1x75g? Or 1x40g and 1x20L? What's the best option?

A

Akysten

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May 28, 2006
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I've got 4 tanks right now:

60 gallon planted community (48x13) (den)
37 gallon planted community (30x12) (Living Room)
50 gallon Malawi(dwarf) (36x18) (Living Room)
20 gallon long (30x12) for misc use/breeding/growout for fry.. etc (Living Room)

I was going to replace my 36g with a 40 breeder this week. I would get a larger footprint, and could relieve the overstocking in my 60g community. If I did this option, I could setup a mini species tank for my Demasoni to breed, say 1 male and 4 females... or just use it to raise fry, or to breed any other fish.

BUT I have negotiated with the wife that I could get a 75g, IF, I agree to keep only 3 tanks and no more. I would likely move the malawi to the 75g(48x18) and use the 50g as a planted tank, as I had planned on using the 40g. I'm sure I could setup a 10 for emergencies.

What would I gain by doing this? The advantage of a 75 is obvious... I presently have 16 demasoni, 8 yellow labs and 4 mosobo crammed into that 50g. And 29 fish crammed in the 60g. I would have fewer tanks... making the room look less 'cluttered' with tanks(this is the living room) and the tank consolidation may actually give me the ability to ADD more cichlids, and enjoy the 3 tanks that I have.

On the other hand, I would lose the ability to have that 20l flex/utility tank. I've used it for breeding blue rams, for a holdover for extra fish, as a quarantine, etc.

My question is: Is it worth giving up the 20L flex tank to get a 75 gallon over a 40g? 2 smaller tanks or one big one.

Is it worth the sacrifice?
 
Didn't you just post this: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88247 ?

It's up to you, whether you want a larger tank versus the ability to breed fish in your 20L. What's more important to you?

Personally, I'd get the 75, but I've had my fun breeding fish and that would hold no interest for me.
 
Yes, I did.. and I apologize. I wanted to delete the original message. I used to be able to, but I don't seem to have the option anymore.

Admin, could your please delete my other discussion on this topic?

Thanks,
 
id get the 75 and combine the two planted tanks in the 60, and then keep the 20l flex tank, but that may make you get rid of some of the planted community fish, but also get some more cichlids. What do you have in the planted community tanks? if the problem is bioload you could attach a sump(which i guess couldnt count as a fourth tank since itd be hidden)
 
So you're suggesting Eliminating the 50g, and just using the 20 for flex? My wife would LOVE that, but wouldn't a 50 work better as a flex than a 20?
Or are you saying the other way around?


The 60g has quite a few fish:

6 Boesmani Rainbows
2 Pracox Rainbows
2 Turquoie Rainbows
2 Kribs (and 8 fry)
2 Blue Rams
2 Gouramis
6 Pristella Tetras
3 Clown Loaches
2 Cory Cats
1 Red Rainbow

That's a lot for a 60g, the tank LOOKS good, and the fish are all healthy. I've got a lot of filtration(Eheim 2013 and Fluval 404) and I do 20-30% water changes.. usually twice a week.

My 37 has:

4 Millenneum Rainbows
3 Praecox Rianbows
2 Kribs (and about 25 fry)


I suppose I could find a home for one pair of Kribs and the 4 Praecox from the 37. I'm limited in what I can do with the 60g as many of the fish are my were chosen by my wife. I can't get rid of her fish.... but I could move several fish to the 50g.

My biggest drawback is what to do with all those krib fry... with no utility/flex tank, they would have to grow out in the 50g, or in my first option, I could put a divider in the 40g or just use the 20g.
 
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o srry, misunderstood. now i think you should get the 75, 60 and 50, and heres how i think you should use them:
75 as a planted community(the 60 and 37 combined and no fish gotten rid of), the 60 as malawi cichlids, and the 50 to do whatever with, or you could have the 75 as malawi and the 60 and 50 as planted communities, and maybe your wife would let you keep a tank in the stand cabinets of one so it wouldnt be seen and you could use it for breeding or whatever.
 
In the stand....like a sump...I like that! just make sure they have some light during the day. Should be OK for a non diplay tank such as a growout, hopsital or quarantine. It would be easy to do under a 75. The wife may see this as a technicality though.

I would prefer the 75 as a planted community, but if you do a mbuna/malawi tanks, the rock arrangments would be hard to fit in a 13" depth of the 60. It's also much cheaper to put pool filter sand in the bottom of the 75 than to buy enough eco complete for a 75g.

Right now, you walk in the house, to the room to the right of the foyer.. You can see the 20L right on the north side of the wall.. it's the least attractive tank. You can see the 37 against the inside wall of the room from the side. Looking into the room, on the far side, you see the 50g.. which is the best tank in the room.

The 75g option would give me just 2 tanks... one on the north side of the wall.. in the middle, and one on the east side. I COULD put a 20L under the 75g as a growout tank, and I can still raise rams artificially in a little 2.5g tank.

Video of the 4 tanks can be seen at:
http://barlow.santoonie.com/videos/octfish.wmv

the Krib fry are in the 37, the Rams in the 20. I ended up losing all the ram fry...
 
if it were me i would opt for the 75 gal. a lot more options there.
 
OK, you've got me talked into it... Do I put the African Cichlids in there? Or a freshwater community?

The problem with the african cichlids that I have is that they don't explore the top half of the tank.
 
OT: I like your video. Haha. Though I like the music, IMO it seems incongruous to the fish' fluid movements. I kept waiting for the fish to breakdance. It does give it an upbeat comical feel though. The caption at the end made me think of birth and death. ;) I just started fiddling with iMovie and it sure is a lot of time to edit video. Makes me tired just thinking about it. I think you did a great job editing !
 
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