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can arowans survive in brackish?

what i plan to do
2 archers
1 arowana
1-3 moray eel(s)
4 shark catfish
misc. compatible fish

in a custom made aquarium ranging from 125-200 gallons

also how do u make custom made aquariums

Ummmm.....your list and tank size would not work out. That tank size alone would barely be enough room for the Arowana. They get huge! And the eels would eat all the other fish you listed. Oh yeah, to the best of my knowledge, Arowanas could not survive in brackish water. They are freshwater fish.

No way, those fish are not compatible, and would never be able to live in a tank that small.
For those fish, IF they were compatible, I think you would probably need a 250g tank or larger.
Custom building a tank by yourself you will need a few things: Lots of Aquarium Silicone, A few Able bodied quick witted friends, some wood for braces and squaring, and the glass. The trick is to get the glass in place before the silicone starts hardening. You would also need a couple of cross braces for a tank that large. Arrowanas, if you are meaning the silver kind, reach lengths of up to 4-5 feet in length. You would need a tank at least wide enough alone that the arrowana will be able to turn around without bumping the sides. Thats an awfully big tank. Also, they jump. Do they ever. My Mom had one when she was in her 20's and they used to tie a chicken carcass on a string 6 feet above the tank and it would jump to snag the carcass. Of course doing what an Arrowana in the wild would do when hunting birds.
There are plenty of plans online to build large tanks, but be prepared to spend money, and spend a lot of time.


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every site i looked at said that an arowana would fit except for a certain species maybe thats what your thinking of

is making your own aquarium less or more mney then buying it made or does it depend on the price of the materials

i doubt morays could eat a ten inch archer or a 12" catfish

Last edited by resle at 22-Oct-2004 22:41

every site i looked at said that an arowana would fit except for a certain species maybe thats what your thinking of

Try again....only an Asian aro would be anywhere near comfortable in a 200....a jardini or African would be cramped, and it would be cruel to keep a black or silver in anything short of 350 gallons.

i doubt morays could eat a ten inch archer

True, but you will be very hard pressed to find archers over 4" for sale anywhere....and they do not grow quickly.

IMO the money you might save in building your own large tank is not worth the piece of mind that comes from knowing your tank was constructed by experts with the right tools using the proper quality materials. Consider that 200 gallons of water weighs about 1500 pounds. That's a lot riding on whether or not you got the glass sealed properly. I've built several small fish tanks and I've built my own car, but when it came to my 300 gallon tank I let the pros do it.

the problem is i dont know of any places that has anything over 75g

Almost any fish store can order you in a tank much larger than they'd normally stock - 220s, 240s, and the 10-foot 300 gallon are stock sizes, and many stores will do customs beyond that.

-Molly
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depending where you live i'm sure you can order some online too - try www.glasscages.com - i've never bought anything from here, but maybe someone else has info about them

Try www.Tenecor.com if you are considering acrylic. They custom made my 300 gallon. You can also try a google search for aquarium manufactures near you. I found several sites when researching for my tank. Good luck and happy hunting.