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Well, after a few months without a tank to call my own, I decided to jump into it full swing again. I'd like to use this thread to keep all of my pics focused in one place and to trace the growth and development of the tank itself. Hell, if I could answer a few questions along the way, I'd be plenty happy.

So, a little background on what is in store here. There are no pics yet, so if that's all you came for, keep checking back! As for 3.20.06, things are just getting ordered, so there is some time before I start to see anything. The tank is a 72x18x22 AGA standard setup. This is on order and should arrive in the next week or two.

Filtration caused some chaos, as I was torn between wet/dry, canister, etc. I ultimately decided to go out on a limb and try something new. As I finish typing this, I will be ordering an Eheim Professional 3 2080 canister filter. From what I hear, this is the real deal. Monsterous filtration while producing virtually no noise---PERFECT!


Heating and all of that isn't terribly interesting, so suffice it to say, Jager submersibles will be in this tank. Lighting is coming by way of a standard twin strip fixture. Again, nothing special.

Here comes the good part---THE FISH! If any of you have met me or have paid attention to the few posts I've made, you know that planted tanks, deco, etc, isn't what I'm into. I'm into the monster fish. This tank will be no different. As for now, the only fish I have planned are the following:

-M.Tigrinus (B.Tigrinum if you're up on your Latin)
-P.E.Endlicheri (Singapore import-already on order)
-D.Pulcher (may opt for one, but a trio is possible at this point)
-Gar (tropical or Cuban for now)

That's about it. There will be additions, I'm sure. But for now, that is the tentative list. All fish will be around the 3-5" range at the time of purchase, so that will give them plenty of time to grow into the tank. Just for laughs, here are some pics (most not mine):




I'll update this thread as soon as the glass makes it to my house!

Reading your fish list made the theme from Ghostbusters go thumping through my feebled brain with a slight twist in the lyrics, "Who you gonna call - Tank Busters!"

I assume that the tiger fish will be a "dither" fish for the group?




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"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Oooh, some of my favorite fish... Apparenty you have cash to burn since you're getting a Tigrinus.

I can't weigh in on the Gar as I don't know much about them, but the Tigrinus idea makes me nervous. The Tigrinus gets approximately two feet long, while the width of the aquarium is several inches off the mark. A 180 gallon would feel better at the very least, but a 125 gallon may not work too well. Although, maybe I'm just making excuses for myself to get a bigger tank... Trust me, if I had the cash I'd probably be itching to get a Tigrinus, too for my measly little 125 gallon... However, the last warning is that the Tigrinus comes from whitewater habitats where the water is fast and active. Although few aquariums provide this amount of current flow, the Tigrinus would probably greatly appreciate it.

Mind you, the Endlicheri also can reach 2' long, but it's quite a bit more sedentary (and at the very least a bit more flexible).

However, I wish you luck, 'cuz the big fish are some of the best fish.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

The Datnoid is actually going to be the show fish of the tank, as it is the best colored and most visible. Naturally, I'm getting the highest quality fish that my wallet will allow. Hardly the dither fish!

As for the Tigrinus-you're absolutey right. I've had several tigs in the past, most grown from 2-3" babies. I think a 125g will be fine for quite some time, so that isn't a concern at this point. My uncle is breaking ground on incorporating a custom tank in his new house, so that could serve as a final home for some of my fish. If he goes along with what he has planned, the tank will measure some 12' long, 3' front to back, and a bit more than 2' high. It's going behind a bar, fyi. Then, I just need to convince him to ditch saltwater and stay fresh!

nice gars are some of my favorite fish. Feeding them can be very interesting... too bad I don't have the space for one ATM. Bichirs are awesome too. Nice choice on the species great coloration. This sounds like a really great tank and I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome of it. But don't cuban gars grow to around 75"?

Cubs are the smallest regularly available gar, IIRC. Also, a tig in a 125 is not a great idea.

Oh I guess I was wrong. Do you know how large they grow?

The one spawning article I've read of the species states that tank raised specimens generally top off at 5 feet or so, which is still a large, large fish.