Tank update

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

Wills

Retired Moderator
Retired Moderator ⚒️
Tank of the Month 🏆
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
10,896
Reaction score
4,694
Location
East Yorks
Hi everyone :) I used to be really active here but I have not been around for a while.

I've been letting my tank coast for a few years as a lot of my fish were starting to get very old. I have a few fish that are only 2-3 years old but I have had some of them for 5-7 years and some were adults when I got them.

I am currently running a 135 gallon tank (6ft x 2ft tall x 18 inch wide) with 2 FX6 filters.

The fish I have right now are

1 Threadfin Acara
1 Uaru
1 Geophagus sp Tapajo Red Head
2 Annostomus Ternetzi
1 Agenesous sp.
1 Dwarf hoplo sp.
2 Flagtail Catfish

The youngest fish are the Uaru and the Geo, I used to have full schools of all the shoaling fish and the gregarious cichlids (though only 2 Uaru) I unfortunately lost a few of the younger fish when an old whiptail catfish died while we were away for a weekend - I assume the whiptail as they were the futhest decomposed and the eldest of the dead fish. This is one of the reasons I left the tank quiet for a while as I feel a few of my older fish are on their last legs so to speak.

However... the past few weeks I have had to replace some equipment (lights) which got me looking around an LFS for the first time in a while and it made me wonder about rekindling my tank. But I am wary of what options I have...

My initial plans are to rehome the Uaru and the Geo and possibly the Annostomus as they are quite young still but the rest of the fish are so old that I worry it wouldnt be the best for them. The flagtail is a bit over 7 years old, the hoplo and flagtails were adult when I got them and that must have been 6 years ago? The Agenisous (spelling) is probably a bit under 5 but again was an adult when I bought him.

An other factor I have to deal with is that after quite a few years with this big tank, I think Ive had it for 7 years now, maybe just under. I need to downsize as keeping up on maintenance is a big commitment and even just on time I want to get a smaller tank to take care of. Given the low stocking now I only change the water a few times a month now

Im currently thinking of a 3x2x2 foot tank so down to 90 gallons, or I may go to 3x2x20inch wide to 75 gallons my current water change system would be greatly reduced and I would get the smaller tank at the same time that we refit the kitchen (where the tank is now due to concrete floor) which is hopefully going to be in between 6 and 12 months time.

As a side note - do you think I would be ok with a 90 or 75 gallon tank on a wooden floor for 2-3 weeks, maybe less? Its probably a wonky floor as well as its an old house When we refit the kitchen we will need to lift the floor which will be impossible with a tank in there so it would need to go in an other room.

So I supose my main question is - does anyone have any experience with old fish and have you added to their community successfully? Or should I let the remaining elderly fish live out their lives? I feel that the catfish would all settle with other tank mates but I worry about the threadfin as they (never been sure on gender) are looking really quite old now, the colours have dulled and fin extensions dont grow as freely as they used to and they just look like an old animal if you know what I mean?

Thanks and sorry for the long post!
Wills
 
No No No, You dont come here and tell us about your tank with out providing photos, Its the rules.
 
Haha, Im sure there are plenty of photos of my tank on here :) Its not much to look at right now tbh.
 
Well I'm confused. Your tank is in the kitchen now as it has a concrete floor...and for the remodel, your going to raise it? As to a smaller tank on an old wooden floor, who can say without inspection. Some old wooden floors (wonky or not) are stronger than some of the newer 24" OC floors! Is there a basement or crawl space to get under and inspect and if iffy, place a jack post or brace or are you just on a slab (in which case, no worries)?
 
Its a very old house built in the 1900's. The kitchen is the only room in the house with a concrete base the rest are all joist and boards. At the moment the kitchen has slate tiles on there and when we come to remodel they will be replaced - hense the problem with keeping a tank in there through the remodel.

The room I could set up a temporary tank is wood boards on joists basically over the ground - like I say very old house and we have no foundations.... just solid clay under the house. There is an other option where I could put the new tank in the garage for a few weeks but this is not perfect as the garage is uninsulated and while it is quite secure and alarmed garage break ins are not uncommon unfortunately so it could be a bit of a worry...
 
I think you'd likely be okay, especially if you determine the joist runs and place the tank across joists so the load is shared by multiple joists.
 
I've had a look and I should be able to get a three foot tank over two joists maybe 3 depending on how the base is constructed - feet vs flat base etc

thanks for the help :)
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Members online

Back
Top