Advice for Starting Aro Comm Tank afresh

[Junminho80]

Good day to all,

Background

I started keeping a comm tank with 5 juvenile reds (3") one and a half years ago.
My tank was 5x2x2.5, with sump filter system comprises of jap mat and corals.
Their diet was mp only and after certain months, they loss their appetite.
Due to inexperience and lack of in depth knowledge, all 5 died one after the other within 8 months.
Then, i thought the juvenile (3") were unstable and fatality rates were highly.
So I put in 5 TFB to test the water for 1 month.
Then I went for another 5 6" reds, coupled with another 2 types of bottom dwellers tank mates (8 pcs).
Diet was again only mp for all types.
Initially was good, then slowly, the reds started to lose their appetite and never regain and slowly passed away one after the other in 10 months period.

Thoughts
My thoughts was that the reasons why aros don't eat were (1) poor water quality (2) disease (3) stress
When the 4th red died, I started to research and thought the filter was the issue leading to poor water quality.
So i went to put in bacteria house, ceramic rings, peats to lower pH and soften water.
However the last red died 2 weeks later.

Questions
Why aros don't eat despite water changes?
(1) Poor water quality
Maybe the amount of water change wasn't enough to improve.
Any advice?
(2) Disease
There wasn't any apparently.
Any advice?
(3) Stress
Could it be due to the tank mates?
Any advice?
(4) Sump filter set up
Was it set up properly and correctly?
Any advice?


Advice
Now I am left with 1 TFB and another 2 similar bottom dwellers (see photo) and am interested to re-start the comm tank again.
This time I have shortlisted a batch of juvenile 4" reds, but I would like to comm 2 juvenile reds with 1 juvenile silver.
And thinking to remove the balance tank mates and replace with 3 FFs and 3 STs/ITs.
Any advice?

Apologies, but I just can't upload any photos.
Please help.

 

[Hendre]

How much water changing did you do? water tests help you see whats up

 

[Junminho80]

Good day to all,

Background

I started keeping a comm tank with 5 juvenile reds (3") one and a half years ago.
My tank was 5x2x2.5, with sump filter system comprises of jap mat and corals.
Their diet was mp only and after certain months, they loss their appetite.
Due to inexperience and lack of in depth knowledge, all 5 died one after the other within 8 months.
Then, i thought the juvenile (3") were unstable and fatality rates were highly.
So I put in 5 TFB to test the water for 1 month.
Then I went for another 5 6" reds, coupled with another 2 types of bottom dwellers tank mates (8 pcs).
Diet was again only mp for all types.
Initially was good, then slowly, the reds started to lose their appetite and never regain and slowly passed away one after the other in 10 months period.

Thoughts
My thoughts was that the reasons why aros don't eat were (1) poor water quality (2) disease (3) stress
When the 4th red died, I started to research and thought the filter was the issue leading to poor water quality.
So i went to put in bacteria house, ceramic rings, peats to lower pH and soften water.
However the last red died 2 weeks later.

Questions
Why aros don't eat despite water changes?
(1) Poor water quality
Maybe the amount of water change wasn't enough to improve.
Any advice?
(2) Disease
There wasn't any apparently.
Any advice?
(3) Stress
Could it be due to the tank mates?
Any advice?
(4) Sump filter set up
Was it set up properly and correctly?
Any advice?


Advice
Now I am left with 1 TFB and another 2 similar bottom dwellers (see photo) and am interested to re-start the comm tank again.
This time I have shortlisted a batch of juvenile 4" reds, but I would like to comm 2 juvenile reds with 1 juvenile silver.
And thinking to remove the balance tank mates and replace with 3 FFs and 3 STs/ITs.
Any advice?

Apologies, but I just can't upload any photos.
Please help.

 

[Jez1992]

Wow you've got a lot of money to waste on arowanas!

Is the tank cycled? How long set up for?

 

[Junminho80]

Wow you've got a lot of money to waste on arowanas!

Is the tank cycled? How long set up for?

How to tell if the tank is cycled?
it was set up for 3 weeks, with the TFBs as test specimens.
Now I am thinking to use silver aros as test specimens.

 

[Junminho80]

How much water changing did you do? water tests help you see whats up

10% max.
Previously didn't do any test.
Recently did purchase some test kits to test the pH, nitrate.

 

[Hendre]

10% max.
Previously didn't do any test.
Recently did purchase some test kits to test the pH, nitrate.

You should be doing 70% at least once a week on a tank like that, 10% isn't enough

 

[Hendre]

The nitrates creep up if waterchanges are too small, and then the arowana eventually lose appetite and get sick. That may be the reason that they died

 

[Junminho80]

The nitrates creep up if waterchanges are too small, and then the arowana eventually lose appetite and get sick. That may be the reason that they died

The correct way to recycling a tank is to ensure both ammonia and nitrites levels are almost zero?
Then it will meant that beneficial bacteria are already breaking down these 2 toxins and converting them into nitrates?
We then need to maintain low nitrate low by doing (1) water changes (2) add water plants (3) add nitrate remover.
Am I correct?

 

[Hendre]

The correct way to recycling a tank is to ensure both ammonia and nitrites levels are almost zero?
Then it will meant that beneficial bacteria are already breaking down these 2 toxins and converting them into nitrates?
We then need to maintain low nitrate low by doing (1) water changes (2) add water plants (3) add nitrate remover.
Am I correct?

A properly cycled tank will have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, and plants will help remove nitrates. Water changes are the only real way to keep nitrates low in tanks with large fish. Most nitrate removers don't really work, water changes are the best at that