Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 1:01 am Post subject: Amazing pond!
Hi guys…
One of my friend has a huge pond which is approximately 30feet X 30feet in size and around 20feet in depth, its mainly a natural well with rain water which never dries up!
In there are many many local fishes.
Around three to four years back he had added around 22 baby silver Arowanas in the pond…
Most got eaten by birds and other larger fish….
But two have survived and grew big….!!!
Now he is in settled in UAE and wanted me to take them as he is not around......
So, yesterday me, GatorX aka weylin and other friends had gone to check out the pond!
Its an amazing pond ! And the Arowanas ……They are crazy…..huge guys with really high bodies, they are around a meter in length! Phew….and we had to catch them!!!!
All we had carried was few jumbo bags and few large nets and also fishing hooks and line as a last resort!
The idea of netting them was useless, so we dropped in the baited hook…..
They took the bait a few times and escaped learning about the trap, showing no interest in the bait later on!
Meanwhile we caught other large barbs on the hook and released them back!
So, now we plan to make a huge net to match the ponds size and scoop them out!
When we spoke to our friend in UAE, he was happy that we liked the pond and gifted us the right to use the pond as needed!
As, I realized that these giants have grown in a pond and putting them in glass box would be sad, also going close to the tank will badly freak them out!
So we plan to leave the Arowanas in there and maybe add around 4 to 6 more large silvers and try and breed them….
The other option was to add different monsters to the pond like alligator gars, arapaima, etc ,. just for fun and grow them out!
Or maybe add a lot of lake Malawi cichlids and let them breed….
Getting a nice brood stock of Asian Arowanas also sounds real fun!
Guys, I wanted your suggestions as what can be done, how can we utilize this pond better?
May be we can breed fishes here, grow baby fishes or just enjoy large monster swim by…
This pond has a compound with guards, so we have someone to feed them on regular basis!
Common guys give in some cool ideas….
I’ll post some pics soon!
Last edited by lycodon on Mon Aug 16, 2010 1:51 pm; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 9:05 am Post subject: Re: Amazing pond!
can we put some babes in there and then fill the IAH gallery with their fishy shots.
on a serious note. putting malawi etc will be useless as i guess the arowana would get to them .....so the best would be to put the other arowanas in there(large enough to not be eaten by these guys). i assume that as they have grown in the pond they would have tip-top instincts. how clear is the water in the pond. i mean what is the visibility.
Joined: Nov 14, 2006 Posts: 541 Location: Ranchi, Jharkhand.
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Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:27 am Post subject: Re: Amazing pond!
Adding some more and trying to breed them would be the best use of the tank.
To add baby arowanas and allow them to grow up to a size that they don't fall prey to bigger fishes, frogs or birds - you must use the same tactics as they do in pisciculture. You will need a double bed size nylon mosquito net which when weighted on top side and floats added to bottom will form a floating tank in the pond when reversed to hold the babies. For protection from predatory birds (and to prevent jumpers from leaving the tank too soon) cover this tank with 1" mesh net preferably made of nylon. Hold your babies in this tank and feed them till are sufficiently large and can look out for themselves and then release them into the pond.
I hope you attempt the breeding - I know you have an unique opportunity. If you make the attempt you will have all my best wishes for your success.
P.S. Instead of floating the net tank you could stake it using bamboo poles for the 4 corners and a bamboo frame at the top for the protective net. You will only have to locate it right. Keep the tank a couple of feet above the pond floor to avoid crabs cutting the net (they may climb onto the net but will not cut it if it is above the floor as they feel insecure and do not spend much time above the substrate).
Joined: Jan 07, 2010 Posts: 525 Location: bengaluru
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Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 11:22 am Post subject: Re: Amazing pond!
hi, even i had 3 big ponds , i had bred carps and gold fish, its best u try out breeding arowanas, release the same type as the large ones u have, they are mouth brooders, u dont have to worry about laying of eggs and naturality, dont mix other big carnivorous fish with it,
it will be great fun to see the young arowanas
can we put some babes in there and then fill the IAH gallery with their fishy shots.
on a serious note. putting malawi etc will be useless as i guess the arowana would get to them .....so the best would be to put the other arowanas in there(large enough to not be eaten by these guys). i assume that as they have grown in the pond they would have tip-top instincts. how clear is the water in the pond. i mean what is the visibility.
If we have to add the malawi, we remove the silver giants and may be relocate them to large and comfortable tank, may be some public aquarium!
The visibility is OK, around three to four feet is seen now, may be on sunny times its better, as its a natural pond and the flooring is mostly black rocks!
Adding some more and trying to breed them would be the best use of the tank.
To add baby arowanas and allow them to grow up to a size that they don't fall prey to bigger fishes, frogs or birds - you must use the same tactics as they do in pisciculture. You will need a double bed size nylon mosquito net which when weighted on top side and floats added to bottom will form a floating tank in the pond when reversed to hold the babies. For protection from predatory birds (and to prevent jumpers from leaving the tank too soon) cover this tank with 1" mesh net preferably made of nylon. Hold your babies in this tank and feed them till are sufficiently large and can look out for themselves and then release them into the pond.
I hope you attempt the breeding - I know you have an unique opportunity. If you make the attempt you will have all my best wishes for your success.
P.S. Instead of floating the net tank you could stake it using bamboo poles for the 4 corners and a bamboo frame at the top for the protective net. You will only have to locate it right. Keep the tank a couple of feet above the pond floor to avoid crabs cutting the net (they may climb onto the net but will not cut it if it is above the floor as they feel insecure and do not spend much time above the substrate).
What you suggest is good, may be we can buy decent size silver aros and power feed them to attain a good size in an aquarium at home, then introduce them to the older guys!
But, due to the ponds depth, monitoring the fishes or may be harvesting the babies in the future is a lil tough task, unless we have some proper mechanism...something like the Chinese fishing net mechanism...
that pond sounds just about ideal for a few arapaima gigas
now that would be something...
I always wanted to keep and grow arapaimas, but never took them as i dint know what i would do with them once they out grow the tank, and stunting them was no option!
So, if this tank turns out to be an Amazonian monster tank.... U guys know where you can donate your monsters!
Joined: Nov 14, 2006 Posts: 541 Location: Ranchi, Jharkhand.
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Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:33 pm Post subject: Re: Amazing pond!
30 X 30 feet is a tiny pond by all non-city standards. Knowing arowanas live near the surface, it does not appear that any difficulties can exist monitoring them. All that is needed is a little experience with common pisciculture methods - yes, they are a little different from your aquarium experiences - but they are very easy and effective.
Joined: Feb 01, 2008 Posts: 1549 Location: Pune,Maharashtra
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Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:59 pm Post subject: Re: Amazing pond!
Hi Lycodon...
You could use a cast net to catch the aro's if need be. Attract them to the surface with some feed, and then cast the net...
If you dont have one, you can pay some local fisherman to do it for you
Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:41 pm Post subject: Re: Amazing pond!
Lycodon, I second what almost everyone who has responded has to say. Add more arowanas and let them breed. Even if they decide not to breed, the sight of a bunch of arowanas gliding through the water would be an amazing sight. I’m not saying you should overstock. I am not the expert here, but I think you should remove the other fish if you go ahead with the arowana breeding plan.
Essabee’s idea of an inverted mosquito net with a nylon mesh lid also sounds really good. I think your rupee investment in that type of a holding pen for baby arowanas (which you’ll buy) should be a lot less than what you’d pay to buy adult arowanas.
I’m assuming that your friend has someone to take care of the pond.
Do post photos; doesn’t matter if they are grainy, fuzzy, whatever . . .
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