# Accidentally bought a new tank...



## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

Well, perhaps 'accidentally' is pushing it a bit  

After losing some fish in a power cut when it snowed earlier in the year, I've finally gotten around to getting some new fish in. So my once-measly group of harlequins is now up to 10, and they seem so much more active now!

However, I decided that I didn't want to keep the platinum tetras in the same tank, as at 70L it's a bit small for a proper shoal of each. And as the bloomin' frogs have taken over my 125L, the only option left was... new tank! 

It's an Aquanano 40, so only 55L, but as the platinums are pretty tiny fish I think they'll be ok in there. The tank itself is fab, I love how the filter and heater are all tucked away making it look really clean and uncluttered. And the amount of room for filter media is huuuge! 

So, just wanted some opinions on numbers really. The 70L (once the platinums have moved out) will have 10 harlequins & 6 khuli loaches... I'm wondering if I can add a few more harlequins to that?? 

And how many platinums do we reckon for the 55L? Currently only have 3...


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

Just been looking at the aquanano - so whats it like? The filter and heater are at the back somewhere? How noisy is it? They look nice tanks just never through of getting one as the open top is a bit off putting (doesn't it all evap quite easily?) If it were quite quiet I might consider one...

As for fish - don't know, how big do they grow? Try using max size of fish in cm, 1cm fish per litre of water as a gauge. Alternatively you can use this as a guide:

AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

personally I think theres a few errors on the site, and it doesn't cover all species, but it might give you some idea of what you can aim for.


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

There is a panel that sections off part of the tank at the back, and that is where the filter media, pump and heater are kept. It's a big space and the tank comes with a massive filter sponge and two decent bags of ceramic rings to fill it with 

Pics...

You can see the bit that's sectioned off:


Big sponge on the left, ceramic rings in the middle, and heater & pump on the end:


It has a glass cover which fits quite snugly (only a couple of mm gap), so hopefully evaporation won't be a big issue.

I have found the filter pump to be slightly rattly, but don't know if it's because it still has a bit of air in it or if it's vibrating against the side of the tank or something. It's mostly silent, but just seems to rattle for a few seconds every now & again??  It's only been set up since yesterday though, so I'll have to wait & see if it settles down or not.

Overall though, I like the tank very much, and I got it for a bargain too 

As for my stocking question, going by the cm per litre guideline my 70L is already overstocked because the khuli loaches are so long... but personally, I don't feel it is overstocked which is kinda why I wanted opinions . I might just leave it as it is though.


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome) strikes again! 

I was going to suggest aqadvisor too. It's quite conservative, so you can probably get away with slightly more than 100% stocking by their estimation, but it's still a useful guide.

Edit - I just checked, and aqadvisor doesn't have platinum tetra in their list, but since it gives you the option of entering the size of your fish, I tried it out by listing them as 4cm gold tetra, and it reckons you could have about 16-18 of those if they're on their own. For the 70l, it reckons you could add another 5-6 harlequins too  Hope that helps!


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

NaomiM said:


> MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome) strikes again!
> 
> I was going to suggest aqadvisor too. It's quite conservative, so you can probably get away with slightly more than 100% stocking by their estimation, but it's still a useful guide.
> 
> Edit - I just checked, and aqadvisor doesn't have platinum tetra in their list, but since it gives you the option of entering the size of your fish, I tried it out by listing them as 4cm gold tetra, and it reckons you could have about 16-18 of those if they're on their own. For the 70l, it reckons you could add another 5-6 harlequins too  Hope that helps!


Crikey, 16-18?? Not sure I'll go quite that far, but it's good to know! 

I've put some hopefully-teeming-with-good-bacteria sponge from one of my other filters into the new tank today, so I'll be feeding that with ammonia over the next few days, and the platinums will be able to move over once I'm certain it's all nice & cycled.

Then when they're all settled I might get a couple more harlequins... they just look so fab in a big shoal 

Thanks Naomi


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

magpie said:


> Crikey, 16-18?? Not sure I'll go quite that far, but it's good to know!


You could always add another small shoaling species too, such as ember tetra or chili rasbora. Two shoals of little fish in contrasting colours would look fantastic, IMO


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

NaomiM said:


> You could always add another small shoaling species too, such as ember tetra or chili rasbora. Two shoals of little fish in contrasting colours would look fantastic, IMO


You're a bad influence!


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

Lol, well if you have the tank space, you might as well use it...!

I found out today that someone I know is getting rid of a 130l, and I'm sorely tempted! About the only way we could make space for it though would be to get rid of the TV, and somehow I don't think I could get my husband to agree to that!


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

You don't need TV when you have fish! 

I've ordered some plants in for the new tank... and hoping the lighting will be ok for growing plants, as I don't really want to change it now.

And the annoying rattling from the filter pump has stopped (yay!), so I guess it was just some trapped air or something. Good thing too as the tank is less than 2 feet from my bed and the noise was starting to get on my nerves!


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

Not sure I get how the filter system works in that tank - is the pump just at one end? Is it strong enough to pull water all the way through those 3 compartments? 

Looks nice anyway, perhaps I should exchange my 65L tank (which is just a plain glass 2x1 ft thing) for one 

Aren't loaches meant to grow really big?!


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

It seems to work really well! The only place the water can come in to the filter section is through the slits where the sponge is, then the water gets sucked down through the sponge and into the next bit where the ceramic rings are, then up through the rings and into the bit with the heater & pump... and the pump pushes it back into the tank.

It is a slightly bonkers amount of filter media for what is actually quite a small tank, but as they say, there's no such thing as too much filtration 



Phoenix24 said:


> Aren't loaches meant to grow really big?!


Do you mean my khuli loaches in the 70L tank? They probably grow to a maximum of 10cm but are very thin, so don't really have the same kind of bioload as a chunky 10cm fish . Some loaches do grow huge though!


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

Oooh, those loaches must look quite funky then (almost eel like?).

That tank sounds really good, I will have to have a look into getting one methinks.


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

One of mine 



I do really like the tank, would highly recommend it!


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

Well, yay! With a bit of help from some mature filter media, the new tank is all cycled and ready for fish to move in 

Unfortunately, I would really like to plant it up first and my plant delivery still hasn't arrived  . Boo!


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

awww that loach is so cute! hurrah for tank cycling (mine finished on Tuesday) boo for slow plant deliveries! I planted mine up before the cycle, so plopped some fish straight in. I'm completely inexperienced as far as plants go - just pick a random selection and shove them in. What are you getting?


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

I've just ordered a mixed load of crypts and some more java fern... I'm not very good with plants either, I'm just hoping that some of them survive! 

What fish have you got in your tank? Are you going to post some pics, now it's all done? *hint hint*


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

I do like the java fern - very tough. I have considered getting some java moss - our LFS has it already on bogwood - and some of those strange moss balls. I can't tell you have the other plants are, one looks like a ferm, the others are... well they are pretty - or they were before a snail that snuck in there with them ate them. 

I'm still juggling fish whilst I decide on the community, and the aquascaping is still pretty rough. At the moment I have 6 peruvian bloodfins (well they were sold as peruvian bloodfins but they don't exist, so I think they are either bloodfin tetra or glass bloodfin tetra), 5 WCMMs and 2 undersized neons (all the tetras are destined for the trop tank). I might pull the gold barbs out the trop tank as they prefer cooler water, and then its a decision on Pandy Cory or Pepper cory (both sub-trop/temperate) or, if I can get them, Japanese ricefish.

I have been considering getting some platinum tetra for the trop tank, or Daisy's ricefish. I think I might need that new tank after all (overstocked.com)


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

There's always room for another tank! 

Java fern is great, it's one of the few things that is surviving in the goldfish tank, and it's doing ok in the frogs tank too. I've also got some african water fern which is coming along nicely. Amazon frogbit is doing well in the tropical tanks, but apart from those few I'm not sure on the names of the rest of my plants!

Is there any particular lfs you use, as I see you're on the wirral which isn't far from me? I am mostly using the [email protected] stores that are closest to me at the moment, but it's a bit boring going to the same places all the time! 

Edit: Just got an email to say my plant delivery has been dispatched


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

North Wales - where abouts? I am interested by what your job role is.. I have been trying to get into the wildlife rehab scene for ages (I do it by myself at home, but got turned down for a job at Stapeley because, and I quote 'not enough experience with British wildlife'. Ahem. I should think wildlife rehab training in Texas on top of 13 years of BTO bird ringing and breeding harvest mice for reintroduction and a million other things I have done would count...) Aaaanyway...

I have used [email protected] in Bromborough but their service and stock were terrible - riddled with disease, mis-identification of their own stock, bad/incorrect advice... I do hope you don;t work at [email protected] lol

I used to live in Bangor, quite liked the [email protected] store there though didn't use it much at the time.

Hmm where can I put another tank... I was already considering selling my tv to put up an indoor aviary, so...


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

I live in Flint Mountain - only moved here in October last year (from Ellesmere Port) but I absolutely love it  The countryside is beautiful, there's loads of great places to walk the dog, and the water is great for keeping fish!



Phoenix24 said:


> I do hope you don;t work at [email protected] lol


Well, in a way!  At the moment I work in the vets in the [email protected] in Liverpool, I take no offence at people speaking their minds about the stores though! Some of them are terrible...

I used to work at a heritage/country park which I much preferred, but I only had a temporary contract unfortunately so couldn't stay. Wildlife rehab sounds like it would be very rewarding.

As for getting another tank, the aquanano is only 40x40cm so it doesn't take up much room....


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

Finally got around to getting a few more platinums for the tank today, bumping up the numbers from 3 to 9, which seems to have made them a bit more active and confident 

This is the tank so far; the crypts have started to melt already so it's not looking too fab, but hopefully they will grow back okay!


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