i have found a seller that would let me purchase them but im wondering if my tank is large enough. they are very small since they are babies according to the pictures since i have not bought them yet but i wanted confirmation that i had proper resources in place for them to be healthy.
Proper tank size for a baby crocodile or arapaima gigas? i have a 100 by 50 inch tank that ive prepared and i was thinking it would be big enough.
- Thread starter RajangMONKE
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An actual crocodile? Maybe a 100x50 can hold a baby for a short bit. You will need a large pond as I hope you are aware.
An arapaima- same deal. They grow fast and a roughly 8'x4' tank will last a couple years at most.
An arapaima- same deal. They grow fast and a roughly 8'x4' tank will last a couple years at most.
Yeah an actual crocodile. its been kinda a pipe dream of mine for awhile lol but ig its not gonna happen. the arapaima tho i think i can make work. how large would you say the pond would have to be? i can make a sizable space in my land since im a bit out there. id need time to measure but i can probably get about a 30 foot diameter and 6 foot deep setup after awhile is that enough?
You are planning an outdoor pond in New York State to keep an Arapaima? 
How long have you lived there? Have you gone through a winter yet?
Your idea certainly is "a bit out there"...
The energy required to heat that amount of water and maintain it at the temperatures the fish would require would be staggering. Even the purchase and installation of the hardware to do so would be a huge task. The issue would be complicated by the fact that the Arapaima (being an airbreather) would require the air above the water to also be kept warm, necessitating some sort of cover over the pond which would make observation difficult and also make construction that much more difficult.
Between the size of the fish and its environmental requirements...well, can't be sure, but it is quite possible that you have selected literally the worst choice in the world for a fish species to keep in an outdoor pond in your area...still better than a crocodile, though...
How long have you lived there? Have you gone through a winter yet?
Your idea certainly is "a bit out there"...
The energy required to heat that amount of water and maintain it at the temperatures the fish would require would be staggering. Even the purchase and installation of the hardware to do so would be a huge task. The issue would be complicated by the fact that the Arapaima (being an airbreather) would require the air above the water to also be kept warm, necessitating some sort of cover over the pond which would make observation difficult and also make construction that much more difficult.Between the size of the fish and its environmental requirements...well, can't be sure, but it is quite possible that you have selected literally the worst choice in the world for a fish species to keep in an outdoor pond in your area...still better than a crocodile, though...
Beside lots of water (500 gals plus), supperior filtration to keep th stench down, and a beach to crawl up on, the area will need strong lighting with lots of UV B bulbs providing the proper wave lengths, lit hours on end to keep them heathy.
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Here in Mexico they sell baby crocs in the next pet store down the street for roughly 120 dollars. No liscense, list, nothing. They say they are like puppies and grow only 10cm per year, and I am worried for both the animals and people that buy them.
I would lie if I said I wasn't tempted, especially since I could keep them outside 10 Months a year, but they are still crocodiles, and I think you have to be kinda crazy to keep them. Way more than with predatory fish.
I am also scarred to go to the river here now, there is no way the people dont set them free once they get to big.
I would lie if I said I wasn't tempted, especially since I could keep them outside 10 Months a year, but they are still crocodiles, and I think you have to be kinda crazy to keep them. Way more than with predatory fish.
I am also scarred to go to the river here now, there is no way the people dont set them free once they get to big.
It occurs to me that you can use such a setup to keep another monster fish for life under amazing conditions, in crystal clear water, and with the ability to observe the full extent of its natural behaviors. I, personally, would not find it enjoyable to have built a tank that will suit 99% of fish species, only to worry about long-term housing because I bought one of the very few animals that are certain to outgrow it.
If you picked some large catfish or cyprinids, for example, or kept e.g. peacock bass, you would have a stunning display tank, no long-term concerns about how to house the animals, and the appreciation (and jealousy) of the forum-goers here. As I understand it, tanks and fish nowadays are judged not by their size or rarity, but the care they receive and (especially on online spaces) the frequent notes and observations about the goings-on of the tank.
Whatever you end up choosing, please do keep us updated.
If you picked some large catfish or cyprinids, for example, or kept e.g. peacock bass, you would have a stunning display tank, no long-term concerns about how to house the animals, and the appreciation (and jealousy) of the forum-goers here. As I understand it, tanks and fish nowadays are judged not by their size or rarity, but the care they receive and (especially on online spaces) the frequent notes and observations about the goings-on of the tank.
Whatever you end up choosing, please do keep us updated.
I wouldn't sweat it. Likely 99% of them die long before they grow too much. The ones that achieve any size and are then released? They, like the ones
duanes
shows in his pic, are likely caimans rather than actual crocs. They're still ridiculously poorly suited to aquarium life, but a caiman is to a croc what a bobcat is to a tiger; it's still pretty impressive but nowhere even close to being as large or as dangerous. It's a crocodilian...but it ain't an actual crocodile.This ^ exactly.
I wish this ^ were true...it should be true... but...
This, absolutely. How about some pics of that 100 x 50 tank, showing filtration, etc.?