# Tank idea, comments wanted



## Chris2500DK (Feb 15, 2006)

I current have a salt water tank but I'm thinking about going back to fresh, mostly due to missing cichlid behavour and breeding.

The tank is already in the house so the measurements aren't going to change, I want to work with what I have.

This is the tank









Total measurements are 32" long, 19" wide 16" high. The divider makes the main chamber 24"x19" footprint 16" high (30 gallons) with the smaller chamber being 10 gallons. There's an overflow on top of the divider.
I want to put a Back to Nature slimline background on the divider.









The plan is to put hornwort (Ceratophylum demersum) or waterweed (Egeria densa) in the smaller chamber and put an 18W Power compact bulb over it as a sump. That'll keep nitrates down and should keep algae from the main chamber.

I'll then want to light the main chamber with LED or halogen light to get that ripple effect in the water you get from MH light in salt water.

As for tank inhabitants I'm thinking about going with Tanganyikans. Multies to be more specific, maybe adding a pair of Julidochromis transcriptus. I'd decorate the tank with former live rock from salt water because of the interesting shapes they come in. Of course sand and a lot of shells. Maybe add some dithers as well, like zebra danios.

The other option I'm looking at is to keep a pair of cons, but I'd rather get the smaller fish since the tank isn't all that big.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

When I first saw the tank my reflex was to think "here we go again someone trying to cram fish in a tank too small", but instead I applaud you for your choice of critters. I think this tank will be absolutely gorgeous.

Using the smaller chamber as nitrate reducing refugium type thing is a great idea. What type of filter are you planning to use in conjunction?

That is a very interesting tank. How did you come by something so oddly sizes and shaped?


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

That sounds VERY similar to my biocube. I have multies and transcriptus in it, but you have a significantly better footprint! I can't wait to see photos!


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

I normally prefer CA/SA ... but given the footprint, I'd choose the tangs over the convicts.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Laurel said:


> That sounds VERY similar to my biocube. I have multies and transcriptus in it, but you have a significantly better footprint! I can't wait to see photos!


Ooh! I never thought about doing a small freshwater thing in my 8g Biocube that is just gathering dust in the basement (I upgraded to a 30g BC for my nano reef). Looks like I will have to ask some questions on the Tang and SA forums. Thanks for the idea Laurel!


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

You could probably put a couple multies in it! It would be very cute, but hard to keep stable water parameters.

Splitting the shell bed into 2 by adding a "terrace" of rock would be super cool in a tank like that and would use some of the height to your advantage. Add some Java ferns or small vals and you have yourself a BEAUTIFUL tank!

I think I like planning tanks more than I like actually having them  :lol:


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

My appologies to the OP for hyjacking your thread for a moment.

*Laurel*-I actually already have a multi species tank in my fish room. The first thing that came to mind was a pair of occies, but then my brain chimed in with "its too small for a pair of occies" so now I am thinking of a planted tank with a South American dwarf pair. I have been itching to try something new (all my tanks are Africans (Malawi and Tanganyika and none have real plants) so the SA fish seem so foreign and exotic.


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## Chris2500DK (Feb 15, 2006)

MalawiLover said:


> Using the smaller chamber as nitrate reducing refugium type thing is a great idea. What type of filter are you planning to use in conjunction?


I'll probably put some kind of big sponge filter in the refuge area. I have the room for it, might as well.



MalawiLover said:


> That is a very interesting tank. How did you come by something so oddly sizes and shaped?


I had it custom built, drew it up in SketchUp and contacted my LFS. The measurements were based on the stand and the fact that I didn't want a huge tank. I ended up going with 24" lenght for the main chamber since that fits exactly with 24W T5HO bulbs.


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

I don't think an 8g is big enough for even rams or apistos. I think minimum tank size on those guys is 10g, and a 10 has much more foot space than most cube tanks.


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## F8LBITEva (Nov 9, 2007)

thats going to look awesome, def post pics.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

F8LBITEva said:


> thats going to look awesome, def post pics.


Agreed^^


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