I only keep South American in my 15,000 gallon tank.I can't keep Arapaima's here in Florida,but I had them for about 20 years.They are a must to have in a monster pond.Arowana's are great for a pond because the stay most of the time at the surface and can be train to take food like your koi.I could give you a list but that's down the road.Good luck.
Ponds of Nothingness :(
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PBASS[PIMPIN];4662074; said:Thanks
Actually can't decide what fishes to put in the newest pond. What would you guys stock it with? I'd like to have monster fishes but I think a balance is important as currently the other pond's fishes are fed pellets every other day or sometimes even less because the pond pretty much sustains itself; sometimes the fish don't even bother with the food and I've never seen a single dead fish - mother nature doesn't let anything go to waste.
cebosound;4662637; said:wow nice ponds. Does the water temperature stay consistant throughout the year?
nice home. looks very peaceful.
Which home? I assume you mean the one with the river? That's about 30 minutes from KL city so I usually escape there one night a week.
Temperatures are consistent and although we do have rainy/drought seasons the differences in water temperature are negligible I suppose if compared to countries with all four seasons - no moving fish or 'winterizing' ponds where we are.
The only people I know who are concerned with water temperatures are those with reef/coral tanks but that's pretty much the same worldwide.
Arapaimaman;4662641; said:
Arowana's aren't really my kind of fish, don't know why but I do have cousins who are into Aros though. The Arapaima was the main reason why I decided to venture in monster fishes and along the way I realized that I liked RTCs as they seem to be enjoy interaction to some extent.
I do appreciate every bit of advice and whatever experiences shared as I'm trying to absorb as much info as I can. My other priority is to prepare the proper environment for the fishes first so I don't turn into one of those who end up giving away their fishes or releasing into the wild just because they underestimated the costs involved, the size of the fishes once fully grown, etc - I'm sure you've seen enough to last you a lifetime given your experience.
May I ask what happened to your Arapaimas after 20 years? Did they die?
black_sun;4662916; said:
Yes, tempting but I'm determined to avoid any impulse buying. Came close a couple times but luckily common sense prevailed.
Arapaima would be cool.....since its Malaysia dont you guys have some monster catfish that have fins kind of like a Wels? UMHO I think you should put in Native catfish (Malaysian giants) along with Arapaima and Alligator gar after you connect the two ponds. You could even use the other ponds for feeders (maybe native fast breeding feeders, small snakeheads etc.), and I think you would a real dream Monster fish pond.
Thanks for the suggestions; all in time I suppose. As mentioned earlier the newest pond which is incomplete won't be ready for awhile because of this years' extreme weather which has killed millions in Pakistan, China, Vietnam, Thailand and is now moving across Malaysia down south towards Singapore. The soil is too soft for heavy machinery just yet - perhaps by Feb next year the ground should still be soft enough to excavate without too much drama but hard enough that the ponds retain their shape.
There's another 25'x40'x10' concrete pond towards the back which I'm tempted to empty out and rebuild properly with filtration, pumps, etc. Unfortunately, the cost of the equipment for that sort of volume would probably be in the tens of thousands although labor is still relatively cheap. Hard to justify that sort of expenditure nowadays especially if I'm going to double the number of kids we have from 16 girls to 32 by end of 2011. It's always a balancing act when it comes to priorities.
There's another 25'x40'x10' concrete pond towards the back which I'm tempted to empty out and rebuild properly with filtration, pumps, etc. Unfortunately, the cost of the equipment for that sort of volume would probably be in the tens of thousands although labor is still relatively cheap. Hard to justify that sort of expenditure nowadays especially if I'm going to double the number of kids we have from 16 girls to 32 by end of 2011. It's always a balancing act when it comes to priorities.
If we could refocus our attention on my current project would be great as I've started to map out the new pond's area and going to demolish the existing one this week - was meant to be done nearly two weeks ago but was swamped more so than usual.
Anyways, this concrete pond is 22'x15'x3' and initially I planned to make it 30'x20'x6' but after some measuring and planning it turns out that I could probably make it wider by another 3' instead of the planned 5'. With that in mind, I'm somewhat tempted to just demolish the side walls of the pond and extend lengthwise so from 22' to 30' in length but original width would still remain at 15' with depth as planned.
Would this be good enough for the pair of Arapaimas to live out the next 15-20 years? The reason why I'm more inclined towards this pond is the fact that the water is naturally clear already and won't take much to keep it that way. I'd much rather see the fishes clearly instead of occasional glimpses when they surface in the other ponds. Secondly, this house is about 45mins away from my main house in Kuala Lumpur as opposed to the bigger one which is about 3 hours away by car. Naturally, I'd want to see them as often as I can.
But no one has given me a positive answer just yet and I'm hoping its adequate just the shape I guess is rather unfortunate. If the pond should be as wide as it is long then I'd have to move build it elsewhere on the property, still along the river but directly in the shadow of the house's main outdoor deck. Basically the pond would begin at the foot of the slope meaning the fishes would be in plain view of anyone on the deck which is where guests tend to hang out so its likely they'll be subject to loud noises if we have BBQs, etc.
Hopefully Arapaimaman and others with experience in keeping Arapaimas respond favorably to 'Plan A' in which case I'd get the workers to start demolishing in next couple of days or by weekend. 'Plan B' would have to wait as I'm hosting a BBQ on the 11th and I don't want too much clutter either.
Fingers crossed!
Anyways, this concrete pond is 22'x15'x3' and initially I planned to make it 30'x20'x6' but after some measuring and planning it turns out that I could probably make it wider by another 3' instead of the planned 5'. With that in mind, I'm somewhat tempted to just demolish the side walls of the pond and extend lengthwise so from 22' to 30' in length but original width would still remain at 15' with depth as planned.
Would this be good enough for the pair of Arapaimas to live out the next 15-20 years? The reason why I'm more inclined towards this pond is the fact that the water is naturally clear already and won't take much to keep it that way. I'd much rather see the fishes clearly instead of occasional glimpses when they surface in the other ponds. Secondly, this house is about 45mins away from my main house in Kuala Lumpur as opposed to the bigger one which is about 3 hours away by car. Naturally, I'd want to see them as often as I can.
But no one has given me a positive answer just yet and I'm hoping its adequate just the shape I guess is rather unfortunate. If the pond should be as wide as it is long then I'd have to move build it elsewhere on the property, still along the river but directly in the shadow of the house's main outdoor deck. Basically the pond would begin at the foot of the slope meaning the fishes would be in plain view of anyone on the deck which is where guests tend to hang out so its likely they'll be subject to loud noises if we have BBQs, etc.
Hopefully Arapaimaman and others with experience in keeping Arapaimas respond favorably to 'Plan A' in which case I'd get the workers to start demolishing in next couple of days or by weekend. 'Plan B' would have to wait as I'm hosting a BBQ on the 11th and I don't want too much clutter either.
Fingers crossed!
First, you are monster.
Second, houses, ponds, and property are AMAZING....
20x20x6' = Appox. 27,000 gals.
I would think a pair of Pimas would be fine in there plus a supply of feeders for extended stays elsewhere.
You are on the right track with re-hab of the pond closest to the deck first. That is where the parties are
and best viewing spot for fish. Also, with added filtration in the form of a waterfall or similar, the sounds of the pond will be enjoyed fron the deck and house.
It looks like the Water lettuce is contained in a filtration/gravity type trough. Can that be made larger, or is that already in the plans?
Maybe a similar type system can be retro-fitted to the other ponds with poor clarity. The trough design will act as a settling chamber and have floating plants which will also collect silt and improve clarity. The chamber could be flushed when you visit. Then electricy isssues arise... would hate to see you invest in some fish that would only see flashes of them from time to time. I guess flooding issues would be a concern in the larger other ponds when exotic species are stocked?
Many options for filtration and housing and I'm glad you are taking your time you lucky SOB....
Second, houses, ponds, and property are AMAZING....
20x20x6' = Appox. 27,000 gals.
I would think a pair of Pimas would be fine in there plus a supply of feeders for extended stays elsewhere.
You are on the right track with re-hab of the pond closest to the deck first. That is where the parties are
and best viewing spot for fish. Also, with added filtration in the form of a waterfall or similar, the sounds of the pond will be enjoyed fron the deck and house.It looks like the Water lettuce is contained in a filtration/gravity type trough. Can that be made larger, or is that already in the plans?
Maybe a similar type system can be retro-fitted to the other ponds with poor clarity. The trough design will act as a settling chamber and have floating plants which will also collect silt and improve clarity. The chamber could be flushed when you visit. Then electricy isssues arise... would hate to see you invest in some fish that would only see flashes of them from time to time. I guess flooding issues would be a concern in the larger other ponds when exotic species are stocked?
Many options for filtration and housing and I'm glad you are taking your time you lucky SOB....
