The largest tank I have had on my own (I own my house) was a fifty when I was in Colorado. We put in a dozen feeder fish to start the bacteria in the tank, and they DID NOT DIE.
We were feeding goldfish food, as it was the cheapest thing, and they turned a beautiful orange, and got to seven or eight inches before I had to move and get rid of them (they became oscar food for an acquaintance). The reason we never went farther with the tank.. was the "loyalty" of the carp. The tank was in a frontish entrance hall, and they would collect at the narrow door end of the tank when we walked in the door, and follow us around as best they could. They KNEW where we were, and exhibited "dog" behavior in following us. I could not flush them, even when small.. I grew too affectionate of them.
The last tank I had was a 35 I think, and I had.. err.. Thing one and Thing two in it.. I think they were some kind of tetra, but they were shaped and banded like tiger barbs. For three years every fish we put in that tank with them (they were part of the first batch of tropicals we bought to populate the tank) they ate.. although at first we didn't know it was them that was doing it. I put aggressives in there toward the end, and they still ended up eating them. In the end we left it with just them in the tank, and my ex husband stopped feeding them in the hopes that they would die. There was enough in the tank for them to survive on for another year before one of them finally beheaded the other and he flushed the survivor.
We gave the tank and set up away after that. *grin*
Re: Thank you sir.. added
DID
NOT
DIE.
We were feeding goldfish food, as it was the cheapest thing, and they turned a beautiful orange, and got to seven or eight inches before I had to move and get rid of them (they became oscar food for an acquaintance). The reason we never went farther with the tank.. was the "loyalty" of the carp. The tank was in a frontish entrance hall, and they would collect at the narrow door end of the tank when we walked in the door, and follow us around as best they could. They KNEW where we were, and exhibited "dog" behavior in following us. I could not flush them, even when small.. I grew too affectionate of them.
The last tank I had was a 35 I think, and I had.. err.. Thing one and Thing two in it.. I think they were some kind of tetra, but they were shaped and banded like tiger barbs. For three years every fish we put in that tank with them (they were part of the first batch of tropicals we bought to populate the tank) they ate.. although at first we didn't know it was them that was doing it. I put aggressives in there toward the end, and they still ended up eating them. In the end we left it with just them in the tank, and my ex husband stopped feeding them in the hopes that they would die. There was enough in the tank for them to survive on for another year before one of them finally beheaded the other and he flushed the survivor.
We gave the tank and set up away after that. *grin*