New Tanks - Setup Ideas And Help

Cooper2085 · Mar 6, 2008

So after keeping fish for 8 weeks iv managed to pick up 4 tanks in total! At the moment only the 3ft tank is set up and is now fully cycled. Im not really sure what to do with the tanks now though.

Im having a metal stand made for my 4ft tank, it measures 48" x 15" x 18" and holds over 215L of water. Im going to use this as my new community tank and eventually transfer my current fish into it. The stand also has a plate at the bottom for the 30" x 14" x 14" Tank (Not sure on the exact measurments but its about that), it holds about 100L. The 3ft tank is going to be moved into my converter cellar, it holds 126L. The little 12" x 8" x 8" tank im thinking of keeping as a hospital tank or for a betta.

I want to use one of the tanks for a livebearer/breeding tank. I was wondering how everyone else does this, i would like to keep the guppies/swordtails etc in the community tank but i worry that moving them into a seperate tank near there due date might stress them out. Would it be better to heavily plant the tank and keep it as a livebearer tank, then let nature take its course? How would you feed fry with larger fish?

That of course leaves me with a spare tank >.> Would it be better to have a livebearer tank in the 2.5ft then move them into the 3ft when there due?

I really need some advice and help on this

Iv just had some baby guppies and they are all doing well, its really got me into this breeding lark, i wouldnt mind dividing one of the tanks either if that helps.

I will be making a project of all this as the tanks i have need some TLC, so i will be taking "Before" pictures and then documenting what i do and how i set them up.

Thanks in advance all.

Cooper2085 · Mar 6, 2008

No one interested in this? I know you all must have done this a million times but its all new to me and im excited

Any ideas at all would be a help.

Eclecticoldsod · Mar 6, 2008

Cooper2085 said:
No one interested in this? I know you all must have done this a million times but its all new to me and im excited

Any ideas at all would be a help.

A smaller tank for quarantining new fish would be a good idea. A tiny 'hospital' tank for any sick fish is a very good idea! I know this is two of your four tanks that will perhaps often be empty – but at the rate you are acquiring tanks, you are are clearly a total nutter who will have 18 of the buggers by next Christmas, so two little ones will be no skin off your nose!

How you set up each other ones will depend on what you want to keep in 'em. Loads of advice here and on other sites about that, but the first question is ph (soft, hard, or neutral water.)
Then, before you do anything else [OK, this is my personal hobby-horse] glue 'stuff' all over the back and side walls with aquarium sealant – tuffa for hard water; bogwood for soft water; or a combination of the two/cork bark for neutral water...
Do not cover every square inch, you will need to leave room for a filter or or two, and a heater, but all that flat glass you can't see through is wasted space. Smother it in jutting out arches, caves, ledges, and other interesting places for the inhabitants to explore! Plants can be grown on it – it will look better than than that glued-on backing picture, and you will provide three times the surface area for even bottom dwellers to have a go at..!