Stocking Ideas For An 8 X 2 X 2...

[Xebadir]

Have you tried mixing the water to temperature from your tap? I know this isnt easy but for my small tank(and melbournes cold water supply) I do this. Dechlorinating by the bucket method would work but may be unecessary: ive read many members of this forum just add the water and rely on the large surface area and filtration to remove the chlorine : just remember you have to transfer it from that vessel to the tank though: water changes will be difficult. Have you looked at what sort of modifications you are going to have to make to your water before you add it to the tank.

How about the size of your sump: how do you plan to maximise the filtration capability to keep water conditions high for such large and messy fish.

I dont know if this is a wise idea but might be something to think about: have a chamber in the sump that you can purely use for water changes: siphon out the waste water as per normal, and add tap water directly to this chamber which has a heater, and outlets into the sumps filtration system. This would allow further time to dechlorinate before exposure to the tank itself. When changeover is not occuring this chamber could be closed off and the heater switched off. Dunno, just a thought.

 

[i_ganjaman]

heres what i will be doing about changing the water. I have bought of ebay 2 50 gallon(uk) food standard drums (the ones that some people use for water butts)

http/i113.photobucket.com/albums/n234/i_...waterbarrel.jpg

For large tanks ro units are a possibility but it will probably cost loads of money for the addatives you will need to put back into water(ro water is pure and not good as it is for putting into tanks)
You can use ro water to top up your system for the water that has left through evaporation.
the cheapest way for me would be to mix ro water with collected rainwater to get the desired ph , etc.
but anyway water changing...I will be filling the 2 barrels with cold water the night before (mixing with hot is not recommended as you might have a high copper level in the water especially i would have thought with older heating systems) placing 1 pond pump and a heater in each barrel and leaving it. This way the pumps will break-up the water and get rid of all the nasties in it (no need for water conditioner).next day i will use a gravel vacuum cleaner with a long pipe attached so it will be long enough to take the water out to my back yard and down the drain (or you could give it to your plants and watch them grow, they love it).Then i will attach more piping (this will be the clear aquarium pipe,wich is cheap to buy in bulk) to the pond pumps in the water barrels and pump it straight into the tank....no more pacing with sodding buckets..

 

[adambrum]

Just a thought but im planning on having a 50g tank underneth with heater and pump having a drain pipe in the tank to the required level then open the valve tank emptys to level (attach hose)
then pump water from spare tank straight in

I dont think water temp matters to much , my lfs is currently doing cold water changes and has had an increase in breeding, a good tip i was told by a breeder if he gets a unexplained death of a male fish he chucks in cold water it can drop the other males out of breeding and gives another male chance to colour up reducing stress of that male.

 

[i_ganjaman]

Its a case of what works best for you, we all live in different designs of houses. And i suppose with big tanks cold water would not pose a problem. But i am a stickler for the book and i got my maintenance stuck fast in my head after all these years, and i suppose what species we will keep....hardy ones or pussy ones. but i will take what you said onboard. C-ya buddy