Large Native Tank

I have some fish friends in europe that have tanks that require them to climb in to lean them. They are pleco guys. It is very neat. here is a link to one large tank.

http://www.planetcat...php?f=5&t=32680

That tank makes me sad. It's got no substrate or plant life, just a bare concrete floor. Wouldn't something with a bit of life be more interesting? Like Mr. Amano's giant angelfish aquarium.



versus this 50,000 gallon aquarium with no substrate or plants
(mute it and skip a minute in for finished pictures)


I'd rather have the Amano tank, even though it's smaller.

Edited by EricaWieser, 09 December 2011 - 05:40 PM.

I dreamed about having such a tank in college, and even designed a couple over the years. I thought about having a sculpted cement bottom with smaller patches of substrate for plants and breeding sites. With most "standard" large tanks (150 and up) you try to choose between large fish or large groups of small fish. I yours, you could have large groups of large fish!

I honestly don't know what I would put in it. Good luck, and keep us informed.

P.S. You mentioned shiners. Wow! The number of shiners you could fit in that thing is absolutely mind numbing.

With that tank size their could be a school of fallfish.

That tank makes me sad. It's got no substrate or plant life, just a bare concrete floor. Wouldn't something with a bit of life be more interesting? Like Mr. Amano's giant angelfish aquarium.
I'd rather have the Amano tank, even though it's smaller.

Yep, just a gigantic "fish tank", not an "aquarium". Might as well have clown puke gravel and plastic plants.

Amano's private aquarium is still pretty huge (9000liters/2400gallons, 1.5 x 1.5 x 4.0 meters). Other than maintenance, the biggest problem with huge, DEEP tanks -and- plants is... light. And how do you get it to the plants, five feet down on the bottom?
Amano has 3400w over his tank, plus, a skylight the width of the room and reflective white wall behind the tank. It's considered a "low light" tank. Huge CO2 and fert injection system, too, or he would likely be growing only java moss and anubias, maybe some american vals. Nothing bad about anubias in a low light tank though (other than price), sure beats the crap out of plastic. My enneacanthus tank is STUFFED with anubias sp.

For a huge and deep permanent tank owned by a normal human, probably the most cost effective way to light it economically (for successful plant growth) would be to use 14" solartubes, with the openings as close to the surface as is practical. Then T5s use for evening enjoyment. Reef tank guys use a tube every couple feet of tank length.

Thinking about it, a five foot deep tank with a thick forest of substrate-to-surface vals moving gently in the current would be pretty cool.

Rick

Having never kept trout, I may be missing something here, so I encourage any other opinion on this that appears necessary. You've mentioned 3 separate options; 1)bass and friends, 2)trout, & 3)darters and shiners. You stated that your friend is leaning toward trout but would also like some sunfish. It seems to me that some type of combination of two of these options could be possible. There are many sunfish who's ranges are in areas where either brook trout live or other trout are stocked. Now I realize that the specific habitat needs of a trout and sunfish are sometimes quite different, but the smallmouth bass is a sunfish that thrives in similar habitats as trout. I can't say how they'd get along with each other in a tank, but I know that smallies are caught often by trout anglers in the mountains of West Virginia. These guys are more into the cold swift waters that house trout than most other black basses. Just make sure there's a good lid on the tank. I asked them at Cabela's why they didn't have any smallmouths in their tank. They said they tried a 4 pounder once, but came in the next morning and found it on the floor dead where it had jumped out over night. I know I could train mine to jump out of the water to take food from my hand, but I do everything I can to discourage jumping and also keep the lid down, although I'm sure if he hit it hard enough, he could bust the lid or at least pop it open.

It's not very often I would recommend a fish of this size or appetite to someone, but with that big of a tank it seems like it could work out real nice. I'd love to see a home tank that size stocked with almost any kind of fish. I'd just hate to foot the food bill for them.

Steve.