bud29
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have heard that pacus need 500 gallons.......
Monster Tank
- Thread starter vanimal
- Start date
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I have heard that pacus need 500 gallons.......
bud29
Aquarium Advice Addict
I think either way, though, it would be good not to put one in a 220.
Wyomingite
Aquarium Advice Freak
Realistically, a 220 is too small for an arowana. Even in captivity they'll reach 30"-36", a 220 is only 72" long and 24" wide. Many times, they end up swimming in circles in one direction only, thus developing fin and spinal defomities.
A buddy of mine runs a cold-blooded animal rescue, herps and fish. He has several pacu in a 1200 gallon pond. The red bellies are all pushing 30" long, the black is larger still. One jumped out last year during a thunderstorm when he wasn't home; it weighed 33 pounds. They are also deep-bodied fish. Prepare to rehome eventually if ya decide to get one.
My general rule of thumb is nothing over 20" in my 225. This includes aros, pacu, red tails, TSNs, ID sharks, FW rays and most of the "tankbuster" catfish, but in the long run it's more important to have healthy fish that have not suffered from being confined in too small of an aquarium than to have "status" fish that really are less than prime.
WYite
A buddy of mine runs a cold-blooded animal rescue, herps and fish. He has several pacu in a 1200 gallon pond. The red bellies are all pushing 30" long, the black is larger still. One jumped out last year during a thunderstorm when he wasn't home; it weighed 33 pounds. They are also deep-bodied fish. Prepare to rehome eventually if ya decide to get one.
My general rule of thumb is nothing over 20" in my 225. This includes aros, pacu, red tails, TSNs, ID sharks, FW rays and most of the "tankbuster" catfish, but in the long run it's more important to have healthy fish that have not suffered from being confined in too small of an aquarium than to have "status" fish that really are less than prime.
WYite
Lexilove
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2012
- Messages
- 290
You could have a fahaka puffer
Wyomingite
Aquarium Advice Freak
Dude! Not tryin' to bring ya down!
Assumin' it's a standard 220, then it's the same footprint as a 180, only a few inches taller. I don't think that tanks get wider until ya go to the 300 gallon tank (8' x 3' footprint).
No, ya don't hafta do oscars. Once ya get this tank goin' yer gonna have all kinds of fish ya see that yer gonna wanna try. It'll open up a lotta possibilities. I'm just sayin' ya wanna think through what ya get. It's easy to pick up another 20 gallon tank or another 55, but between room and cost it's not so easy to get a second 220. Do yer homework and plan out what ya really want, that is appropriate to the tank.
For example, instead of a pacu, look at different types of silver dollars. The redhook metynnis looks similiar to a mini pacu and only gets 6". Ya could do a small school. Think there are other silver dollars that get even a bit larger. Instead of an ID shark, look for one of the driftwood catfish, such as Auchenipterus nuchalis, sometimes sold as the moustache cat. They're a dead ringer for ID sharks and only get 8" or so IIRC. The jaguar catfish (Liosomodoras oncinus) gets 'bout 10" long. 'Bout the coolest lookin' catfish around IMO. Four line pictus get 10"-12" TL. Lotta other catfish in that range. There are some cool plecos, as well. There are a large variety of 12" to 15" cichlids that ya could put in there other than oscars, and quite a few will do okay in a tank with similar-sized fish. The banded leporinus gets 'bout a foot. That's the first "oddball" fish that comes to mind, but there are others. Ya could do a fahaka, but that would be 'bout the only fish ya could put in due to aggression. But if yer lookin' for a single pet, that may be the way to go for ya, as would some of the larger, more aggressive cichlids.
All I'm sayin' is be careful what ya get and don't get in a hurry. If ya go and get the first big fish ya come across, ya could end up wishin' ya waited when ya see somethin' else that catches yer eye. Ya could find yerself with a fish that ya find ya really don't have the space to take care of. A 220 really isn't that big once ya start stockin' it and ya see another fish. Take yer time, plan what ya want, and think outside the box 'bout the fish ya could have. There are hundreds of possibilities. Trust me, in the long run you'll enjoy this tank a lot more.
WYite
Chiroptera
Aquarium Advice Freak
Keep looking, Vanimal! I don't know if anyone's mentioned these, but I like Lemon Fin Barbs and Apollo sharks. If you get a decent sized tank they're both pretty.
As for catfish, try Eclipse Catfish or 4-Lined Pimelodus. If you want something really active, Asian Upside Down catfish or Black Mystus Catfish are neat.
As for catfish, try Eclipse Catfish or 4-Lined Pimelodus. If you want something really active, Asian Upside Down catfish or Black Mystus Catfish are neat.
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