So the inspiration behind the pond was always
the 2000 gallon aquarium, but I don't think I've ever explained why.
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You see I love the stocking on the 2000 I got freshwater stingrays, Asian Arowana and to me that's the ultimate
Combination not for everybody but, in my opinion for my hobby
but, there's other massive fish that I want to keep including some red tail catfish, which
Uh..
This video is mostly gonna focus on you see after building the 2000 gallon aquarium and then building the pond I wanted to replicate
something that the Asian Arowana did
... Music ... look at these guys hit that food
... Music ... Look at these guys go, exciting!
Which was when I feed them they hit the water hard, but these aren't the hardest hitting top feeders in the Hobby
There's tons of others including peacock bass.
However, I originally got these two
red tail cats
I still have them there in the pond and I also picked up a bunch of smaller
Bass which are doing absolutely incredible and they are going to turn into be some incredible monsters
I'm training them to hit the water pretty hard
But I did come across
There was six large peacock bass
There were what eight inches to a foot something along those lines
But they were wild caught and it took me a while to get them on
eating prepared foods
But I did do it the problem with these guys is they will never eat with the lid off, they never eat with the lights on etc, etc
That's okay. I have patience, but we got a little problem
The catfish the red tail cats are growing at an astronomical rate
Faster much faster than the bass, you see when I added in the cats
They might have been like this big and now they're like this big in a matter of a few months
Kind of want to give your head a shake. If you think you want to keep red tail cats they grow
Incredibly fast pretty much can't keep a whole lot with them because they'll probably eat them and you're gonna need thousands of gallon
This is a 1,200 gallon pond and that's not big enough. I will have to increase the size of this in time
You see every time I'd feed these the red tails would come out eat
But the bass
would want the lights out and it's covered then I'd see them going around and eating some of the
frozen or prepared fresh foods that were off live
But it was like they were only eating enough to sustain themselves. And so I guess the the conversation could even be
When is a fish thriving and when is a fish surviving the bass were surviving the catfish were thriving
Recently, I've been looking at them and sizing them up and the catfish were showing interest in eating the bass and believe it or not
They probably could so I had to make some decisions. What am I going to do with these bass?
I can't keep them in that pond anymore. Cuz the catfish are probably going to eat them
The bass aren't putting it on enough size fast enough
I don't have the 120s or too small for them which by the way this entire racking system
Each tank is 120 gallons four feet long two feet wide two feet tall. I know it doesn't look that way on camera.
Can't really put them in the 375 because there's too many little fish in there
The bass will probably eat them and well
I know a lot of people want me to add more fish to the 2000 but this tank is
Already reaching capacity these guys
I know don't seem that big the Asian Arowana, but they are going to get two and a half feet long
they're going to get massive massive massive and then of course the Rays which are
In comparison to what they will become they're just tiny little specks little babies
These guys are going to get absolutely enormous at full capacity and say another three years
Two to three years. This tank is going to look observably
Overstocked I know many people have a difficulties envisioning that now but that's just the scenario. So
Adding the bass in there and not really a good idea
Plus those bass were kind of boring as much as it Urks me to say that word. They were just sitting on the bottom
They didn't really swim around I'd offer food. They'd eat it
I know lots of people that
Are going to say and probably have zero experience with bass are gonna tell me they need cover they need this
They need that they need the other thing. They don't really need that. They are like an open water swimmer
Umm I added in tons of wood
I could have did a number of things as
According to like a lot of people and this is just me making videos for 11 years
I know what the comments are like and I know what people say
Umm
Sometimes they're right. Sometimes they're wrong but to give you an idea
these bass are out and about
Not shy they all want to eat etc. they're doing fine
That's what I'm looking to Train. That's what I want to have in the aquarium eventually
So I made the decision to ship them off to a friend in Montreal. He has a 2500 gallon bass tank
Umm
Which they'll do much better in there than they will with me
So it comes down to again is the fish surviving or thriving. I think these guys were just surviving
I'm not going to be able to house them anymore based on the tank that they're in
I'm not putting any more tanks in my house. I'm not adding more tanks out here. I already have like over 5,000 gallons
That's enough for me
But I just thought the responsible thing to do was to give them to a friend that will be able to appreciate
Them a little bit more and it's my fault because what I wanted with this pond was that and the reason why I got them
was to give you guys an immediate idea of what I was trying to accomplish here was which is to create a
Predator pond that was really really fun
To feed like take the lid off toss food in they they just go nuts
some things
Sometimes some things just don't work out according to planned and we need to readjust luckily
Like I said, I've got a friend that's got a massive aquarium
Uh full of bass
So anyways, I just kind of wanted this little quick update and we're gonna do a more
Intense one on this pond here shortly
Maybe in a month or so on why you shouldn't be keeping red-tailed catfish
They just get so big so fast and I know a lot of people are like, oh I'll get a bigger tank
I'll do this. Most people don't
Uum
So if at all possible
Enjoy the Red tails on this channel or other channels that might have suitable sized aquariums for them
but at the end of the day don't buy them if you're truly not going to dedicate a
Massive amount of water for the next 20 years or so. Oh also, I know that the last couple of videos have been on
On Uum
rehoming a couple of fish or
Deciding on it like the flower horns were yesterday and then the bass today I don't know what I'm going to do with the flower
Horns, because I haven't seen your guys reaction to that just yet
Uum
But I also have been mentioning that some changes and adjustments and
Are coming with some of these aquariums and that pond was a big one. I think moving forward. That's just going to be
the catfish pond in fact
The two are eventually going to fight most likely and it'll just be one big beastly fish in there.
I know that sounds boring to some but give it time it'll grow on you and if it doesn't grow on you the
Catfish you're definitely gonna grow