General advice for aquarium in garden centre

[Zante]

The garden centre where I buy the plants for my terrace (and for the riparium when it'll be set up) has asked me if I'd like to install an aquarium in their heated greenhouse, where they keep the tropical plants.

While some plants I ordered are brought in, he's going to give it some thought, and then we're going to talk seriously about it.

He talked about 1m by 1m, but I don't think he realises the cost of it, so I'm going to suggest something along the lines of 180x60x60cm which should come to nearly 650 litres.

It has to be low maintenance, and it will have to use tap water, so fairly hard, but not very hard, with a Ph between 7 and 8. The water parameters are speculation though, based on what comes out of my tap. A few miles from my house it might be different. I will get some samples to make sure, but since the whole area has pretty much similar water I'd say the speculation has a pretty solid basis.

I was thinking of using a drip system for water changes, and have the overflow then be used to water the plants, so their water usage wouldn't change.

They also sell pond plants, so it would probably be a good idea to feature those too in the tank. I was thinking those could be arranged in a tub next to it used as a sump, that would then also act as a plant filter.

Population-wise I was thinking of two oscars and 10 silver dollars. Hardy fish, simple to keep and quite interactive (the oscars at least) to keep the public entertained. A river is nearby, so I could occasionally fish some live food for the oscars (the river is clean enough to have herons on it).
I have also considered the possibility of a small group of Thorichthys maculipinnis and some swordtails or mollies.
I'm open to suggestions though, but I'd rather keep it understocked to make maintenance easier.

If all goes well, I'll also ask to install a couple of beehives in some remote corner of the garden centre: there are LOADS of black locust trees nearby, and plenty of fields and woodland. That would make for a nice spot.

 

[stanleo]

If you do the oscars, forget the swordtails and mollies, they will become lunch once the oscars grow big enough to fit them in their mouth. Also I wouldn’t get local wild caught fauna for food for anything. Herons aren’t an indicator of cleanliness and you never know what a wild caught food could have in its system. Better to feed food you know.

If you want to feature the pond plants they sell, you could have fish that aren’t jumpers and not fill the tank all the way. Oscars are rough on plants though.

And what you’re discribing doesn’t sound low maintenance to me with the external tub for filtration and it sounds expensive. Would be awesome though And look cool.

 

[Zante]

No, tankmates for the oscars would be silver dollars. The swordtails or mollies would be tankmates for the Thorichthys maculipinnis.

As for the pond plants, I'd rather not have any in the tank. The idea (and I wasn't really clear here) was to have the ones for sale in the external sump/tub, so that people could just take them from there, but they'd be in the system while on display.

Agreed, normally oscars would need substantial water changes, but that should be offset by the drip system I'm planning to implement: water constantly going in the tank, and an overflow in the sump to drain the excess.

 

[stanleo]

Oh sorry, I misread that about the mollies. And the sump.

 

[Byron]

From an humanitarian viewpoint, I would not recommend this. Fish tanks in public places may seem a good idea, but unless there is someone permanently dedicated to properly looking after it, with regular water changes (drip method is not the same by any stretch) and such, this is going to end badly. Who is going to be on hand to deal with emergencies--take water tests, do massive water changes, discern disease/trouble and take appropriate remedial action?

Unless an aquarist is present, fish in tanks in public venues are never in good health. The successful ones have professional aquarists to look after them on contract.

I was approached a few years ago about setting up a 70g tank in a hospice. The patients would certainly gain from anything like this, but I felt I could not commit to full-term care and no one there had the expertise or seemed willing to take it on, so I said no. Fish are living creatures and it is cruel and inhumane to provide anything less that sufficient care, and that is a significant commitment.

 

[Zante]

I do see your point, and I fully agree. I was planning to decline if the owners of the garden centre are expecting me to take on the maintenance in full, rather than learning how to look after it and do basic maintenance.

The drip system I mentioned isn't to do away with maintenance, it's because it's better for the fish if done properly, and it wouldn't impact their water consumption and would be easy to set up there.

 

[Byron]

Understood. There needs to be a qualified aquarist on hand 24/7. Training an employee is not the answer. We know how many hobbyists do not understand water changes adequately, thinking it's OK to let it go when I'm busy or whatever...someone who has no basic understanding of fish won't see asny issue and before you know it the fish are weakened, stressed...which only leads to more trouble. What if kids dump something in the tank? Some plants are extremely poisonous in water. I can see whatever fish are in the tank being unhealthy.

 

[AbbeysDad]

I agree with what's been posted - a potential recipe for disaster. And a drip system only slightly reduces the frequency and/or volume of partial water changes - they're good, but not as good as substantial [fresh] water changes.

Food for thought...This past summer I was at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD. In the same mall like area was a Barnes and Noble book store. They had a huge (several hundred gallon) well planted aquarium with several dozen large neon (or cardinal) tetras. It was awesome!

....and nobody even mentioned beehives WITH bees in a public venue!!
(I wasn't really allergic, but very sensitive to bee stings in my youth - I got stung in the face once and turned into a cyclops. Fortunately, in time, the swelling went down and I returned to my handsome self. LOL)

 

[Chief Brody]

From an humanitarian viewpoint, I would not recommend this. Fish tanks in public places may seem a good idea, but unless there is someone permanently dedicated to properly looking after it, with regular water changes (drip method is not the same by any stretch) and such, this is going to end badly. Who is going to be on hand to deal with emergencies--take water tests, do massive water changes, discern disease/trouble and take appropriate remedial action?

Unless an aquarist is present, fish in tanks in public venues are never in good health. The successful ones have professional aquarists to look after them on contract.

I was approached a few years ago about setting up a 70g tank in a hospice. The patients would certainly gain from anything like this, but I felt I could not commit to full-term care and no one there had the expertise or seemed willing to take it on, so I said no. Fish are living creatures and it is cruel and inhumane to provide anything less that sufficient care, and that is a significant commitment.

You just sound weak and selfish to me for not spearheading the hospice tank. They wouldn't have proposed the idea unless they were all in which is rare in my experience trying to get administrators/board members on board. You really let the patients down on this one. I'm trying to get a public library and a community greenhouse to go for it now and the red tape is obnoxious. A tank in a space like this might be the only one some ppl get to see. Just because you wouldn't be satisfied with your own unrealistic ideals is no reason to deny the patients the healing therapy of an aquarium. Fish are easy to please, especially when they get to eat smaller fish here and there. The smart ones will hide in a tank that size and continue to breed creating a food supply for when no one's around

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[Byron]

You just sound weak and selfish to me for not spearheading the hospice tank. They wouldn't have proposed the idea unless they were all in which is rare in my experience trying to get administrators/board members on board. You really let the patients down on this one. I'm trying to get a public library and a community greenhouse to go for it now and the red tape is obnoxious. A tank in a space like this might be the only one some ppl get to see. Just because you wouldn't be satisfied with your own unrealistic ideals is no reason to deny the patients the healing therapy of an aquarium. Fish are easy to please, especially when they get to eat smaller fish here and there. The smart ones will hide in a tank that size and continue to breed creating a food supply for when no one's around

You do not know the circumstances, so attacking me for no reason other than thinking you have an opportunity to discredit me is not going to be productive to anyone.

It was actually my idea to give a 70g tank to the hospice, and I mentioned this to my neighbour who is a retired RN and involved with the hospice. The responses she got from the staff was that they did not want the responsibility, if I would set it up and look after it, fine. I am dealing with cancer and making long-term plans is something I cannot do. At one point I even looked around for someone to do maintenance on my tanks when surgery was being suggested that would lay me up for weeks if not months. It didn't become necessary, but there is no telling when it might again be possible.

So back to the tank in a public space...unless there is a knowledgeable aquarist available 24/7, this is not a good idea. And expecting fish to breed sufficient to provide food is nonsensical; we have very soft water here, so livebearers are out as they won't last more than a few weeks, and egg layers are unlikely to produce much if any fry in such a tank.

 

[AbbeysDad]

You just sound weak and selfish to me for not spearheading the hospice tank.

I don't know where this came from, but it was uncalled for and extremely bad form. Just a tip: try not to judge unless/until you know all the facts.

 

[**sarahp**]

Unless an aquarist is present, fish in tanks in public venues are never in good health. The successful ones have professional aquarists to look after them on contract.

Even then that is no guarantee. There is a fish tank in our local doctor’s surgery which is supposedly looked after by a professional company and it’s a disgrace. I have complained many times - pretty much every time I go in - and it is still awful. If it was cats or dogs in cages being treated as badly every person in the waiting room would be up in arms!

 

[Donya]

Please keep the discussion civil in this thread.