Multiple Tank Setup

[NeonBreederXxX]

Hey guys hows things

Just a query. I started (orignially by accident) breeding livebearers - Fancy guppies, mollies, swordtails, and a few hybrid batchs for fun.
As you can imagine 3 years later im started to get over run by fish. I will not cull healthy fish, and i no longer take specail precautions when breeding ( nets , boxes etc...) Just quality breeding trios.

Ive unloaded as many fish as i can to friends/family/co workers etc @ 50p per fish and make a few pennies a month from it

Now my question is: My LFS has agreed a deal with me to buy livebearers @ 2-3months old, aprox 100 of each species/ month.
Im currently stuck with *****2x100l tanks, 2x60l tanks and 1x30l fry tanks******
Im moving house in 2 months and am making a room dedicated to fish + fry.

I want aprox 4 more 100l tanks to increase space for fry and breeding. Ive built 2 stands made to hold 2 100l tanks on top of each other to save space.

IS THERE ANY WAY OF KEEPING COSTS DOWN? I have 1 powerful air pump spare, which will split over 4 tanks for adding oxygen into the new tanks. WILL I HAVE TO BUY 4 NEW HEATERS AND 4 NEW FILTERS (1 for each tank) or can i link them up to some master filter/pump or something?
How do LFS keep their tanks clean? They dont have filters + heaters in indervidual tanks how does that work?

PS if anyone wants cheap cheap quality Livebearers, raised in low temps (23-25 degrees) for long healty life i always have fish for sale. I live in Sheffield England.

ANY ADVICE GUYS?!
CHEERS!! J.

Bump Bump

Bump Bump

 

[This Old Spouse]

You can set up multiple tanks on one filtering and heating system with some plumbing magic, but keep in mind that if one tank develops a problem, i.e., ich, then they all have it. There are several good references on the web.

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

I have 2 breeding tanks linked with a bit of plumbing. They are hooked to the mains on a trickle feed, so no filter. However you could do it exactly the same, but use an external filter. If you are happy to drill your tanks, then this would make for a simpler bit of plumbing than I have, but either way it is fairly easy. Here's a little video link on how I have mine done: http/www.youtube.c...h?v=VfQdITqOdvc

 

[OldMan47]

Forget the power filters. If you have a spare high capacity air pump, use either sponge filters or box filters. A sponge filter can be had for next to nothing and is the ideal filter for a fry tank. A nice small 100 litre tank is easily filtered using a sponge filter and most air pumps can easily power 4 of them. I use this rather large sponge filter as the sole filtration in a 40 gallon, about 150 litres, tank.

Box filters are even more economical. They amount to a plastic box where you add some filter media and promote flow using air bubbles through a riser, much the same way you promote flow through a sponge using air power. I picked up 6 of them as a single purchase at a local fish club auction for about $3, that is less than 2 pounds sterling.

 

[NeonBreederXxX]

Hi, thanks to everyone for posting. Ive now setup 2 40l fry tanks (m guppy/molly ) + (f guppy/molly)
Filtered by a pump sucking waterfrom the bottom and modified it to filter through the lid with a foam filter and carbon in it.

Just a query, i stuck on an old cycled foam filter onto the end of the intake pipe - Its about 3 inches deep and 1 inch wide. Would a larger foam filter at the bottom of the intake pipe be a better choice. Just tested water qualities (im sorry if i sound stupid,) ive successfully bread livebearers without test kits and this is the first time ive done things "anal-y"

So yeah this for the 80l fry tanks (both tanks measure same qualities):

PH: 6.8
Ammonia: 1.00ppm <<<<<IS THIS TO BE WORRIED ABOUT??
Nit No2: 0ppm
Nit No3: 20ppm

Tested my chlorine treated tap water too:

PH: 7.2
Ammonia: 0.25 - 0.50ppm
No2: 0ppm
No3: 10ppm


Cheers guys

 

[OldMan47]

That 1 ppm of ammonia is a definite problem. I would do a huge water change to get it under control. The 6.8 pH would probably also be cured by the water change but it is not so low that I would do a water change just to correct it. Thwe used sponge filter is your friend. Do not remove it because it is probably helping more than you could ever know.

 

[NeonBreederXxX]

I just did a 25% water change, with a drop of ich treatment (i saw one or two flashing, normally sorts it out)

Re tested water qualities of the two 40l fry tanks. Again both showed similar results. Both tanks have a bare bottom which i clean daily, a granite rock and a single plant to hide under. Id hazard a guess at they're about 120 males in tank A and (excatly...managed to count) 52 females in tank B.

2 Seperate breeding trios with the fry from one delta female and one fan tail female. Fry are 3 weeks and 4 weeks old, sized 15mm - 25mm resepectively (aprox)(males) based on their age.

Water Tests:
PH:6.7
Ammonia: 0.5 ppm
Nits No2: 0.5 ppm
Nits No3: 15 ppm

Soo.....
PH seems to of balanced, but its still lower than i want.

Ammonnia has dropped a bit but ill do a 50% change tommorrow to resolve this.

Nitrate No2, Now Why has that risen? Never seen it more than 0ppm on any of my tanks. Is this dangerous?

Nitrate No3 is at 15ppm, generally what my tap water is and its under 40ppm so thats fine.


So nitsNo2? Whats the deal with that? Could it be effected by Ich treatment? As i said ill do 50% tomor and retest.

They all seem well minus one or two flashing but thats no real worries got them thru worse , all growing fast, just wanna make sure these are fit for sale in 2 months time. Never had previous issues with guppy or swords before.

thanks for your time
J.

 

[NeonBreederXxX]

Nitrates NO2:

"The presence of nits no2 could be due to:
*Inadeqaute filtration: Think my filters are fine...
*Over-feeding: Fry fed 3X day and waste is vacumed up daily
*Over stocking: Not sure, theyre very small compared to my adults, but 40 females in 40l is surely fine with daily water changes

Ich treatment, some people (how ever creditable they are/not) mention medicines effecting water readings, hmm ill wait til tomo. Gupps are hardy things be rite

Night.