I just registered at MFK and wanted to say a little about myself. As my interest, as far as monsters goes, is silver arowanas (though I do have a moray eel in a salt tank), I thought I'd post here.
In the mid 1980's I kept silver arowanas. As with most aquarist areas, the knowledge on how to keep these fish has changed a whole lot in the last 25 years. I have joined to get up to speed on the latest.
I had two or maybe three silver arowanas back then, one at a time. They all died long before their times, from traumas after either jumping out of the tank or "bashing their brains in". They were all about 24 inches in length at the time of their departures. All lived in a standard 55 gallon tank. At the time, they seemed to do fine, but I am sure the small volume contributed to their demise. Less water volume, more susceptibility to wide swings in water chemistry. Less space to move, more chance to run into something before calming down when spooked. One thing I am proud of from those days is that as soon as I could, I weaned them from the feeder goldfish and guppies they'd been given and onto a diet mostly of a homemade frozen cube, a combination of shrimp, fish and fish flakes all held together with gelatin.
After the last one died, my favorite, a fella with only one eye, I vowed not to keep another until I could have a large enough tank to keep it.
Fast forward to 2009. I'm still chronically cash poor, but something ignited the arowana fire in me again. I priced new tanks and started saving up. A couple of months ago, I purchased an 8 inch long SA at a negotiated discount due to his ragged but recovering finnage, courtesy a former SA tankmate. He has been living in a 38 gallon tank since then and is now about 12 inches long with finnage looking 99% perfect. His real home is being shipped and should be here next week. I don't want to start a discussion on minimum tank size right now, so I won't mention its volume. Suffice it for now for me to say that I discussed the new tank's placement with my landlord - I live in a 200 year old building - and he told me where the supporting foundation wall is. Don't be too impressed, remember the 200 yo part!
I will search these forums for useful information, but I do want to solicit members' ideas on one subject, not too endlessly discussed, I hope: The best way to capture and transport (across the room) a 12 inch SA? I've done it before with even larger ones, but that was back in the last century and my memory fails me.
Thanks.
In the mid 1980's I kept silver arowanas. As with most aquarist areas, the knowledge on how to keep these fish has changed a whole lot in the last 25 years. I have joined to get up to speed on the latest.
I had two or maybe three silver arowanas back then, one at a time. They all died long before their times, from traumas after either jumping out of the tank or "bashing their brains in". They were all about 24 inches in length at the time of their departures. All lived in a standard 55 gallon tank. At the time, they seemed to do fine, but I am sure the small volume contributed to their demise. Less water volume, more susceptibility to wide swings in water chemistry. Less space to move, more chance to run into something before calming down when spooked. One thing I am proud of from those days is that as soon as I could, I weaned them from the feeder goldfish and guppies they'd been given and onto a diet mostly of a homemade frozen cube, a combination of shrimp, fish and fish flakes all held together with gelatin.
After the last one died, my favorite, a fella with only one eye, I vowed not to keep another until I could have a large enough tank to keep it.
Fast forward to 2009. I'm still chronically cash poor, but something ignited the arowana fire in me again. I priced new tanks and started saving up. A couple of months ago, I purchased an 8 inch long SA at a negotiated discount due to his ragged but recovering finnage, courtesy a former SA tankmate. He has been living in a 38 gallon tank since then and is now about 12 inches long with finnage looking 99% perfect. His real home is being shipped and should be here next week. I don't want to start a discussion on minimum tank size right now, so I won't mention its volume. Suffice it for now for me to say that I discussed the new tank's placement with my landlord - I live in a 200 year old building - and he told me where the supporting foundation wall is. Don't be too impressed, remember the 200 yo part!
I will search these forums for useful information, but I do want to solicit members' ideas on one subject, not too endlessly discussed, I hope: The best way to capture and transport (across the room) a 12 inch SA? I've done it before with even larger ones, but that was back in the last century and my memory fails me.
Thanks.
?
