Our Big Tank

[CFC]

Thats a lovely sized tank but it could really do with some substrate and decore, at the moment it looks like a fish store holding tank.


Whats up with the redtails barbels?

 

[clareandkarl]

we purposely didn`t put decore or substrate in the tank because the substrate washes straight into the filters and blocks them when big catfish like ours swish around their tails, and decor is hard to find for these sized fish, plus they prefer open swimming space.

What do you mean about the catfish`s barbels? I presume you mean about them splitting and branching off? This could of been remidied by cutting them off and allowing them to grow again, but we don`t see any need to do that. They were split when he was very young. A lot of wild red tails have branched barbels.

 

[CFC]

Usually with branched barbels one branch becomes thinner and eventually falls off, i've also never seen all the barbels branched like that before so wondered what had happened to it.

Didnt you used to have a big MBU called Hamish too?

Try here for some big wood, i'm off here in a couple of weeks to pick up some bits for my 900g http/www.rainforestrelics.com/index.php?...ge&Itemid=1

Have you tried using a heavier sand? I use Wickes kiln dried block paving sand in my tanks and havent had any problems with fairly large fish getting sand in the filters.

 

[clareandkarl]

Thanks for the tip on the sand. Biggest problem is when the red tail goes from one side of the tank to the other, he`s always been a bit manic to be honest and that`s why he did his barbels, just generally crashing around.We do have a pre filter in the tank too.Yeah, we used to have hamish, sadly he died, really knocked the guts out of fishkeeping. he seemed to die for no reason, just stopped eating and never showed any signs of illness, we`d had him 4 years. The one at Wharf was got in at the same time as him, both wild caught adults, although he grew while he was with us, we still think he might of been reasonably old, given that their died in a similar way near to the time we lost Hamish.Our red tail when he was a baby

 

[CFC]

Its a sad fact that sometimes fish do just die, just the same as any other living thing. If i had a pound for every fish that has looked fine one day and suddenly just given up on life and died the next i'd be considerably better off.

 

[paul_219]

Really nice tank .

 

[GobyMaster]

Holy crap that tank is awesome!
What is stocked with?
Cheers,
GobyMaster

 

[andywg]

Arowanas wont stop the rays getting food as long as you get enough food to the bottom they will be fine.

Maybe not, but TSNs have a great habit of eating rays from the tail up, folding the disc like a taco. Pretty expensive feeders for a tank of big large pred catfish.

I always love RTC and would consider doing a large tank/pond for them were it not for the fact that something that size would nicely hold Sharks and SW rays.

 

[clareandkarl]

Our tank has the Red Tail, Tiger Shovelnose, 2 x Oxydoras Nigers and a pair of Silver Arowanas.
I have heard about rays being eaten from the tail upwards too, the thing is, we are not experienced in keeping rays and I think they are a specialist fish that you need to know your stuff with before getting, so maybe in the future.
Clare

 

[cane76]

rays are not particuly hard to keep
all i did was get a freshwater stingray book and then brought one
ive never lost a ray and now im breeding them less than 2 years later
you could put a couple in the other tank with the clown knife maybe?

 

[clareandkarl]

Our water is very hard though, wouldn`t that be a problem? The trouble with that tank with the knif in is that the knife is a bully and we laso have a longibarbis in there with a mental problem, in the last year he seems to of lost his mind and for no reason he suddenly flies out from under his hiding place shelf, crashes into the top of the tank, then goes back, upsetting all the other fish in there!!!!!!!
Our other tanks house `keep alone` fish.
Definately consider rays for the future though, that`s great that you breed them!!

 

[cane76]

my water is also hard and the rays have bred so it speaks for itself?
i have only kept motoros tho other species maybe different
i bet you go through some serious amounts of food with all them monsters

 

[clareandkarl]

We live near a fishing port so for us we get mussels, whelks, whitebait, prawns, etc cheaper than most other fish food, we do go through a lot of food, but it doesn`t cost as much as people often think, luckily!!
Our predatory fish are fed every other day while they are growing, but as they max out they are fed less often, our arowanas have a BIG appetite!!!!!
Clare

 

[cane76]

you have lucky fish getting all that fresh food

 

[andywg]

Our tank has the Red Tail, Tiger Shovelnose, 2 x Oxydoras Nigers and a pair of Silver Arowanas.
I have heard about rays being eaten from the tail upwards too, the thing is, we are not experienced in keeping rays and I think they are a specialist fish that you need to know your stuff with before getting, so maybe in the future.
Clare

There used to a vid (on Water Wolves IIRC, CFC probably knows) of a TSN at a public aquarium just folding up a ray and having a nice lunch.