what to do with extra tank???

[Magnum Man]

so I have an extra 55 gallon aquarium that I bought, back when an old tank I had, got suspected fish TB, as a back up, if tank sterilization wasn't successful... well, I didn't end up having to replace that tank... I could keep it around, for a spare, if one of my old tanks started leaking, but it's large, to just be sitting around, i got it at an awesome price on sale... I have a dozen tanks currently running, and I really don't have room to set up another tank that large... I know, it's not really a bad problem to have, but I don't really want to store it out of the house, where it would be exposed to the temp extremes... I thought about maybe placing it in the 3 season porch, set up with a big heater, for koi, or another pond fish, but just being a screened room, it would be exposed to snow, during blizzards, and extreme cold during those weather fronts, as they blow through, and I would expect a glass tank would not hold up to below zero temps, on the outside surfaces, even if the heater kept the water liquid on the inside... thoughts??

 

[emeraldking]

Well, as you've already mentioned, you could use it for pond fish (till a certain fish size of course). I've kept baby koi till a certain size in tanks and rain barrels as well until they were big enough to go to the grow out pond.

 

[Innesfan]

Koi and golfish grow fast and a 55g is only a very temporary home for a single small koi. A pair of fancy goldfish would work. Though commons and comets require 50 gallons per fish. But for either koi or goldfish the water change regimen is, in my experience, more rigorous and voluminous than for most tropicals.

Alternatively, you could do other species that like a cool-down period, such as the beautiful and recently discussed Black-Banded Sunfish, Enneacanthus chaetodon, or similar small natives. You could have several in a tank that size. You already have a species that would work--Bitterlings.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

One huge daphnia culture.
Or do the biotope tank with the Anaconda.

 

[GaryE]

So your real question is what piece of furniture inside a house can be disposed of?

 

[Magnum Man]

my concern mostly, is exposing the glass aquarium to Minnesota's brutal winters

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I have all my empty tanks and their lids outside. I am nit in MN but out nighttime temps now are in the teens. The woman who gave me my earlu clowns kept a load of tanks outside over a winter in PA. They were fine. Mine are all empty and on a screended terrace I believe thay will be OK. But I want to sell them not use them again. I will check the in the late spring or early summer to insure they hold water OK before I sell any. They range from 20L to 40B and include 40Ls, 33Ls and even a 30B.

I know they do OK being in use in summers when the temps can be in the high 90sF with an occasional 100F+ day.

 

[Back in the fold]

This sounds like experiment time to me . What kind of temperatures could White Clouds or Paradise Fish handle ? Is there a Japanese Loach in my future or a Weather Loach ? The mind churns .