New tankmate for cats

[Jdj211]

I have a 5" RTC and a 4" megalodoras uranoscopus, and I'm looking to get another tank mate for them. I either want an arowana or a gar. Anybody with experience feel free to share your opinions. I'm looking at either a 4" silver aro, a 5" alligator gar, or a 6" spotted gar. I have compared all of their growth rates and they should all grow at a similar rate so there shouldn't be any problems with them eating each other


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[Jdj211]

Forgot to add info about my tank setup lol. So anyway my cats are currently in a 80 gallon. I have just started building a 500+ gallon indoor pond. It is approx. 7' diameter. This should be big enough to house these 3 fish for at least a few years, if not for their lives (alligator gar being the exception).


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[jclyde13]

I definitely wouldn't grow out a 4" aro with a 5" RTC (it would become lunch very quickly). I don't know whether the gar would work out or not though (I haven't kept one, so I'm not sure what their growth rates are like at that size).

As for your pond, I think it should last them a few years, but a fully grown RTC will probably need much more space than that.

 

[pharmaecopia]

The main problem you will run into is growth rates. The RTC and alligator gar will outgrow and eventually try to eat the other fish. These two might work out as adults but it would be best to grow them out separately before combining them. Aros grow pretty quickly yet because of their slim build can still be eaten pretty easily by an rtc. The florida gar, which is commonly mislabelled as a spotted gar, would be outgrown by the rtc. A florida gar would work great with a megalodoras. THe silver should work with the megalodoras, but will grow considerably faster.

 

[snowhnter]

I agree with the grow rate problems. My 20" RTC easily eats 10"+ whole tilapia. Anything that can fit will be food. Not sure but even a fully grown arowana might get eaten by the RTC. Long and thin like pasta. The alligator gar might be ok as an adult as long as it can keep up with the RTC as it grows. Not sure how fast the gar would grow. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[Jdj211]

Haha you guys are right. I'm amazed just how much my rtc can fit in his mouth. He generally eats his entire meal in one bite. I'm not gonna get an arowana right now kuz I don't wanna get a silver that will get drop eye and blue's are too expensive. I would love to get an alligator gar but he would outgrow my indoor pond in about 1.5-2 years and I won't be able to build a mega tank until I own my own home in like 5-6 years. So for right now I plan on getting a spotted gar. I will keep an eye on my rtc to make sure he won't eat it. Maybe my rtc is retarded or something but he is completely uninterested in live guppies, minnows, and ghost shrimp. So hopefully I'm just lucky and I got a rtc who is a pacifist lol.


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