Columbian Shark Tank

[hivedragon]

I plan on getting a pair of columbian sharks which I hear are catfish
what are the minimum/ideal dimensions/gallons for a tank?
will regular gravel do, or do they need sand?
i hear they need brakish water, so how much salt do they need,
depending on the size of the tank and the age of the fish?

 

[MartinS]

If you mean Arius seemani, then you are looking at a fully grown size of around 12-14", which means you'll need a fair size tank to hold a pair - I'd recommend at least 6'x2'x2' as these are active mid-water swimmers. They won't like it brightly lit, and will require tanmates that are large enough not to be food!
As juveniles, they will survive in hard, alkaline water but must, as adults have some salt in the water. I am not sure on the amount, but brackish water is usually around 1.010-1.012.
It seems as though they return to freshwater to lay eggs, so you would need to replicate the change (and back again) to stand any chance of them laying eggs (FYI these are mouth brooders).
HTH
Martin

 

[joefish72]

I plan on getting a pair of columbian sharks which I hear are catfish
what are the minimum/ideal dimensions/gallons for a tank?
will regular gravel do, or do they need sand?
i hear they need brakish water, so how much salt do they need,
depending on the size of the tank and the age of the fish?

You will need at least a 125 gallon tank and bigger would be better. I have kept these fish and when they are small everything is fine. As they grow they become very aggressive and will eat anything they can catch. They also don't do well with other fish once they reach about 6 inches. They become bullies and will try to spike anything that gets in its way.