Planning The Next Tank!

[fizzlesticks]

Hi guys,

I've caught the bug! I want to upgrade. I have a whole bunch of ideas; perhaps you could help me refine them. I won't be making any purchases for a while--got to save up!

I still have my planted 10G with betta and a shoal of panda cories, which is going fine. My other planted tank is just under 10G and a bit overstocked (but I do a 50% weekly WC): six glowlight tetras, one neon (a leftover from the poor shoal I killed off as a newbie), and three harlequins. I know the harlequins prefer a bigger tank (the LFS wouldn't take them back), so I'd like a tank big enough for:

- 7 tetras (+ a couple more glowlights)
- 6 harlequin rasboras
- a shoal of albino cories OR kuhli loaches
- a small "feature fish," such as a honey gourami or another betta

(I'm tempted to get more bettas anyhow--I saw this amazing, shimmering raspberries-and-cream one the other day at an LFS...)

What size tank would I need to accomodate all these? I'm open to tank size suggestions and fish suggestions! Hit me!

 

[alihar]

I would go for the biggest tank you can afford and have space for.
I went from a 125 to a 200 in 3 months and now 5 months on I'm sorry I didn't go bigger again!

 

[fizzlesticks]

Well, I'm renting in a share house, so space is the biggest issue--don't want to eat everyone else's space.

Currently the small sits atop an old writing desk of mine, and the bigger I go the more likely it is I'll need to put the desk in storage and buy a stand. But I can use that whole space where the desk is, I think.

The other thing to consider is that I'm tiny so heavy buckets of water and deep tanks might get tricky.

 

[fizzlesticks]

Any suggestions on what size tank I'd need (as a minimum) for this lot?

 

[fizzlesticks]

Anyone?

 

[Dieses Madchen]

As minimum, I would get at least a 4ft tank. Harlequins would be happier with that length as they can clear it extremely fast. Spring for a 55g and up the numbers in your shoals and you would have a really sweet looking setup In that tank, you could do about 10-15 tetras, 10-15 harlequins, and about 12 cories/kuhlies as well as your "feature fish" and I am probably undershooting the stocking capability

 

[fizzlesticks]

As minimum, I would get at least a 4ft tank. Harlequins would be happier with that length as they can clear it extremely fast. Spring for a 55g and up the numbers in your shoals and you would have a really sweet looking setup In that tank, you could do about 10-15 tetras, 10-15 harlequins, and about 12 cories/kuhlies as well as your "feature fish" and I am probably undershooting the stocking capability

I can probably manage a 2 or 3-ft tank in the space I have.

Would it be better all round to find a new home for the harleys?

 

[fishprotector]

A 3ft tank should be good enough.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I agree, I think a 3ft tank could suit the purpous

 

[fizzlesticks]

I agree, I think a 3ft tank could suit the purpous

Now I just have to try and try and try to resist buying the gorgeous betta I found last week. (I'll be back near that LFS on Tuesday.)

Try and try and try.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I agree, I think a 3ft tank could suit the purpous

Now I just have to try and try and try to resist buying the gorgeous betta I found last week. (I'll be back near that LFS on Tuesday.)

Try and try and try.

Yo cannot resist! (Well, I know I cant anyway lol)

 

[cynic]

Harlequins do like to swim, mine swim up and down the tank for long periods before spliting up and loitering before shoaling back up and doing it all again.

The fastest fish in my tank are the Panda's

 

[fizzlesticks]

Luckily for my finances, the betta I had my eye on had been bought the night before when I dropped in at that LFS.

I'm having no luck at all with my pandas. Two have gone this week. All parameters are perfect (though my pH is always high), but these two pandas just got lethargic and gave up. I isolated the second one in a 30L makeshift tank and tried Myxazin, but he didn't make it. The others have grown and appear to be thriving (one's a bit slow--and that worries me).