building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

All posts regarding the care and breeding of these catfishes from South America.
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

yes, solved...

everything is fine from the last disaster... till the next one...
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

the Potamotrygon adventure has begun...
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building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by Barrycal »

wow, thats quite a nice tank What kind of filter do you use?

Cheers,
Lisa
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

just two rain drums of 300 liters each, with lava rocks on the bottom (mechanical, biological & weight), blue foam (2 layers), 8'500 l/h pump, blue foam layer, SERA BioPond ceramics in corbs, and a final blue foam layer. Water comes in from the bottom and from the upper part, and is pulsed at mid-level of the DIY filter.

You can see them in the video posted on June 8th in this same topic
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

August 2019,
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

big leaking problems in the concrete structure... I had to empty the inner pond... and doing this, I took a few good videos :

Panaque schaeferi

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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by bekateen »

That's a big fish! Were you able to repair the leaks yet?

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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

tank is empty from a whole week... fish are in "stand by" in a pond by a friend who owns a shop, not too far from me.

I have to repair the waterproofing layer inside the tank...

wait and see... but no fish in this tank for at least the next two months
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by bekateen »

Wow. That's a big job!
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »



the reason why : heating system, included into the cement bottom of the tank has released a bit of moisture. This moisture created "bubbles" with grew out of the sand layer... the dome of each bubble got covered with algae... which were eaten by Panaque, Acanthicus, Panaqolus... and after 10 years (almost), the Mapelastic waterproofing layers went destroyed...

same player : shoot again...

let's repair it, find another way to solve it and start again... ~X(
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by Viktor Jarikov »

Man! The joys of maintaining large tanks never end... Sorry to hear this, mate!

This is one of the reasons I tend to rate concrete tanks below plastic or fiberglass or even rubber-liner ones... unless it is an inground pool kind where small leaks may not matter much...

In theory, I'd have sandwiched two layers of rubber liner between two layer of protective cloth and concreted over this quadruple sandwich to give it a shot at holding water forever. The window would have to be glued to the rubber liner of course too.
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

under (hard) work to solve it...

next week it should be alright...

I'll keep posted with detailled informations.
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

problem solved (again, till next time).

I'm getting my fish back home... a few videos :

Today : Panaque schaeferi and Acanthicus

Last edited by ElTofi on 27 Dec 2019, 15:42, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

Tuesday : Azul peacocks

Last edited by ElTofi on 27 Dec 2019, 15:42, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

Wednesday : after 24 hours resting, finding their old habits and places...

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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

everybody's back... with a few "travel" wounds I have to care for...

but it will be all right...

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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by bekateen »

Glad it's sorted. Those Panaques are impressive.

Happy new year, Eric
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

You bet they are. I Kind of destroyed my fingerprints when I took them out of their hosting tank.
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

rare moment of exception today, when I "caught" a short "fight" between two Acanthicus adonis, one trying to get the other out of the shelter of the big inner filter...

and suddenly... I realized, the big dominant Panaque schaeferi was very close of my hand on the filter, I hadn't seen him so close before...

I moved very carefully the iPhone in his direction... alleluia, it didn't get afraid and took pose for a few minutes...

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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

a bad weather Sunday morning video... with Acanthicus hystrix (and if you are very careful, Acanthicus adonis) under a shelter of wood.



Panaque schaeferi were too shy this morning...
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »



one of these days, I'll shoot an underwater video of my "monsters" : Acanthicus adonis (3, 6 and 9 years old) and of the two "Survivors" Panaque schaeferi (10 years old)...

if I can dive a camera inside the tank without them to go back behind the internal filters.
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by bekateen »

I do not cease to be amazed with these big tanks like yours and like those of @Viktor Jarikov. I've lost track imof history. Have you ever had any fish spawn in this tank, as long as it's been operating?

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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

nothing (serious) considering catfish...

but I have in continuity : Ancistrus sp Paraguay (and hybridization with "sp from shop"), Hypancistrus sp L201 (a few fry survived and spawned when adults)

and I had :

Osteoglossum bicirrhosum (two spawnings, with a 6 weeks mouth care from father, including hatching at 4th week, until the kelberis discovered there was something alive to hunt)

Myleus schomburgki : several spawnings, eaten every time by the parents

Astronotus occellatus Peru : more than 20 spawnings but never further than free swimming from larvae... then... predation
Cichla kelberi : eggs eaten by stingrays and Panaque schaeferi, twice.
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by bekateen »

Maybe not much survives, but that's still an impressive list! :-)

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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

looooong time...

but a short video of one of my all time favorites... Panaque schaeferi after 10 years in my inner pond and probably 2 more years of living...



Baryancistrus LDA33 is 7 inches
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by bekateen »

What a nice view. How close do you think their behavior in your tank is to their behavior in nature?

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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

I guess, whatever the specie you are talking of, there is nothing left "natural" in their inner pond behavior... too much light, water too clean, not enough natural predator/prey, easy food, and much to close interactions... considering a natural habitat
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by ElTofi »

hi everyone...

long time again since I had something worth to share...

I finally made "the final step to my original fishhobbying dream"... I acquired a baby Red Tail Catfish ... It's growing in the living room Xingu tank until it'll get big enough to join the predators of the basement into the "big" tank

here's a short vid of the beast around 5'' only one month after its arrival in its new home :
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Re: building a "big" Potamotrygon/SA Catfishes tank

Post by Viktor Jarikov »

Wow. I had never imagined an RTC would be on your plate ever. As it grows you will find you will have to remove all of the "swallowable" tank mates from the 2500 gal, eventually probably all or almost all of them, even your pbass and arowana could be in danger. But I am sure you know it.

If my experience is of any guidance, yours will reach 3 feet if a male in 3-5 years and 4 feet if a female.

Here is our quartet:
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