Looking for some ideas for my 220g tank

[CleverBs]

Hello,

I have been in every area of the aquarium hobby in the last 5 years. I currently have a 220g sps reef tank however due to a new job and new obligations I dont have time that my SPS Reef tank requires to stay healthy. I dont want to get rid of my aquarium I just want something lower maitnence. So I am thinking about going back to freshwater for the time and just putting my Saltwater equipment in storage.

I am looking for some ideas on fish. I am thinking that the main fish will be a Silver Arowana. When I was in the freshwater hobby before I always wanted one but only had a 75g tank. My 220g tank should make a nice home for one. What other fish should I include in the tank? I am thinking I will have to do larger fish and I am happy with this I have always liked big fish best anyways.

I am here for ideas however so give me ideas that dont include the Arowana as well. I am a very experienced fish keeper nothing should be out of my knowledge range. The tank will be mainly driftwood, rock and gravel.

I am not interested in planted tanks. My 75g tank was a hi tech planted tank and that took a lot of time to maintain as well. I am looking for something that is still exciting to look at but also lower maitnence. Lots of people come to my house and everyone loves my saltwater tank so I need to give them a new WOW facter if I am going to be changing to freshwater.

Another thought I had was a group of Fontosa's

 

[Nils]

Maybe freshwater stingrays but they are extremely expensive. I know Joey from The King of DIY on Youtube has stingrays and Arowana. Cool fish, they get huge and eat a lot! I can't tel you anything about their care. If you like stingrays, and you want to get them, you will need a sand bed. They do burrow and flip sand over themselves sometimes, and they can't do that with gravel. Also, sand is easier for them to glide on and they won't get scraped. It's a huge tank, and you have a lot of options!

 

[CleverBs]

Maybe freshwater stingrays but they are extremely expensive. I know Joey from The King of DIY on Youtube has stingrays and Arowana. Cool fish, they get huge and eat a lot! I can't tel you anything about their care. If you like stingrays, and you want to get them, you will need a sand bed. They do burrow and flip sand over themselves sometimes, and they can't do that with gravel. Also, sand is easier for them to glide on and they won't get scraped. It's a huge tank, and you have a lot of options!

Rays are not something I am intereseted in at this time. Good idea however.

 

[PoppaRyno]

220 is not big enough for most rays.

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[CleverBs]

220 is not big enough for most rays.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

doesnt matter because thats not something I would want to do. 220g is a big tank but its a tall tank and not a deep tank so it wouldnt make a good home for rays.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Arowana is going to limit stocking some. Main reason of it eating smaller fish lol.

What about silver dollars?


Caleb

 

[coralbandit]

IMO tank is too small for arrowana.
My favorite fish.
If you go the arro route might as well look at clown knife.
The arro will not do good with most large aggressive fish.
It is really a peaceful fish(very) that eats what fits in its mouth.
The knife will not care about the arro.

 

[LayzorBeams]

Yep. Arowana are peaceful giants. The Silver Arowana may be to big for the tank, reaching 3 feet, 4 rarely, and 5 feet isn't unheard of (although 3 feet is usually the most in aquaria) An Aro, IMO, would need at least a 8x3x3 tank to live its life. The Aussie varieties are smaller but have stiffer bodies and thus aren't too suitable for the tank either.

However, i presume you will either get a Black or a Silver. These are the more peaceful varieties. Jardini, Asian, and Aussie types can get mean.

The range if tankmates is large, but small, depending on how well you want the Aro and its companions to live.

If you are wanting to take a very expensive gamble, Discus have been known to get along fine in the same tanks as Silver/Black Aros. I know most wont agree with this, but in cases it gets along fine, provided the Discus can hide if they want to and the Aro is very well fed. The same can be said about Arowanas with Angelfish.

Now, the best option is probably some of the medium-large Catfish. Bot a Red-Tail or anything, but a 12-16 inch variety. Some of the Syno, possibly Lima Shovelnose. Others, I'm sure. Smaller Cats may be an Aros attempt at a meal, which may result in death of both parties.

Knife-fish have been known to work.

Some of the more peaceful SA cichlids, live Severums, have been quite a reliable choice as a partner for an Aro. However, you have to buy them at almost full-grown size, or else the Aro will rapidly out-grow them and ingest, then digest, them.

Other options are there, I'm sure. Just keep looking.



Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

 

[coralbandit]

I like the discus idea Lazor!
IMO the arro would not bother them.
I kept clown loaches with the arro and some much meaner/larger fish without issue!!
They were of course always well fed.
I know some have kept various gar, but IMO the gar and arro claim the same water space.

 

[Nils]

Oops, my bad. Didn't know that the stingrays wouldn't be able to live in there. Some clown loaches would be cool as well, just the only problem would be keeping them with the arro as the loaches grow slower, therefore potentially becoming food for the arro. You could always do a fahaka puffer, awesome fish that will be able to live it's whole life in this tank! You could probably only keep 1 though, but it would make a nice wet pet.

 

[LayzorBeams]

I would say a Silver Aro and maybe some Clown Loaches, which would have to be bought at adult size, and possibly an Oscar. Ive been doing my own Aro research lately, and ive heard of good results as long as they Aro is bigger than the Oscar. Beware, the O could bully even a fully-grown Aro. Or maybe an Aro and a Lima Shovelnose, which i mentioned before.

If you have the money and want to, Discus would be the mist attractive option i think...


Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

 

[azmodan]

I don't think you'd regret doing a frontosa tank, and a 220g would give you an amazing opportunity to have a nice sized colony. They definitely get my vote here.

 

[LayzorBeams]

I don't think you'd regret doing a frontosa tank, and a 220g would give you an amazing opportunity to have a nice sized colony. They definitely get my vote here.

That would be cool too! I especially like them when they are smaller, but they are a beautiful fish!


Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

 

[CleverBs]

after some research I think I will be mainly doing the following. There will be some additions however this is what I want in the tank and the other fish added will have to work with them.

I think I am going to do a Amazon biotop with sand for the bottom and lots of large drift wood. I have tons of huge drift wood peices avalible to me so I will take advantage of it. I am debating plants that are limited to native ones to the amazon. We will see.

So here is my for sure stock list so far.

Silver Arowana (getting one about a foot long)
5-6 Geophagus Altfrons
Common Pleco (LFS always has some in the 10-12" range cheap that need a home)
Catfish (not sure what yet is amazon I know red Tails are but they get far to big)
Oscar (maybe)
Group of some type of cichlid like green terros, fire mouths, or texas. What ever I can find in a good size.

The goal to this tank is to not have a bunch of random one off fish. I want to do a stunning tank. Going from a full blown reef tank to a freshwater tank I need to have something jaw dropping still. Please let me know if you can think of anything that would assist in that. Remember it must be from the amazon!

 

[LayzorBeams]

after some research I think I will be mainly doing the following. There will be some additions however this is what I want in the tank and the other fish added will have to work with them.

I think I am going to do a Amazon biotop with sand for the bottom and lots of large drift wood. I have tons of huge drift wood peices avalible to me so I will take advantage of it. I am debating plants that are limited to native ones to the amazon. We will see.

So here is my for sure stock list so far.

Silver Arowana (getting one about a foot long)
5-6 Geophagus Altfrons
Common Pleco (LFS always has some in the 10-12" range cheap that need a home)
Catfish (not sure what yet is amazon I know red Tails are but they get far to big)
Oscar (maybe)
Group of some type of cichlid like green terros, fire mouths, or texas. What ever I can find in a good size.

The goal to this tank is to not have a bunch of random one off fish. I want to do a stunning tank. Going from a full blown reef tank to a freshwater tank I need to have something jaw dropping still. Please let me know if you can think of anything that would assist in that. Remember it must be from the amazon!

I would say that an Aro and an O would be ok, Texas are maybe a bit mean (both types, and they can be in groups of their own species) and FM might be a but small.

I would say that the Pleco is a lot, a LOT, or extra bioload that you don't need to take on. Larger ones don't eat algae anyways. Maybe a wood-eating one like a Royal, as it does keep the wood clean, but other large Plecos are a waste of tank space IMO, as well at them being territorial

Acara, O, and Aro IMO, with some catfish type.


Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

 

[LayzorBeams]

This is my list for what i would do:

1x Silver Aro
1x Red Tiger Oscar
4x Blue Acara
6x Geophagus Altfrons

Those are all South American fish that can live together.

For a type of catfish, you might be hard-pressed to acquire a species from SA that is of suitable size. I highly recommend a Synodontis species for this tank even though it doesn't fit the SA theme. A Lima Shovelnose may be a possibility but they are a bit large for the tank.

Again, i caution against a Pleco.


Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Pleco's have no real benefit except if you just like them. Like Layzor said, just a bunch of unneeded bioload.


Caleb

 

[keegster803]

Hello,

I have been in every area of the aquarium hobby in the last 5 years. I currently have a 220g sps reef tank however due to a new job and new obligations I dont have time that my SPS Reef tank requires to stay healthy. I dont want to get rid of my aquarium I just want something lower maitnence. So I am thinking about going back to freshwater for the time and just putting my Saltwater equipment in storage.

I am looking for some ideas on fish. I am thinking that the main fish will be a Silver Arowana. When I was in the freshwater hobby before I always wanted one but only had a 75g tank. My 220g tank should make a nice home for one. What other fish should I include in the tank? I am thinking I will have to do larger fish and I am happy with this I have always liked big fish best anyways.

I am here for ideas however so give me ideas that dont include the Arowana as well. I am a very experienced fish keeper nothing should be out of my knowledge range. The tank will be mainly driftwood, rock and gravel.

I am not interested in planted tanks. My 75g tank was a hi tech planted tank and that took a lot of time to maintain as well. I am looking for something that is still exciting to look at but also lower maitnence. Lots of people come to my house and everyone loves my saltwater tank so I need to give them a new WOW facter if I am going to be changing to freshwater.

Another thought I had was a group of Fontosa's

You could do a lake tang biotope! Get some Shellie's and and some rock dwellers, and maybe some frontosa


Sent via echolocation

 

[ImACoolguy]

You could do a lake tang biotope! Get some Shellie's and and some rock dwellers, and maybe some frontosa


Sent via echolocation

Have like 100 multis!


Caleb

 

[CleverBs]

Great info guys. The wood eating pleco is a great idea and a better alternative to the large common pleco. I was just thinking one because I really like them when they are large however you made good points.

I was told Texas cichlids are mellow but I will research more based on what you said.