Hi all, I just purchased a 265 gallon tank (84x24x30). In my 30 gallon tank--My upgradee, i have an Oscar, a Polypterus, 2 Blood Parrots, 2 Severums, and Two Red Bellied Pacu. I know the size the tankbuster will achieve, which is why i have bought this new 265 gallon tank. I would like to know what other fish i can put in this tank. I am going to keep this tank in the long run so I would like to know what other fish i can put in for GOOD. I was thinking maybe (this is going to be a long list so please tell me: which, how many and what others i can put in)

Arowana, Siamese Tiger Fish, Wolf fish, Motoro Stingray(s), Clown/Ghost Knifefish, Jack Dempsey, Fire/peacock eel, Giant Pufferfish, Tropical Gar, Striped Snakehead, Spotted Gar, Zebra Shovelnose, Florida Gar, Freshwater Barracuda. Now, before you right all of those life-impending death threats about how i am overstocking my tank, I am WELL aware that i cannot keep ALL of these fish. This is just a simple list of fish that i would like...not ALL of them! Please tell me which are compatible with the tank, which will fit, and which would be safe for my tank all-around. I would also like to turn the 30 gallon tank into an Angelfish, Ram Cichlid, or Discus breeding tank. Please tell me everything I am doing wrong!!! Thanks!

Hey again, good news! Instead of just getting the 265 gallon tank i am also getting a 150, to make my stocking options ALOT easier. Now i know its been a while, so the fish i have are: 2 Red Bellied Pacu, 1 Oscar, 1 Polyp. senegalus, 2 Blood Parrots, and 2 Albino Festivums. The fish i want are (here comes that long list):

Arowana, Siamese Tiger Fish, Wolf fish, Motoro Stingray(s), Clown/Ghost Knifefish, Jack Dempsey, Fire/peacock eel, Giant Pufferfish, Shortnose/Florida Gar, Striped Snakehead, Spotted Gar, Zebra Shovelnose, Florida Gar, Freshwater Barracuda.

I know that i can have all of these fish but i was thinking which fish would do best and in what tank... I was thinking maybe

30 gallon tank-- Albino Festivums-- maybe a few German Rams to keep them company

150 gallon tank-- 2 Red Bellied Pacu(for a little while), 2 Blood Parrots, Oscar, Polypterus senegalus

265 gallon tank-- 2-3 Hystrix/Orbiginyi rays, 2 Spotted Gars, Silver Arowana (which i can see is not compatible), 1 Clown Knife, Datnoid Pulchers, and maybe a few leopard banded leoprindus/ geophagus surinamensis.... and maybe 1 Zebra Shovelnose??? Would that work??? Which fish should i put into what??? Tell me what i am doing wrong!

hmm, that is a huge selection but at least your doing the right thing and getting a huge tank, there are some people on the way to this forum now to see this post and hlp you out abit more as i myself only deal with cichlids but i will do my best with this post..


For the 30g the festiums and rams are fine so go for it :)

The 150g will do fine as its a good setup but as you say for the pacu's are there for a little while and you seem to know just how huge they get so thats a good setup maybe just go for a couple of catfish in there as well to clean up the mess.

the Siamese Tiger Fish & Wolf fish would be a no they are a very agressive predator with huge teeth, the wolf along can take your finger off!
I would go for Motoro Stingray(s), Clown/Ghost Knifefish, Jack Dempsey, Fire/peacock eel, Spotted Gar, Zebra Shovelnose, but you can also add more cichlids to that list if you want, is there any other cichlids you had in mind?
Come to think of it, man that would be one hell of a looking tank wouldnt it!

ok, somthing went wrong with the icons lol, thats ment to say hugE not the damn hugging simbol

haha -- its alright... Well... how long could i keep the RB Pacu in the 150? Could i keep him in their with the Oscar, Blood Parrots (2), and Polyp. Senegalus? Maybe Pictus Cats to do the "cleaning up"? Then in the 265 i was thinking 3 Hystrix Rays(my biggest concern)...Clown Knife, Silver arrow, 2 Shortnose Gars, Zebra Shovelnose, maybe Banded Leporonis? Maybe a few Cachorro Baracuddas? Thanks again --Zach--

the 150 gal sounds fine provided that your senegal is fairly large to begin with as they dont grow quiet as fast as oscars so hopefully the initial size difference will be adequate to stop the bichir becoming lunch. Also I would have a second home ready for the senegaul as the oscar may turn nasty, and if this is the case, the senegaul is too shy to aptly defend itself so moving him or her would be the better option.

the 250 gal should be looked at in this way:

Lower level:

three hystrrix rays OR Pair of hystrix rays with LARGE eel OR Tiger Shovel nose

Mid to upper layers:
Arrowanna OR Gars and Clown Knife with cichlids OR Siamese tiger fish with cichlids

Under no circumstance should a shy retiring fish such as gars or fw barracudas be kept with arrowannas unless you are prepared to see them beaten to a pulp.

Pacus are not my forte, but they do grow quite fast dependant on if they have a good diet, it is also worth noting that young red pacus live with shoals of red bellied pirannas when they are young and as such have quiet a vicous temperment and not as veggy as some people believe.....

Hope this helps, but remember when dealing with many of these fish, it is not volume of water but large footprint that is needed. Rays naturally need a lot of space, and the gars are not flexible enough to turn that well in confined spaces, also you dont want your very expensive TSN or arrowanna getting spinal curviture. I see that you plan on a 2.5 ft tank and this is an excellent starting point i look forward to seeing your pictures of this soon to be fantastic tank :D

good posting oddball

Its just occured to me that the Zebra shovelnose could be metrodontus tigrinis, and if this is the case special consideration should be took inthat it needs flowing woater and that any tank mates need to be able to cope with constant water flow. This would discount the garfish and quiet possibly the knife fish