Arapaima...

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I'll likely never own an arapiama since they get so mammoth, but for some reason they intrigue me enough to ask the burning question;

What would be the minimum tank size to keep an arapiama in comfort for life?

Also, are these fish social on some level? (best kept in pairs or more in captivity).

Just curious.
 
loach43 said:
Also, are these fish social on some level? (best kept in pairs or more in captivity).

Just curious.
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I'd say 30,000 gallons MINIMUM with more swimming area than depth. Give them about 5' depth. But obviously, more is better. I've seen some that prefer to rest in deep areas exceeding 20'. You'll have a 10' fish that needs room to turn around while in forward motion. Sure, they are great at backing up and getting around in tight spots, but it's not the best way for them to turn.

As for keeping multiple animals, I say yes. They are not "social" per say, but they seem to do better in groups of three. (So that also ups the tank requirment.) Solitary gigas seem to turn lathargic after a few years. The largest successful group I've seen was 12. But it was at an aquarium. I've seen people attempt more, and it results in major kill offs until they balence themselves with the environment they are kept in.


As for the name of a person who studies feshwater fish....alot of us have marine bio degrees (or wildlife bio). Depending on what area you're in, we tend to take different names. Freshwater biologist is a pretty common one. I'm just known as "fish boy" around the zoo, but while out in the field, they call me a "wrangler". Sounds like I'm out chasing cattle or something!
 
Thanks very much for the info! Now I know for sure that I'll never own any of these LOL. 30,000 gallons is about triple the amount I would have guessed.

As for the social aspect, are you saying that these aren't particularly social in the wild? I saw a pair of approx. 6' arapaima recently at the Shedd aquarium and they were hanging out together about mid tank level. They weren't swimming around much but rather suspended in one place. They were so close together they were nearly touching. This led me to believe that they would be found in groups or pairs in the wild. Am I wrong about that or are these fish more solitary in their natural habitat?

Thanks again!
 
When they are young like that, you will see them in groups. But not like a school of tetras by anymeans. Also, in captivity, you'll see them together just because often times they ave nothing else to do. Being captive drastically will shape their behavior. Because they adapt to a regualr feeding schedule, they no longer will 'cruise' to hunt. They also have no need to avoid predation anymore.
 
Zoodiver said:
When they are young like that, you will see them in groups. But not like a school of tetras by anymeans. Also, in captivity, you'll see them together just because often times they ave nothing else to do. Being captive drastically will shape their behavior. Because they adapt to a regualr feeding schedule, they no longer will 'cruise' to hunt. They also have no need to avoid predation anymore.
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Thanks once again for the generous reply. If I worked at a zoo or public aquarium I would not be called fish boy, I would be called fish poop cleaning boy. My interests would be geared more towards tank maintenence than anything else. I've always been envious of the divers who feed the fish. My biggest fit of jeliousy was when I once saw a diver petting a huge green moray like a dog at the Newport Aquarium. Up until then I would have never suspected any moray to be so tame. Let's face it, they look really menacing. Who in their right mind would approach one if they didn't know better.
Regards Zoodiver!
 
Fish poop cleaning boy sounds more like what I do! Aquarists at zoos are a diverse group...you have to understand water chemistry, plumbing, electrical, construction, and over all animal behavior and husbandry - that's what make fish keepers so dang cool compared to other zoo keepers! Plus we get to keep things like arapaima on someone else's dime!

And moray eels are like dogs....never pet one you don't know. But once you know them, they're pretty laid back.
 
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