"ancient amazon" stock idea

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BuffaloPolypteridae

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 5, 2013
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Buffalo
this is how my main pred stock is looking to turn out, or at least how id like it to turn out, if anyone sees a big problem let me know

70 ga tank, will be upgrading in a couple months. building at least 120.

-ornate bichir (currently 7 inch)
-red hi fin wolf fish (possibly sp.Peru) (currenty 6.5 inch)
-red tail barracuda (growing out, 2.5 inch)
-possibly delhezi (would go into a growout tank)
-beuttokoferri bichir (getting largest one available at about 8 inches)
-eartheating cichlids (growing out, all 3 are 2 inches right now)
-irwini catfish (aka giant raphael) (will try to get around 7 to 10 inches, if not I can grow out)

I'm trying to go for an ancient amazon motif, seeing as fossil evidence suggests bichir were in SA at one point in the past. I even have some fossils I plan on using in the tank haha.

I do know the barracuda and wolf fish combo is sort of sketchy, but I've had no nipping problems yet in the half a year I've kept the red hi fin ornate bichir combo. the wolf leaves the ornate alone, so ill be growing out my bichir to at least 7 to 8 inches before putting them into the tank (as well as being quite thick). same with the barracuda.

it helps I introduced the wolf to bichirs as soon as I got him when he was about 3.5 inches. The wolf is the one who gets nipped haha ornates also start to grow slowly at around ten inches I've heard, so I'm not worried about the ornate outsizing the other stock anytime soon. then ill just need bigger earth eaters.

also if anyone could suggest a algae eater that would kind of go along with this stock that would be great, I have yet to find one that is appropriate. I don't want a pleco harassing my bichirs. I wish hillstream loaches were larger tropical fish they're so cool, I'm going to do a specie tank for them soon as I have the funds and room.
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Megalodoras uranoscopus (irwini) need tanks much bigger than that as they can max out at 28". Well fed and taken care of, 2 feet isn't unrealistic.

They apparently can reach 1 foot in the first year and while they don't grow as fast or large as many of the other big cats (e.g., Niger, giraffe), they do need a lot of space. Based upon my readings, they'll want a good hiding place and will probably not feed well during the day until they get some size. (So, no bare bottoms or day only feedings.)
 
I'm no barebottom guy, and I feed my bichir at night so that's not a problem, usually around 2 am. I will for sure be going with a long and wide style tank, at least 2 feet tall. I like to keep some low and wide plants for cover instead of actual caves or hides, never had a stress issue

how much larger do you think it should be then?

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I agree, the irwini will outgrow a 120 pretty fast, r at least mine did. My only other concern is that baracuda and wolf fish, they might end up killing or hurting your earth eaters or polys. As far as algea eaters go, a rhino plec should do fine, or just a regular common pleco.
 
festaedan said:
I agree, the irwini will outgrow a 120 pretty fast, r at least mine did. My only other concern is that baracuda and wolf fish, they might end up killing or hurting your earth eaters or polys. As far as algea eaters go, a rhino plec should do fine, or just a regular common pleco.
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how large do you think it should be then? 150-200 sound about right?

the pleco could suck off the slime coats of the bichirs so I'm trying to avoid them.

the barracuda is growing out with the eartheaters now and I've had no problems yet, they are too busy messing with each other to bother the cuda. My wolf has always lived with my ornate w/o barrier, and so far (about 5 months) the only one who has gotten nipped was the wolf and it wasn't bad and hasn't happened since. the wolf leaves the bichir alone really, I divide them in feeding, and I would divide the cuda and wolf to feed and the rest on the other side, maybe leaving the irwini in it.

idk if I lucked out and got 2 generally chill fish (cuda and wolf wise) but you can never tell before its all set up and going. the cuda is going to get at least 7 to 8 inches before getting into that tank and the eartheaters not until full sized. may trade them for red head or jurupiri (sp?) something that gets a little bigger then whatever I have now (still trying to ID)

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not that big of an issue but the red wolf might try to bully the bichirs. Might be some nipped fins here and there. I had a 6 inch red with my 6 inch bichirs. I had to sell my wolf cuz he was bullying my bichirs and outcompeteing for food.

Make sure the cuda and wolf is similar size.
 
Oh yeah for sure, and ive heard of the red wolves doing so also, but decided to take the risk w/ my possibly sp. Peru and ornate bichir. It so far has turned out quite well, and surprisingly the only one with nipped fins has been the wolf, and that has been only once! About 3 to 4 months in w/ the combo and my wolf stopped jumping about 3 weeks ago and isnt aggressive towards the ornate at all.. idk if i lucked out or what but i will be making sure all of these fish are at the right size, about the same if not bigger then the wolf before they go in.

Thinking about selling my gymno balzanii and getting a larger eartheater that will hold its own better, the balzani will be snacks eventually. i have to order them online i cant find anything but balzani eartheaters around here.

What size do you guys think would be about right for this stock and setup? ill be beginning to gather materials for this within the next couple of weeks and hoping to have it done by about christmas so i need to figure this out haha, will be a long tank for sure. Im really excited about the Irwini, they look so ancient at large sizes
 
dropping the Irwini idea and going for a full grown striped and a full grown spotted raphael, they're also armored and will be housed much more comfortably, ill have to hold off on the Irwini until I can have like a 300 ga tank

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