So as many of you know, I took in a comet from a guy at work who had him in a little bowl for the last year or so. He started out in my 10 gal QT tank, and I had intentions of putting him in the 75 gal tropical tank temporarily until his pond is built (ok, not just HIS pond, but he was the incentive to really get moving on my plans). Anyhow I just wasn't comfortable with putting him in with my other fish, both for their safety and for his. So I talked my honey into a 40 gal breeder at the Petco sale. We built a cinderblock/plywood stand, put a nice cover on it, and this is how it all went down:
Cutting the plywood 3/4" thick, 2'x4' length to start with:
Painting the top piece - 2 coats primer, 4 or 5 coats white paint to finish it:
Finished painting, stand put together:
Another angle, next to the 75 gal:
Rinsed pool filter sand:
The tank on the stand:
Filling the tank on the stand (did a leak test outside first):
Filled and with the skirt attached (used stickyback velcro to attach the skirt - sewed around all the edges to make it nice, and to ensure it won't fray. Velcro also ensures ease of removal for cleaning purposes):
Hermes floating in the tank - wanted to make sure the temp leveled out before releasing him:
Hermes in the tank this morning:
A FTS:
I'm wondering if I can give him a friend or two (maybe a couple rosy reds??) Would that be OK in this setup? Or would that cause issues? The tank is being filtered right now with the Whisper 3 that normally is the backup filter for my 75 gal. It is fully cycled. However, I have a Perfect filter on the way. According to the tracking info, that will arrive Thursday. I'll put that side-by-side with this current filter for a while to seed it, and then will be putting the whisper in storage since I bought a 2nd Perfect filter which will take its place on the 75 gal. I'm really not a fan of the Whisper, but I'll hang onto it in the event that I need it at some point later on. But back to my question - can that 265 gph filter on this 40 gal breeder support more than just one small comet? I am hoping he will grow, but as he's already nearing 2 years old and only 3 or so inches long, I know he's severely stunted and won't reach his full potential. I also feel like he could use a friend or two. Any input there is welcome.
Thanks much!
Cutting the plywood 3/4" thick, 2'x4' length to start with:
Painting the top piece - 2 coats primer, 4 or 5 coats white paint to finish it:
Finished painting, stand put together:
Another angle, next to the 75 gal:
Rinsed pool filter sand:
The tank on the stand:
Filling the tank on the stand (did a leak test outside first):
Filled and with the skirt attached (used stickyback velcro to attach the skirt - sewed around all the edges to make it nice, and to ensure it won't fray. Velcro also ensures ease of removal for cleaning purposes):
Hermes floating in the tank - wanted to make sure the temp leveled out before releasing him:
Hermes in the tank this morning:
A FTS:
I'm wondering if I can give him a friend or two (maybe a couple rosy reds??) Would that be OK in this setup? Or would that cause issues? The tank is being filtered right now with the Whisper 3 that normally is the backup filter for my 75 gal. It is fully cycled. However, I have a Perfect filter on the way. According to the tracking info, that will arrive Thursday. I'll put that side-by-side with this current filter for a while to seed it, and then will be putting the whisper in storage since I bought a 2nd Perfect filter which will take its place on the 75 gal. I'm really not a fan of the Whisper, but I'll hang onto it in the event that I need it at some point later on. But back to my question - can that 265 gph filter on this 40 gal breeder support more than just one small comet? I am hoping he will grow, but as he's already nearing 2 years old and only 3 or so inches long, I know he's severely stunted and won't reach his full potential. I also feel like he could use a friend or two. Any input there is welcome.
Thanks much!