Arapaima

[Zoodiver]

Wow, this has grown since I looked at it this mornig.

I'll stick with my original comments about the arapaima issues in small tanks. IT DOESN'T WORK. I have yet to meet anyone who has kept a juvie in a small tank and had it live to adult hood. If anyone out there at all has, please feel free to chime in at ANY point in this thread. For all of those saying I'm over the top and it WASN'T the size of the tank, please fill us in on what you have done that nobody else could figure out.

As for TLKmDN - he admitted he was jumping the gun with his "world's largest" claim, and we can all move on as far as I care. As I said, I just like to stay on top of who opens large tanks. We do claim some big ones as part of our PR work - so I like to make sure we are being honest about them.

 

[Zoodiver]

Comments on my humble opinion are most welcome.....

You are right on the money.

 

[bmxer4ever]

You are right on the money.

Thank you kind sir.....

 

[cichlaguapote]

Not to rain on anyones parade, but it has been said repeatedly in these forums that any 'Pima less than 8 inches is going to be hard to raise.
Have a look in any of the big Arapaima threads and you'll find reference to this.
There method of reproduction involves a certain period of time where the fingerlings feed from their father - much like discus fry - and to pull them too soon can leave them with weakened immune systems etc.
I read this whole thread and while I can agree to some extent on the tank size issue, in my opinion (and remember, I've never owned a 'Pima) it sounds like a combination of factors.
Tank size is one, but I think if the 'Pima had been on it's own in there with good water parameters, it would have been fine for a couple of months.
It's likely that while appearing healthy, it was just too young to be put in with other fish in a tank that size. a little bit bigger and it may have been able to handle itself.
I think the poor thing just got stressed out at such a young age and that's why it died.

Comments on my humble opinion are most welcome.....

I actually think you're 100% correct. I think that's the best theory,,

Zoodiver, I can see now why you have such an interest in others exhibits, you're a good guy through and through.

 

[ray777]

Not to rain on anyones parade, but it has been said repeatedly in these forums that any 'Pima less than 8 inches is going to be hard to raise.
Have a look in any of the big Arapaima threads and you'll find reference to this.
There method of reproduction involves a certain period of time where the fingerlings feed from their father - much like discus fry - and to pull them too soon can leave them with weakened immune systems etc.
I read this whole thread and while I can agree to some extent on the tank size issue, in my opinion (and remember, I've never owned a 'Pima) it sounds like a combination of factors.
Tank size is one, but I think if the 'Pima had been on it's own in there with good water parameters, it would have been fine for a couple of months.
It's likely that while appearing healthy, it was just too young to be put in with other fish in a tank that size. a little bit bigger and it may have been able to handle itself.
I think the poor thing just got stressed out at such a young age and that's why it died.

Comments on my humble opinion are most welcome.....

I agree with you. Thanks

 

[ray777]

Zoodiver I never was trying to raise this pima til adulthood. This was already discussed. We all know they can't be raised in a small tank for that long. But you are saying no small tanks period. I am sure some people have raised them in smaller tanks for a certain time before going to a bigger tank.

 

[bmxer4ever]

Thinking more on this issue, I think we're all missing an important point.....

It's all about scale....

If an adult 'Pima gets to 14 feet, that's 168 inches, then a 5 inch 'Pima (0.336% of adult size) should really be classed as a 'fry' (a 5 inch fry!), if you get my drift.

Therefore we really shouldn't be putting them in with other fish 'til they get a bit bigger (when they would be classed as a 'juvie').

Does that make any kind of sense to anyone?!

Just a thought.....

 

[Zoodiver]

Yeah, that makes great sense.

And I am saying that even at 5", they can't be kept in that small of a tank. I've had best luck with 8" or more. Feeding young is tough - as mentioned they require the male. Then getting them to take food is hard. Once they are on live food, you should switch them to thawed or prepared foods. That is another battle. At that size, they grow fast.... and when I say fast, they are the fastest growing fish I've ever worked with. A two year old at 5 feet would not surprise me at all. Fish that grow that fast had a very high metabolism. To process that much food intake, they need room to swim, a lot more that most fish of their size.

 

[bmxer4ever]

Yeah, that makes great sense.

And I am saying that even at 5", they can't be kept in that small of a tank. I've had best luck with 8" or more. Feeding young is tough - as mentioned they require the male. Then getting them to take food is hard. Once they are on live food, you should switch them to thawed or prepared foods. That is another battle. At that size, they grow fast.... and when I say fast, they are the fastest growing fish I've ever worked with. A two year old at 5 feet would not surprise me at all. Fish that grow that fast had a very high metabolism. To process that much food intake, they need room to swim, a lot more that most fish of their size.

Aha.....now we get to the bottom of the tank size debate.......of course - fast metabolism requires space for all that fuel burning. Now I understand. It's the arapaima's survival technique - get big, fast. Makes sense now.