Tank Size Considerations

[nzafi]

I am currently housing my baby aimara in a 180g and expect him to be in there for a bit until I figure out his future home. When keeping fish like him, armatus, GATF, dorado what do you need to consider for tank size. Reading through the various threads it looks like 8x3x3 is recommended for an aimara and 8x4x3 for the others.

How crucial is tank height? Right now I am limited by doorway entrances and unfortunately the max I can go is probably 29in. I have room to do a 8x4x29in or 9x4x29in. However I am concerned with height. At some stage these guys start getting thick/tall.

I am not even sure anyone has grown any of those fish two feet (GATF, armatus, dorado) or aimara (30in) in captivity.

 

[Red Aimara]

29 inch height is pretty good. Unless it is a Pacu or some thick body fish; pretty sure all of those you mentioned wouldn't feel too uncomfortable with this height.

Go with the 9 footer if you can.

 

[nzafi]

Thanks for the feedback. My other challenge is probably going to be filtration of such a tank. Will be doing a steel stand so filtration will need to fit under the tank. Will most likely try and find some sort of "light" weight tub/tank that is 120-180g and just do socks and bio. I would consider using my current 180 for the sump but it is way too heavy to maneuver under any future tank.

 

[caribemob]

I would sell the 180gal to put to the new tank and get like a 180 gal tub thats cheap, with the sump and bio balls etc.. For my dorado that you saw I think that i will sell that 265 gal and transfer the rhom and also ell my 180, to put a 10ft X4ftX3ft tank on my back wall. I want to get the max out of my dorado

 

[nzafi]

I would sell the 180gal to put to the new tank and get like a 180 gal tub thats cheap, with the sump and bio balls etc.. For my dorado that you saw I think that i will sell that 265 gal and transfer the rhom and also ell my 180, to put a 10ft X4ftX3ft tank on my back wall. I want to get the max out of my dorado

Exactly what I was thinking. Where my 180g is I want a tank that will take up that entire wall that you saw. Agree on your idea. That dorado is just down right awesome.

 

[moe214]

I would sell the 180gal to put to the new tank and get like a 180 gal tub thats cheap, with the sump and bio balls etc.. For my dorado that you saw I think that i will sell that 265 gal and transfer the rhom and also ell my 180, to put a 10ft X4ftX3ft tank on my back wall. I want to get the max out of my dorado

This dorado of yours needs a thread lol. I wanna see it.

As for OP, the bigger the better (9x4x29"), wolves aren't as active which is why you're probably seeing 8x3x3 advised, I know you are going for a finalized tank and I advise against the 3' width. As of right now the largest specimen we know of being kept with proof is probably Vincent's aimara, last measured at 25" I believe, maybe that other guy, I forget his name with the aimara in the 600 8x4'x30". If you see that fish you'll understand the 4' width is better. The height you don't need to worry to much, 29" should be fine, they can get thick, although people who keep them solo report faster growth, it will be a number of years if ever before he makes the height a problem. A member here had a 32" one some time ago(I believe it was caught at 30"), not sure what ever happened to that fish, Ik it was sold but I thought to another member, then there's the giant 44 pound one, that guy never said length or anything else and it's reported that he has an even larger one. Those are caught at large sizes though. To grow one as large as those, will be a long time. For filtration a sump is your best bet as you know. I'm no expert on those though so will let others chime in.

 

[nzafi]

This dorado of yours needs a thread lol. I wanna see it.

As for OP, the bigger the better (9x4x29"), wolves aren't as active which is why you're probably seeing 8x3x3 advised, I know you are going for a finalized tank and I advise against the 3' width. As of right now the largest specimen we know of being kept with proof is probably Vincent's aimara, last measured at 25" I believe, maybe that other guy, I forget his name with the aimara in the 600 8x4'x30". If you see that fish you'll understand the 4' width is better. The height you don't need to worry to much, 29" should be fine, they can get thick, although people who keep them solo report faster growth, it will be a number of years if ever before he makes the height a problem. A member here had a 32" one some time ago(I believe it was caught at 30"), not sure what ever happened to that fish, Ik it was sold but I thought to another member, then there's the giant 44 pound one, that guy never said length or anything else and it's reported that he has an even larger one. Those are caught at large sizes though. To grow one as large as those, will be a long time. For filtration a sump is your best bet as you know. I'm no expert on those though so will let others chime in.

Thanks. Yeah my biggest concern was the height because if the fish gets to be 12in tall that means it literally only has 17in of space which is ridiculous to me. No idea how tall they get though. I do think 3ft is a no go for width. I can easily do 42in wide and 48in is pushing it but I will make my argument with the wife

 

[moe214]

Go on YouTube and search some videos of aimara the big one you see alone is in a 600 8x4, there's a vid of it eating a 10" fish too, that fish is 2' and uses that width, 3' width makes no sense to me personally. And I get what you're saying on the height, but remember they are bottom dwellers who will hover literally right above the bottom, height isn't much of a concern, but I get yours, I don't think it will be that tall at 2' but I can't say when it gets bigger.

 

[caribemob]

This dorado of yours needs a thread lol. I wanna see it.

As for OP, the bigger the better (9x4x29"), wolves aren't as active which is why you're probably seeing 8x3x3 advised, I know you are going for a finalized tank and I advise against the 3' width. As of right now the largest specimen we know of being kept with proof is probably Vincent's aimara, last measured at 25" I believe, maybe that other guy, I forget his name with the aimara in the 600 8x4'x30". If you see that fish you'll understand the 4' width is better. The height you don't need to worry to much, 29" should be fine, they can get thick, although people who keep them solo report faster growth, it will be a number of years if ever before he makes the height a problem. A member here had a 32" one some time ago(I believe it was caught at 30"), not sure what ever happened to that fish, Ik it was sold but I thought to another member, then there's the giant 44 pound one, that guy never said length or anything else and it's reported that he has an even larger one. Those are caught at large sizes though. To grow one as large as those, will be a long time. For filtration a sump is your best bet as you know. I'm no expert on those though so will let others chime in.

I will start to post him. I will keep this one for good , He is in a 180gal and is about 7", I had him since he was 3"s. The most food and tank aggressive fish i ever had. and I had some of the nastiest

 

[moe214]

I will start to post him. I will keep this one for good , He is in a 180gal and is about 7", I had him since he was 3"s. The most food and tank aggressive fish i ever had. and I had some of the nastiest

Not to derail, but dorados are one of the coolest fish out in my imo