# 550+ Gallon CA Tank



## Nova Bill (Apr 29, 2008)

I am the General Manager of a Restaurant in Alexandria Virginia. Last year we decided to put up a few large display tanks. I have never kept fish, and I thought how hard could it be, we will just get some tanks fill them with water, add some fish and some sort of filter, easy right. Boy was I wrong. I started using this forum as my main resource for information, as I got deeper into the project I realized how much more time and $ this project was going to cost me. I am proud to say that I now have two large tanks that are up and running well. Thank you to everyone on this forum for the wealth of information provided in your posts.

6 months ago I knew nothing about keeping fish, I realize now I picked two rather large tanks to start my hobby with.

stock list:
3 butterkoferi 5-6 inches
4 Red devils 4 - 7 inches
2 firemouths 3 inches
1 regular jack dempsey 
3 trimacs 3- 6 inches
3 cutteri 2-3 inches (plus 40+ fry) see photo
3 blue convicts
2 pink convicts
2 iradecent sharks 4 inches
2 bala sharks 4 inches
1 clown loach 1inch
4 albino bristlenose plecos 3 inches
3 petricola cats 3 inches
2 redtail sharks 3 inches

yes I realize that I may have some serious aggression issues down the road, but I am hoping that the size of this setup will keep aggression down. If not, I plan on trading problem fish back to my lfs. so far I have only had a problem with some Pacu that I traded back for some supplies. Other than those Pacu, everyone is getting along well.

Also the tank is built into a wall and it is viewable from two sides (which is why there is no background) you can see the view from the other side in the last picture.

I also have a 400+ gallon African setup which I will post up on the African section.

Please Post suggestions and comments or questions.

Also if you live in Northern Virginia, feel free to stop by and check it out (and have a beer).

Mango Mike's Restaurant 
4580 Duke St
Alexandria VA

Here is some pictures of the Central American Tank.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

Awesome!!!! :thumb: :thumb:

What is the CF forum user discount


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## Josiah (May 4, 2006)

What kind of fish is that in the 3rd picture? I've never seen one before.


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

Josiah said:


> What kind of fish is that in the 3rd picture? I've never seen one before.


_Tilapia buttikoferi_... they're African, not Central American.


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## Nova Bill (Apr 29, 2008)

yes, it is a butterkoferi, and yes they are from africa, but not the rift lakes. They look very cool, with the contrasting black and white stripes. They are supposed to be very mean but I have not had any issues yet, keeping my fingers crossed.


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## Nova Bill (Apr 29, 2008)

CF discount, sure. I'd love to buy a beer for anyone from the forum. Just ask anyone in the bar or restaurant for me, my name is Bill, and introduce yourself as someone from the forum, I'll buy you a cold one.


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## LJ (Sep 12, 2007)

Awesome tank. A good meal, fish viewing, and a cold one on the house--sounds like a great deal. I'm originally from Frderick, MD. I may have to stop in on my way home some time.


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## trimac (Mar 27, 2003)

Buttikefori isn't African but I have had them with my CA-Trimacs are awesome-be careful with the Irridiscent Sharks they are very squimish and like to ram the tank or act dead when they get scared and your Red Tail Shark might eventually get eaten. What is a Petricola Cat-never heard of them-by the way welcome to the forum and I love Corona :lol:


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

trimac said:


> Buttikefori isn't African


Yes, they are.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1442


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## trimac (Mar 27, 2003)

Whoops I meant to say that Buttikefori are African


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## trimac (Mar 27, 2003)

How the heck did isn't get on there I mean I even put the apostrophe


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## MidNightCowBoy (May 7, 2007)

That will make for some interesting family dining when those butter's go into crazy mode. My experience with them is that they are pretty tame until they hit around 8 inches and then their true nature rears its ugly head and they turn in to killing machines. They could seriously murder every fish in that tank including themselves and you will be down to a large tank with only 1 dominant butterkoferi.

You could also have some serious problems with the trimacs and red devils. All of these fish are pretty easy going until they hit sexual maturity and then they get territorial and that is when the compatibility problems arise.

Cool tank tho!


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

trimac said:


> How the heck did isn't get on there I mean I even put the apostrophe


Brain fart... :lol:

Happens to me all the time. I figured it might be a typo, but I wanted to respond before a die hard CA guy got huffy... must be something about the fish. 

Nova Bill, _T. buttikoferi_ are simply monsters when they get very large. They'll likely make even the trimacs and RD's run for cover. If you had any less of a tank to try this in, I'd call you crazy, but you may be able to pull it off.

Please keep us updated on this tank, I'm curious to see how it goes over the next year or so.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I'd say I'd have to agree about the butters. Tilapia and frontosa are the only africans I can keep here. My wife says the rest can go pound salt :lol: Sorry Joe, she's in charge...

Having a large tank and keeping many midas/RD in it I can say they do fare quite well as long as they have lots and lots of space. What are the dimentions of the tanks Bill? Very nice by the way. I just did a two way view in a customers basement, he loves it :thumb:

And for those who know what I'm talking about we have shot pool in that room without incident :lol: Well, I almost spilled my beer but that was it....


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

Very cool tank :thumb:

Love your buttikoferi. Nasty fish, but awesome. Mine was a real monster 

Two things-

if your planning to go the clown loach way, I'd get a few more (at least four). Clowns love the company of one another, and get stress it they're alone.

also, in about three years, your two id sharks (if everything goes well) will be about three feet, and VERY big around. Not to mention they get very skittish, and may bang their faces badly up in a small tank. What are the demensions of your CA tank?

Awesome set-up. 8) keep up the awesome work :thumb:

Art


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## Nova Bill (Apr 29, 2008)

The tank size is approx. 12X3X4 (I think)

I plan on getting a few more clown loaches( I started with 4 unfortunately I lost 3 to ich in month one)

I will for sure keep everyone updated on the aggression as they fish mature.

any suggestions on stocking levels? Can I get more, or do I have too much as it is? any suggestions on good additions with this mix?

thanks


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Bill..... I used a different tank calculator then the one on this site... But here's the results:

You provided measurements in inches:
Width: 144" (365.76cm)
Height: 36" (91.44cm)
Depth: 48" (121.92cm)
Your tank's volume is approximately 248832 cubic inches or *1077.19 U.S. gallons*, which is approximately 4190.29 liters

You sure you measured right?

If so, you can stock a lot more!!


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## Nova Bill (Apr 29, 2008)

fishguy
the tank is not that big, it looks like I posted incorrect dimensions. I will post the correct dimensions later in the day. sorry


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## Nova Bill (Apr 29, 2008)

OK these are the real measurements
Width: 120" (plus 12" overflow chamber)
Height:36"
Depth 24"

sorry again for the incorrect measurements.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

I get 448 gallons off of those measurements with my calculations


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

:lol: No need to appologize :lol: Seceretly I was hoping those were the correct dimentions 

That's a nice show tank you've got there 8) Some day I'll have to come see it :thumb:


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

Its still a HUGE tank and I'm just as jealous of it as I would be of a 1000 :thumb:

a 4 foot thick tank would be cool though..


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## Nova Bill (Apr 29, 2008)

Whoops
I guess I need to change the title of this thread to 
450 gal CA tank

But I think I will still tell the customers it is over 500 gallons. :wink:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Nova Bill said:


> Whoops
> I guess I need to change the title of this thread to
> 450 gal CA tank
> 
> But I think I will still tell the customers it is over 500 gallons. :wink:


 :lol: I won't tell if you don't :lol:


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## dogofwar (Apr 5, 2004)

If it were my tank (and it's not , I'd clear out all of the cichlids except a single red devil and add a school of a dozen or so bala sharks and a few silver prochilodus or tin foil barbs.

Agree with the others that the Butti's and some others will have to go...even in big tank like that.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

Or you could put a male and female convict in there all by themselves and see how long it takes to have so many you can't see through it any more


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Aw come on, that'd be no fun. All us convict keepers know it'd be like two weeks, three weeks tops. :lol:

The only reason *TFG's* 800 tank wasn't full of convicts after a month was only cuase they kept getting eaten!


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

This is true  But then again that's their purpose


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

Convicts...

you get two, end up with two hundred :lol:

I don't care what should go in there, but i think the buttis should stay 8) no big tank is complete with out some tilapia


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

> no big tank is complete with out some tilapia


Especially in a restruant. :lol:


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## Nova Bill (Apr 29, 2008)

We do serve Tilapia here in the restaurant. I can picture it now,

Extremely Fresh, Soy Sesame Tilapia $15.95

Much better than trading them to the LFS for supplies. :lol:

(before anyone calls the health dept on me I am just joking)


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Personally I really like tilapia (the aquarium fish and the meal) I'd keep em too, but that might be all you have left in the tank after a few years. They do get huge you know 8)


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Try pyschology.

Order a big plate of that yummy sounding tilapia dish you get, sit it down in front of the tank. Eat it with lots of "mmmmm"'s and "yummmm"'s then look at the butti's and with your sternest voice tell them to place nice or their end up like their nile cousin on the plate.

I promise it'll work!!! :thumb:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Unfortunately they'll be drooling over the plate of fish too so that might not work... :lol:


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## fitznacio (Nov 9, 2006)

i just would be afraid of those two red tail cats that you have in there. I can see it now, while I am sitting down eating the weekend this evenings special the the convicts :fish: are swiming around aimlessly the suddenly become a snack for those redtail catfish when they reach the 8 inch mark, no thats dinner entertainment :lol:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

He's got redtail sharks, not RTC's. There's about a 4' difference


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