Mixed species exhibit ideas

Does anyone know how tamarins would do with larger species like spider monkeys and howlers? I know they can get along with titis and sakis (Santa Barbara)
With the Black Howlers, I would say no because of their aggression and how territorial they can be. Spider monkeys I'm unsure of because I know they can be timid but with good acclimation, it might be fine.
 
Those species won't fill such a tank, and especially not in a feasible way. And you do realize these species are actually perfectly sized snacks for those trevallies? You need large pelagic fishes, gigantic schools, sharks, rays, guitar-rays, ..... Those are per volume of fish much cheaper.

Predatory fish can be kept successfully with smaller species if they are fed regularly. By being fed on a regular basis, this takes away almost all reason to exert energy into a puny bite-sized snack like a damselfish for example. Also, if rocks and coral are put down at the bottom of the tank, this provides the smaller fish I mentioned above (tangs, surgeonfish, etc.) with an adequate amount of hiding space from the larger predators. These type of tropical reef fish would spend their time swimming near the coral, due to their slow swimming speed compared to their pelagic counterparts. Sure, you may lose one or two bold individuals who come out in the open every once in a while, but that wouldn't make a dent on the other hundreds of individuals who inhabit the tank. Besides, Georgia Aquarium keeps giant predators like Giant Groupers and trevallies in the same tank as smaller schooling fish like damselfish and snappers, so its proven it can be an overall success.

As for filling up the tank, with the medium-sized pelagic predators and the hundreds of tropical fish, along with the Whale Sharks, manta rays, and a sea turtle or two, I doubt anyone would consider the tank mostly empty space. Also, if there is unregulated breeding in the tank, the populatiom of fish (mostly the small ones) would skyrocket to the roof.
 
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Predatory fish can be kept successfully with smaller species if they are fed regularly. By being fed on a regular basis, this takes away almost all reason to exert energy into a puny bite-sized snack like a damselfish for example. Also, if rocks and coral are put down at the bottom of the tank, this provides the smaller fish I mentioned above (tangs, surgeonfish, etc.) with an adequate amount of hiding space from the larger predators. These type of tropical reef fish would spend their time swimming near the coral, due to their slow swimming speed compared to their pelagic counterparts. Sure, you may lose one or two bold individuals who come out in the open every once in a while, but that wouldn't make a dent on the other hundreds of individuals who inhabit the tank. Besides, Georgia Aquarium keeps giant predators like Giant Groupers and trevallies in the same tank as smaller schooling fish like damselfish and snappers, so its proven it can be an overall success.

As for filling up the tank, with the medium-sized pelagic predators and the hundreds of tropical fish, along with the Whale Sharks, manta rays, and a sea turtle or two, I doubt anyone would consider the tank mostly empty space. Also, if there is unregulated breeding in the tank, the populatiom of fish (mostly the small ones) would skyrocket to the roof.
It could have the same density but it wouldn't be as colorful and diverse with just trevallies as the large schooling fish
 
Does anyone know how tamarins would do with larger species like spider monkeys and howlers? I know they can get along with titis and sakis (Santa Barbara)
For spider monkeys, I believe GaiaZoo keeps/kept tamarins with red-faced spider monkeys, but not sure.

Howlers are a bit more commonly kept together with tamarins. Frankfurt keeps black-and-gold howlers with cotton-top tamarin. Cologne keeps red howlers with 3 species of tamarin (golden-lion, red-bellied and red-handed)

The skis and titis is something done in dozens of zoos (sometimes with one, sometimes with both). They are both very docile species. I know that in Cologne there should also be capuchin monkeys mixed with the tamarins and the howlers, but in general capuchins are really annoying to mix with other monkeys.
 
It could have the same density but it wouldn't be as colorful and diverse with just trevallies as the large schooling fish
In theory it could have the same density, but the costs would be so extraordinaly high that no park could ever afford it. You would need hundreds of thousands of fish, and even then the upper half or more that just needs to be kept free for the whale sharks to swim will look very empty.
 
Predatory fish can be kept successfully with smaller species if they are fed regularly. By being fed on a regular basis, this takes away almost all reason to exert energy into a puny bite-sized snack like a damselfish for example. Also, if rocks and coral are put down at the bottom of the tank, this provides the smaller fish I mentioned above (tangs, surgeonfish, etc.) with an adequate amount of hiding space from the larger predators. These type of tropical reef fish would spend their time swimming near the coral, due to their slow swimming speed compared to their pelagic counterparts. Sure, you may lose one or two bold individuals who come out in the open every once in a while, but that wouldn't make a dent on the other hundreds of individuals who inhabit the tank. Besides, Georgia Aquarium keeps giant predators like Giant Groupers and trevallies in the same tank as smaller schooling fish like damselfish and snappers, so its proven it can be an overall success.

You are forgetting a very basic ecological rule here, predation success depends on prey population density. If you add let's say a small amount of 5.000 - 10.000 small reef fish with plenty of spaces to hide, the amount of energy required for a trevally or grouper to catch one is high. So predation will be low. On the other hand, if you really use those small fish to fill up the tank (150.000 - 300.000 seems a decent estimate, though could be even more) it becomes much easier to do catch one, so losses will start coming in quickly. And tropical fish are expensive, very expensive

As a fish-keeper myself, feeding daily also isn't the most healthy option especially for larger fish. With my small fish I already have around 1 non-food day for every 4-5 food days. So you can forget the whole "keeping them well-fed". Same case with reptiles like crocodiles b.t.w., it's done at some places but it comes at the cost of welfare.

As for filling up the tank, with the medium-sized pelagic predators and the hundreds of tropical fish, along with the Whale Sharks, manta rays, and a sea turtle or two, I doubt anyone would consider the tank mostly empty space. Also, if there is unregulated breeding in the tank, the populatiom of fish (mostly the small ones) would skyrocket to the roof.
That would certainly look empty to most people, you have not a single smaller pelagic species to complement the giants. Imagine Atlanta's huge tank without piscivorous sharks, any smaller ray nor any pelagic bony fish other then the trevallies. I'm not saying that any large-ish tank needs all those things, but from a certain size you kinda do need at least some of those. I only know of one single zoo which has managed to make a successful larger tank with only 3-4 shark species, one species of guitar-ray, two large bony fish species and a handful of smaller bony species. But their success lies in smaller species in a huge tank. Their two biggest pelagic individuals are an adult blacktip-shark (not blacktip-reef, true blacktip) and one now deceased hamerhead-shark, which are complemented by blacktip-reef sharks (5-6), a guitar-ray, a Napoleonfish and a dusky grouper. The fish also actually disappear in the background when they swim away, which adds to why it works. With several whale-sharks and several manta-rays in one tank, such a display just is no longer possible. You have too many large species for that.

And unregulated breeding inside a display tank? Except for handful of species that's just not what happens. And even then only a select few aquaria actually manage to breed species successfully inside their tanks. Like Burgers' which has a combination of low fish-density, top-notch filtration systems and very well designed habitats. And even they only breed a couple of small fish species in their tanks.
 
Hello Guys i want to ask If you can Put the following Species together.


1. Puffin, Kings Eider, thick Billed murre, razorbill, pigeon gullimot

2. Northern Seahorse, Common Pipefish



3. Rainbow wrasse, mediteranean grouper, two banded sea bream, mediteranean Moray eel



Thank you Guys i apreciate your Help very much
 
Hello Guys i want to ask If you can Put the following Species together.


1. Puffin, Kings Eider, thick Billed murre, razorbill, pigeon gullimot

2. Northern Seahorse, Common Pipefish



3. Rainbow wrasse, mediteranean grouper, two banded sea bream, mediteranean Moray eel



Thank you Guys i apreciate your Help very much
1: I don't know wether all have been done together yet, but based on the mixes I've come across those should be able to go together. Personally however I would rather recommend keeping bigger groups of fewer species, for many colonial birds larger groups means better breeding results.

2: This shouldn't be a problem

3: Three of those are actually combined in my local zoo (Antwerp), the wrasse is also kept there but in another tank. I'm not sure about the wrasse as it is smaller than the others so easier to prey on by the grouper.
 
2. Northern Seahorse, Common Pipefish



3. Rainbow wrasse, mediteranean grouper, two banded sea bream, mediteranean Moray eel/QUOTE]
2. I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work

3. I'd be a little worried about the wrasse, it could be eaten by the grouper or moray. The wrasse would be best excluded or moved to another tank with smaller or non-predatory tankmates
 
A few from me people..

African Pygmy Goose 2/ South African Pochard 5 /Cape Teal 4 / Little Grebe 3 / Glossy Ibis 18

Painted Stork 5 / Black-Headed Ibis 7 /Javan Pond-Heron 2 / Little Pied Cormorant 4 / Sunda Teal 5 (I'm pretty doubtful about the Stork anyway).

Blue-Throated Macaw 4 / Golden Conure 5 / Yellow-Knobbed Currasow 2 / Blue Ground-Dove 4

Red-Browed Amazon 4 /Giant Wood Rail 1 / Grey-winged Trumpeter 2

Thanks in advance. ;)
 
frican Pygmy Goose 2/ South African Pochard 5 /Cape Teal 4 / Little Grebe 3 / Glossy Ibis 18

Painted Stork 5 / Black-Headed Ibis 7 /Javan Pond-Heron 2 / Little Pied Cormorant 4 / Sunda Teal 5 (I'm pretty doubtful about the Stork anyway).

Blue-Throated Macaw 4 / Golden Conure 5 / Yellow-Knobbed Currasow 2 / Blue Ground-Dove 4

Red-Browed Amazon 4 /Giant Wood Rail 1 / Grey-winged Trumpeter 2
1: Pygmy goose are difficult to keep in general, but all the rest at least should be fine

2: This would probably work. Painted storks have been combined with ibis, herons, ducks, pigeons and herons with success. I'd be more worried about small groups of colonial species

3: I think this should work, at least the first three probably will.

4: Interesting one. I do know that some trumpeters can be extremely aggressive as in my home zoo they once killed a male crested oropondala. But in general they do seem to combine well so that seems the exception that confirms the rule. I have not a single clue about wood rail behavior, but the trumpeter + amazon seems fine at least
 
1: Pygmy goose are difficult to keep in general, but all the rest at least should be fine

2: This would probably work. Painted storks have been combined with ibis, herons, ducks, pigeons and herons with success. I'd be more worried about small groups of colonial species

3: I think this should work, at least the first three probably will.

4: Interesting one. I do know that some trumpeters can be extremely aggressive as in my home zoo they once killed a male crested oropondala. But in general they do seem to combine well so that seems the exception that confirms the rule. I have not a single clue about wood rail behavior, but the trumpeter + amazon seems fine at least

Excellent,thanks for that,much appreciated. :)
 
Wondering if anyone can help me on the feasibility of the following multi-species exhibits:

Koala and Short-Beaked Echnida
Domestic Yak and Takin
Saiga Antelope and Pzewalski's Horse
Aardvark and Meerkat
Bongo and Pygmy Hippo
Impala, Cape Buffalo and Thomson's Gazelle
Capybara and Greater Rhea.
 
Wondering if anyone can help me on the feasibility of the following multi-species exhibits:

Koala and Short-Beaked Echnida
Domestic Yak and Takin
Saiga Antelope and Pzewalski's Horse
Aardvark and Meerkat
Bongo and Pygmy Hippo
Impala, Cape Buffalo and Thomson's Gazelle
Capybara and Greater Rhea.
1: shouldn't give much problems
2: I'm not sure, this might have been done before. Maybe look through the ungulate TAG mixed exhibit guidelines
3: Seems risky, wild horses can be real a-holes and saiga are easily startled
4: Has been done before, quite successful I believe.
5: Seems risky, pygmy hippo's can be quite dangerous and so can a bongo (especially males).
6: Seems very risky, buffalo are quite aggressive and whilst there are successful mixed exhibits with them they are rare, quite large and rarely contain small and fragile gazelles. I know that forest buffalo have been kept with goitered gazelles, and San-Diego keeps some gazelles in their huge exhibits with gazelles. Still I wouldn't risk it personally.
7: Done almost too often

I'd love to see some mega south America exhibit. With
Manatee
Capybara
Tapir
And various birds/primates mixed in.
All except the tapir have been done in one form or another, look up Burgers' Bush and Randers' regnskov. I think that in theory with enough space this could work.
 
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How do we feel about Somali wild ass and Dromedary camel?
Someone said earlier wild horses can be rude so maybe not but camels can hold their own so it could either go down very well with each respecting each other and acknowledging their strengths or constant fighting.
 
Indoor nocturnal area, thoughts please.

Phillipine Mouse Deer 2
Brazilian Porcupine 1
Brush-Tailed Bettong 2
Greater Slow Loris 4

Also Australian aviary idea's to share with 2 Brush turkey's since Blue-winged Kookaburra's don't seem to be a good fit.
 
would a mixed exhibit with the White-faced Saki, Golden Lion Tamarin, Hoffman's Two-toed Sloth, Green Iguana, and Emperor Tamarin work? and is there anything that is needed for any of the species mix to work?
 
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