Dream Tank...

[GulfCoastGypsy]

OK, this year I plan to finally get and establish my dream tank, a 125 gallon freshwater setup. I only have a ten gallon right now, but have been keeping fish since I was a kid. My largest tank was a 55-gallon (and it was beautiful). Of course I am in the planning stages, this is going to take all year, and I want it to be well planted and of course cycled before adding any fish. To that end, I keep going back and forth re: the livestock (I recently saw Roseline Sharks in a LFS, and they were beautiful!) Just curious, if you could start over with a big tank, what would "you" include? Any suggestions (and warnings) will be appreciated. This is going to be a fun project, and a major addition to the decor of our house.

 

[Meg0000]

If I were you I would get 3-4 species, small fish but a lot of them. I would get some sort of beautiful pleco, a big school of corys, cardinal tetras and hatchet fish or pencil fish. I would just stick away from aggressive fish they're just a lot of stress in my experience.

 

[GulfCoastGypsy]

If I were you I would get 3-4 species, small fish but a lot of them. I would get some sort of beautiful pleco, a big school of corys, cardinal tetras and hatchet fish or pencil fish. I would just stick away from aggressive fish they're just a lot of stress in my experience.

Excellent suggestion, thank you! I DO love the small schools, they are so much fun to watch. If I could I'd have a different tank in every room in my house. My Cove Cottage doesn't have many spaces for tanks though. I have 3 corys in my small tank, they may appreciate being liberated (and I could add to the number). Hadn't thought about hatchet fish, I think they are upper water? Will have to research that one, they are beautiful. And the cardinals, YES. I did consider Discus for about five minutes, then quickly discarded that idea.

 

[Meg0000]

Excellent suggestion, thank you! I DO love the small schools, they are so much fun to watch. If I could I'd have a different tank in every room in my house. My Cove Cottage doesn't have many spaces for tanks though. I have 3 corys in my small tank, they may appreciate being liberated (and I could add to the number). Hadn't thought about hatchet fish, I think they are upper water? Will have to research that one, they are beautiful. And the cardinals, YES. I did consider Discus for about five minutes, then quickly discarded that idea.

You're welcome! Yes hatchet fish are upper water fish! I don't know a lot about them but they seem really interesting. Is your water soft? I suggested these fish assuming so...

 

[GaryE]

Hatchets are great. This may be the fact I'm very tall, but I find absolute surface oriented fish only work if the tank is higher up. Otherwise, your view of them is cut off by the lid....

 

[Colin_T]

Find out what the GH, KH and pH of your water supply is so you can keep fish suited to that. Otherwise you either need to modify the water or the fish get kept in water that might not be that good for them.

Do not get a tank that is higher than 24 inches. Even tanks that are 2 foot tall are a pain to clean. Higher than 24 inches and your going to have issues setting it up and cleaning it.

If I had space and money, I couldn't do just one tank. I would have a number of tanks about 6 foot long x 2 foot wide x 18 inches high. A couple would be rainbowfish, a couple with African Rift Lake cichlids, maybe a marine tank or two, and possibly a planted tank. Then I would build a fish room and go nuts

 

[GulfCoastGypsy]

Find out what the GH, KH and pH of your water supply is so you can keep fish suited to that. Otherwise you either need to modify the water or the fish get kept in water that might not be that good for them.

Do not get a tank that is higher than 24 inches. Even tanks that are 2 foot tall are a pain to clean. Higher than 24 inches and your going to have issues setting it up and cleaning it.

If I had space and money, I couldn't do just one tank. I would have a number of tanks about 6 foot long x 2 foot wide x 18 inches high. A couple would be rainbowfish, a couple with African Rift Lake cichlids, maybe a marine tank or two, and possibly a planted tank. Then I would build a fish room and go nuts

Yeah, we can dream of multiple tanks, that is fun isn't it? Good idea on the water analysis first, I hadn't thought of that. I've always just treated the water and tried to make it right. I'd LUV a saltwater tank, but not sure I want to invest that kind of money in the livestock these days. Years ago I had access to wholesale prices, but those days are long gone. African cichlids are amazing, that is a possibility (and maybe easier because of the lack of live plants).