[Not So] Crazy Idea!

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jamontoast

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Hey everyone! Been lurking for a while, and finally decided to make an account to ask you all some questions. This weekend I made a trip with friends to the casino, winning myself a pleasant ammount of money. With that free money which I defined as disposable income, I have purchased for myself a new 45G tank. As well as this, I was able to afford a 2nd hand AquaOne cannister filter rated for twice the tank's capacity. At this stage, the plan is to transfer the denizens of my slowly leaking 15G tank into their new, much larger home. At the moment, however, I only have enough lighting to cover one half of the new tank.

This has made me wonder, would I be able to split the tank into two halves? One half with good lighting, planted, and the other only dimly lit, with a stonescape and bare, hollow driftwood, allowing me [in theory] to keep species that like both sorts of environment [assuming that the water parameters for all are similar].

At the moment, my tank contains:
1 Dwarf Gourami
8 Neon Tetras
~50 Red Cherry Shrimp
4 Khuli Loaches

I assume that in my new setup, the loaches would be the only ones which would gravitate towards the dimmer side of my imagined tank, so I may try and find something else that would enjoy that sort of environment. Maybe some albino Cories, some sort of small pleco or similar.

Will this work out, or am I a total fool for trying?

Current tank money shot: [slightly outdated - imagine 2 months of strong plant growth]

dZgM3.jpg


Thanks very much for any and all help!
 
:hi:

Your current tank while some of inhabitants arent well suited, (Kuhli's) does look fantastic.

I would keep the shrimp where they are, and transfer everything else into the new tank.

When moving, try and get a few more Kuhli's, they would prefer to be in groups of 6+, 8+ ideally, which you'll have room for in a 45g. (Dimensions?) I would also look to either up the numbers of the Tetra (They live in shoals of 1000's in the wild, so the more the better, ideally 12-18+)or remove them to give you more options for the rest of the tank.

As for splitting the tank, its not something ive heard much of, (in terms of having a "light and dark side") but its worth a go if its what you really want, everyone has their own preference for their tanks. Personally, i think i would stick to the shrimp in the small tank, and buy a lighing ballast and new tubes to fully light the 45g, and have a larger community display tank.

Ben
 
Thanks for the reply, Ben! [the compliment was nice too :p]

My new tank is 3ft long, though I am unsure as to the exact dimensions beyond this [it is quite tall].

If I may ask a couple of no doubt silly questions:

Why are the Khuli's poorly suited to their current location [apart from low numbers]?

Why would you suggest the exclusion of the shrimp from my new tank?
 
The only silly questions are ones that are not asked ;)

The reason for the Kuhli's not being entirely great is due to their size, they can grow fairly long, and needs to be in bigger numbers than a 15gal can handle. Not the worst example of poor stocking however, not by a long shot!

Only recommended the exclusion of shrimp as the current tank is so nice, and theyre a natural food source for some fish. (Found this out when i realised i had left several of my own cherris in the 4ft when i introduced 5 kribs and couldnt work out why they wouldnt eat. They were getting a free lunch off my stocklist ;)
 
The reason for the Kuhli's not being entirely great is due to their size, they can grow fairly long, and needs to be in bigger numbers than a 15gal can handle. Not the worst example of poor stocking however, not by a long shot!

Only recommended the exclusion of shrimp as the current tank is so nice, and theyre a natural food source for some fish. (Found this out when i realised i had left several of my own cherris in the 4ft when i introduced 5 kribs and couldnt work out why they wouldnt eat. They were getting a free lunch off my stocklist ;)

Oh, okay then. I am reassured that the khulis have the potential to be happy and healthy in my new tank! And I love how my tank is being complimented, though i'm afraid the reason for the move is not only that I suddenly had money and wanted a bigger tank, but also that the 15G has a slow leak I just can't seem to patch.

If i push ahead with the idea of a half/half tank, I imagine that the current layout of the 15G will be largely preserved, albeit as a part of a much larger area, so not quite all will be lost. I do, however, have a smaller cube tank I plan to preserve the shrimp in. If they decide they want to breed in their new smaller home and the 45G has any shrimp eating residents, they may become a decorative dietary supplement :p

Any other stocking ideas for the big tank? Assuming that half is dimmed and half planted, that is.
 
That's a good idea but I wouldn't know if it would work I'm interested to see if it would. Welcome to the forum too mate
 

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