?

ok so i have a 4' x 2 1/2' tank (500l or 125USgal) tank with hefty sump filtration, wood and plants.

currently i have 8 full size (6-7") bala sharks, 6 clown loaches, a gold severum (4"), 2 banded leporinus (6" and 5"), a black moor (5") and vampire pleco.

they are all mid and bottom fish, so i have plenty of top water space that i would like to utilise

my friend has just got a beautiful silver arowana, but i hear they get very large and i dont think its fair to keep one in my 4footer.

does anyone have any experience with asian or silver arowanas?

i would like to know which one is the least aggressive (i hear jardini are the most) and also which grow smallest (some sites say the black, but some sites say its also the largest like the silver)

i just cant find clear cut info

also, i understand the morality against stunting fish (i dont approve of goldfish bowls or similar whatsoever) and possible deformities in the fish but if i do opt for, say, the silver (cheapest and nicest swim pattern) would it out-grow my 4' tank or not grow as long to be able to comfortably move around in there?

also, i live in ireland where asians ARE legal, check out www.arowana.ie for the stock lists (cant NOT fall in love with them)

thanks for any info

i have 6 clown loaches, they had ich just after introducing to the tank but it has been treated and has disappeared (thanks for the answers on a previous post) but for a while i have seen one loach has brown spots on its side, between the back two black bands, central on it body and the same on both sides.

i thought it could be from a knock or something but they are identical on both sides

is this a special marking? they are all small although one has got slightly larger (i presume the dominant one as it does play chase with the others) but all the colours on all the loaches are the same bright yellow and very dark blac

some sites say they get black or brown spots from sickness but these look more like marking, something like eye spot on oscars

anyone back idea this up and give me reason for this, or do i have a sick fish?

i have an asian river set up with 2 very large pieces of bog wood (i hear is meant to lower pH and makes it like blackwater) and is planted with sand and soil substrate topped off with natural gravel

i have asian river fish in and because the pH is stable they are all doing grat but i am looking at getting an arowana and since it is so expesive i dont want any risk of stressing and losing it, just want a neutral water

there are a few smooth (i think inert) stones such as are found in rivers

my tap water pH is pretty much dead on 7 and i treat with tap safe and use salt in the water so does this affect pH?

i get readings of 8 all the time, ammonia and nitrite are at zero

is there a cause of this i can prevent as i dont want to continually add treatments (only tap safe) i'd rather prevent instead of cure. should i put more wood in or another natural way of fixing this

i am looking at getting peat for my filter (40gallon sump), as i live in ireland peat is everywhere can i use garden peat moss instead of buying expensive peat for filters?

just got some clown loaches and they have ich, nothing too bad but few spots on each fish

i always put salt in my tank, 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons when changing water and have just risen temp

i hear garlic is good and the guy in the shop has food containing garlic, but how do i go treating the tank (do i put a clove of garlic in the filter or what) and is garlic any good for ich on scaleless fish

anyone with experience of this please help, i have meds but dont trust them for scaleless fish

my friend has a pond with a koi and goldfish, and has a very bad algae problem

i suggested trying to find an algea eater for it, as well as lillies to block sunlight and barley straw to kill it off

i know pleco's cant survive the cold but are there any other fish that will?

we live in ireland and generally it doesn't get more than 20c in summer and below -5c in the coldest winter

i have a 120g tank with a 30g sump filter and still cant make up my mind on what to put in but i definately will be planting it quite heavily

because my wife is boss, i will definately have to put (her) 6-8 bala sharks and a flying fox in, plus i want a rainbow shark. basically i want big and pretty fish that will take centre stage from her bala's.

any suggestions highly appreciated and well rewarded...

i have a 600l (150ish GAL) tank (130cm/4') pretty much set up.

has small gravel, wood, hiding spots and will have lots of plant cover (not forgetting the huge swimming area)

my wife wants bala sharks, a ghost knife fish, and rainbow fish.

i love tinfoils. i know they grow big and are active swimmers, every web site i checked said they should be in groups of 6 but this might be too much in my community.

i've read on forums that people are keeping 2 or 3 sometimes so i am wondering will this affect the fish's schooling and happiness?

i understand the 1inch per gallon thing and it will be adhered to.

other fish i want to keep in there are:

2 clown loach

rainbow shark

6-8 bala

6-8 rainbow fish (neon and bosemani)

ghost knife fish

possibly smaller barbs or danios depending how the filter goes

a few forums i've read say its not necessary for carbon in a filter as it fills up and becomes useless, and wastes money replacing all the time.

i have carbon in my 35l (9ish gal) elite tropical tank but the water is slightly cloudy although perfectly safe, but i got a cold water tank that has no carbon, and even my new (not fully set up) 600l monster tank has no carbon, just 120l of sump with a pond pump and LOTS of foam