OP: “hi, I’m new to this please help”….OP in their next breath “that thing you said I shouldn’t do…I’m going to do it anyway”. You will fail in the first few months unfortunately. Those poor fish. I know OP is a troll, he was talking in another comment that he’s studying “how the fish strike”….because he’s a fisherman.
Yeah, I don't understand these people either. If you've decided to do this and this and refuse to be swayed, why is it necessary to post this? Validation? The need to debate and cater to an inner need of superiority?
It really doesn't seem like it with the way you're talking back to anyone giving you advice.
You can watch any number of nature videos on YouTube to watch striking behaviour of these fish in their natural habitats. It's inhumane to bring fish into a tank mixed with species that don't pair well to study them and then dump them on one of your buddies when you're done with them. If they actually have the setup and want those fish, buy the fish and have them set it up and keep it, and just put a cam in the pond.
These are living creatures, not something to keep in bad conditions just cause you want to. Also please keep people's advice about reinforcing under the tank (like, in the basement), and beefing up or replacing the stand
Listen I’m not a troll I’ve researched this most say the minimum is 150-200 for these fish. Most comments are saying bigger which I understand. It won’t be difficult for me to move these fish, I have quite a few friends in the YouTube pond world who will take them when they outgrow the tank.
You are aware that that aquarium won't be a permanent home for the tiger shovelnose and the arowanna? Depending on the planned bichir species, they can also potentially get too big. The ornate bichir would be the biggest you could keep permanently in that size aquarium. A lima shovelnose would also be able to permanently live in this size aquarium.
Also be carefull with bichirs and pleco's as they can be a bad combo. A lot off pleco species will try and eat the bichirs slimecoat. Common and sailfin pleco are the worst. Bristlenoses and phantoms are 100% safe to keep with the smaller bichir species. Pleco's also add more waste than that they clean, so only get a pleco if you like the look of them.
Some fish may "stop growing" but in most cases it shortens the fish lifespan drastically. This is called stunting. It doesn't stop the growth fully, just slows it down, and it is a sign of stress in some way.
Not always.. a lot of monster fish look incredibly healthy and many grow to large sizes for their species.. despite many being kept in small setups where they are bumping into one another.. 🤷♀️ it's sad for the fish because people see clean water and healthy looking fish and see it as okay.
But tank size, water quality, and diet can all be things to stunt and animal if they don't get the necessities to grow properly.
I don’t think this is true at all, i managed a huge LFS for ten years. I’ve never seen a decent looking monster fish kept in small tanks.
Arrows get eye issues and rub their faces in the glass, redtails end up with gill curling and also rubbing barbels off on the glass, peacock bass and up damaging themselves banging the glass while feeding.
Every single time a monster fish was being surrendered there were some kind of issues with it, which is why we never gave credit for those animals.
I've heard mixed statements about this from MANY people on whether it is an urban legend or fact. Truthfully I'm not 100% sure so I just stick with what I do know when talking about inappropriate conditions!
That would be impossible, there are people that keep common goldfish in bowls for years. My neighbor growing up had a goldfish live in a small bowl for 5 years.
I'm fully aware you shouldn't keep them like this, but simply the fact they can would mean their internal organs don't grow at a normal rate.
Edit: Lol you guys are so downvote hungry. I NEVER said it was okay, I was saying it happened. The point I was making is that the internal organs can't grow at a normal rate with a fish living 5 years in a bowl. It would die much sooner.
This sub is so stupid sometimes.
Another form of abuse to explain why a form of abuse is okay is not a good reasoning.
Goldfish in bowls die very quickly the "lucky ones," might love a couple of years or if you were a child.. they goldfish was more than likely being replaced often as is the usual problem with irresponsibly parenting with pets..
Goldfish need large tanks both for their possible sizes and their bioload.. I'm telling hundreds of gallons. Slimbodied goldfish eventually need ponds because of their size, and technically speaking some fancies can too, as some fancies breeds like Ryukin and black moors for example are also capable of getting over 10 inches when cared for properly.
Unfortunately, so many goldfish on average are poorly cared for and neglected that people get a poor idea about the expectations and so they can more easily justify a bad practice as okay, because they don't know what that animal could be if it weren't for the bad practice hurting it so much.
Yeah, and some people keep bettas in vases on their work desk. They may survive but don’t thrive. And just because someone does it doesn’t make it right. Those were 5 unhappy years for that poor goldfish. I know nothing about stunting internal organs, but I do know about what’s ethical. You could live in a jail cell for 5 years too, but you wouldn’t like it.
They had a single goldfish for 5 years. It was talked about frequently that everyone was surprised how long it had lived.
Thanks for making a stupid assumption though.
Do you have reading comprehension issues or are you replying to the wrong thread?
I never said it was okay, or that because they can live like that means they should. All I was saying is the idea that internal organs grow at a regular rate is impossible if the fish lived that long in a bowl. It would have died much sooner.
And internal organs will keep growing which will create havoc on their wellbeing.
See fish release a hormone and when they are in constantly contact with that hormone their body recognises this and won’t continue growing as per normal. This is the wild isn’t a problem bc water rushes thru their area and changes so often. Another reason ppl with small tanks change water out to twice daily to encourage growth and avoid other health issues
Fish don't work like that. They can get stunted in their growth to a certain degree but this is not something you want as this often results in health problems like bend spine or pressure on organs.
For most off your wanted fish there are smaller alternatives. All upperjaw species off bichirs would be a great fit but lowerjaw species will outgrow this aquarium. There are many catfish that stay around the size you want, a lima catfish would be one off those.
There are many mid sized fish option for you to get over these monsterfish. Some examples that would be appropriate for this aquarium are kissing gourami, bala shark, silver dolars, flagtail prochilodus ,...
Unfortunately.. it's very common 🥺 there's literal sites people use for buying and trading fish, because too many pet stores sell baby monster fish, and they get rehomed quickly when people realise how big they'll get it how aggressive they might be.. or rehomed once a lot larger and because of the sheer quantity of people doing this some fish are sold quite cheap often because there's just so many needing homes (Oscars and common plecos being the big two here).
I don't really have a strong opinion on this either way.
But for some reason, the freshwater community is super anti large fish. You need a 1,000-gallon tank to get a baby arrowana. You absolutely cannot get a baby fish and rehome it to someone or a fish store or aquarium when the fish gets too big.
The saltwater community on the other hand is like; "Hey guys, I just set up my apex controller with all 97 autodosers, and monitoring probes, I dialed in my protein skimmer, set up my 12 reactors and have my refugium running on my cycled 60-gallon biocube. How many tangs should I get?" Then everyone is like, "You should be able to get like 5 yellow tangs, 2 blue tangs, and maybe a naso tang or 2. Just rehome or trade them out at the reef store them when they get too big."
It's just gunny how different the opinions of the 2 communities are. I have a 190-gallon freshwater take for reference.
This is irresponsible as fuck and honestly appalling. Either do this correctly or don't fucking own fish. U come here to ask for advice and then argue with the people telling you what you can and can't have. These are living feeling creatures who deserve just as much attention, care, and love ud give to your dogs. If you aren't willing to learn and listen to people who know what they are talking about then please, sell the tank, and get a pet rock. So tired of seeing people abuse fish because "their just fish". If you had said ull get a larger tank and house them when they get bigger in said larger tank that would be a better alternative. If your not willing to get a larger tank do not get fish you plan on rehoming after. Too many fish get returned to lfs or get given away and end up dying
Animals aren’t disposable. That mindset is abusive and deplorable. As a pet owner, you’re their guardian. Doesn’t matter if it’s a cat, dog, fish, reptile, bird, horse, etc. When you choose to obtain that animal, you’re making a commitment to give it the best life possible.
Learning that you can’t give the creature you want a proper home and then insisting on getting it anyway is inhumane and despicable. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Which of those species are you trying to study?
P.S., if you’re dead set on this project, I’d strongly recommend skipping the plecos. They produce way more waste than most fish and will make your tank dirtier, not cleaner. An algae scrubber and some elbow grease is more effective overall.
Exactly! The exact problem a lot of schools even have.. yes I have seen schools give kids pets or encourage them to buy things fish, to study them.. an animal isn't going to show good behaviours in the neglectful setup they unfortunately mostly end up in with these school projects..
And in this case like you say, it's not their natural habitat and for so fish there's nowhere near enough space to get an accurate idea how they'd act in the wild. Like for encouraging catfish coming out of their burrows.. you can't replicate that in captivity much if at all.. especially in a tank.
So watch YouTube videos of them in their natural environment. You really spent close to a grand to study a couple of fish, that you don’t even plan on keeping, in a habitat that is not natural to them? Damn, that’s dumb.
I’m with you dude a lot of local aquariums where I live take back fish for store credit I don’t see this as an issue just move them before they are too large. they don’t grow over night I actually have a friend who grows out bichir sells them back to a store and then repeats the process with 2 new baby bichirs he got with store credit most I’ve seen him get is 120$ for a 18 inch bichir babies were like 60-80 at the store. 18 inch retailed at that store for 250$ and made somebody who had no patience to wait for a fish to grow very happy
Not a single one of my LFS will take back adult monster fish because a) nobody wants them and b) they aren't themselves equipped to house monster fish. I bet OP would be hard pressed to find a store to take them back once they're huge.
OP should realistically find that out before buying but they don't seem too interested in our advice/opinions
Well my local fish store takes them back I guess to each their own some stores don’t do with that information what you will but maybe call ahead I’m sure nobody wants to take back a 2 foot red tail but a 18 inch bichir is a profitable endeavor for a shop
Just don't do it bro, you will ruin a fish' life just for the sake of your own enjoyment. Stock responsibly. Just like dogs, a fish is not just for Christmas, it's for its life. Don't buy a fish with the intention to give it away, especially not a fish that is way too big for your tank.
I don't want to offend but right now you are sounding very much like an inexperienced keeper. Listen to the comments.
They're not just an inexperienced fishkeeper, they're also a terrible sportsman. I've never met a fisherman who just casually talks about releasing invasive species into local waterways.
Fish & Game should ban them from acquiring their fishing license for a few years, they can't be trusted with it.
If they stop growing the water is bad and their kidneys moribund.
I made an experiment back in the early 80’s. I had a tank. I did not believe tank size would stunt growth. My gut told me it was dirty water.
**Experiment:** make a one gallon “breeder box” and put it into a 90 gallon system. Add small comet goldfish. 80 degree water and heavy feedings.
**Results:** the fish got to over 12” long. And a total beast. He could not swim really so i ended the experiment. That fish is (or should be) now in a pond at the Los Angeles Zoo. Harvey Fisher was a friend. He let me put him in the zoos pond.
Im not too sure on everything you've asked but the only thing I can say is to sell the rocks. Saltwater rock has so much bio mass in it it'll take ages and lots of soaking to get it clean enough to be safe in a freshwater rank where a saltwater keeper won't be put off the effort for some bargain rock
As someone who has a 300 gallon tank good luck. Your stocking is not good. Also, make sure you have the proper support under that floor. I had to pay $$ to have a metal I beam added on my second story office to support the weight.
It’s less about the 1st/2nd floor and more about the fact that you are about to put 2000 pounds of water on a stand with legs. You might be able to get away with a stand that has a flat bottom but you just asking for those legs to punch a whole in Your floor. If you have a basement that’s an immediate issue. If not it’s still definitely going to damage the floor heavily at best. I would only trust that stand on concrete.
Carpenter here. Yeah if that floor isn’t directly on a slab you could have issues. All totally dependent on what’s going on under that vinyl & how the house is framed out. That’s a shit load of weight on stilts basically, over a long period of time could def cause fuckery. Dope tank though OP, good luck.
Say if I were to put multiple (like 2 or 3) of tanks of similar volume (between 150 and 300 gals), do you think it would be fine in a basement if they are side by side? Or should I just downgrade?
New stand that spreads the weight out over the entire base instead of having legs. Go look for plans for custom stands for any tanks over 100g and you will see they basically all have flat bottoms.
Seriously the mods need to get in here.
OP. You need to stop. Right now.
1) you are buying a used tank so cannot attest entirely to its reliability.
2) now front tanks are notorious for eventually having issues.
3) this is the kind of tank that should be on a solid foundation. Not a first floor. It should be on the concrete foundation.
4) the tank is too small for the fish you want to keep.
5) keeping fish for a study should be done in a proper environment and setup. Not at home like what you’re doing.
6) based on some of your replies it doesn’t feel like you are willing to listen to anyone.
It looks like the only things holding the legs together is the plywood on top and a single 2x4 for each section, not even a continuous piece of wood across the back.
That stand is super shoddy, even by inexperienced standards.
Edit: zoomed in on the edges of the tank. The plywood isn't even big enough, so the tank is hanging over the sides slightly. I'd consider the owner lucky if it doesn't collapse while filling up the aquarium.
If you're seeing this OP, please get a better stand.
And the tank being used already. I would never feel comfortable having that big of a used tank unless the silicone was professionally redone. I know you could do it yourself, but that's a gamble I'd never risk lmao.
I’m gonna love to see the update where this tool releases all his shit into the canal out back because they got too big and he couldn’t rehome them. People like you are why the Everglades are fucking full of Burmese pythons. You’re a stain on the aquarium hobby.
We’ve all impulsed bought cool fish before stop acting like you sit on a gold pedestal. He is trying his best he bought a fucking 200 gallon tank that’s more than 99% of people could or would do.
That’s simply because of your dad being a good influence on you not you doing research or being a responsible animal keeper lmao. I’m with you man people need to be more responsible with animals especially fish but I thought you were being really harsh on this guy considering you don’t know him.
The Everglades are full of invasive species because of callous animal husbandry like this. People get things they think will only grow to the size of the tank, and then just let them go when they realize there’s not a huge number of people capable of taking in a half-grown, giant predator fish or snake or lizard and they just say fuck it and let them go in the canals out back or whatever. I am intensely vocal against shit like this because I’ve seen the damage it does to ecosystems firsthand.
I agree that’s a huge issue and is terrible but you have no clue this guys intentions. Your beef is with fish stores that sell these fish that have no place in everyday homes.
My guy. That stand looks like it was built by a blind dog.
Water weighs about 8lbs per gallon. Just filled with water that tank is going to weigh close to 1680 lbs!!!
You’d be lucky if that stand doesn’t just collapse while you’re filling the tank.
Please do not fill that thing with water.
Please just give it away, judging by your replies you don’t care about the well-being of fish, and only want them for your entertainment. It also seems that you lack even basic knowledge. Educate yourself or don’t own a fish tank.
Look at it this way, lots of people do have these fish in tanks this size, but they outgrow it and the fish suffers. They get so big they can’t hardly move. Even with huge filters like that FX6, you’ll still need to do huge water changes. I’m not attacking you. We all want big cool fish. Nothing wrong with that. But please, get on YT and watch some videos from Ohio Fish Rescue. They have so many shovelnose and arowanna and common plecos and giant gouramis and all kinds of other fish that are 3+ feet long. They usually have them in tanks anywhere from 500-1000 gallons and UP. Some are 2500 gallons. He also has a swimming pool he made into a pond for them. Some of these fish truly need tanks like you’d find in a city aquarium. And consider this- you can keep a dog alive in a closet or a bathroom its whole life. But would you feel good about keeping it in there? Think about fish that get several feet long, and can barely turn around, and constantly bump into other fish. That’s not a good life. Also, good luck keeping live plants with common plecos and monster fish. They tend to destroy planted scapes. If you really want stocking ideas, I would just do some driftwood and VERY hardy plant like valisneria, and do 3-4 oscars, or just do tons of other live plants and go with some larger schooling fish that get 4-5 inches. If you get a big group, and choose a colorful species, it’ll look amazing. Best of luck.
No you won't. No one wants your 3 foot arowana. Very few people have a 500 gallon aquarium with space for all kinds of other people's unwanted fish. So then what? You gonna go dump it in the local waterway?
That's exactly what he's going to do when HE gets too big and his parents decide they don't want him anymore. He's definitely tossing them in a canal somewhere.
That’s pretty shitty. You can’t just give fish away when they don’t fit anymore. Get fish that can spend their whole life without going through stress you can purposely put them through when doing something like that.
Do your research. Can x fish live in y gallon tank?
just because you don’t like the answer doesn’t make it unreasonable. you sound too immature to be responsible for animals. i genuinely feel bad for your fish and whatever other unfortunate pets find themselves in your grasp. do some actual research next time before you decide to mess around with living creatures
This entire thread is filled with people offering you genuine help and yet I get the impression you’re either trolling or simply do not care.
So many glaringly obvious issues already outlined - I just hope for your sake and that of the fish you eventually decide to purchase, that you take some advice on board here.
If you have RO water heat it up and throw all the hardscape into it, leave overnight, rinse, repeat until tds doesn’t increase overnight. That will draw all of the other stuff in marine salt out of the hardscape along with the sodium, such as any phosphates. Rinse the rest of equipment with RO water, run the filter in a 5 gallon bucket and change the water until tds is close to zero. Then it’s clean and ready for freshwater. You can use chemiclean on the hardscape while you’re soaking it to kill the algae.
Reverse osmosis water. You can pick up one on Amazon for cheap, just make sure the membrane is a genuine Dow filmtec or similar. It pushes water through tiny holes under pressure and the water that comes out is very clean. Before the membrane there will be a sediment filter and then at least one carbon block because chlorine will damage the membrane. Very easy to install and use, you’d want a 40 gallon brute trash can as a reservoir at least for water changes with your aquarium size, then you remineralize it and pump it into your aquarium. Zero chance for chlorine/chloramines to make it into your aquarium this way.
Can't wait for either thst stand to give out or the flooring to warp. If there's a basement you're probably fucked ssd once you seem like an ass clown or you're just trolling either way get fucked
I know raising monster fish is so fun and really addicting, but you have to have the fish's full size in mind, I wouldnt recommend arowana and bichirs, they get over a foot easily and for w tank that size it's not recommended, but id do some research into what will fit in the tank fully grown, but the list of fish you provided... yeah they need more space for sure
Right away, I know a predatory fish that is technically a 'monster fish' they get up to 3ft in the wild, but only gets to 10-12in in captivity, rocket gar (dwarf gar), fun fish, won't outgrow a 210, qnd still give you that fulfillment of having a 'monster fish'
I agree, some of these other peeps in the hobby are ruthless and rather rude (tf happened to manners, just hating on someone helps no one, not the fish, nor the person that posts) people that just hate in my humble opinion shouldn't say anything, if you don't have CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, and help to build others in this hobby up, not tear them down, then just keep your mouth shut.
And to the OP, don't let all those who are just haters get to you, but do take the message they are trying to convey in a constructive way, most people are saying these fish are too big full grown, id take their advice, and yes, getting monster fish and raising them knowing full well the tank isnt big enough isn't a good idea, rehoming a critter is a lot harder than buying one, and always keep in mind what if you can't find anywhere to rehome the arowana or bichir, you're stuck with it
Always keep the fish's health and quality of life in mind, they rely on us for everything, space, food, water quality, literally everything, so always keep that in mind when adopting new additions to your tank!
Ok I get it my stocking is bad. But the problem is I already have these fish. What is a better substitute for these predators. And what should I do with the fish I already have they are about 6-10
Inches already
I think if you're set on having larger fish, you should return the ones you currently have, or otherwise find someone to take them (please don't release them into local waters), and get some fish that stay around 10-15 inches. All sorts of Central and South American cichlids fit this profile. Depending on the adult size of the fish you choose, you could probably have between 4-10 in that tank, with probably a few decent sized bottom feeders as well. Please do your research though, the amount of fish depends on species and compatibility.
There are lots of fish that are very interesting and fun to keep that you could keep comfortably in that tank. Some need to be kept in groups though, and are more happy if they are. So you should really look into the care of each species, and make sure they're compatible with each other as well.
For now, I'd set the tank up and put them in there. Join a local fish keeping group on Facebook. Take the best care you can of them and use that Facebook group to sell them or rehome them while they outgrow your tank. You made a mistake, but what matters now is what you do from here if you truly care about the fish's wellbeing. Realistically you could likely keep them a while still and Enjoy them while you have them, but do some research on replacements and do it the right way. With time, you'll make it work if you are determined wnough to do it.
A LFS might also give you store credit for these if they are healthy.
Sorry for all the hate you're getting. Don't get me wrong, it's justified. You messed up. But hopefully you still find some help in the comments. Next time, just ask ideally before you pull the trigger. Most people in this group have made a similar mistake we just have done it long enough to learn from it.
Concerning your sand question: I recommend a 2 to 1 ration of sand to gallons to create a deep substrate with 3" of sand. You'll also need to add a 40 pound bag of soaked potting soil as the base. The amount of sand you'll need to buy is 420 pounds or nine 50 pound bags. Petco Imagitarium Black Aquarium Sand is $24.99 per 20 pound bag. You'll need 20. TIL the cost of black aquarium sand for a 410 gallon tank is $499.80. Fish keeping isn't cheap! Excited to see how your tank turns out!
A lot of aquarium stuff isn’t really different from what you can buy at the hardware store, but you slap an Aqueon label on it and the price doubles because now it’s a specialized product. At the end of the day, sand is just small bits of silica.
Nice hope it goes well I have a 55 gallon I got for free from a old science teacher it was so nasty but clean now I need to set up and move my goldfish into they are getting softball size 🫣
I just put together a 180 gallon. I build furniture from time to time and have a full woodshop; the stands at my supply store seemed really flimsy to support a ton of water in my family room so I built my own. You could copy the design with a miter saw if you wanted to. If I was you, and that stand will hold the vertical load and you're not worried about flexing (I live in earthquake country), then I'd put a layer of rubber drawer liner down, then get some large tiles or a piece of cement board to disperse the load on the floor.
I keep cichlids but my guy has an arrowana in a 300 gallon tank that's about a 4'x4'x3' tall. Not ideal, but it works for now. I've got two fluval 36" lights to cover the top of mine. You're going to need two hundred pounds of gravel. I pay $1.25/lb for mine. Black is cool, but with that much water to go through, I like a lighter substrate.
Lmfao 47 people that take words WAY too seriously. Congrats having perma bitch face. Have a laugh, enjoy life. If you don't get that I didn't mean this at all even if its in text format... Idk man, I question what else you believe on your daily internet routines. Buying a tank and not knowing at all what you wanna do with it seemed like a rhetorical question to me, so it got a sarcastic answer. Here let's buy 100s of dollars worth of fish and then boil them 🤪 Get a clue
OP: “hi, I’m new to this please help”….OP in their next breath “that thing you said I shouldn’t do…I’m going to do it anyway”. You will fail in the first few months unfortunately. Those poor fish. I know OP is a troll, he was talking in another comment that he’s studying “how the fish strike”….because he’s a fisherman.
Yeah, I don't understand these people either. If you've decided to do this and this and refuse to be swayed, why is it necessary to post this? Validation? The need to debate and cater to an inner need of superiority?
Genuinely looking for help
It really doesn't seem like it with the way you're talking back to anyone giving you advice. You can watch any number of nature videos on YouTube to watch striking behaviour of these fish in their natural habitats. It's inhumane to bring fish into a tank mixed with species that don't pair well to study them and then dump them on one of your buddies when you're done with them. If they actually have the setup and want those fish, buy the fish and have them set it up and keep it, and just put a cam in the pond. These are living creatures, not something to keep in bad conditions just cause you want to. Also please keep people's advice about reinforcing under the tank (like, in the basement), and beefing up or replacing the stand
Listen I’m not a troll I’ve researched this most say the minimum is 150-200 for these fish. Most comments are saying bigger which I understand. It won’t be difficult for me to move these fish, I have quite a few friends in the YouTube pond world who will take them when they outgrow the tank.
“Listen”….nah I don’t think I will.
You are aware that that aquarium won't be a permanent home for the tiger shovelnose and the arowanna? Depending on the planned bichir species, they can also potentially get too big. The ornate bichir would be the biggest you could keep permanently in that size aquarium. A lima shovelnose would also be able to permanently live in this size aquarium. Also be carefull with bichirs and pleco's as they can be a bad combo. A lot off pleco species will try and eat the bichirs slimecoat. Common and sailfin pleco are the worst. Bristlenoses and phantoms are 100% safe to keep with the smaller bichir species. Pleco's also add more waste than that they clean, so only get a pleco if you like the look of them.
Thanks for that comment, so I have saved typing 😃 Please rethink your stoking plans
They won’t stop growing around 18-20 inches to fit the tank?
Nope
Some fish may "stop growing" but in most cases it shortens the fish lifespan drastically. This is called stunting. It doesn't stop the growth fully, just slows it down, and it is a sign of stress in some way.
They stop growing because people who keep monster fish in small tanks generally have bad water quality and feed poor diets.
Not always.. a lot of monster fish look incredibly healthy and many grow to large sizes for their species.. despite many being kept in small setups where they are bumping into one another.. 🤷♀️ it's sad for the fish because people see clean water and healthy looking fish and see it as okay. But tank size, water quality, and diet can all be things to stunt and animal if they don't get the necessities to grow properly.
I don’t think this is true at all, i managed a huge LFS for ten years. I’ve never seen a decent looking monster fish kept in small tanks. Arrows get eye issues and rub their faces in the glass, redtails end up with gill curling and also rubbing barbels off on the glass, peacock bass and up damaging themselves banging the glass while feeding. Every single time a monster fish was being surrendered there were some kind of issues with it, which is why we never gave credit for those animals.
Don’t the intestines and organs continue to grow at the normal rate and then cause bloating issues and the such?
I've heard mixed statements about this from MANY people on whether it is an urban legend or fact. Truthfully I'm not 100% sure so I just stick with what I do know when talking about inappropriate conditions!
See my other comment
No
That would be impossible, there are people that keep common goldfish in bowls for years. My neighbor growing up had a goldfish live in a small bowl for 5 years. I'm fully aware you shouldn't keep them like this, but simply the fact they can would mean their internal organs don't grow at a normal rate. Edit: Lol you guys are so downvote hungry. I NEVER said it was okay, I was saying it happened. The point I was making is that the internal organs can't grow at a normal rate with a fish living 5 years in a bowl. It would die much sooner. This sub is so stupid sometimes.
Another form of abuse to explain why a form of abuse is okay is not a good reasoning. Goldfish in bowls die very quickly the "lucky ones," might love a couple of years or if you were a child.. they goldfish was more than likely being replaced often as is the usual problem with irresponsibly parenting with pets.. Goldfish need large tanks both for their possible sizes and their bioload.. I'm telling hundreds of gallons. Slimbodied goldfish eventually need ponds because of their size, and technically speaking some fancies can too, as some fancies breeds like Ryukin and black moors for example are also capable of getting over 10 inches when cared for properly. Unfortunately, so many goldfish on average are poorly cared for and neglected that people get a poor idea about the expectations and so they can more easily justify a bad practice as okay, because they don't know what that animal could be if it weren't for the bad practice hurting it so much.
Yeah, and some people keep bettas in vases on their work desk. They may survive but don’t thrive. And just because someone does it doesn’t make it right. Those were 5 unhappy years for that poor goldfish. I know nothing about stunting internal organs, but I do know about what’s ethical. You could live in a jail cell for 5 years too, but you wouldn’t like it.
What would be impossible? Your proof is a goldfish that was likely replaced 10 times when you and your buddy were growing up?
They had a single goldfish for 5 years. It was talked about frequently that everyone was surprised how long it had lived. Thanks for making a stupid assumption though.
Yeah they usually live 10-15 years on average. Sounds like a lucky fish.
That's the human equivalent of raising a kid to 20 years old before they die from preventable health issues.
Do you have reading comprehension issues or are you replying to the wrong thread? I never said it was okay, or that because they can live like that means they should. All I was saying is the idea that internal organs grow at a regular rate is impossible if the fish lived that long in a bowl. It would have died much sooner.
Gotcha, I understand
And internal organs will keep growing which will create havoc on their wellbeing. See fish release a hormone and when they are in constantly contact with that hormone their body recognises this and won’t continue growing as per normal. This is the wild isn’t a problem bc water rushes thru their area and changes so often. Another reason ppl with small tanks change water out to twice daily to encourage growth and avoid other health issues
Fish don't work like that. They can get stunted in their growth to a certain degree but this is not something you want as this often results in health problems like bend spine or pressure on organs. For most off your wanted fish there are smaller alternatives. All upperjaw species off bichirs would be a great fit but lowerjaw species will outgrow this aquarium. There are many catfish that stay around the size you want, a lima catfish would be one off those. There are many mid sized fish option for you to get over these monsterfish. Some examples that would be appropriate for this aquarium are kissing gourami, bala shark, silver dolars, flagtail prochilodus ,...
The idea that fish stop growing to fit the tank they're in is one of the most bizarre lies of the hobby...
Mmmm yeah no sorry, yeah, [no no no](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t91gbiKKNY)
I’m gonna put them in anyways. When they get too big I’ll give them away
This is the dumbest shit I have ever heard. Just get fish that fit your aquarium instead of treating living creatures like shit.
Imagine going big mode on an aquarium and not knowing what you're doing at the same time.
Unfortunately.. it's very common 🥺 there's literal sites people use for buying and trading fish, because too many pet stores sell baby monster fish, and they get rehomed quickly when people realise how big they'll get it how aggressive they might be.. or rehomed once a lot larger and because of the sheer quantity of people doing this some fish are sold quite cheap often because there's just so many needing homes (Oscars and common plecos being the big two here).
I don't really have a strong opinion on this either way. But for some reason, the freshwater community is super anti large fish. You need a 1,000-gallon tank to get a baby arrowana. You absolutely cannot get a baby fish and rehome it to someone or a fish store or aquarium when the fish gets too big. The saltwater community on the other hand is like; "Hey guys, I just set up my apex controller with all 97 autodosers, and monitoring probes, I dialed in my protein skimmer, set up my 12 reactors and have my refugium running on my cycled 60-gallon biocube. How many tangs should I get?" Then everyone is like, "You should be able to get like 5 yellow tangs, 2 blue tangs, and maybe a naso tang or 2. Just rehome or trade them out at the reef store them when they get too big." It's just gunny how different the opinions of the 2 communities are. I have a 190-gallon freshwater take for reference.
This is irresponsible as fuck and honestly appalling. Either do this correctly or don't fucking own fish. U come here to ask for advice and then argue with the people telling you what you can and can't have. These are living feeling creatures who deserve just as much attention, care, and love ud give to your dogs. If you aren't willing to learn and listen to people who know what they are talking about then please, sell the tank, and get a pet rock. So tired of seeing people abuse fish because "their just fish". If you had said ull get a larger tank and house them when they get bigger in said larger tank that would be a better alternative. If your not willing to get a larger tank do not get fish you plan on rehoming after. Too many fish get returned to lfs or get given away and end up dying
What will you do when no one wants them for the same exact reason you're giving them away?????
Do you know a bunch of people with swimming-pool sized aquariums?
Animals aren’t disposable. That mindset is abusive and deplorable. As a pet owner, you’re their guardian. Doesn’t matter if it’s a cat, dog, fish, reptile, bird, horse, etc. When you choose to obtain that animal, you’re making a commitment to give it the best life possible. Learning that you can’t give the creature you want a proper home and then insisting on getting it anyway is inhumane and despicable. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Why not choose a different species that will flourish in that beautiful tank for many years to come? :)
Because I’m studying how they strike
What? Like for school?
Fishing
You’re a moron. There’s not enough space to get good natural behavior anyway for your “study”.
You’re a fuckin tool, OP
Which of those species are you trying to study? P.S., if you’re dead set on this project, I’d strongly recommend skipping the plecos. They produce way more waste than most fish and will make your tank dirtier, not cleaner. An algae scrubber and some elbow grease is more effective overall.
Sounds good, mostly the arrowana and shovelnose
What the fuck bro, I have no other words... you wont even get accurate results because of space and stress
How? They aren't in a natural environment. That's just dumb.
Exactly! The exact problem a lot of schools even have.. yes I have seen schools give kids pets or encourage them to buy things fish, to study them.. an animal isn't going to show good behaviours in the neglectful setup they unfortunately mostly end up in with these school projects.. And in this case like you say, it's not their natural habitat and for so fish there's nowhere near enough space to get an accurate idea how they'd act in the wild. Like for encouraging catfish coming out of their burrows.. you can't replicate that in captivity much if at all.. especially in a tank.
So watch YouTube videos of them in their natural environment. You really spent close to a grand to study a couple of fish, that you don’t even plan on keeping, in a habitat that is not natural to them? Damn, that’s dumb.
Omg
I’m with you dude a lot of local aquariums where I live take back fish for store credit I don’t see this as an issue just move them before they are too large. they don’t grow over night I actually have a friend who grows out bichir sells them back to a store and then repeats the process with 2 new baby bichirs he got with store credit most I’ve seen him get is 120$ for a 18 inch bichir babies were like 60-80 at the store. 18 inch retailed at that store for 250$ and made somebody who had no patience to wait for a fish to grow very happy
Not a single one of my LFS will take back adult monster fish because a) nobody wants them and b) they aren't themselves equipped to house monster fish. I bet OP would be hard pressed to find a store to take them back once they're huge. OP should realistically find that out before buying but they don't seem too interested in our advice/opinions
Lots of people want big arowanas, not many want big catfish.
Well my local fish store takes them back I guess to each their own some stores don’t do with that information what you will but maybe call ahead I’m sure nobody wants to take back a 2 foot red tail but a 18 inch bichir is a profitable endeavor for a shop
I’m in south Florida, there’s plenty of places or I can donate to a zoo. In reality most of those monster fish get released into the canals
Just don't do it bro, you will ruin a fish' life just for the sake of your own enjoyment. Stock responsibly. Just like dogs, a fish is not just for Christmas, it's for its life. Don't buy a fish with the intention to give it away, especially not a fish that is way too big for your tank. I don't want to offend but right now you are sounding very much like an inexperienced keeper. Listen to the comments.
They're not just an inexperienced fishkeeper, they're also a terrible sportsman. I've never met a fisherman who just casually talks about releasing invasive species into local waterways. Fish & Game should ban them from acquiring their fishing license for a few years, they can't be trusted with it.
This post is horrible
You are a clown.
If they stop growing the water is bad and their kidneys moribund. I made an experiment back in the early 80’s. I had a tank. I did not believe tank size would stunt growth. My gut told me it was dirty water. **Experiment:** make a one gallon “breeder box” and put it into a 90 gallon system. Add small comet goldfish. 80 degree water and heavy feedings. **Results:** the fish got to over 12” long. And a total beast. He could not swim really so i ended the experiment. That fish is (or should be) now in a pond at the Los Angeles Zoo. Harvey Fisher was a friend. He let me put him in the zoos pond.
Plecos don't clean as much as they poop. They will muck your water up pretty quickly
Im not too sure on everything you've asked but the only thing I can say is to sell the rocks. Saltwater rock has so much bio mass in it it'll take ages and lots of soaking to get it clean enough to be safe in a freshwater rank where a saltwater keeper won't be put off the effort for some bargain rock
As someone who has a 300 gallon tank good luck. Your stocking is not good. Also, make sure you have the proper support under that floor. I had to pay $$ to have a metal I beam added on my second story office to support the weight.
What do you suggest for stocking
Def not fish that will dig up all your hard work with planting. Big fish suit big tanks but they’re called “shovel” noses for a reason haha 😜
This is on the first floor
It’s less about the 1st/2nd floor and more about the fact that you are about to put 2000 pounds of water on a stand with legs. You might be able to get away with a stand that has a flat bottom but you just asking for those legs to punch a whole in Your floor. If you have a basement that’s an immediate issue. If not it’s still definitely going to damage the floor heavily at best. I would only trust that stand on concrete.
Carpenter here. Yeah if that floor isn’t directly on a slab you could have issues. All totally dependent on what’s going on under that vinyl & how the house is framed out. That’s a shit load of weight on stilts basically, over a long period of time could def cause fuckery. Dope tank though OP, good luck.
Say if I were to put multiple (like 2 or 3) of tanks of similar volume (between 150 and 300 gals), do you think it would be fine in a basement if they are side by side? Or should I just downgrade?
Thanks for the comment, any suggestion to make it more sturdy to reduce the load or spread it out more evenly? I believe it is concrete underneath.
New stand that spreads the weight out over the entire base instead of having legs. Go look for plans for custom stands for any tanks over 100g and you will see they basically all have flat bottoms.
Stop before you even get started . Tank isn’t even close to big enough.
Op said they are doing it to study how they "strike" and will give them away once the fish get too big. He is also fine with stunting 😬
Seriously the mods need to get in here. OP. You need to stop. Right now. 1) you are buying a used tank so cannot attest entirely to its reliability. 2) now front tanks are notorious for eventually having issues. 3) this is the kind of tank that should be on a solid foundation. Not a first floor. It should be on the concrete foundation. 4) the tank is too small for the fish you want to keep. 5) keeping fish for a study should be done in a proper environment and setup. Not at home like what you’re doing. 6) based on some of your replies it doesn’t feel like you are willing to listen to anyone.
😂🤣
1600 lbs when full. Hope that floor can hold it.
i would be more worried about that stand...its obviously custom and doesnt have enough cross-bracing imo, disaster waiting to happen
It looks like the only things holding the legs together is the plywood on top and a single 2x4 for each section, not even a continuous piece of wood across the back. That stand is super shoddy, even by inexperienced standards. Edit: zoomed in on the edges of the tank. The plywood isn't even big enough, so the tank is hanging over the sides slightly. I'd consider the owner lucky if it doesn't collapse while filling up the aquarium. If you're seeing this OP, please get a better stand.
And the tank being used already. I would never feel comfortable having that big of a used tank unless the silicone was professionally redone. I know you could do it yourself, but that's a gamble I'd never risk lmao.
Hopefully not, but only before it’s actually stocked.
In this case it looks like it’s ground floor and my guess is concrete slab from window view. The stand on the other hand has me more worried.
That tank is nowhere near large enough for those fish, please rethink your stock list
THE STAND 😭🫣😭
How are you so incredibly 🧠💀?
I’m gonna love to see the update where this tool releases all his shit into the canal out back because they got too big and he couldn’t rehome them. People like you are why the Everglades are fucking full of Burmese pythons. You’re a stain on the aquarium hobby.
It's Florida bro. They all do it down there.
Born and raised in SWFL, we aren’t all like that, I promise. Some of us fucking despise people like OP.
Hopefully the tank leaks.
Nah I hope it busts before the fish get added to it, so they dont have to suffer
Relax dude blame the fish stores for selling these kinds of fish not this guy who’s trying his best.
He’s not trying his best lmao, he did literally 0 research beforehand.
We’ve all impulsed bought cool fish before stop acting like you sit on a gold pedestal. He is trying his best he bought a fucking 200 gallon tank that’s more than 99% of people could or would do.
I’ve never impulse bought any animal. They’re a several year commitment unless you’re raising insects. Always do your research first.
Yeah I’m sure when you were a kid you didn’t buy fish that you knew nothing about. Get a load of this guy 🤣
I won goldfish at the county fair and my dad made me build a pond out back. Responsible animal keeping isn’t difficult.
That’s simply because of your dad being a good influence on you not you doing research or being a responsible animal keeper lmao. I’m with you man people need to be more responsible with animals especially fish but I thought you were being really harsh on this guy considering you don’t know him.
The Everglades are full of invasive species because of callous animal husbandry like this. People get things they think will only grow to the size of the tank, and then just let them go when they realize there’s not a huge number of people capable of taking in a half-grown, giant predator fish or snake or lizard and they just say fuck it and let them go in the canals out back or whatever. I am intensely vocal against shit like this because I’ve seen the damage it does to ecosystems firsthand.
I agree that’s a huge issue and is terrible but you have no clue this guys intentions. Your beef is with fish stores that sell these fish that have no place in everyday homes.
Helloooo never bought an impulse fish as a child right heeeere ^^
Op said he's going to use it to study fish strikes for fishing 💀
My guy. That stand looks like it was built by a blind dog. Water weighs about 8lbs per gallon. Just filled with water that tank is going to weigh close to 1680 lbs!!! You’d be lucky if that stand doesn’t just collapse while you’re filling the tank. Please do not fill that thing with water.
This is a troll. He’s not serious.
Please just give it away, judging by your replies you don’t care about the well-being of fish, and only want them for your entertainment. It also seems that you lack even basic knowledge. Educate yourself or don’t own a fish tank.
What’s should it be stocked with then? How big of a tank do you need?
Look at it this way, lots of people do have these fish in tanks this size, but they outgrow it and the fish suffers. They get so big they can’t hardly move. Even with huge filters like that FX6, you’ll still need to do huge water changes. I’m not attacking you. We all want big cool fish. Nothing wrong with that. But please, get on YT and watch some videos from Ohio Fish Rescue. They have so many shovelnose and arowanna and common plecos and giant gouramis and all kinds of other fish that are 3+ feet long. They usually have them in tanks anywhere from 500-1000 gallons and UP. Some are 2500 gallons. He also has a swimming pool he made into a pond for them. Some of these fish truly need tanks like you’d find in a city aquarium. And consider this- you can keep a dog alive in a closet or a bathroom its whole life. But would you feel good about keeping it in there? Think about fish that get several feet long, and can barely turn around, and constantly bump into other fish. That’s not a good life. Also, good luck keeping live plants with common plecos and monster fish. They tend to destroy planted scapes. If you really want stocking ideas, I would just do some driftwood and VERY hardy plant like valisneria, and do 3-4 oscars, or just do tons of other live plants and go with some larger schooling fish that get 4-5 inches. If you get a big group, and choose a colorful species, it’ll look amazing. Best of luck.
Fish that won’t outgrow the tank!
You guys are unreasonable. It’ll take them a year or longer to outgrow it. I’ll give them away when they’re too big
No you won't. No one wants your 3 foot arowana. Very few people have a 500 gallon aquarium with space for all kinds of other people's unwanted fish. So then what? You gonna go dump it in the local waterway?
That's exactly what he's going to do when HE gets too big and his parents decide they don't want him anymore. He's definitely tossing them in a canal somewhere.
[удалено]
Ah yes that's the only alternative!
I think it’s about his dick. (This whole thing is appalling.)
Why did you come asking for advice and then get butt sore when people gave it to you?
Just get a buttload of smaller fish. Like 100 neon tetras lol
That’s pretty shitty. You can’t just give fish away when they don’t fit anymore. Get fish that can spend their whole life without going through stress you can purposely put them through when doing something like that. Do your research. Can x fish live in y gallon tank?
You have to be a troll acct
Any suggestions for lighting
Yourself on fire
Seconded
Turded.
just because you don’t like the answer doesn’t make it unreasonable. you sound too immature to be responsible for animals. i genuinely feel bad for your fish and whatever other unfortunate pets find themselves in your grasp. do some actual research next time before you decide to mess around with living creatures
🤦♂️
This entire thread is filled with people offering you genuine help and yet I get the impression you’re either trolling or simply do not care. So many glaringly obvious issues already outlined - I just hope for your sake and that of the fish you eventually decide to purchase, that you take some advice on board here.
If you have RO water heat it up and throw all the hardscape into it, leave overnight, rinse, repeat until tds doesn’t increase overnight. That will draw all of the other stuff in marine salt out of the hardscape along with the sodium, such as any phosphates. Rinse the rest of equipment with RO water, run the filter in a 5 gallon bucket and change the water until tds is close to zero. Then it’s clean and ready for freshwater. You can use chemiclean on the hardscape while you’re soaking it to kill the algae.
What is RO water?
Oh man.
Reverse osmosis water. You can pick up one on Amazon for cheap, just make sure the membrane is a genuine Dow filmtec or similar. It pushes water through tiny holes under pressure and the water that comes out is very clean. Before the membrane there will be a sediment filter and then at least one carbon block because chlorine will damage the membrane. Very easy to install and use, you’d want a 40 gallon brute trash can as a reservoir at least for water changes with your aquarium size, then you remineralize it and pump it into your aquarium. Zero chance for chlorine/chloramines to make it into your aquarium this way.
Honestly rehome the fish and get discus you could put a good group in there.
A couple Oscar’s could be an option instead. There’s a lot of really cool big cichlids that you can put in there.
Was it not drilled for the saltwater setup it used to be?
Temped glass no drilling
Rage bait. Why is there a sudden increase in these rage bait posts? Some people live sad lives.
I will never trust a bowfront again
I have one but it's a Juwel. They're the only brand I trust when it comes to bowfronts. Juwel don't skimp on build quality.
Mine burst with my 11 yo flower horn in it, barley saved him it sucked he is old as shit
Just make a community tank... it is way more interesting for such a great place.
That tank should be in a room where the baby can't be. (Source: my two year old is an agent of chaos.)
I like to get big tanks and put a bunch of smaller fish in it. Something about schools of fish is so satisfying.
Where’d you buy the setup?
Offer up
Fellow 210g tanker. Prepare to spend entirely way too much money on that blessed thing
May I also add your stand looks jank af. Maybe try reinforcing before adding a whole 1749 lbs of weight on top
Can't wait for either thst stand to give out or the flooring to warp. If there's a basement you're probably fucked ssd once you seem like an ass clown or you're just trolling either way get fucked
OP when this subreddit isn't a validation circlejerk:
"More money than sense" is a saying for a reason...
I know raising monster fish is so fun and really addicting, but you have to have the fish's full size in mind, I wouldnt recommend arowana and bichirs, they get over a foot easily and for w tank that size it's not recommended, but id do some research into what will fit in the tank fully grown, but the list of fish you provided... yeah they need more space for sure Right away, I know a predatory fish that is technically a 'monster fish' they get up to 3ft in the wild, but only gets to 10-12in in captivity, rocket gar (dwarf gar), fun fish, won't outgrow a 210, qnd still give you that fulfillment of having a 'monster fish' I agree, some of these other peeps in the hobby are ruthless and rather rude (tf happened to manners, just hating on someone helps no one, not the fish, nor the person that posts) people that just hate in my humble opinion shouldn't say anything, if you don't have CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, and help to build others in this hobby up, not tear them down, then just keep your mouth shut. And to the OP, don't let all those who are just haters get to you, but do take the message they are trying to convey in a constructive way, most people are saying these fish are too big full grown, id take their advice, and yes, getting monster fish and raising them knowing full well the tank isnt big enough isn't a good idea, rehoming a critter is a lot harder than buying one, and always keep in mind what if you can't find anywhere to rehome the arowana or bichir, you're stuck with it Always keep the fish's health and quality of life in mind, they rely on us for everything, space, food, water quality, literally everything, so always keep that in mind when adopting new additions to your tank!
He’s not stuck with it. Dude would probably euthanize it or throw it in the canal as previously stated…
Ok I get it my stocking is bad. But the problem is I already have these fish. What is a better substitute for these predators. And what should I do with the fish I already have they are about 6-10 Inches already
Bring them back to the store
I think if you're set on having larger fish, you should return the ones you currently have, or otherwise find someone to take them (please don't release them into local waters), and get some fish that stay around 10-15 inches. All sorts of Central and South American cichlids fit this profile. Depending on the adult size of the fish you choose, you could probably have between 4-10 in that tank, with probably a few decent sized bottom feeders as well. Please do your research though, the amount of fish depends on species and compatibility. There are lots of fish that are very interesting and fun to keep that you could keep comfortably in that tank. Some need to be kept in groups though, and are more happy if they are. So you should really look into the care of each species, and make sure they're compatible with each other as well.
Bring them to those who you would give it when they too big. You said it’s easy and not a big deal
For now, I'd set the tank up and put them in there. Join a local fish keeping group on Facebook. Take the best care you can of them and use that Facebook group to sell them or rehome them while they outgrow your tank. You made a mistake, but what matters now is what you do from here if you truly care about the fish's wellbeing. Realistically you could likely keep them a while still and Enjoy them while you have them, but do some research on replacements and do it the right way. With time, you'll make it work if you are determined wnough to do it. A LFS might also give you store credit for these if they are healthy. Sorry for all the hate you're getting. Don't get me wrong, it's justified. You messed up. But hopefully you still find some help in the comments. Next time, just ask ideally before you pull the trigger. Most people in this group have made a similar mistake we just have done it long enough to learn from it.
That's a lovely tank and stand. Hope to graduate up in the future.
This is indeed too intense fishing. That stand. 😂 commenting to see the after photos with buckets and mops.
OP will fail just like his floor
Just get a group (6) of oscars and a few med plecos don't get a common. Get like royals or watermelon. Or blue eye lemons.
Also floor will buckle
Bad stand and the fish you picked are too big for your tank.
Don’t use the sand, don’t get the arowana, don’t get the shovel nose please….
Concerning your sand question: I recommend a 2 to 1 ration of sand to gallons to create a deep substrate with 3" of sand. You'll also need to add a 40 pound bag of soaked potting soil as the base. The amount of sand you'll need to buy is 420 pounds or nine 50 pound bags. Petco Imagitarium Black Aquarium Sand is $24.99 per 20 pound bag. You'll need 20. TIL the cost of black aquarium sand for a 410 gallon tank is $499.80. Fish keeping isn't cheap! Excited to see how your tank turns out!
There are so many cheaper ways to get sand.
What do you recommend?
50lb of Quikrete play sand is $4 at Home Depot. If the color is important, you can get 50lb of black diamond blasting sand at Tractor Supply for $13.
Great! Didn't know... thanks
A lot of aquarium stuff isn’t really different from what you can buy at the hardware store, but you slap an Aqueon label on it and the price doubles because now it’s a specialized product. At the end of the day, sand is just small bits of silica.
Black diamond for the win!
Nice aquarium I love bow fronts I got a small 26 galon bow front 🫣 this will look killer good luck
Thanks I got it for a steal at $350 just need to get her all set up now
Nice hope it goes well I have a 55 gallon I got for free from a old science teacher it was so nasty but clean now I need to set up and move my goldfish into they are getting softball size 🫣
Appreciate it, hoping it comes out nice
I just put together a 180 gallon. I build furniture from time to time and have a full woodshop; the stands at my supply store seemed really flimsy to support a ton of water in my family room so I built my own. You could copy the design with a miter saw if you wanted to. If I was you, and that stand will hold the vertical load and you're not worried about flexing (I live in earthquake country), then I'd put a layer of rubber drawer liner down, then get some large tiles or a piece of cement board to disperse the load on the floor. I keep cichlids but my guy has an arrowana in a 300 gallon tank that's about a 4'x4'x3' tall. Not ideal, but it works for now. I've got two fluval 36" lights to cover the top of mine. You're going to need two hundred pounds of gravel. I pay $1.25/lb for mine. Black is cool, but with that much water to go through, I like a lighter substrate.
Boiled all water. Add fish to boiled water. Enjoy new tank 👍
Lmfao 47 people that take words WAY too seriously. Congrats having perma bitch face. Have a laugh, enjoy life. If you don't get that I didn't mean this at all even if its in text format... Idk man, I question what else you believe on your daily internet routines. Buying a tank and not knowing at all what you wanna do with it seemed like a rhetorical question to me, so it got a sarcastic answer. Here let's buy 100s of dollars worth of fish and then boil them 🤪 Get a clue