Hello everyone! I now have an open 75 Gallon that I have no clue what I want to do with. I'm not sure if I want to use it for some kind of live food culture (RCS, H. formosa, C. schufeldti, etc.), a breeder tank, a display tank, maybe a paludarium. I honestly have no clue! So, I am curious, what would you do with an extra 75 gallon?
Newly Empty 75 Gallon - What Would You Do?
Started by
Guest_Yeahson421_*
, Jun 27 2014 02:34 PM
10 replies to this topic
#2
littlen
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Posted 27 June 2014 - 03:41 PM
My 75 is a quarantine tank for new fish that will eventually go into my 150. After that, I will be in the same boat as you. Somehow I have to convince my wife in my best Obi Wan voice that, "these are not the droids (fish) you are looking for" when she wonders why the next set of fish look different than the ones currently in there.
With that being said, since I'll likely have to hide my 75 from her in the near future, I might just go with some Blind cave fish---being that I'll have to hide it in the closet and all.
In all seriousness, I am personally leaning towards a soft-bottom, heavily planted, Enneacanthus tank. I have a patent on that idea so you'll have to think of something else.
With that being said, since I'll likely have to hide my 75 from her in the near future, I might just go with some Blind cave fish---being that I'll have to hide it in the closet and all.
In all seriousness, I am personally leaning towards a soft-bottom, heavily planted, Enneacanthus tank. I have a patent on that idea so you'll have to think of something else.
Nick L.
#3
Guest_Sunfish catcher 321_*
Guest_Sunfish catcher 321_*
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Posted 27 June 2014 - 04:58 PM
I would have a bullhead tank with greens.
#4
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 27 June 2014 - 05:29 PM
I think it all depends on what you have already... I really like having a stream tank... if you dont have one, I think you should try it.
next, I would go for a swamp tank... a 75 would be big for Enneacanthus, so you could also add some shiners (maybe Cyprinella leedsi or maybe taillights) and a couple of spotted suckers... create separate micro habitats...
a topminnow tank would be cool too... I have recently seen some Southern Studfish... and a seventy five would be cool for a group of these... with a sand bottom you could also have a hogsucker... than would be a cool sand bottom tank
I don't have a sunfish fetish as some do... but if I already had the above tanks... I might consider a tank of spotted sunfish... I love the blue eye crescent.
next, I would go for a swamp tank... a 75 would be big for Enneacanthus, so you could also add some shiners (maybe Cyprinella leedsi or maybe taillights) and a couple of spotted suckers... create separate micro habitats...
a topminnow tank would be cool too... I have recently seen some Southern Studfish... and a seventy five would be cool for a group of these... with a sand bottom you could also have a hogsucker... than would be a cool sand bottom tank
I don't have a sunfish fetish as some do... but if I already had the above tanks... I might consider a tank of spotted sunfish... I love the blue eye crescent.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#5
Guest_mikez_*
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Posted 28 June 2014 - 09:46 AM
Been daydreamin' for awhile about a big paludarium myself. So much you can do if you like live plants and critters other than fish.
The bulk of my dreamin' seems to go into ideas on incorporating the land feature and the filtration; with maybe even a shallow swampy area with emergant vegetation as the intake end of the land/filter and a waterfall/fastwater area for the filter outflow.
I'd like to lay claim to a patent on the idea but I think the design has been in the public domain for several million years
The bulk of my dreamin' seems to go into ideas on incorporating the land feature and the filtration; with maybe even a shallow swampy area with emergant vegetation as the intake end of the land/filter and a waterfall/fastwater area for the filter outflow.
I'd like to lay claim to a patent on the idea but I think the design has been in the public domain for several million years
#6
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 28 June 2014 - 01:00 PM
I would do the RCS culture. You will have live fish food for all sizes of fish, and plenty of RCS to spread around the forum, and sell on Aquabid. Plus that outdoor pond could use 1000 dumped in every spring.
#7
Guest_Doug_Dame_*
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Posted 28 June 2014 - 05:34 PM
I would do the RCS culture. You will have live fish food for all sizes of fish, and plenty of RCS to spread around the forum, and sell on Aquabid. Plus that outdoor pond could use 1000 dumped in every spring.
This is intriguing. Matt (or anyone), do you know of a good source of info on mass-production of RCS as feeders ?
#8
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 28 June 2014 - 06:08 PM
Doug, there are tons for sale on Aquabid, They still sell for a buck a piece. Much more than the cost of production. I am not sure why people are not raising them for feeders. The babies can feed darters and minnows, and the adults can feed sunfish. They breed like like crazy, are easy to feed, and you have to be totally lazy if your culture fails.
That being said, I don't have any good info on breeding them on a large scale. All that I know is that when I had a 30 full of them that I was taking out maybe 2-3 hundred a month. Maybe more, maybe less, I could not keep count. They breed, and breed and breed. I think that you can take any internet breeding info, and expand it. Also, if you kept a large enough culture indoors over the winter, you could transfer them to outdoor kiddie pools, or whatever and make tens of thousands of them.
That being said, I don't have any good info on breeding them on a large scale. All that I know is that when I had a 30 full of them that I was taking out maybe 2-3 hundred a month. Maybe more, maybe less, I could not keep count. They breed, and breed and breed. I think that you can take any internet breeding info, and expand it. Also, if you kept a large enough culture indoors over the winter, you could transfer them to outdoor kiddie pools, or whatever and make tens of thousands of them.
#9
Guest_lilyea_*
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Posted 28 June 2014 - 07:52 PM
Yeahson - you may also consider what pumps and/or filters that you have available or how much you are willing to spend on these items as well as the temperature/environment outside the tank. Unless you are set on a certain type of fish, many times it can be easier (and often cheaper) to select the inhabitants based on the equipment you have on hand, rather than attempting to create the environment based on the inhabitants. A 75G glass box gives you a lot of options!
Several years ago I had just started using red cherry shrimp as feeders and I was startled to find the filter and fish waste in one of my tanks colored red - I thought there was something terribly wrong with the fish before I realized the reason for the color change! Not only was there nothing wrong with the fish, they were very happy!
Several years ago I had just started using red cherry shrimp as feeders and I was startled to find the filter and fish waste in one of my tanks colored red - I thought there was something terribly wrong with the fish before I realized the reason for the color change! Not only was there nothing wrong with the fish, they were very happy!
#10
Guest_AMcCaleb_*
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Posted 29 June 2014 - 08:41 AM
If you don't have a stream tank, that would be what I would go with. You won't be disappointed with that route.
#11
Guest_Yeahson421_*
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Posted 06 July 2014 - 10:12 PM
Well, after thinking about it, I think I will use it as an RCS culture. I have a stream tank and some tens for breeding, and soon I will have a Sunfish/other big fish tank (4'Lx2'Wx16"H) as well as a 6 foot paludarium, so I think it would be most beneficial to use this tank as a way to help out my others. If anyone has any ideas on RCS cultures, shoot me a pm! Thanks for all of the ideas everyone, and I hope someone else can use them!
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