Warning to Fishkeepers - Giant Fish for Sale

WHAT!!!!!!!!!! You telling me that a lion head gold fish grows that big HOLY bleep bleep bleep lol this is insane sorry am just new to this couldn't help me self

Am gana show this to my sister that's working at the TWO OCEANS Aquarium she's gana flip lol

 

Hi there arowana addict. I've been reading over your posts and I must say that you're well in the right direction in providing the correct accommodation for many of these gigantic fish. However, I wouldn't advertise just yet. Get that heating sorted out, otherwise your giants will have a tough time surviving.

 

thanks for the advice,busy researching all avenues as we speak.any ideas?

 

Tropical ponds work best in an indoor situation - it prevents big temperature fluctuations. It doesn't have to be inside the house, since a garage or outdoor shed will work too. Insulating the room/building itself is a major help, and on top of that, insulating the pond will ensure relative stability. Heating is always tricky, with a lot of people opting for the solar heating option. There are both expensive and cheaper ways to do this, but either way you'll have a problem with inconsistency of heat input.

The only guaranteed method of heating large volumes of water without risk is to get a pond heater. The units themselves are expensive and heating such a big volume of water will also prove troublesome, but you'll by far get the best results.

 

Unfortunatly like you said, these fish are sold at almost every shop I know!
Maybe awerness is the only way to stop these fish ending up in small little tank where they can hardly move let alone turn around in it!
Thanks great post!

 

Wow I have actually seen those fish in tanks , I never knew the knife fish grew that big , I know someone that has a knife fish and an arowana in the same tank and I have told him a number of tyms that keeping them in. 3ft is nt ryt , I am guilty of having kept some off those fish in a tank ebviroment but its behind me , I know better now , and I believe the goldfish one as I have one in my pond that's about 15 cm long and its pretty large, thanks for the helpful info there

 

WOW interesting info yikes :amazed:

 

Good Thread, nice warnings.

What about Deacons, other knifes?

 

Deacons, while they get quite large, aren't exactly monsters, and it seems that most people understand their size requirements.

Other knives? You mean Black Ghosts and the likes? I'll see if I can dig something up...

 

WOW... what an eye opener.... Worried now about my plec! It's just growing bigger by the day and looks so much like the one in the photo's!!!

 

WOW!!! .....and so we learn! I am now worried about my Pleco that I bought from a pet shop!!! I hope he's not the one in your list; although, he is growing very very fast!! How can I be sure?

 

If it was marked as just 'pleco', 'plecostomus', 'hi-fin plec' or 'common plec' it is most likely to be one of the larger species, attaining 30cm or more.

 

The reason why I do not keep these species in my shop! Why should I, not only create a problem for a customer, but ultimately for myself when they want to return the fish they bought 6mths or 1yr ago! Rather not allow the problem to exist, simple.

 

@scotty, I have to agree with you, and pet shops should be regulated on the import of these kinds of fish. At the end of the day it's not fair on everyone concerned, including the fish. I regularly watch "Monster Fish" and "Hooked" on M-Net and they have actually showcased some of these Monster Fish. Geez, not for me, thank you.

@SalmonAfrica, I would be really interested if you could find anything on the Black Ghost Knife fish (Apteronotus Albifrons). I'm really shocked to see the size a Bala shark gets, especially since I have a rather large one in my tank already. :amazed:

Does anyone else on the forum have BGK's and/or Bala sharks in their tanks? I would love to know what the size is and in what size tank they are kept.

 

Be careful! A lot of shops in CT have small red tail catfish and shovel-nose in their tanks, all of a sudden.

 

@Skye01 - I've had some trouble finding pics of big BGKs, which would be really useful since they're an extrememly popular species, considering their unique colouration and looks, as well as their intelligence. However, they're not really a fished species, and finding wild photos is tricky... I'll see what I can do, but if anyone else reading this thread finds a pic, please post it up!

 

Brilliant thread, eye opening and informative, and also very worrying, as I have seen most of the posted species easily available at lfs/lps in my area, and further away as well. Also of note is the popularity, or should I say rather, the more frequent occurance of these fish in lfs, whose owner/managers/sales guru, have no clue, or choose to ignore passing on the information. The catfish species seem to have become increasingly popular as of late (last 3-4 months) at least in my area. Hats off to you SalmonAfrica, for taking the time to post an informative, and socially aware article such as this, it is, as I have seen in the posts above, much appreciated.

 

Soo.... I have a Pleco that's already trebled in size since I got him to keep my small 30 liter tank clean. He is now in my 250 liter tank...!!! What should I do?? Surely there must be alternative "cleaners" that don't grow as big. I believe the bristle nose is a good cleaner. How big do they grow??

PS Anyone want to buy a large Pleco..... :amuse:

 

@Skye01 I have A BGK in my 250 liter tank. Started off in a 30 liter!!!!!:notrust: Getting bigger all the time. I recently saw one that was about three times the size of mine. Mine is about 15cm. I am tempted to get rid of him because they love to eat any other fish that fit into their mouths!! I was never told how big he would grow. Very fond of him..... he is so tame.....

 

@Katfish, Gee I got mine from a size of about 5/6cm and now my boy is about 30cm and my girl is about 25cm. I must be pretty lucky because I even have Krib babies in my tank and they don't seem too interested in eating the babies. Yeah I HAD to move mine from a 3ft into a 6ft tank because of the size, but then again I also only have "large" fish in my 6ft now. My girl is tamer than my boy, she loves being stroked and she also takes food from my fingers, as for him... I was busy stroking him the once and he nipped the hand that feeds.:bigsmile: I should never feed him again... but I love him so much, he has so much character. I just wish I could breed with them...