500 Gallon Stocking Plans

[JeffroM]

My fishroom is very slowly being built but I hope to have it complete in a few months and buy a 500 gallon 8'x4'x25" later this year.  My eventual stocking plans for the tank include:

3-4 Motoros
3-4 Atabapo I Pikes
2 Blue / Black Arrowana
2 Peacock Bass
12 WC Discus

So everything going to live in peace and harmony?

[Regalblue]

I'd be Leary of the Pikes with the Aro

[GrizzlysDad]

I thought you were going with 5,000 Tutti-fruity tetras?/

[Super Turtleman]

I thought you were going with 5,000 Tutti-fruity tetras?/

BAHAHAHA!!!

Seriously, will the Discus be ok in there? I don't know much about them but sounds like an aggressive tank...

[JeffroM]

I'd be Leary of the Pikes with the Aro

Why?

I thought you were going with 5,000 Tutti-fruity tetras?/

Tony, you're all the Tutti-Fruity I need.   

Seriously, will the Discus be ok in there? I don't know much about them but sounds like an aggressive tank...

Discus are usually fine with rays.  However an occasional ray will like to kill discus and bite their face off.  Discus are fine with arrowana.  I had some discus in with a 22" Silver Arrowana once without problem.  My big concern for the discus would be the pikes or bass.  Simply don't know.  Hoping someone has experience with those combinations.

[Super Turtleman]

Seriously, will the Discus be ok in there? I don't know much about them but sounds like an aggressive tank...

Discus are usually fine with rays.  However an occasional ray will like to kill discus and bite their face off.  Discus are fine with arrowana.  I had some discus in with a 22" Silver Arrowana once without problem.  My big concern for the discus would be the pikes or bass.  Simply don't know.  Hoping someone has experience with those combinations.
[/quote]

That's my concern as well. The Pikes and Bass seem a too aggro for the Discus...but I don't know much about any of them. Just general impressions I get from reading about them here and there...

[Regalblue]

I just think with a streamlined similar shaped thing zipping all around the top, that the Pikes will be hammering it when they can. Especially since the Aro is a top feeder&  the Pike will learn food comes from up above.

[mandalawi]

Admittedly i have never owned anything like the pike and or bass or rays for that matter but that make up imo, would just make for a weird looking combo. Not my tank so that doesn't matter but i would have to agree about the Pike being too much for the Discus. And if their WC Discus, do you really want to risk them?

[JeffroM]

Not sure why it would be a weird looking combo.  They all live to in the wild, but everyone can have their opinion.  BTW on that stocklist the discus would be the least expensive by far.

I think what I would try to do is stock it with rays, arrowana, and discus.  Let those fish settle in for a while.  Then in a morning introduce 1 pike and watch it all day.  If things go well for like a week then introduce the other 2 to 3 pikes and again observe them all day.  Once all that is in place try the same thing with a peacock bass.

[Regalblue]

As I think the Pike will be the most aggressive & territorial,  I would add them last.

[Helloitsme]

It's not what I would do, but it's not my tank! I'd like to see it when it's done though...

[Regalblue]

It's not what I would do, but it's not my tank! I'd like to see it when it's done though...

Agreed
IMO full biotope would be the way to roll.

[Helloitsme]

It's not what I would do, but it's not my tank! I'd like to see it when it's done though...

Agreed
IMO full biotope would be the way to roll.

Yes, that's probably more along the lines of what I would do. Thanks Jeff, now you've got me thinking...

[Marty]

I think that if you gave the pikes a pvc tube or clay drain tile, they might be aggressive about defending that, but I don't know that they would bully everyone in the tank.  Mine (both species) tend to hang out on the bottom.

[Regalblue]

I think that if you gave the pikes a pvc tube or clay drain tile, they might be aggressive about defending that, but I don't know that they would bully everyone in the tank.  Mine (both species) tend to hang out on the bottom.

I still think once they see the Aro above them gobbling up food,  they are gonna hit it hard