first fish, want a predatory fish

[Scirca]

Hello!

I am new to fish and am looking to buy a predatory fish (one that eats aggressively, not strictly live fish cause i dont want to be buying a ton of fish for feed). we have a 140 or 150 gallon tank, we dont remember which. this will be my first fish, but my mom has kept many others over the years so she kind of knows what shes doing. i was thinking about getting a arowana because i just love how they look, they just have something about them. but i am not so sure after reading some articles. any suggestions or advice will be much appreciated!

 

[_Drago_]

I'd recommend you steer clear of arowanas. Though they're beautiful fish, they have huge appetites, rough attitudes, and need insanely large tanks. A 150 will fit a juvie for a bit, but I believe an adult will need 250+ gallons and TONS of food to sustain them. I'm not quite sure what type of predatory fish you are looking for however, bettas are carnivorous fish, but yet a pelleted diet and 2.5 gallon will sustain them perfectly fine. Are you looking for a fish who is aggressive, eats live food, and hunts? Or something a bit more docile that eats meats and frozen foods, but not quite as many live foods? A large tank like a 150 gallon will give you many options, but part of having a predatory fish will be dealing with live foods. If you can answer some of the questions above, we can try and help you come up with some more awesome fish for your tank! Piranhas could make an excellent species to keep in your tank, but they can be aggressive. A Florida gar may be a good choice for you as they don't get too big (but if they will eventually need a 200+) and they don't always eat live food and will accept meats, live foods, frozen, insects, and pellets. They're awesome looking fish as well so it may be worth it to look into! Remember though that all huge fish will have a huge price tag on them. Arowanas and such can sell for thousands and the upkeep is thousands more. Keep this in mind, but don't let it discourage you! Whatever you do decide to get, make sure to post pictures!

 

[SherLar]

I agree with Drago: a 150g tank isn't large enough for arowanas.
Depending on what you consider predatory, you should check out some of the larger Central and South American cichlids. Oscars are colorful, have great personalities, and love live foods like meal worms, earth worms, crickets, etc. The same for Jaguar cichlids. There are several other fairly large, predatory cichlids.
No matter what you choose, I would stay away from feeder fish for meals. Feeder fish are a good way to introduce parasites and disease into your tank.

 

[GuppyGuy333]

Arowanas get huge and even a big tank like a 150 couldn't hold them forever.

Cichlids can get aggressive and many people love them for their personalities and color. just make sure you do your research on them.

I second SherLAR on: "No matter what you choose, I would stay away from feeder fish for meals. Feeder fish are a good way to introduce parasites and disease into your tank."

One fish I want to keep one day when I get a huge tank is a black ghost knife. You can get them small but they will eventually need a lot of space. they are predatory and they do tend to hide but I love the way they swim. Have you looked at dragon gobies or other gobies. they look pretty awesome and can get pretty big.
whatever you plan on getting do your research!!!
Good luck and I'm so jealous of your huge tank haha