Tropical Pond

[saltynay]

So temperatures here range from around 20C to 34C and as I was looking around I realised all the big preds that you guys pay a fortune for over in the UK are as cheap as chips. I can get 20cm specimens of Silver Asian Arowana for $10 a pop or a green Asian Arowana for $35 and clown knifefish are around $8. Due to the climate being in a good range for tropical it got me thinking further about what I could do with the pond I have (detailed here)

The pond is 215x100x45 (LxWxH in cm) which equates to 212 Uk gallons or 965 litres which seems to be a quite substantial amount of water. I have no real idea of what to do with this space so if you could please give me some ideas from what you would do it should prove to be very helpful. I love interesting fish and would delight in having a pond that made people go wow! I considered red bellied piranhas but decided that would be a poor choice given there slender appearance from above. I love the look of the Clown knifefish but how does it appear when viewed from a vertical rather then horizontal perspective?

 

[Squidward]

So temperatures here range from around 20C to 34C and as I was looking around I realised all the big preds that you guys pay a fortune for over in the UK are as cheap as chips. I can get 20cm specimens of Silver Asian Arowana for $10 a pop or a green Asian Arowana for $35 and clown knifefish are around $8. Due to the climate being in a good range for tropical it got me thinking further about what I could do with the pond I have (detailed here)

The pond is 215x100x45 (LxWxH in cm) which equates to 212 Uk gallons or 965 litres which seems to be a quite substantial amount of water. I have no real idea of what to do with this space so if you could please give me some ideas from what you would do it should prove to be very helpful. I love interesting fish and would delight in having a pond that made people go wow! I considered red bellied piranhas but decided that would be a poor choice given there slender appearance from above. I love the look of the Clown knifefish but how does it appear when viewed from a vertical rather then horizontal perspective?

How about the South American rays?
They would look good from above. Are you able to get these?

Or perhaps some of the larger predatory catfish?

 

[kizno1]

Since you can only see it from above i would go for what Squidward said. I think it would look great with a group of Lima shovelnoses. They only get to about 18" but there social fish so a big group of 5-6 would look great. Or maybe a Snakehead of some type.

 

[saltynay]

I have 2 wholesale suppliers in vietnam if they stock it then I can get it

http/saigonaquarium.com/docs/ourfish.pdf
http/www.xanhtuoi.com/vn/default.aspx?AlbumID=55&m=1

Sorry for not giving you the lists before I was yet to find out.

I like the look of the Lima shovel nose cats I am on my itouch atm so can't do them justice in researching.

 

[always4lora]

I have 2 wholesale suppliers in vietnam if they stock it then I can get it

http/saigonaquarium.com/docs/ourfish.pdf
http/www.xanhtuoi.com/vn/default.aspx?AlbumID=55&m=1

Sorry for not giving you the lists before I was yet to find out.

I like the look of the Lima shovel nose cats I am on my itouch atm so can't do them justice in researching.

Are they the only two you can order from? Not much in there that'd i'd fancy, you could try the peacock bass but until they got to a decent size you probs wouldn't see them. do you know the dimensions of the pond in inch's or feet?

Things i would look for are rays, you would have to make sure you get one of the smaller species unless the pond is around the 4ft wide mark. You should be able to import them, something like marbled motoro (although more expensive than a standard motoro they tend to stay smaller) , true hytrix , p14's . If you don't fancy paying the larger money for them have a look for a Zebra shovel nose cat:
Brachyplatystoma tigrinum

or you could get the cheaper juranese (spelling?)

 

[saltynay]

Those 2 suppliers are the largest in Vietnam so that's what my lfs mainly use for supply. The second supplier list the pictures common names and Latin names don't actually match up though on some of the fish. I may be able to order some from regional suppliers but I don't want to spend huge amounts as I am not sure whether I will be here for 20+ years to do my wallet and the fish justice.

In feet and inches it is 7ft x 3.3ft x 1.5ft (LxWxH)so just short of that 4ft wide point a ray would be awesome just whether I can source one that will be the issue.

Atm I am thinking:
A pair of motoro rays
1 silver arowana
1 shovelnose cat
1 Clown Knifefish
Guppies or Danios something small that I can cycle the pond with and act as a first meal for whichever animal goes in first

 

[always4lora]

Those 2 suppliers are the largest in Vietnam so that's what my lfs mainly use for supply. The second supplier list the pictures common names and Latin names don't actually match up though on some of the fish. I may be able to order some from regional suppliers but I don't want to spend huge amounts as I am not sure whether I will be here for 20+ years to do my wallet and the fish justice.

In feet and inches it is 7ft x 3.3ft x 1.5ft (LxWxH)so just short of that 4ft wide point a ray would be awesome just whether I can source one that will be the issue.

Atm I am thinking:
A pair of motoro rays
1 silver arowana
1 shovelnose cat
1 Clown Knifefish
Guppies or Danios something small that I can cycle the pond with and act as a first meal for whichever animal goes in first

You'd be better of with marbled motoro's as they'd fit for life, most normal motoro's will get in excess of 2ft by quite a bit and then have the long tail to match. At present my marble motoro is about 12-14 inch with a tail which is about 10 inch so they do need a lot of space.
The shovelnose catfish you'd be restricted to lima and zebra as tiger will get to big for the pond by some quite some bit.

 

[saltynay]

Well I need to find out what I can get first seems like I am going to have to track down a ray supplier probably in Malaysia or Thailand. Thanks for the heads up on the normal motoros being much larger I had meant marbled motoro just thought they were the same when shortened to motoro's

Do you think these animals will play nice? I am having trouble finding reports on someone else that has this mix.

Found a supplier in Malaysia so far. I am go to take a leap and say this will be the typical rays I can find bred in SE Asia. Webby here

What size animal do I want? Bigger is older and stronger? Smaller is younger and more adaptable to a change in environment?

 

[always4lora]

Well I need to find out what I can get first seems like I am going to have to track down a ray supplier probably in Malaysia or Thailand. Thanks for the heads up on the normal motoros being much larger I had meant marbled motoro just thought they were the same when shortened to motoro's

Do you think these animals will play nice? I am having trouble finding reports on someone else that has this mix.

Found a supplier in Malaysia so far. I am go to take a leap and say this will be the typical rays I can find bred in SE Asia. Webby here

What size animal do I want? Bigger is older and stronger? Smaller is younger and more adaptable to a change in environment?

My net's playing up so can't see that link, for the ray you can normally pay less and get a young one, however most of the patterning wont show until it's bigger so it's always a bit of a gamble how they'll turn out with some of them.
P14 ray's are really nice but will set you back a lot . if you were after a pair here in the uk you'd be lucky to see it less than £2000
as for marbled motoro's they cost around £100 for a pup or about £200-400 for a really good one at a decent size. Basic things to check are that the ray is eating and it's not skinny.

Mixing Arowana and rays is quite common. you see a fair few people mix zebra shovelnose. as for the clown knife comination you don;t see many.

 

[saltynay]

I hope I can get one for much much cheaper the problem seems that Marbled motoros here cost more to ship then they do as livestock so breeders seem reluctant to send them to poor little old me. Bear in mind this is just hopping over 1-2 countries (Thailand and Cambodia)as opposed to you guys that have to get them from across the other side of the world in good condition.

I won't get to see the ray before shipping unless there is the very slim chance I have business trip to the country, so I can slip away for a day, otherwise the travelling expenses and time off work wouldn't be ideal. I wonder how easy it is to get them over the boarders by train then I could ride along with them. I could justify meeting the breeder at the station covering his expenses to there, then hand over the money for the rays themselves provided they look in good condition and take them the rest of the way myself. That would only work for Cambodia/Laos/Thailand Malaysia is a bit far.

Do you think the temperament of the fish I mentioned are compatible. They are quite large preds but I doubt any of them could possibly eat each other.

 

[always4lora]

I hope I can get one for much much cheaper the problem seems that Marbled motoros here cost more to ship then they do as livestock so breeders seem reluctant to send them to poor little old me. Bear in mind this is just hopping over 1-2 countries (Thailand and Cambodia)as opposed to you guys that have to get them from across the other side of the world in good condition.

I won't get to see the ray before shipping unless there is the very slim chance I have business trip to the country, so I can slip away for a day, otherwise the travelling expenses and time off work wouldn't be ideal. I wonder how easy it is to get them over the boarders by train then I could ride along with them. I could justify meeting the breeder at the station covering his expenses to there, then hand over the money for the rays themselves provided they look in good condition and take them the rest of the way myself. That would only work for Cambodia/Laos/Thailand Malaysia is a bit far.

Do you think the temperament of the fish I mentioned are compatible. They are quite large preds but I doubt any of them could possibly eat each other.

Your fish should be fine providing your sensible and dont put a big zebra or lima shovelnose with a tiny ray and vice versa.

 

[saltynay]

The malay P14 breeder got back to me $3000USD a pop with no guarantee on alive upon arrival #128###!!! He also only has one 18cm female for sale whilst I want a pair. I don't have the funds to shell down $6k on 2 fish that may arrive with the curl of death.

 

[always4lora]

The malay P14 breeder got back to me $3000USD a pop with no guarantee on alive upon arrival #128###!!! He also only has one 18cm female for sale whilst I want a pair. I don't have the funds to shell down $6k on 2 fish that may arrive with the curl of death.

Yeh they'll cost a fair bit, look for marbled motoro's or you could look for pearls if you want something that bit more special.

 

[saltynay]

I don't really mind I want a ray that is cheap, beautiful and playful so marbled motoro's sound perfect. Its trying to track down the breeders that is the issue.

 

[always4lora]

They're common over here , not sure on what permits etc you need to import but alot of breeders in Germany / Holland / Norway have some good rays and some will export to the US so probs export to you where you are