I’ve decided I should have a decent sized grow out tank, to supplement fish to mature tanks, that stocking numbers have slowly gone down…

[Magnum Man37 151]

I guess being in the hobby long enough, that fish have matured on me, means a grow out tank is in order, to give any newly added fish a good start, before being added to tanks with mature fish… so far ( with the species I’ve been working with ) it seems they would be best, if they are at least 1/4 the size of a mature fish, before adding them to a tank with mature fish in it…

I have an acrylic 55 gallon in my work area that was originally a quarantine tank, but has been taken over by my bichir, which is now adult size, it also has 1 adult dollar in the tank that had a “lub” on it’s side, that it had when it arrived here, I couldn’t tell if it was a growth, or a healed wound, but I didn’t put it in with my other dollars out of caution… it’s been fine for several years, and is fully mature now… the bichir and dollar have mutual respect and neither bothers the other… if I was able to donate the bichir to someone, I could probably add the dollar back with my others and empty the tank out to use as a grow out tank…

the local pet store, ( because it’s not a specific aquarium store ), likely wouldn’t take it, as their setup is just 15 gallon tanks, but perhaps they have a bulletin board I could post it on ???

do you have an actual grow out tank, and what is that like???

I’ve not had a problem with new tetras, but larger fish like dollars, and cichlids, have been coming in smaller than the 1/4 mature size I like to get, and I see that as not changing as commercial and tank bred fish, seem to be selling as fast as they can get rid of them…

 

[OldFishKeeper1]

I guess being in the hobby long enough, that fish have matured on me, means a grow out tank is in order, to give any newly added fish a good start, before being added to tanks with mature fish… so far ( with the species I’ve been working with ) it seems they would be best, if they are at least 1/4 the size of a mature fish, before adding them to a tank with mature fish in it…

I have an acrylic 55 gallon in my work area that was originally a quarantine tank, but has been taken over by my bichir, which is now adult size, it also has 1 adult dollar in the tank that had a “lub” on it’s side, that it had when it arrived here, I couldn’t tell if it was a growth, or a healed wound, but I didn’t put it in with my other dollars out of caution… it’s been fine for several years, and is fully mature now… the bichir and dollar have mutual respect and neither bothers the other… if I was able to donate the bichir to someone, I could probably add the dollar back with my others and empty the tank out to use as a grow out tank…

the local pet store, ( because it’s not a specific aquarium store ), likely wouldn’t take it, as their setup is just 15 gallon tanks, but perhaps they have a bulletin board I could post it on ???

do you have an actual grow out tank, and what is that like???

I’ve not had a problem with new tetras, but larger fish like dollars, and cichlids, have been coming in smaller than the 1/4 mature size I like to get, and I see that as not changing as commercial and tank bred fish, seem to be selling as fast as they can get rid of them…

When I first read your post heading, I thought you meant grow out tanks for baby fish! My "grow out tanks" are of various sizes from 5.5 gallons and up. These are actually quarantine tanks for new fish, depending upon their size.

I have other tanks up to 80 gallons, most of which are empty since I have scaled back with age (which is a different way of saying I am too lazy).

In either case, they would be low maintenance... bare bottom with planted pots and driftwood. Some floating plants as well. I like Water Sprite.

 

[Back in the fold1]

Interesting . Rather than grow out I think a sequestering period to get them plumped up with copious feedings so they aren’t disadvantaged by the robustness of the long time denizens of the aquarium they’re going into .