in Connecticutt ?

[Horiyoshi III]

No but i plan to hit 'em all,i'm young and thats's how i wanna kill my time,like know full Taxonomic information for most all freshwater species.Becuase of what iv'e seen from ALL your pics,and building plans on the internet,and my schooling in H.V.A.C. and so forth,i plan to build multiple tanks,mainly 3 side of cinderblock with re-bar, and 1 side the acryllic front.Simple.Dude,im a geek ,so i read these publications,so when i did see your name,i was instantly shown your callibur of knowledge.

Thanks

[arapaimag]

No but i plan to hit 'em all,i'm young and thats's how i wanna kill my time,like know full Taxonomic information for most all freshwater species.Becuase of what iv'e seen from ALL your pics,and building plans on the internet,and my schooling in H.V.A.C. and so forth,i plan to build multiple tanks,mainly 3 side of cinderblock with re-bar, and 1 side the acryllic front.Simple.Dude,im a geek ,so i read these publications,so when i did see your name,i was instantly shown your callibur of knowledge.

Thanks

It's fantastic to have enthusiastic hobbyists like you in MFK and the great fish hobby. I wish you the best in building your big tanks and hope to meet you at the NEC in 2007.

[Brayden]

are you the same person that made the 50000 gollen fish tank

[arapaimag]

are you the same person that made the 50000 gollen fish tank

Welcome to MFK

Yes, I'm guilty of that one also. :eek:

[bootin]

GREAT to see your dreamtank!!! have you considered to try any of the brachyplatystoma species? do you have anyone now? size? behaviour? feeding? great pics!!!

[arapaimag]

GREAT to see your dreamtank!!! have you considered to try any of the brachyplatystoma species? do you have anyone now? size? behaviour? feeding? great pics!!!

I did have a couple of Tigers (42") and Planiceps (48" & 54") but they are no longer alive. They were between 15 and 20 years when they died.

I have babies of both in the tank now. They are both about 4 years old and I've had them only a few months. Both are small for their age (about 32 to 34").

The eat mainly smelt, mackeral, salmon and whitefish. As well they eat any african cichlids they can catch.

[monster keeper]

great tank:headbang2:headbang2:headbang2where is the best place to find info on how to build our own super tank

[Open Water Predator]

you must have a good job or hit the megabux to afford these tanks :jaw: :jaw:
my thoughts exactly. supersweet though.

[arapaimag]

great tank:headbang2:headbang2:headbang2where is the best place to find info on how to build our own super tank

MFK articles will help you. Check out the details each of the MFK members have used like John's great 2400 and 5000 where he gives you every detail in construction as does Todd for his 2500 and the super 1700 shark tank article.

Hope you build a monster tank and show us your pictures also.

[Zeppelin3k]

i was wondering exactly how many tanks you got and what sizes. do you have any updated pics of your whole collection? i am a pic lover some more pics would be awesome!

[BadDogsPa]

Love the size,i would probably build something that would crush under water pressure. Where do you get the info about supports and glass thickness.

[arapaimag]

Love the size,i would probably build something that would crush under water pressure. Where do you get the info about supports and glass thickness.

You can get info like that from a local engineering dept at a university/college

[arapaimag]

i was wondering exactly how many tanks you got and what sizes. do you have any updated pics of your whole collection? i am a pic lover some more pics would be awesome!

I hope to have some new pics up as soon as my updated filteration system is in place. I've reduced my number of tanks down to mid 70's from 125.

[Piraus]

Where do you get all the water from when you must change so many gallons in all your tanks?

[chipopo]

and that is the small one ????
I have no words for that.

AMAZING !

[halofishboy]

All your tanks and fish.... :1zhelp: :jaw-dropp

[arapaimag]

Where do you get all the water from when you must change so many gallons in all your tanks?

I live in the country and have 2 deep water wells

[suepahfly]

Your tanks are amazing. :headbang2

[arapaimag]

Your tanks are amazing. :headbang2

Thanks hope to have some friends update pictures in the next few weeks.

[Derpeder]

Thanks hope to have some friends update pictures in the next few weeks.

Excited for those!!!!

[arapaimag]

Great news for everyone wanting updated pictures of the 50,000 and the 15,000. My friend did come over on Thursday April 5, however the remote sub had one propeller not working so we could not use it. :irked:

He did bring other cameras and a submersible remote controlled webcam which he took some good quality short movie clips of both tanks. :drool:

Neoprodigy just received some of the movie clips from the 50,000 just minutes ago and will make a new article in MFK's article section for both tanks as the rest come to us from my friend.

You will also see the updated filtration system I have been installing over the past year.

My friend will return in the summer and update again with a remote control double camera dvd submarine. :)

I hope you all enjoy the pictures/movie clips:popcorn:

[608004]

What kinds of fish are in there now

[arapaimag]

What kinds of fish are in there now

Actually every fish that was in the tank last year is still in it today. A few have grown but I guess even though it is heavily populated it is balanced enough.

[arapaimag]

What kinds of fish are in there now

Did you see this article which updated the fish last year?

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13742&page=21

[fishboyakadean]

yo

[fishboyakadean]

how do u put pictures on your talk thing i am new sorry

[guppy1]

Are you a engineer how did you learn to build a tank safely

[roisu]

Cool huge tank~ I guess you have no idea how mnay fishes in your tank~ very nice~

[arapaimag]

Are you a engineer how did you learn to build a tank safely

Thanks for your question and welcome to MFK.

I am not an engineer but did spend a few years planning and saving to build my large tanks. Building the 52,000 first made this one seem like a breeze in designing and constructing it. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8952

[Tat2NYer]

WOw...impressive. I plan to do something like it next spring, with a 14,000 gallon tank to start me off...youare an inspiration!

[arapaimag]

I'm not sure every few hours a few more are born and others get zapped.
I've got my best friend Jason driving up from the east coast in his new convertable to give me an exact count.

[filiportela]

incredible...........:drool: :drool: :drool: and they say i'm crazy...lol

[MTVSlick]

another familiar tank! looking great Mike!

Mark,

[FishRfine]

I'm not sure every few hours a few more are born and others get zapped.
I've got my best friend Jason driving up from the east coast in his new convertable to give me an exact count.

cute

[Smorgousford]

I'd love to try your project some day!

[arapaimag]

another familiar tank! looking great Mike!

Mark,

Mark it's great to see you on MFK.

[Sarin9390]

Thats wild. And seems to be alot of work...

[torontoleafs_rock]

Just curious of what the cost of just the tank was?

[crazysteve]

Did I miss Were the live cam feeds are?????? You are going to put cams in there, I HOPE, so all of us poor fish freeks can have a real self sex sight ;) :) LOL

[crazysteve]

Just curious of what the cost of just the tank was?
nun of are bizz:WHOA::chillpill::chillpill:

[crazysteve]

:ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:Hi everyone,

I just returned from the ACA (American Cichlid Association) July 19-23, 2006
Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights, IL in Chicago. It was one of
the best conventions and largest ever. There were over 2,000 bags of
quality cichlids in their final auction after already having several other
auctions and many hobbyists selling out of their rooms and the selling room.
The Greater Chicago Cichlid Association that hosted the event were friendly
and fantastic. In their incredible Show was a new TANK BUSTER CLASS in
memory of Mike Sheridan who passed away earlier this year. The welcome bag
of goodies exceeded any event I have ever attended.

The highlights were meeting Neoprodigy :thumbsup: , his wife Elsie:thumbsup:
and #1 son Jason (Neo 2) :thumbsup: (The Neo's was instructed to have more
children and a manual with full instructions were provided in case they
forgot how).

MFK helped as a ACA sponsor and set up a booth for the whole show where MFK
members and prospective members mingled. It was great to talk with some
hobbyists who actually keep over 600 tanks.

Neo wowed everyone with his recent pictures of his trip to the orient and
the best one was a movie of tank in Taiwan with 20 adult Arapaimas at
feeding time.

We went to the famous SHEDD aquarium and of course enjoyed the Arapaimas,
electric eels and other monsters. They had a number of Colossoma brachypomum
instead of the normal Colossoma macropomum and they also had a rare
Colossoma oculus. One of the great things is the tremendous number of top
quality speakers, book authors and explorers that attend and mingle with us
during the event. While observing the Amazon tanks Heiko Bleher:thumbsup:
(Led over 400 expeditions in his lifetime and author of multiple books and
over 1,000 magazine articles) was on my one side and Jeff Cardwell:thumbsup:
(A cichlid hobbyist, leader of 17 expeditions and conservationist who has
bought to preserve 2,800 acres of rainforest with 9 friends) on the other
side. People like this actually have gotten into the waters our fish come
from more times than they can remember. Other noted speakers and attendees
were Dr. Jos Snoeks | Dr. Phil Willink | Dr. Uwe Romer | Dr. Wayne Leibel |
Dr. Mark Mitchell | Juan Miguel Artigas Azas | Ad Konings | Dick Au | Mo
Devlin | Rusty Wessel | Eric Hanneman | Joe Middleton | Randy Carey | Ted
Judy |

Speaking with one of the curators regarding their Abba Abba Gymnarchus
niloticus he related the time a black bird had entered the building in the
working section above the exhibit and when attempting to have a drink of
water was pulled into the tank by the abba, eaten and the only evidence was
the large number of feathers floating in the tank after it happened. Another
feature of the trip to the Shedd was the behind the scenes opportunity to
see the maintenance side and talk with nearly one dozen of the curators and
assistants.

The event was hosted by the famous Greater Chicago Cichlid Association led
by Rick Borstein and 60 other dedicated volunteers. They put on a
spectacular event.:headbang2

They provided coaches to both the Shedd and also a boat tour of Chicago.

There was a large dealer showroom of dry goods. It was in this room that Neo
had the MFK booth. Mike and Robin Shadle had their book store, Sting Ray
Lucas (Kingfisher) had his display, John had a large Jehmco display, (I
bought another linear piston pump from him). TFH Tropical Fish Hobbyist had
a booth and editor in chief David Boruchowitz was on hand mingling with the
hundreds of hobbyists. FAMA and Aquarium Fish mags were both there also. I
requested more monster fish in depth articles from them both to match the
recent push David Boruchowitz has provided us with at TFH. As well Zoo Med
had a huge display. Many other booths were at the event with knowledgeable
hobbyists at them.

Discus Hans and his wife attended and had a whole room of incredible discus
available to purchase. The actual breeder Mr Stendker also came from Europe
to meet buyers of his beautiful fish. Heiko Bleher was also available to
sign copies of his new book Bleher's Discus Volume 1. It is magnificent and
covers many of the fish in the amazon while covering all aspects of the
discus. I bought a copy and you can also from AQUAPRESS
aquapress@aquapress-bleher.it

There were fish seller rooms with hundreds of tanks including Jeff Rapps.

Pam Chin led the Babes drive for funding for the Guy Jordan fund. I got a
copy of the 10th edition of Exotic Aquarium Fishes by William Innes in their
silent auction. It was donated by Mike & Robin Shaddle. Dick Au told me he
had been lucky to obtain a copy of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions ($100.00
for the 1st edition). I'm hoping I'm included in his will !!!

They had a great banquet and Dr Wayne Liebel had a speech on if the species
was legitimate and discovering the location of the original Flowerhorn
Cichlid in the wild. He had many slides in his presentation showing the
birthplace of this fish????. He also advised us of the next expedition he is
organizing to prove the existence of and discover the original birthplace of
the popular rainbow of colours Asian Parrot Fish. If you ever wanted to take
a trek in the jungles of the world contact Wayne.

At the banquet I also managed to piss off our host Rick Borstein when, after
he mentioned to everyone in the room that we all suffered from some sort of
Cichlid disease because of the large number of tanks we maintain. He then
mentioned that he had 22 tanks, An attendee named Warren from Wisconsin
mentioned that was nothing and that he had over 100 tanks so he and the rest
of us at the table must be really ill. Unfortunately Rick thought this was a
slight to his maintaining 22 tanks (He actually is a very good cichlid
keeper and breeds 28 species a year:headbang2 ). He avoided me the rest of
the convention. I got out of town as fast as I could before a contract was
taken on me. I was scared he might hire Rick Perez to run over me in my
wheelchair.

I apologize to you Rick for the misunderstanding. If Rick Perez was present,
the joke? would have been very quickly understood.

Speaking of The legend, Rick Perez of monster cichlid fame led many car
loads of hobbyists to his home to view his incredible 200 plus tanks. He has
dozens of tanks 180 gallons and up to 700 gallons. He breeds many species of
fish and among the monsters had 4 spawning of Cichla sp (Peacock Bass) to
actually view. Nobody else can even breed them in their lifetime and the
Peacock bass legend has 4 spawning on view at an ACA convention in his home
town.

He had about 1,142 adult Cichlas in his tanks and when I asked if I could if
I could buy 3 of the smallest.

He said GGGGGEEEEEEEE I really didn't want to part with any right now.

I mentioned this to members of the Greater Chicago Cichlid club. They
suggested I pay a few bucks to some of the big guys attending the ACA to
bend a few parts on Rick's body. But, I had made a mistake and had already
eaten a meal at a restaurant in the hotel and spent my entire budget for the
whole weekend on the hamburger.

The members then told me not to worry because nobody in the club liked Rick
Perez anyway :banhim: and would gladly welcome the chance to break a few of
his limbs on my behalf. The women all begged to be allowed to kick him while
the men were disassembling him. (The most eager woman looked a lot like
Rick's wife!)

I thought it over, then decided it would be a lot more gruesome if my best
friend Jason (Neo 2)took care of him. NOTE: Jason is small but I saw him
devour a bun in the restaurant and could only imagine what he would do to
the cichlid legend Rick Perez if given the chance.

SO.........Rick don't ever go into a dark room alone.......... My buddy
Jason (Neo 2):headbang2 has my contract on you.

However rejoice that I and all the people who know you, look forward to
visiting you in hospital:grinyes: .

I also have proposed a Rick Perez memorial award at the next live bearers
convention for the fish with the smallest
gonopodium...........................:ROFL:


The 2007 ACA Annual Convention will be held in Sacramento,
California, hosted by the Sacramento Aquarium Society (SAS) Dates: July 18 -
22, 2007 http://www.cichlid.org/ACA2007Convention.html.


Neoprodigy and his son Jason (NEO 2) have agreed to attend the
All Aquarium Catfish Convention 2006 Presented by the Potomac Valley
Aquarium Society October 20-22
Laurel, Maryland. http://catfish2006.com/
This will be a great chance for MFK members to gather, chat and meet
the legend Neoprodigy
(I might not be there because I have agreed to watch TV with Neo's wife
Elsie while he attends the Convention).

[torontoleafs_rock]

nun of are bizz:WHOA::chillpill::chillpill:



I just ask because i would one day like 2 builda tank my self probabl around 7500 gallons and i was just curious of the cost so i could get an idea of what i might be getting myself into

[arapaimag]

I just ask because i would one day like 2 builda tank my self probabl around 7500 gallons and i was just curious of the cost so i could get an idea of what i might be getting myself into

Building a 7500 gallon tank will be great.

I really never kept track of the cost of building the 15k or the 52k. I had saved a lot of the money before building them and then sold off motorcycles from my motorcycle hobby when ever I needed more. I had a large collection (Sales mgr at a dealership) and am unable to ride anymore.

If you are physically able the cost of building the tank will be a lot less than mine.

Check out the different approaches the others on this site have also taken. Some of them have used great cost saving ideas.

Good luck with building your tank.

You can also contact me at arapaimag@speedway.ca

[arapaimag]

Did I miss Were the live cam feeds are?????? You are going to put cams in there, I HOPE, so all of us poor fish freeks can have a real self sex sight ;) :) LOL

Sorry Steve I will not be putting up a live cam. John PTC has that market cornered and justifiably so with his super Arapaima and big tank.

I have given Neo many hours of video and hopefully he will put some up on the Video article. I know how busy he is with family, business and his 3 Fish sites.

[crazysteve]

Sorry Steve I will not be putting up a live cam. John PTC has that market cornered and justifiably so with his super Arapaima and big tank.

I have given Neo many hours of video and hopefully he will put some up on the Video article. I know how busy he is with family, business and his 3 Fish sites.
Thank you for shareing this. an I wish you the best with your tank. PS. If ya run out of cats and dogs to use as food. It would be easy to lure some crackheads over. :naughty::naughty::naughty::naughty:

[Juand15]

Thank you for shareing this. an I wish you the best with your tank. PS. If ya run out of cats and dogs to use as food. It would be easy to lure some crackheads over. :naughty::naughty::naughty::naughty:

Wow That TANK is F#R%$^& BIG it remind me of the fish tank at my Farm in Colombia and is built out side!!!!!!:headbang2:headbang2:headbang2:headbang2

[arapaimag]

Lets see pictures of your tank

[likestofish]

was tha a bass in the picture with the stingray

[arapaimag]

was tha a bass in the picture with the stingray

That was my Wolf cichlid..........Herichthys dovii or whatever the new name is this week.

[arapaimag]

It was great meeting many of you at the Ohio Cichlid Association Conference in Cleveland on the weekend. It looks like everyone had a fantastic time and it was a fine tribute they made to our late friend Stuart Grant who actually came from Africa and visited and saw me and played in my tanks with Ad Konings and Tom Herman in March of
2000.

[thamunsta]

the only question i have is when? when can i come visit, seriously all i need is an address. i think i live close enough. would that be alright? maby over the holidays if your not busy or on a weekend i could drive up if its cool with you id love to explore the wonders of your basement!!!

[arapaimag]

the only question i have is when? when can i come visit, seriously all i need is an address. i think i live close enough. would that be alright? maby over the holidays if your not busy or on a weekend i could drive up if its cool with you id love to explore the wonders of your basement!!!

What big fish do you keep?

Where area do you live?

[thamunsta]

What big fish do you keep?

Where area do you live?

im growing out a flowerhorn right now, not big by your standards its about 8"
my largest tank is a 55. i live about 1hr north of toronto.

[smilin_joe_cool]

I have been watching with sincere admiration since I joined the forum. In truth the articles section of MFK was one of the primary reasons I signed up. Quite aside from your demonstrated dedication, perserverance, and the awesome magnitude of your dreams, I am truly awestruck at the way you have made what appears to be an mini-ecosystem in your 15k and 50k tanks. I realize that you need to feed them, filter, heat, etc. Here I am referring to the fact that your fish are actually breeding and feeding on each other while apparently maintaining a relatively stable population over a DECADE. Although I'm sure you have your hand's full with the fish themselves, have you ever given thought to writing a book? You'd have one guaranteed sale:-)

[ccdoido]

hey dude we have the same problem
i'm building another tank [all glass] but i looking for some help

[arapaimag]

I have been watching with sincere admiration since I joined the forum. In truth the articles section of MFK was one of the primary reasons I signed up. Quite aside from your demonstrated dedication, perserverance, and the awesome magnitude of your dreams, I am truly awestruck at the way you have made what appears to be an mini-ecosystem in your 15k and 50k tanks. I realize that you need to feed them, filter, heat, etc. Here I am referring to the fact that your fish are actually breeding and feeding on each other while apparently maintaining a relatively stable population over a DECADE. Although I'm sure you have your hand's full with the fish themselves, have you ever given thought to writing a book? You'd have one guaranteed sale:-)


Thanks for all the kind words and I am happy that you enjoy my big tanks and all the others on MFK.

I will be making changes to the 15k in 2008 and that will be to remove the brycons, large barbs and dorados. This will allow the tank to become more like the 52k and become more of an ecosystem. Currently the cichlids (mostly central and south american) do breed and herd schools of up to a thousand babies around the tank for a few days but then they are all eaten mainly by the big boys I mentioned that will have to be moved.

The brycons also effect the feeding of my aro's because of their speed, strength and aggressiveness.

I will not be able to write a book due to time restraints. I am involved in many areas outside of the fish hobby. One of which is I am organizing my 2008 bb tournament www.spitfirechallenge.ca . I hopefully will however contribute to information on building large aquariums at the Stingray symposium in Chicago in August 2008.

[arapaimag]

im growing out a flowerhorn right now, not big by your standards its about 8"
my largest tank is a 55. i live about 1hr north of toronto.

Sounds OK but I am strapped for time so email me and we can see if it doable.
arapaimag@speedway.ca

[arapaimag]

A couple of new pics of the 26" tl measured Giraffe catfish. This is the guy who harassed my male leopoldi henlyi.

[marvinG24]

wow!!

[Lonely Hunter]

now that is monster fish keeper

[arapaimag]

a new pic.

Any ideas on what this fish is?

[ewurm]

Sweet! I think that's an Albino Channel, it looks like mine:

[wayne the pain]

What size is it? leaning to Hemibagrus nemurus ;)

Got a pic from side?

[arapaimag]

Sweet! I think that's an Albino Channel, it looks like mine:

Hey thanks for the great pics and I agree it does look a lot like yours but in fact it came from Asia and probably is a Hemibagrus (old Mystus). I just don't know the species.

Lee Finley saw it a few years ago and could not identify it either.

It is only about a foot long and I have owned it for more than ten years. I had channel cats and got them up to 30 and 36 inches in a couple of years. They were like yours and quite a bit heavier and stronger than my guy.

They were both killed in a 48 hour period by a 18" Hemibagrus (Mystus) nemurus. Which is very thin catfish compared to your channel cat. The Hemibagrus rips the skin off the bigger cat and causes it to die from the bleeding and the infection in the wounds. VERY NASTY....................

[arapaimag]

What size is it? leaning to Hemibagrus nemurus ;)

Got a pic from side?

It's about 12 inches long.

I just put a couple of pics on the reply above.

I've got nemurus and they are a lot thinner and grew a lot longer in the 10 years I've had this one. The Albino also is not as nasty as the adult nemurus.

[wayne the pain]

Yeh know what you mean about H nemurus being thinner, but to be honest think there is still a lot of confusion between H nemurus and H wyckioides, as H wyckioides was once sold under the name of H nemurus. H wyckioides is a long slender catfish compared to H nemurus, and if it was in albino form you would never see the easily recognizable red tail,and white maxillary barbels. on some sites the max size given for H nemurus is a little on the large size, not saying ive seen loads but ones ive seen barely if ever reach 18" never mind the quoted size of 2ft+.And H nemurus is also farmed in the far east in the albino form. anyway il post a pic and see what you think, compared to yours think body shape is pretty spot on.

[arapaimag]

Yeh know what you mean about H nemurus being thinner, but to be honest think there is still a lot of confusion between H nemurus and H wyckioides, as H wyckioides was once sold under the name of H nemurus. H wyckioides is a long slender catfish compared to H nemurus, and if it was in albino form you would never see the easily recognizable red tail,and white maxillary barbels. on some sites the max size given for H nemurus is a little on the large size, not saying ive seen loads but ones ive seen barely if ever reach 18" never mind the quoted size of 2ft+.And H nemurus is also farmed in the far east in the albino form. anyway il post a pic and see what you think, compared to yours think body shape is pretty spot on.

Thanks so much I think you have solved the identification problem for me.

because I must have acquired H wyckioides (Sold as Mystus nemurus then) a thin fish with a redish tail in the past and the confusion prevented me from identifying this fish as actually being the real H nemurus.

Would you suggest the real red tail catfish asian is H wyckioides. (The thinner of the two fishes with the red tail)

And H nemurus maybe should be called the false red tail asian catfish.

Too bad the pet shops have not caught on yet.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge on the Hemibagrus.
You don't happen to live at 221B Baker street ????????? Sherlock...........

[wayne the pain]

Glad i could of helped.:)

[Jonesy604]

You my friend are what I truely call a Monster Fish Keeper

Dale

[Opiate]

bah!!!! cant wait till i get my house i really wanan build a monster tank!!! not to that scale tho lol

[fishaaron]

How is that stingray doing?

[jojo_nature]

Was reading on page before about your hemibagrus nemurus. My brother has these 2 cat's he think's the black one is a H.nemurus but the albino is a slightly different shape and the barb's are a little different.Would like to know what you think ? The albino one has caused some wound's on his 2ft giraffe the little barsteward, do you think they could live in same tank ? In seperate one's now.

[catfish hippy man (dylan)]

wow that tank is awsome, put lots of tank busters in there

[benster2345]

thats a crazy setup id like to at some point when i get my own house to do something like that in my basement

[arapaimag]

:eek:a couple of more pics Bob Wright took in 2007

[arapaimag]

A cuople of other pics Bob "the judge" Wright took

[arapaimag]

A few more pics

[artemis1]

wow that giraffe cat is huge!

[badisbadis101]

yes it is! Those fish are all huge! This has got to be one of the coolest things i have ever seen :D

[turbodog]

Wow you are my new hero

[arapaimag]

wow that giraffe cat is huge!

He is 26" tl

He (Auchenoglanis occidentalis)
is the criminal that attacked my breeding male stingray (Potamotrygon sp.) I put him in jail last year (225 gallon) for a few months while the stingray recovered. Trying to decide which one would go back into the 15k.

I ended up putting him back into the 15k and kept the stingray in a 800g with
the peacock bass neoprodidgy gave me at the catfish convention in 2006.

In the pic he is still in the 15k. Notice the swimming pool drain beside him to get an idea of his size.

[arapaimag]

wow that giraffe cat is huge!

Hey you like monsters, did you ever see these pics of mine of a real 24" datnoid ?

He was raised by the legend Bill Gibbons (Grows the monsters the fastest of anybody I know) of the Woodstock area of Ontario. He was sold to Dragon Aquaria in Mississauga Ontario.

[arapaimag]

more datnoid pics

[tuaniee]

thats amazing how long did it take

[arapaimag]

thats amazing how long did it take

I believe he got it to the 24" from about 3" in 4 years. He changes the water every 3/4 days, feeds earthworms and minnows.

[arapaimag]

A few more pictures

[arapaimag]

You wanted more pictures

[Jaws71421]

Dude

[Jaws71421]

i mean who has monety like that it is freaking sweet to say the least with all that space though you should convert it to a salt setup with some sharks or something. i got no problem with fresh but i am a salt man myself.

[arapaimag]

i mean who has monety like that it is freaking sweet to say the least with all that space though you should convert it to a salt setup with some sharks or something. i got no problem with fresh but i am a salt man myself.

Great.........

Lets see some of your monster salt fish.

[Jaws71421]

dude is that all you do is work on your tanks by the time you finish all the water changes it must be time to start again! lol.

[arapaimag]

dude is that all you do is work on your tanks by the time you finish all the water changes it must be time to start again! lol.

I do several water changes in my tanks each day. As I answer this I'm doing my 800, my 540 and 2 180's. I drain them while I do other chores. And re fill them while working/feeding the fish. All tanks have overflows in case I don't get back in time.

[arapaimag]

more pictures for MFK buddies

[ZooTito]

Thats totally awesome tank! You're a GOD!

[ZooTito]

What kind of fish you have in there?

[arapaimag]

a few more pics for MFK

[arapaimag]

A couple of more

[Adam-011]

That is ASOME.

[arapaimag]

What kind of fish you have in there?

They are listed in the tank setup on left side. Here are few more pictures MFK

[arapaimag]

some new pics

[racefiend]

LOL. I was just saying to the girlfriend a while ago I wanna just fill the basement up with water someday and now I see how freakin awesome it would be!

[arapaimag]

A few more pictures of my arrowanas

[sami juhani]

hell yeahhhhh

[artemis1]

More pics of you smaller tanks!

Like 100-300 gallons :D

I like that Asian aro 8)

[arapaimag]

More pics of you smaller tanks!

Like 100-300 gallons :D

I like that Asian aro 8)

First.......... lets see a few of yours on this thread.

[artemis1]

Very well... I'll go dig some up :)

[arapaimag]

That's great I really would like to see the wild oscars and the shovelnose......thanks.