# would this work in a 180 gallon tank for life?



## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

180 Gallon 72 7/8 x 25 x 25 3/4

fwf stingray t-cup 
oscar
Silver Arrowana

what else can i add?


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

Not the Aro (think more in the region of 300 gallons plus), but the other two should be ok.


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

Scarlet said:


> Not the Aro (think more in the region of 300 gallons plus), but the other two should be ok.


na the aro should prolly be fine

watch out, the could bother the rays, and just overall make sure that you have a good tank for rays

as im sure you know they need unaggressive tankmates(although some have reported that s/a cichlids will sometimes do ok with them, still a risk), low stress, and very, very, clean water. they are some(if not the hardest) to keep fw fish there is. but still, im a ray lover myself









you should be able to get another ray(depending on species), maybe more oscars, possibly cichlids like geophagus sp., making sure of course they are 6"+, otherwise they would make a possible snack for the ray, maybe a group of like 3 lima shovels

sounds like a kick ass tank anyway


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

Tibs said:


> Not the Aro (think more in the region of 300 gallons plus), but the other two should be ok.


na the aro should prolly be fine

watch out, the could bother the rays, and just overall make sure that you have a good tank for rays

as im sure you know they need unaggressive tankmates(although some have reported that s/a cichlids will sometimes do ok with them, still a risk), low stress, and very, very, clean water. they are some(if not the hardest) to keep fw fish there is. but still, im a ray lover myself









you should be able to get another ray(depending on species), maybe more oscars, possibly cichlids like geophagus sp., making sure of course they are 6"+, otherwise they would make a possible snack for the ray, maybe a group of like 3 lima shovels

sounds like a kick ass tank anyway
[/quote]

thanks Tibs


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

Tibs said:


> Not the Aro (think more in the region of 300 gallons plus), but the other two should be ok.


na the aro should prolly be fine

[/quote]

Silver Arowanas have a potential length of up to 48", and can easily reach 24" in captivity. Putting a fish that size in a tank only 25 inches wide is plainly wrong to anyone, surely....?


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

ya arrow would be fine!

rest look pretty good too! Maybe get like a shovel nose cat, they dont get huge like most other cats. there max tank size is around 2ft


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

If someone can explain to me how it would be "fine," I'll be happy to listen, and maybe change my point of view.







Until then, I cant see how it's fair to the fish...


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

i think this link here explains some of it

a 24" cichlid certainly cannot fit in a 24" tank, but a 24" arrowanna certainly could, because of there flexiblity, hell id be willding to say even up to a 30"er could prolly fit in there

unless its a VERY large adult, a silver arrowanna should do quite well

to help henry here, i think severums(very cool fish) and a school pink tailed chaulus should both make very good additions to that tank


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## myles (Feb 27, 2005)

yeah they are pretty flexible, but im pretty sure i herd soemwere that over long exposer to having to bend in half to turn around will usualy result in spine deformaties and problums. plus im sure the fish will have to do that alot espeacialy even at 30"" because a standerd 180g is what 8 feet minues say 3 feet wich the aro will be quite quickly... thats not alot of room to swim in, in my opinion. and think of the bio load of the aro alone along with other fish in there, ur gonana have to certainly be keeping up on ur waterchanges like alot.

wow its not even 8 feet! damn.


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## Lahot (May 20, 2003)

a 180 is not big enough for a Silver Arowana for life, for quite some time depending on the size that you get it at, but not life


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## Scarlet (Apr 15, 2004)

That was more what I was thinking - a 30 inch fish in a 72 inch long tank is going to be hellish cramped.


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

what about PEACOCK BASS?


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

henry 79 said:


> what about PEACOCK BASS?


big no on that bro, even the smallest species get like 18-24", and unlike aro's(which still IMO could be kept in a 180), they are big and thick


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

to clarify, silver arowanas CAN live in a 180g tank for life. i've yet to see a silver in captivity grow over 2 feet (give or take a couple inches). the question isn't whether they can or cannot live in it, the issue is ethics. is it ethical to keep a fish in a tank of that size? silver aro are relatively slow moving, flexible fish. you decide.

as for cichla, it's not their "thickness" or "bigness" that make them unsuitable, it's that they're extremely active open water fish that really need tons of space to swim.

and the stingray, it really depends on what type you want to get. there is no species called "tcup", so don't be fooled. it's only jargon to reference a specific ray's size. a hystrix would probably be the best option for a 180.

for tankmates? any top dwelling fish that won't pick on it. dats have been listed as suitable tankmates and do make for a cool looking tank.


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

hyphen said:


> to clarify, silver arowanas CAN live in a 180g tank for life. i've yet to see a silver in captivity grow over 2 feet (give or take a couple inches). the question isn't whether they can or cannot live in it, the issue is ethics. is it ethical to keep a fish in a tank of that size? silver aro are relatively slow moving, flexible fish. you decide.
> 
> as for cichla, it's not their "thickness" or "bigness" that make them unsuitable, it's that they're extremely active open water fish that really need tons of space to swim.
> 
> ...










Good info! I have 2 dats and there great fish, and they'd be a great tankemate for an arro


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## jiggy (Jun 27, 2004)

i personally wouldnt waste a 180 on that.. id do 20 rbp or caribe at like 4inches..


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

jiggy said:


> i personally wouldnt waste a 180 on that.. id do 20 rbp or caribe at like 4inches..


now that a waste if u ask me.!







arros and dats, rays, whatever else are much cooler and better looking than a piranha will ever be.


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## jiggy (Jun 27, 2004)

theres only 1 kind of aro worth keeping if u ask me =)
go big or go home.. lol


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## dracofish (Jul 13, 2003)

I highly recommend against keeping an Oscar or any other large, inquisitive Cichlids with Rays. The tail would be a lure that would be a big temptation.

As far as Ray species, there is no such thing as a "Tea Cup." Most often they are P. reticulata, but are also sometimes P. humerosa or P. hystrix. Rays are slow growers in general, but they are a fish that definately needs room. Retics can get over 24" long when tail length is taken into account and so a 24" wide tank would be too small, though it would take a while for them to get to that point. If a Ray is kept in too small of a tank, stress often follows, and if the tank is way too small (as in not wide enough) the tail can actually become infected from rubbing on the sides of the glass.

You also have to remember that the more fish you cram into the tank, the more the chance for water quality to go south, and that is not acceptable for any Ray. When keeping Rays, minimalism is often the best policy when it comes to tankmates, especially when worrying about potential bullying.

I've kept Rays safely with Silver Aros, Black Aros, Black Ghost Knives, B. juruense, Silver Dollars, and other passive species. Fish I definately recommend against are most Cichlids (yes, even Discus and Angels because they are too passive...Rays like to "top" other fish which will stress out and kill most Discus over time), Marmoratus cats, RTC's, Tiger Shovelnoses, Pacu, and definately Jardini Aros. Iffy tankmates, meaning that it can be done but caution should definately be taken as things can change at any moment are Polypterids, Datnoids, and Cichlids like Severums and Uarus.

For more info on Rays, here's a link to my general beginner's guide:
http://kingsoftheaquarium.com/freshstingray.htm


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

thanks


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## furious piranha (Mar 22, 2005)

mauls said:


> i personally wouldnt waste a 180 on that.. id do 20 rbp or caribe at like 4inches..


now that a waste if u ask me.!







arros and dats, rays, whatever else are much cooler and better looking than a piranha will ever be.
[/quote]
true.....i owuld do that tank, but maybe put 2 oscars...one tiger and one red. the arowana would def be fine, but the ray may be a problem wit the arowna, ive seen rays taht got fuked up by arowanas


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

I think the ray and the arrow would get along fine, but the oscar might pick at the arrow and startle it, making it jump either out of the tank, or hitting the top of the tank and killing it self.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Instead of a Tiger Shovelnose (gets too big), I'd rather go with 2 or 3 Lima Shovelnoses (best not kept solitarily), as they max. out at 16-18" and are fine in a 180g tank. Silver Dollars sound good as well, just like Knife Fish.


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