What To Do With 2nd Tank

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Offline barneyadi

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What to do with 2nd tank
« on: January 21, 2018, 04:28:23 PM »
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So house renovations and move are nearly done, and am on the lookout for a second tank, in the region of 125l. And I am wondering what to put in each tank. I have sand in the bottom of my original tank, should I go a different way, maybe gravel, or stick with sand.
That then brings up the thoughts on fish. Thinking of different types obviously but wondering what I could put in each tank to mix things up. I have soft water if that helps.
Any views/opinions much appreciated.

Offline fcmf

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2018, 04:34:08 PM »
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Before we advise on suitable fish, can I just check that your water hardness is 7.14 degrees Clark and 102 mg CaCO/litre? I found this in a previous post but just wanted to check that this is definitely the water hardness for the place you're moving to?

Offline barneyadi

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2018, 04:44:58 PM »
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Yes, that is what water company tell me on their website, will of course double check myself when some boxes are unpacked.

Offline Sue

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2018, 04:49:43 PM »
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I would go with sand in both tanks simply because it gives more options than if you were to use gravel. I can't think of any fish suitable for your sized tanks that would benefit from gravel over sand.

Will you want to get of the same fish again or would you prefer to get all different? And can you remind us how big the current (empty) tank is?

Offline barneyadi

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2018, 04:55:49 PM »
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Hi

The current tank is 125l  as well, measures 80x30. Second tank will be similar size. Open to all types of fish, would like some colour in the tank. Got plastic plants in current tank, will probably do same in new one unless different fish might like planted tank.

Did have harlequins and pencilfish in old set up.

Offline Matt

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2018, 07:03:32 PM »
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I would be very tempted to make the two tanks different from each other in some way. Or to do a biotope type setup in one. 

A biotope is where all the fish, plants substrate and decor all come from one place in the world and the aim is to recreate that environment as closely as possible.  They can be a real challenge to get right when you are researching them and setting them up but they are not neccessarily a hard style of tank to keep.

Another thought... You can put additives in your water to make it harder if you want to be able to stock fish that you otherwise wouldn't be able to.  That might be an easy way of making one tank different to the other.

I now have a community tank and a dwarf puffer tank for example. Fish that could never be housed together in the same tank. The plants are all different.  The hardscape materials are the same, but the layout very different.

I would recommend setting up both tanks to be relatively low maintenance so as to avoid creating a problem for yourself later down the line.

Offline Littlefish

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2018, 07:11:32 PM »
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There is so much choice open to you.
Are there any particular fish you'd like to have? catfish, cories, or other bottom dwellers? Surface dwellers such as hatchets or panchax?

Offline barneyadi

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2018, 07:59:47 PM »
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I would be very tempted to make the two tanks different from each other in some way. Or to do a biotope type setup in one. 

A biotope is where all the fish, plants substrate and decor all come from one place in the world and the aim is to recreate that environment as closely as possible.  They can be a real challenge to get right when you are researching them and setting them up but they are not neccessarily a hard style of tank to keep.

Another thought... You can put additives in your water to make it harder if you want to be able to stock fish that you otherwise wouldn't be able to.  That might be an easy way of making one tank different to the other.

I now have a community tank and a dwarf puffer tank for example. Fish that could never be housed together in the same tank. The plants are all different.  The hardscape materials are the same, but the layout very different.

I would recommend setting up both tanks to be relatively low maintenance so as to avoid creating a problem for yourself later down the line.

Both ideas are interesting but not sure how I would make my water harder. How would I do that?

Offline Sue

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2018, 08:12:01 PM »
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The best way is by adding remineralisation salts as used by those people who use 100% RO water such as Kent RO Right https://www.kentmarine.com/products/water-care/ro/ or Tropic Marin Re-Mineral Tropic http://www.tropic-marin.com/minerals-bacteria/de-re-mineral-tropic-en-re-mineral-tropic-fr-re-mineral-tropic/?lang=en (Both of these make a marine version too, so be careful).
The main problem is that the salts have to be dosed at exactly the same ratio of salt:water at every water change and you cannot risk running out of the salts so there must be an unopened pack in the cupboard at all times.

Offline Littlefish

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2018, 08:15:06 PM »
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It may also make this slightly more difficult when acclimatising new fish, as the shop will most likely have used local water.
You'd be amazed at how many fish you can keep in your water, so it may not be necessary to harden it.
Have a look around your LFS first, see if anything takes your fancy. 

Offline Matt

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2018, 08:16:35 PM »
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Just to add that whilst they are called salts, they are not salt as in marine tanks but salts (ie crystals) of the minerals found in harder water. @Sue - I'm not sure if my statement above is totally accurate but am I in the right ballpark?

@Littlefish suggestion to look round the LFSs is a good one as is looking at the fish profiles on this site. Let us know what takes your fancy!

Offline barneyadi

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2018, 08:30:10 PM »
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Had a look around at the LFS and seen some fish I have never seen before, but need to make a return visit. In one shop there was a fish names mickey mouse or Minnie mouse, or something very similar. Was thinking of Barbs in one tank as I know they are not a big community fish.

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2018, 08:34:33 PM »
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Barbs should be ok, though I think the Micky mouse thing is a type of Molly which would require hard water.

Offline Littlefish

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2018, 08:38:31 PM »
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Mickey mouse platy? They are quite colourful.
You may have to harden you water a bit for them.

Offline Sue

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2018, 08:45:24 PM »
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Mickey mouse are platies. The dark patches on the caudal peduncle (the bit of the fish that the tail is attached to) look like a sideways Mickey Mouse silhouette. They need hardness 15 to 30 dH. https://www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/fish/tropical/livebearers/micky-mouse-platy/

The barbs depend on the species. Tiger barbs need to be kept on their own because they are so nippy I wouldn't trust them with any other fish; cherry barbs are OK in a community tank; golden barbs need cooler water than most fish and so on.


@Matt, remineralisation salts are indeed the minerals that are found naturally in water, and the more of them there are the harder the water. Fresh water has different salts (ie minerals) from sea water, which is why they make two different types of remineralisation salts.

They are called salts because that is the chemical term for this type of compound. Common salt (the stuff you put on chips) is just one type of salt, sodium chloride.


Offline barneyadi

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2018, 08:55:36 PM »
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The more I read about tetras I definitely want some of them. The penguin and lemon tetras look great.

Offline Littlefish

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2018, 09:05:05 PM »
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I have both and I think they are lovely.
I have lemon tetras in a Fluval Roma 125 (80cm). They are with a BN, some glass blood bloodfins and gold stripe corydoras. The colours/marking on the lemon tetras are lovely.
I have penguin tetras in a 125 with some hatchets, a BN, and black neon tetras. I like the way that penguin tetras hang around slightly nose down, and they are quite active fish.

Yes, I have tanks where the fish are slightly colour co-ordinated; the first tank the fish all have yellow/orange/red colours, and the second tank the fish are all dark/black/silver.  :-[

Offline barneyadi

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2018, 09:07:02 PM »
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I have both and I think they are lovely.
I have lemon tetras in a Fluval Roma 125 (80cm). They are with a BN, some glass blood bloodfins and gold stripe corydoras. The colours/marking on the lemon tetras are lovely.
I have penguin tetras in a 125 with some hatchets, a BN, and black neon tetras. I like the way that penguin tetras hang around slightly nose down, and they are quite active fish.

Yes, I have tanks where the fish are slightly colour co-ordinated; the first tank the fish all have yellow/orange/red colours, and the second tank the fish are all dark/black/silver.  :-[

What is a BN?

Offline Sue

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #18 on: January 21, 2018, 09:14:35 PM »
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Bristlenose, a type of plec. One of the smaller types. http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/fish/bristlenose-plec.html

Offline Littlefish

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Re: What to do with 2nd tank
« Reply #19 on: January 21, 2018, 09:39:24 PM »
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Sorry.
I have Bertie, who is a yellow male, and Harri, who is a standard female.
They had to be put into separate tanks after the egg laying/hatching incident last year - they were at it roughly every 4 weeks, it was crazy.
I think Bertie has some lovely bristles and is a very nice chap. I also like watching him feed on the front glass as the way his mouth moves reminds me of a sock puppet.

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