Arowana

[roclement]

I know this is going to raise some eyebrows...I have had my silver aro with my discus for over 1 year, the aro went from 5 inches to it's current 20 + inches and they all get along very well!

I have 6 fully grown discus in a 200gl sand bottom tank, up untill recently there were to stingrays in there as well that have since been moved to attempt breeding, they are also great discus mates!

Rod

[greyhoundfan]

pics would be nice.

[lhforbes12]

Rod,
I've never had discus and arowana's together but I've had both. I can't say that I would trust a discus in an arowana's tank, their mouths are just too darn big. I've kept pirhana and big Central American cichlids, the only fish I've ever owned that actually frightened me was the arowana (it was a silver and got to 24" in a year in a 240) while all other fish would tend to move away from my hands when they were in the tank, that fish would come to it to see if it was something to eat! I guess since you raised them together they get along though.

[Ed13]

Arowanas, discus, rays, big catfish, SA cichlids and even pirañas are good combos, is the size of the tank that might raise eyebrows not the tankmates!
Anything shorter than 8 feet leght wise and 3 feet wide wise is unsuitable for an Aro alone long term, at least thats my personal view!

[lhforbes12]

Arowanas, discus, rays, big catfish, SA cichlids and even pirañas are good combos, is the size of the tank that might raise eyebrows not the tankmates!
Anything shorter than 8 feet leght wise and 3 feet wide wise is unsuitable for an Aro alone long term, at least thats my personal view!

One of the reason's I got rid of mine, since my tank met the width of 8 feet but was only 2 feet deep. The poor thing could turn around but it would touch both front and back when it did.

[Ed13]

One of the reason's I got rid of mine, since my tank met the width of 8 feet but was only 2 feet deep. The poor thing could turn around but it would touch both front and back when it did.

Hey Larry did you know el pez mono is a food fish in SA you can see hundreds in the fish markets of Manaus and Peru, makes me wonder how you got rid of yours
In retrospect 3 feet wide is stil too narrow for a fish that often reaches the same 3 feet!

[lhforbes12]

Hey Larry did you know el pez mono is a food fish in SA you can see hundreds in the fish markets of Manaus and Peru, makes me wonder how you got rid of yours
In retrospect 3 feet wide is stil too narrow for a fish that often reaches the same 3 feet!

Ed,
Yep! As are discus. I bet some SA's would find us eating blue gills odd too though, or rainbow trout for that matter.

[Ed13]

Ed,
Yep! As are discus. I bet some SA's would find us eating blue gills odd too though, or rainbow trout for that matter.

I would, the only freshwater fish I've eaten in my life was aquacultured Tilapia and very few times at that. I guess when you're in the middle of the ocean you eat what the ocean can provide

[roclement]

Hello everyone

I knew this would make a great topic!

First things first, yes I do agree that the arowana will need a bigger tank, I have a 300gl rubermaid conatiner in my basement with my redtail catfish ready for it when it outgrows the tank. Big fish, big needs!

I would not recomed keeping discus with arowanas unless the arowana starts of small and grown in with the discus so it recognizes them as non-meals, also the arowana has to be properly fed so as not to get any urges! The redtail was a bigger challenge untill it outgrew the tank.

The biggest concern is not the safety of the discus but the quality of the water, big fish = big waste, lots of water changes and clean filters = happy fish!

I would never recomend keeping discus with arowana or redtails, or even my tiger shovelnose that is in one of my tanks, unless you are comited to maintainng your tanks properly, but it can be done! Mine are happy!

Rod

[roclement]

Picture...

[Ed13]

Hello everyone

I knew this would make a great topic!

First things first, yes I do agree that the arowana will need a bigger tank, I have a 300gl rubermaid conatiner in my basement with my redtail catfish ready for it when it outgrows the tank. Big fish, big needs!

I would not recomed keeping discus with arowanas unless the arowana starts of small and grown in with the discus so it recognizes them as non-meals, also the arowana has to be properly fed so as not to get any urges! The redtail was a bigger challenge untill it outgrew the tank.

The biggest concern is not the safety of the discus but the quality of the water, big fish = big waste, lots of water changes and clean filters = happy fish!

I would never recomend keeping discus with arowana or redtails, or even my tiger shovelnose that is in one of my tanks, unless you are comited to maintainng your tanks properly, but it can be done! Mine are happy!

Rod

I do recomend them togher plus some Silver dollars to, but only if you have $$$$, space and time to maitain properly the thousands of gallons for it to work.

BTW, the rubbermaid container is too small to maintain long term the catfish alone (i'm guessing you've never seen an adult RTC or shovelnose)

[roclement]

Hello again,

Ed, I have seen, fished, and raised these fish since I was 14 back in Brasil. the fact that I keep them in tanks that are appropriate for their current size does not mean that I don't have a plan for them as they grow older, and much larger!

I do appreciate your concern with propper husbandry for large fish, and agree with you that (many) more times than not, people buy fish that they have no way of maintaining without a small lake in their house!

I believe that this was one of the purposes of this post to discuss other ways of keeping discus, not just your usual bare bottom tank, but also as a part of a regional tank with other fish that come from the same area, oddly enough not only the discus, but the arowana, and the shovelnose, are tank bred, not wild fish, so the only real south american fish is the redtail!

Fortunatly for me, I have the space necessary and the means, to maintain large fish and will soon start construction of an indoor pond in my basement that will be sufficient to house the redatil, and the shovelnose, more on that project later!

This project will be the culmination of my 20 years in fishkeeping, and hopefully will make for another great discussion!

Rod

[Ed13]

I believe that this was one of the purposes of this post to discuss other ways of keeping discus, not just your usual bare bottom tank, but also as a part of a regional tank with other fish that come from the same area, oddly enough not only the discus, but the arowana, and the shovelnose, are tank bred, not wild fish, so the only real south american fish is the redtail!

Many people would be surprise about what you can do once you break the hundreds of gallons mark! For example a black wing arowana, metynnis spec., discus, cards and rummys, and some rays could be a loose biotope and very good combos if there is enough space and territory available

Fortunatly for me, I have the space necessary and the means, to maintain large fish and will soon start construction of an indoor pond in my basement that will be sufficient to house the redatil, and the shovelnose, more on that project later!

This project will be the culmination of my 20 years in fishkeeping, and hopefully will make for another great discussion!

Rod

Oh why din't you say so before! Thats cool and something I've actually done and promote, actually I've convinced 4 guys of building ponds for big fish. One of them even kept a ray in one!
I'll keep an eye open for when you post about this project!

[roclement]

Sometime ago I read an article in some magazine about a guy that built a pond in his basement to house his redtail...that got me thinking...why not!

Ed, do you have any recomendation on dimensions for the indoor pond? I have read so much conflicting information so far that you would think one is trying to build a hotel! Filtration wise, I am leaning towards a pool sand filter with a skimmer intake as well as daily water changes, water source and drain are in the location. I fyou have some experience with this kind of project, any imput would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Rod

[Riche_guy]

I was wondering about how active a Arowana get as they continually swim back and forth. discus on the other hand are generally slow moving fish that like to hang about. Does that cause a conflict?