A. gigas

[Lindsey]

I'm curious, is there anyone who actually successfully keeps arapaima gigas?

I was looking around on Live Aquaria for freshwater fish and saw a section called "Extra-large oddball fish", and there you have it, 6" juvenile a. gigas for $189, adult size listed at 15'. You couldn't pay me enough to take one of these guys!

I'm every bit positive that they're breathtaking at their adult size, but how could you keep something that massive? I can't wrap my head around it. Does anyone own these?

[Bristley]

but how could you keep something that massive?

Abandoned olympic sized swimming pool comes to mind.

Or better yet, a hollowed out mountain lair with it's own subterranean lake and some laser beams with straps designed to mount to large fish heads.:hmm3grin2orange:

[Wild Turkey]

Yes, you would need either a large pond in a very warm climate, or a very large heated pool conversion.. something along those lines.

[Northernguy]

Nobody here that I know of keeps such a monster. A small lake with an Amazonian type river flowing would be my choice of tanks.lol
They are kept by some people that think they have large enough tanks.There is a site that you may find them at.Monster Fish Keepers.com

[prdoring]

HERE (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8952)

[Fishguy2727]

We can get them in, they would sell for anywhere from $150-800.

[wolf_eyes]

I saw one at my LFS and I was more than a little disappointed with them. He was only $130 so any unsuspecting person with some money could get him. The next time I went he was gone, either sold or passed away. I know it's bad to say but I kinda hope it was the latter. A magnificent fish like that does not deserve to live life in a too small aquarium.I would love to own one, but I never, ever will unless somehow I got super rich. They had one at one point at the georgia aquarium. He was absolutely stunning. His tail look like it was cracking from magma. Nice big ugly head, that was so ugly it was cool. I loved the way he just swam so calmly. You knew that there was power in that fish. The last time I went they replaced him with alligators.... like you don't see those at EVERY zoo.... I was sad to see him gone.

[Fishguy2727]

The National Zoo has a great Amazonia exhibit that includes a large pool with massive freshwater stingrays and a HUGE tank with both Arapaima gigas and full size pacus. They have bred leopoldi rays there. Anyone on a trip in D.C. should try to make the time to go check it out.

[tanks4thememories]

you would be surprised at the size of some of the private aquariums in existence. there aer several people keeping gigas on www.monsterfishkeepers.com

[VoidParadigm]

There was a guy on Discovery Channel not that long ago who was keeping a pair of them, upgrading the size of his concrete tank as they grew.

[Demjor19]

Yes, people can and do keep them. As mentioned...on MFK there are several people that have tanks well over 100K gallons that to keep Arapaimas. Sure, they are not for 99.9% of us, but some have the means of housing them. I believe John's arapaimas from MFK were all rescued animals.

[Lindsey]

That's amazing, and it's good to see that some people on mfk.com are actually keeping them in appropriate tanks.. the website I mentioned in my original post recommended 1000 gallons, but how long could you keep such a huge fish in a tank that size? Would it even be able to turn around properly?

[Demjor19]

That's amazing, and it's good to see that some people on mfk.com are actually keeping them in appropriate tanks.. the website I mentioned in my original post recommended 1000 gallons, but how long could you keep such a huge fish in a tank that size? Would it even be able to turn around properly?

An Arapaima would probably outgrow a 1000 gallon tank in less than two years.