Sorry, IDK how but I have been missing this thread for the last 2-3 years. Such a wonderful documentation and information for everyone to take advantage of. Great many heartfelt thank you's to Phil!!! This account is as appreciated as it is extremely unique, informative, and honestly presented.
Several questions:
[1] With all that has been learned, what would you do differently to achieve an ultimate success, that is until the fish passes naturally?
Increasing the size of a cylindrical tank has two opposing consequences. The larger the tank, the more relaxed get the skittish, high strung, easily spooked, and flighty fish. At the same time, the larger curve radius of the larger cylindrical tanks decreases the geometrical advantage of deflecting the run-ins into walls, with the largest cylindrical tanks being no different at all from rectangular and other flat-wall tanks. Plus more space lets fish pick up more speed too. I think these two factors worked in your favor.
Soft wall liner (or inflatable) fish tanks would be punctured often by toothy atfs. Maybe some sort of wall protection could be imagined, either for the hard-wall tanks (so the atfs don't die from run-ins) or for the soft-wall tanks (so atfs do not puncture them)? Like hanging curtains of heavy rubber liner or curtains of mats?
Maybe not having any obstructions like driftwood either? I understood why you had it there, that is for the sake of the tank mates, but tiggy didn't need it and would do significantly safer without it, I think. This is one of the reasons we aim to keep tanks bare with monster sized, powerful fish (and are regularly criticized for it).
[2] I've not seen that you fortified tiggy's tilapia fillets with vitamins and minerals. Have you found it unnecessary? Tiny relative amount of meal / superworms and live tank mates wouldn't seem to make up for the ill-balanced nutrition of almost pure protein in the fillets. To keep regrowing those teeth alone would demand lots of calcium.
[3] Have found the general paleness and absence of red color odd and if so, how would you explain it? I wonder if this is related to pronounced paleness of our silver arowana (many confuse them with albino), which I always attributed to lack of UV, sunlight, and small amount of artificial light in general.
[4] No screens on pump intakes must be for tiggy's safety sake, I presume, but dead or even live fish could get sucked up against the intake and block filtration. I realize likely this is why you had two intakes and two pumps, but both could get plugged up at the same time.
Several questions:
[1] With all that has been learned, what would you do differently to achieve an ultimate success, that is until the fish passes naturally?
Increasing the size of a cylindrical tank has two opposing consequences. The larger the tank, the more relaxed get the skittish, high strung, easily spooked, and flighty fish. At the same time, the larger curve radius of the larger cylindrical tanks decreases the geometrical advantage of deflecting the run-ins into walls, with the largest cylindrical tanks being no different at all from rectangular and other flat-wall tanks. Plus more space lets fish pick up more speed too. I think these two factors worked in your favor.
Soft wall liner (or inflatable) fish tanks would be punctured often by toothy atfs. Maybe some sort of wall protection could be imagined, either for the hard-wall tanks (so the atfs don't die from run-ins) or for the soft-wall tanks (so atfs do not puncture them)? Like hanging curtains of heavy rubber liner or curtains of mats?
Maybe not having any obstructions like driftwood either? I understood why you had it there, that is for the sake of the tank mates, but tiggy didn't need it and would do significantly safer without it, I think. This is one of the reasons we aim to keep tanks bare with monster sized, powerful fish (and are regularly criticized for it).
[2] I've not seen that you fortified tiggy's tilapia fillets with vitamins and minerals. Have you found it unnecessary? Tiny relative amount of meal / superworms and live tank mates wouldn't seem to make up for the ill-balanced nutrition of almost pure protein in the fillets. To keep regrowing those teeth alone would demand lots of calcium.
[3] Have found the general paleness and absence of red color odd and if so, how would you explain it? I wonder if this is related to pronounced paleness of our silver arowana (many confuse them with albino), which I always attributed to lack of UV, sunlight, and small amount of artificial light in general.
[4] No screens on pump intakes must be for tiggy's safety sake, I presume, but dead or even live fish could get sucked up against the intake and block filtration. I realize likely this is why you had two intakes and two pumps, but both could get plugged up at the same time.
