Please help ! Beginner with 700 Gallon Tank!

[jonathan85365]

They do that in small tanks a lot I think I've seen it before or when one of them blocks the heat and won't share but the thing I have would fit I think 2 full grown turtles but some are greedy

 

[jonathan85365]

The scratches I have no idea bout

 

[jonathan85365]

I hope they make what I have for tanks 2 ft wide or similar

 

[jonathan85365]

There are no turtles at my lfs but probobly because people can just catch one myn was originally wild got him a couple months ago it was probobly to late to put him back

 

[Sillyfishies]

We're getting off topic guys. I don't even think the OP posted in the last page.

 

[jonathan85365]

Sorry my fault

 

[arjunsud]

It is actually quite interesting to see each of your opinions about what turtles would be like . But I think after reading all of this I will probably keep them at bay for now .

 

[BettaMan01]

I still think an eel would be a cool way to go. Maybe go to a local landscaping company and buy some rocks and such from them to build little caves for one to lurk

 

[bribo12]

Zebra morays are one of the more stunning eels IMO. But yeah a couple tangs would be awesome as well. This tank gives a lot of area for diversity.

 

[jonathan85365]

Yea I like the tank you have

 

[MonkeyMonk86]

Since you are renting, check your lease. Many rental agreements say "no pets" and if your landlord doesn't like such a large tank. He could take you to court.

Best of luck!

 

[arjunsud]

Thank you all so much ! I looked at it today with the fish Mantainence guy and he said that there was salt on the plumbing and he thought it may have been leaking and also that he felt the protein skimmer was not working.

We asked the original owner and he said that it was not turned on . Is that abnormal ? Shouldn't the protein skimmer always be on ?

The other concern out fish guy had was that the sump was too small for a 700 gallon ?

 

[Animal-Chin]

Ya you have serious salt creep down there, something is slowly leaking for sure.

Sump size depends on what you're using it for. he looks like he ran some water through some rock and skimmed it, I guess the sumps big enough for that but I doubt that skimmer is rated for 700 gallons. Now with only 3 fish in there your waste is going to be low but if you stock that 700 gallon tank with say 40 fish, they are gonna eat and poop a lot causing dirty water. I think a lot of people with really large tanks would add a second sump with a second large skimmer to maintain that volume. Thats just based on what I've seen online...

 

[arjunsud]

So should I not pick it up? Because I don't know if the tank is healthy ? It had a shark, a tang, a crab and another fish that looked like a rock that's about it

 

[Animal-Chin]

A couple of things to consider. If you take this tank, it will most likely cost you more money. If you want to add a second sump or more filtration or new lights ect you can bank on spending probably about $1000. Fish are going to run you $50 a peice lets say. So there will be expendatures right away.

The pipes are leaking. There is NO WAY you can let that go with 700 house destroying gallons being held back by them. Have a plan to repair this. Probably easier to rip out and re do as when you start taking things apart they rarely go back together.

This tank is a huge committment, just make sure you're ready for it. If you really are into this then go for it, nothing isn't fixable if you're willing to put the time and effort into it. If you dont want to put time and effort, just make sure you want to put money into it and somone will do it for you...lol

 

[mr_X]

I vote to pass on this tank. There are better deals with more suitable tanks. This thing belongs in some Chinese restaurant somewhere full of goldfish, not in your apartment.
The sheer size might be exciting to you now, but not too far down the road you are going to be in the same boat as the previous owner- wanting rid of it.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I vote to pass on this tank. There are better deals with more suitable tanks. This thing belongs in some Chinese restaurant somewhere full of goldfish, not in your apartment.
The sheer size might be exciting to you now, but not too far down the road you are going to be in the same boat as the previous owner- wanting rid of it.

I'm glad somebody said it. I agree with X, this is going to be a very expensive and time consuming setup and doing it for a few years in a rental house seems like a bad idea. These big tanks don't move easily and it places enormous stress on them. A 700 gallon tank needs a 100 gallon sump and a skimmer rated at over 1000 gallons. That alone is $$$$. Sharks or other large fish put out a LOT of poop. I am fish crazy, have room and I wouldn't buy that tank. It is going to get really expensive when you add up all it needs. I would advise starting with a 120 gallon as that's a good compromise between size and expense.

 

[TheTodd]

I agree. With that new info, it sounds like a lot just to get it up to what it should be.

I've got a 240g...basically the same 8x2x2 footprint, just take 4' off the top. Still looks big, you can reach the bottom, if need be and should not be much of a headache. It can hold most fish, so not a lot of limitations. I see them on Craigslist for $800-$1200 with everything. If you wanted to do reef, four of the eBay Tao LEDs would do the trick (assuming it did not come with that).

 

[Gregcoyote]

I agree. With that new info, it sounds like a lot just to get it up to what it should be.

I've got a 240g...basically the same 8x2x2 footprint, just take 4' off the top. Still looks big, you can reach the bottom, if need be and should not be much of a headache. It can hold most fish, so not a lot of limitations. I see them on Craigslist for $800-$1200 with everything. If you wanted to do reef, four of the eBay Tao LEDs would do the trick (assuming it did not come with that).

And you could keep corals if you wished to.

 

[arjunsud]

Doesn't the height add any value? I am basically getting the whole setup for 3 grand . I really appreciate all this help because I'm making my final decision tonight and I wanted to make sure I get something appropriate .

All your advice goes a long way.