Building My 15,000 Gallon Mini Mega Tank

arapaimag

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The only pics of the lima(could be another species since their are 4 that are pretty similar) were taken by Rusty Wessel when he visited in 2011. It does not really show its size well.DSC_9872.JPG

DSC_9872.JPG
 

PIE.

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That's a nice pic! Isn't there also a vulture catfish (Calophysus macropterus) in there? Have you ever kept Hypsibarbus wetmorei (Lemon Fin barb)?
 

arapaimag

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Thanks that Sorubim I was given by my friend Noel Nathaniel a MFK member 12 years ago during 2000. It was at least 18" (45cm) already and he raised that big in a 90 gallon tank ( 340 litres). It almost stopped eating about 2 years ago for a few months and I thought I would lose her but she recovered and is doing really well now. I had two 12" (30 cm) males in with her a few years ago and they would do the spawning actions in the tank. Both males were eaten by another fish.

The Calophysus macropterus is still in the 15k and doing really well. I have my smallest Hemibagrus wyckii in the 15k and was worried the Crystal eyed cat would hurt the vulture but no problems have ever arisen. I do have a young Aquarunichthys torosus a very similar fish in a grow up 180 g (681 Litres) with one of my Hydrocynus vittatus and will some day make it to this tank.

Yes I keep Hysibarbus wetmorei but no giants yet. Never really liked them till I saw some big ones about 15-16" (40 cm) that had real attitude.
I have one in a winter koi tank

and 7 in a grow up 180 with a few interesting fish.

2 mystus bocourti
4 Heteropneustes fossillis
1 Potamotrygon dumerilii
 

Egon

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Arapaimag,

Re: Goonch cat. You mention you kept one for a while? You told me (not sure what thread) how to grow one out by keeping feeders in the tank at all times and also feeding regularly. My guy is now about 2 feet and very fat! Thank you for the advice.

When would you advise moving it into a community tank? If ever? It's currently in a 210 cold water grow out maintained at 69F. My next move for him was going to be a 450 com tank at 79 degrees.


Do you still have your Goonch?
 

arapaimag

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No I don't have the goonch anymore. I had it from 1997 to 2009. Mine never got very big and only was around 36" when it died. My other fish mutilated the body and I was unable to retrieve it.

I had mine in the 52,000 gallon. The temps there get as low as 68F. but are on average 72 to 78F. I actually never fed him feeders except when he was young but did keep a shoal of small fish in with him while he learned to eat chunks of Mackerel, herring, lake trout, smelts etc. Once he was big enough he went into the big tank and always had large numbers of cichlids to eat between my feedings of fish/pellets etc to the tank.

Have you started the build on the big tank yet?
 

PIE.

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Thank you for the detailed response.

Are the tinfoil barbs (Barbonymus schwanefeldii) in there? Do you keep species of synodontis in the 15k?
 

arapaimag

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Thank you for the detailed response. Are the tinfoil barbs (Barbonymus schwanefeldii) in there? Do you keep species of synodontis in the 15k?
I have one Barbonymus schwanenfeldi in the 15k for sure. I got him in 1996 and he is starting to look very ragged. I also have several Barbonymus altus in there too.The Syns in the tank are getting old.I had two Synodontus angelicus in the tank but only saw one when feeding the tank on Sunday. One I got in 1987 and the other in 1988. I do have a baby in with some grow up elephantnose in a 55g (208 l).I also have a few Synodontus budgetti and notata in the 15k.There is also a very old Hemisynodontus membranacea in the 15k (bought in 1990) and I have a young one in a 180. The young one is a show stopper. A truly king of the species. He is at present in a old fish room quality tank so only bad pics of him.I do keep other SynsS. Decora in the 810 and a 120S. euptera in 2 180's, 225S. Granulosa in a 120S. Multipunctata in 180S. petricola in 180I also have a number of fish I bought as S. angelica a couple of years ago at about 1" which turned out not to be them. They resmble S. aterrima but could be a natural occurring hybrid and they were imported from africa by the distributor.
 

arapaimag

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What about Nile Perch do you keep them? Or dorado?

I have no nile perch .

If I did I would put it in the big tank not this one as he would wipe out my barbs etc.

I do have a dorado in the tank and actually was watching him taking on a breeding pair of Midas cichlids protecting a shoal of babies about an hour ago. The dorado is only about 15" (37cm).
 

Egon

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Have you started the build on the big tank yet?

No, not yet. First step, maybe happening this spring, will be a 4 car "tandem" garage (two cars in front of two more cars). I plan on putting an L shaped tank along the long wall of the garage and the short part of the L on the back of the garage. I'm going concrete with three 8X4 acrylic panels, two for the long side and one for the short side.

FYI: I'm in the pre-planning/dream step lol
 
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