Hi Everyone!

[FattyFish]

Hi all,
I just wanted to introduce myself. I have been keeping fish on and off for around 50 years now. Throughout the years, I have mainly kept marine fish and corals. My last marine aquarium was a 1,200-litre fish-and-reef tank.

Due to ongoing health conditions, I gave it all up in 2023. Now, in 2026, I was desperate to get another tank but fancied setting up a basic tropical community tank. I bought a 64-litre tank and set it up, and it looked stunning.

After 4 weeks, the itch was back, and I soon realised I wanted a bigger tank, so I purchased a 256-litre tank. I set it up similar to the 64-litre tank, but I was now able to add more to my design.

The tank is a Fluval shaker. I removed the lid and top surround to create a rimless tank.
The lights are Lominie LED 25-watt. I prefer this type of light as it creates a ripple effect in the tank.
The filter is the one that came with the tank, a Fluval 307. I also have an Oasi 150 internal filter.
Current stock is:
16 male guppies
24 Ember Tetras
16 Cardinal Tetras
6 mixed Endler Guppies
6 Panda Cory
1 Pearl Gourami
2 Gold Honey Gourami
2 Red Honey Gourami
4 Armano Shrimp
4 Gold Caridina Shrimp

All water tests are spot on and stable except for my kH. This is a little low, so I'm buffering it up slowly with baking soda.
Well, that's me. Thanks for looking.

 

[Innesfan45 8]

Welcome, or should I say, 'welcome back!' Your aquarium is gorgeous. You have a good idea eye for this.

 

[MattW47 163]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[FattyFish]

Welcome, or should I say, 'welcome back!' Your aquarium is gorgeous. You have a good idea eye for this.

Thanks for the welcome. I always liked the look of the aquariums that become part of the furniture with the plants.

 

[FattyFish]

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you!

 

[GaryE8 6]

You can't keep an ex-fishkeeper out of the hobby, and you can't keep the look of a good tank out of the room around it!

 

[CaptainBarnicles17 4]

Welcome aboard matey! Great to have you and that stunning tank of yours with us

 

[Whitecloudminnowguy09]

Welcome! That tank is a piece of art! Well done

 

[emeraldking27 78]

Well, welcome to our forum to start with...
I love open tanks! Most of mine are also open tanks...

 

[Jennet27 85]

May I ask what fish you have in the 64 litre tank, and what those lights are called and where do you get them from? I have not thought of having an open fish tank, but love the look of yours. Is the humidity in your room any higher with an open tank?

 

[FattyFish]

May I ask what fish you have in the 64 litre tank, and what those lights are called and where do you get them from? I have not thought of having an open fish tank, but love the look of yours. Is the humidity in your room any higher with an open tank?

In my 64-litre tank, I had 12 Cardinal tetras, 2 honey guramis and around 10-12 mixed guppy males.
The lights I use are in the link from Amazon. Aquarium Lights
I hope this helps
Sorry, I forgot about humidity. I haven't noticed any humidity. There is, of course, evaporation, which in my current tank in the middle of summer is around 1-2 litres per day. I've always preferred open-top tanks, especially when you have the wood and plants, as they offer additional cover for the fish within their roots.

 

[Jennet27 85]

Thanks FF. This give me some guide to the sort of numbers I can put in my aquarium once cycled, but I will post a topic up later asking the question. I really love the look of your open top, maybe eventually I will be able to replicate this and just move the upper plants out of the way and put a lid on it at the weekends when I have my grandson.

 

[GaryE8 6]

I have both open and closed top tanks. Humidity depends more on the house than on the tanks - as well as on the temperature you keep the tank at. My house is very dry in winter, and my non fishkeeping partner has noticed that with my tanks all out of the house in the garage (something she really wanted) that the dryness in the house is notable.

If I had tanks in cool rooms but heated them, evaporation was a problem for the room. In temperate seasons with windows open, the fishroom crammed with tanks stayse about equal to outdoors, but once the cold comes and the room is sealed up, with as many tanks as I have covered/uncovered doesn't matter.

A lot of emrgent plants, with their roots in the tank and leaves out will produce water droplets. That makes evaporation a minor point.

Honestly, don't take one answer from one person here, as where we are in the world, climate etc will affect this. But if you do get evaporation and humidity, a tight top really helps.