What is the biggest fish I could keep in a 200L tank?

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No don't feed him goldfish. Feeder goldfish often contain parasites and bacteria. Besides they aren't nutritious. I would recommend setting up your own mollies or guppies breeding setup. They are easy to breed and would be void of parasites and bacteria since they are home bred. BTW i also have a rectangular monster fish pond
 
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AR1 said:
No don't feed him goldfish. Feeder goldfish often contain parasites and bacteria. Besides they aren't nutritious. I would recommend setting up your own mollies or guppies breeding setup. They are easy to breed and would be void of parasites and bacteria since they are home bred. BTW i also have a rectangular monster fish pond
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Oh ok thanks for the warning. I've found a free 8x2x? ft tank on facebook. im geussing thats big enough for a cod? Should i go for it?
 
Mod123 said:
Oh ok thanks for the warning. I've found a free 8x2x? ft tank on facebook. im geussing thats big enough for a cod? Should i go for it?
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Whats the height. The lenght is adequate but the width is not in the long term. Here are some members who have kept or keeping big fish. They can further help you choose a suitable tank size for your cod.
thebiggerthebetter thebiggerthebetter
Fishman Dave Fishman Dave
esoxlucius esoxlucius
 
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The question, "what is the biggest fish I can keep in a 200 litre tank?" is not a question I'd expect to see from an experienced hobbyist, it doesn't work like that. And unsurprisingly, on further investigation, you are only 14 years old.

It's not about trying to keep a big fish in as small a tank as possible, and just hope you get away with it. You've got to ensure the fish has adequate swimming space as it grows, and a Murray cod, even in your proposed 8x2 tank, is not really doable long term imo.

As a youngster maybe just finding your feet in the hobby I'd set up your 200 litre tank and have it as a community tank with smaller fish to begin with.

Learn the ropes and one day you'll be in a much better position to take on bigger challenges.

I wish you luck.
 
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For a 200l/55 gallon the biggest I’d go is about 5”, far smaller than anything you’ve listed. I know you think your 200l is huge and can fit anything under the sun, I was at that point once as well, but it’s still pretty small and can’t fit big fish yet. Find yourself one fish around 5-6” total length and build the stock around it, we can help you with every step of the way.

What are the qualities you are looking for in a fish? Aggressive? Peaceful? Able to eat live food? Colorful? Something else?
 
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It seems to me that what you want is a catfish. They're impressive in appearance, often tolerate beginner's mistakes, and when kept in a single-species setup are a lot more personable than you'd expect from the seen-once-a-month plecos in community tanks. Because they're more sedentary than many other fish, you can also keep a larger animal than you would otherwise. A ~15 cm cichlid would be barely adequate for a 200L tank, but for catfish you can get away with e.g. a 25 cm Chrysichthys ornatus with enough filtration.

Maybe look into e.g. a single Batrochoglanis raninus, mid-size Synodontis, mid-size plecos, maybe a small group of pictus cats (not as big but far more active) if your 200L has a good footprint etc.
 
Personally, I think the best options for a 55-gallon tank would be Convicts, EBAs, Geophagus Tapajos, or Angelfish. Some of these can mix, and others can't. As fishhead0103666 fishhead0103666 said above, it depends on whether you want quiet, peaceful fish or aggressive "glass bangers."

Also, Striped Raphael catfish are one of the best options for a "mini-monster" catfish if you are interested in catfish. They are nearly identical to Irwini Soldier cats yet are a fraction of the size.
 
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AR1 said:
Arowana can grow up to 4 feet long while platinum gars can easily hit 4 to 6 feet aswell making it impossible for them to fit in a 200 L tank. It COULD be used as aa TEMPORARY growout but other than that it would be inhumane to keep them in such a small tank permanently. Most aquarists fail to provide a larger home thus that small tank becomes a permanent prison for those poor fish, causing a plethora of problems due which they die much sooner than their average lifespan. They both require thousands of gallons of water to live healthy life when around the 3 to 4 feet mark. So these two, along with other monster fish like RTC, TSN, pacu, etc are definitely not one of your options. Even oscars, green terror, and texas cichlids which only grow up to a 1 to 1.5 foot long can't be kept in a 52 gallon(200 l)
tank.
i would recommend getting a blood parrot or a pair of convict cichlids .Jewel cichlids also have some nice colouration. A pair of discus fish can also be kept but they are sensitive fish and require a more higher level of care.
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I'd personally argue against normal blood parrots. You'd basically be stuck with them as the lone fish in the tank as they get large and chunky. They're kind of like an Oscar, but not as bad. :)
 
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Unfortunately 8x2x2 would be easily too small to keep a Murray cod for life. You are talking about a fish that in time will easily reach 3ft in length.
By all means get an 8x2 and that will open up your options considerably.
As for a 200l tank there are quite a number of smaller catfish that are just as personable as single cichlids or indeed a cod, even more of course for an 8x2 with some real characters available.
Pairs of fish such as jewel cichlid make great parents and breeding projects as would angels or kribensis. Other options such as gourami are great breeding projects too if you have any local LFS that would take the young. Another option would be to ask them what they would take if you could breed them. I mention breeding as this is a great way into the hobby and to raise funds for more and larger tanks.
 
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esoxlucius said:
The question, "what is the biggest fish I can keep in a 200 litre tank?" is not a question I'd expect to see from an experienced hobbyist, it doesn't work like that. And unsurprisingly, on further investigation, you are only 14 years old.

It's not about trying to keep a big fish in as small a tank as possible, and just hope you get away with it. You've got to ensure the fish has adequate swimming space as it grows, and a Murray cod, even in your proposed 8x2 tank, is not really doable long term imo.

As a youngster maybe just finding your feet in the hobby I'd set up your 200 litre tank and have it as a community tank with smaller fish to begin with.

Learn the ropes and one day you'll be in a much better position to take on bigger challenges.

I wish you luck.
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I am planning on building a pond aswell which could possibly home a cod. Is that feasable?
 
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