really big tetra tank???

[Magnum Man54 168]

so, my south American tetra tank is currently a 55 gallon tank, and it’s at maximum capacity, but doing well… there are so many different varieties and schools in this tank…it almost makes me want to turn my 250 gallon into a tetra tank, rather than a silver dollar tank, when it finally gets set up… being old school, I generally think of bigger fish, in a bigger tank… but if done right with tetras, it could probably be interesting…

what are some of the bigger tetra tanks you’ve seen or kept, and what were they stocked like???

my current 55 gallon probably has 40-50 fish in it, I can only imagine several clouds of brightly colored schooling fish…

 

[Magnum Man54 168]

 

[Back in the fold9 7]

I think you’re on the right track by thinking about Tetra’s in your 250 . That would really be a sight to behold . What grabs my attention more than big fish , although I do like them , is lots of fish . If memory serves there was someone here on The Great TFF Forum that had an aquarium with 300 Cardinals . Can you imagine that ! ? ! ?

 

[GaryE14 12]

I had the 300 cardinals, and all I regret is getting tempted to sell some of them off to local club members, gradually whittling that number down over time. It just seemed like I had all the wealth and they didn't, and I shared them out at a low cost til I held at 50. Even 50 looked fantastic.

The largest tetra tank I've had was 120 gallons, but that's also the largest tank I've ever owned. I kept species groups of 10 to 50 fish, and really enjoyed it. That was the tank where a big FX canister's strainer broke off, and the open suction ate a lot of fish very quickly. I'll never try to position a strainer/intake where it can't be seen again...

It was all Characins except for 2 groups of Hoplisoma. Right now, my largest tetra tank is a 75, though I also have Characin communities with dwarf Cichlids in other sized tanks. I keep my South American and African tetras apart.

One of my friends, an importer, used to have an 8 foot mega tank with a few thousand cardinals in it. The problem is, with his access to new species he got bored too quickly, and would move the fish into the sales room and add new things about every few months. I enjoyed that one while it lasted.

 

[bgarthe54 71]

I’d love to have a really big tetra tank. Atm, my biggest is 75g which is nice, but not a mega tank. I did find that setting up 3 33g long tanks helped a bit in that the footprint is that of a 55g, but not as high. Most of my tetras love the horizontal swimming space and don’t seem to miss the lack of depth. My 55g full of small/tiny nano fish looks really big.

 

[GaryE14 12]

Putting big fish in a big tank just makes that big tank look like an oversized 5 gallon, in my opinion. I still looks cramped, uncomfortable and inhumane. I've never seen a large tank in a home where I thought large fish looked good. I've seen such tanks in large installations and companies, but with what we can manage in our houses, I'm not a fan of the monster fish scene.
Above I told the stories above of crowded large tanks of small fish. They weren't what I normally like. I don't need to be smacked in the face with a paddle to get that I'm in a canoe. Large tanks can be subtle, beautiful and mysterious in ways small tanks can't. You can have a tiny fish finding its way through a world in a big tank. Good planting and scaping becomes a forest, and a few small creatures make it look larger and more mysterious.

One of my daydream showtanks was in a local pet store - they had a huge building on 2 floors, and had custom built an L shaped aquarium. It ran for a few feet, turned a corner, than had another ten feet of so. It was 18 inches deep, and 24 inches front to back. It held a lot of water. If I had that acrylic stream tank, I would put about thirty Procatopus or Platopochilus lampeyes in it, and a dozen of one species of Aphyosemion killies, and one of Epiplatys killies. I'd plant the heck out of it and then sit back. Sometimes I'd look in and see no fish, but over a couple of years, I'd have something very interesting to watch as populations increased and the fish found their niches. If your interest is in recreating nature in your tank, a well used big aquarium is a gift.

I was kayaking last week on a river with crystal clear water and excellent end of season plant growth. Above me I was enjoying a bald eagle convention of sorts, but as I drifted over the sand and gravel river bottom, I was also looking for fish. The river in question isn't fished out and supports a healthy angling scene, but I saw very few fish. Some minnows, some juveniles of fish - but as I worked along the shallows where small fish live, I would guesstimate I saw one fish per 100 gallons maximum - often one 2 inch fish per 1000 gallons. In Africa and Central America, things have seen similar. Overcrowding distorts our view of reality as fishkeepers, and small fish in large tanks can give us back that small window into nature.

 

[Back in the fold9 7]

That was beautiful Gary ! I never thought about it that way but you’re right . I’ve seen the same thing in ponds and small streams around here . You just don’t see the huge hordes of fish but only the occasional one or two darting about . Also , very well put that a big aquarium with big fish just looks like an oversized five gallon . I like that !
I’m reminded of @JuiceBox52 and her , I think it was a 55 , with only Walter the Leaf Fish in it . She posted a picture and it was strangely fascinating .