What made you get into monster fish?

[Scrappy71113]

I need some cheering up, so this one is for fun. What made you decide that monster fish are for you?

As a child growing up, I had a 20 gallon tank full of a variety of tetras and danios.
But every time I was allowed to pick out a fish, I always went after the ones that got HUGE and I was always told no. Baby arowana, piranha (before they were illegal where I grew up), archer fish, black sharks. I even tried to convince my parents to let me keep a baby pike I caught out of the river ?
So basically, I was always drawn to the larger fish.
I still don't have the space or tanks to keep most of the fish I want, but someday I will.

Also, let's see those giant wiggly water babies!

 

[fishguy1978]

They were given to me and I was able to obtain large tanks for free. I prefer community planted tanks were I can house variety so typically I am only interested in calmer fish that won't destroy my plants. I did purchase a chocolate and some Brasiliensis. The G.B. are still small and aggression is starting to show. The choco is still calm and doesn't harm the plants but he is a predator. Fairly certain that if I were to put guppy dithers in with him he would be solo after a large meal.
My H. Notatus, H. Liberifer, and 2 H. Severus were given to me.
I have considered getting an arowana. When I lived in NYC the Aquarium had an arowana housed with harlequin rasboras and it was so much fun to watch the arowana swim back and forth at the surface. The h.r. would swim mid to low level and always at the opposite end of the aquarium from the arowana. I think they were small enough that the arowana paid them no attention.

Geophagus sp.

Title says it all. Thread for hosting pictures of my Geophagus collection. G. Redhead tapajo G. Brasiliensis RHT fry are from @Dave62

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

Chocolate Cichlid (Hypselecara temporalis)

Definitely has the wet pet interest. Couple of tank mates too.

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

My heros infatuation!

My male was gifted to me so I don’t know/remember what specific sp he is. I know what I am leaning towards but don’t want to influence the ideas just yet.

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

My fish room

This is my most recent video of my fish room. I am in the process of improving my fish room. https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCzFMg49B6DUS1whHwG7lkuw

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

 

[esoxlucius]

I was in the hobby years ago but came out of it. I never really thought i'd get back into it either until one day in August 2015.

My wife told me she was going to the local pet shop to get a fish tank for our then 4 year old son. When I got home from work that same day there was a little 10g tank with all the gear that the pet shop guy had told her she needed, a little filter, a heater etc etc. I looked at her incredulously and said, "that's not a fish tank".........4 weeks later a van pulled up outside the house one Saturday morning and as the delivery guys struggled to carry my new 180g up the driveway I turned to my wife and said, "now THAT'S a fish tank". And that was me back in the game.

So I suppose I have to thank my wife for putting that seed back in my mind and getting me all motivated again. Then 3 months later in December 2015 i made myself a member on here, which stirred me up even more. My 180g is still going strong, as well as a 360g.......oh, and that little 10g tank is up in the attic collecting dust, lol.

 

[Scrappy71113]

I was in the hobby years ago but came out of it. I never really thought i'd get back into it either until one day in August 2015.

My wife told me she was going to the local pet shop to get a fish tank for our then 4 year old son. When I got home from work that same day there was a little 10g tank with all the gear that the pet shop guy had told her she needed, a little filter, a heater etc etc. I looked at her incredulously and said, "that's not a fish tank".........4 weeks later a van pulled up outside the house one Saturday morning and as the delivery guys struggled to carry my new 180g up the driveway I turned to my wife and said, "now THAT'S a fish tank". And that was me back in the game.

So I suppose I have to thank my wife for putting that seed back in my mind and getting me all motivated again. Then 3 months later in December 2015 i made myself a member on here, which stirred me up even more. My 180g is still going strong, as well as a 360g.......oh, and that little 10g tank is up in the attic collecting dust, lol.

Lol, I totally get it. My daughter asked me for a tank several months ago. I bought her a 55 gallon. Seems like they're really the bare minimum.

Oh the things I could do with a 360 ?
I'm going to get one in the future. Just need a bigger place first.

 

[tlindsey]

I personally kept a couple of species I would consider Monsterfish Silver Arowana, Black Rhombeus Piranha. My Mother was the Monsterfish keeper when I was a teen Oscar's, Clown Knifefish, and the Red line Snakehead.

 

[Scrappy71113]

I personally kept a couple of species I would consider Monsterfish Silver Arowana, Black Rhombeus Piranha. My Mother was the Monsterfish keeper when I was a teen Oscar's, Clown Knifefish, and the Red line Snakehead.

I plan on buying a house in the near future. I'm almost done with saving. Once I do, I very much intend on building an indoor pond and getting a redtail catfish. I would love to get some silver arowana as well. They look so freaking cool!

 

[Ogertron3000]

Ive never had a true monster fish besides a fiasco when i was 11 years old of 2 oscars in a 2 foot tank being fed raw meat which lasted 2 weeks before the inevitable..........
I will certainly some kind of monster in the future, for me its the whole process of getting a juvenile and growing it into a giant. The patience and discipline to get a result such as Jexnell seems to be able to do so easily looks like an interesting challenge. I think every serious fishkeeper should try it at least once.
For the choice of fish it would be most likely a jag, oscar or festae. Will be a long time before i actually get a chance to do it though,

 

[Scrappy71113]

Ive never had a true monster fish besides a fiasco when i was 11 years old of 2 oscars in a 2 foot tank being fed raw meat which lasted 2 weeks before the inevitable..........
I will certainly some kind of monster in the future, for me its the whole process of getting a juvenile and growing it into a giant. The patience and discipline to get a result such as Jexnell seems to be able to do so easily looks like an interesting challenge. I think every serious fishkeeper should try it at least once.
For the choice of fish it would be most likely a jag, oscar or festae. Will be a long time before i actually get a chance to do it though,

My first monster was also an oscar.
I picked him up at walmart as a high school graduation present to myself.
I brought home this adorable quarter sized fish with absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into, and plopped it into an uncycled 10 gallon aquarium.
Dad came to the rescue and bought me my first 55 gallon set up. That poor fish lived 10 years in that tank. He rightfully bit me every opportunity he got.
I miss that big jerk.
Here's my first oscar, Calcifer, the very reason I fell in love with the species.

 

[Sticky90]

Went to a friends house after he got a 75g and a couple cichlids. I had had a tank growing up but with nano fish and thought “whatever.” Then he fed feeders to the cichlids and I was hooked. Bought a 55 and two Oscars the next day. Ended up out of the hobby for 8 years while working on the road then my sisters boyfriend gave me a 2.5g for Xmas for my travel rooms. That quickly turned into a 10g and then I ended up getting a job back home and I bought a 180 setup before I even drove back or had a place and just kept it in the back of my truck until I found a place. Was up to 11 tanks pretty quickly breeding nano fish for my 120 stock and am now down to a 180 and 120, although I just bought another 150 to try and make my upcoming move a bit easier with the fish.

 

[Jexnell]

When I was young my parents had a huge tank with two Oscar's. Think this is when I fell in love with fish.
About four years back now I rejoined the hobby. Of course I over did it, but I found this site and learned how to really keep fish.
Why do I love monsters, it's the interaction they give back. Little's are beautiful and all, but it's so much more fun when your fish try and eat you when you clean the tank.