11.1 Gallon Tank - What to Do ?

[Grant R]

Hi,

The current deal is that the 11 gallon tank I have is currently housing my Guppy Fry ( about ten of them ) and once they are big enough, some will be transferred to my 45 gallon and some given away / LFS credit etc.

I want some idea's on what to do with the tank once not in use.
The current things on the list are as follows, so give me your opinion.

1 ) Keep it as FreshWater quarantine / hospital tank.

2 ) Start a Brackish set-up ( this would be worthwhile as I intend to keep marine eventually, so would make good practice ? )

3 ) Try to breed another type of fish. This is something I also want to do after success with the Guppies, but I'd like to breed something interesting and more of a challenge ... suggestions ?

What do you think ?


G

 

[Grant R]

I'm also going to do some research on a CowFish ( Marine ) and possibly keep one of those. All I know so far is they need to be kept with LiveRock.

 

[mitche8359]

With my recent bout of bad luck with the aquarium, I'd vote for using the 11.1 gallon as a hospital tank, if you don't have another tank that you can use. I set up a 10g tank that I use as a transfer tank when I tear down the 55g as a hospital tank last night for a sick tetra. I like the idea.

I thought that it was a lot harder to have a small salt water tank? I could be wrong but I thought there was a suggested minimum size for salt water, 55 g maybe. I'm not sure, but it's something I always thought.

Personally, I want to try to start breeding angels. I've been reading a lot about breeding them. They are egg layers and I have never managed to get fry from eggs. Last summer I had an angels that laid eggs about once a month. They ate the eggs though. A seperate tank should resolve that issue.


What you could do is set up the tank to breed another type of fish and if one of the fish in your other tank gets sick, you can move the new breeders into the large tank and use the breeding tank as a hospital tank since it's already up and running.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Grant R]

Thanks, thats probably the best idea.
With regard to the mini-reef set up, I've read of people setting up small, 10 gallon nano-reef's before, but from what I've read, that sort of tank would be far too small to cowfish unfortunately.

 

[mitche8359]

What you could do is set up the tank to breed another type of fish and if one of the fish in your other tank gets sick, you can move the new breeders into the large tank and use the breeding tank as a hospital tank since it's already up and running.

Which from your signature line I see you already are doing... never mind

 

[Grant R]

It's Friday, errors like that are allowed.

 

[mitche8359]

Just out of curiosity... I've never heard of a 11.1 g tank. Is it a hex or something?

 

[Grant R]

Yep, HexBack tank. It started off as my original, first tank. Pictures are in ' Grant R Gallery ' in the PhotoGallery on this site.

 

[mitche8359]

Nice pics! I didn't even notice the gallery. Guess I was pretty wrong with the salt idea. A lot of people have small salt tanks.

 

[Guest]

Guess I was pretty wrong with the salt idea. A lot of people have small salt tanks

Not completely, you just should be very experienced in saltwater before trying a nano-reef, IMO.

 

[Chrismac]

I would go with Bettas, you can throw 4 females in there,
just grab another one for the male and the fry. you already have plants in there right?

 

[d9hp]

I think that the quarintine/breeder is a good idea. Grant, i envy your moving up to a bigger tank, I know we both had our small tanks at the same time, I guess you succeded a little better, congratz.

 

[loganj]

Grant,
You might try breeding some Corydoras catfish. They are really neat fish and will breed readily when given the right conditions. If you do, make sure you get mature corys to start with. Once they laid eggs, you can move them into the other tank and use the 11.1 to raise the fry. Just a thought.
On the subject of small marine tanks, I have a 10 gal that has been very successful so far. BUT, it is something you really have to stay on top of...water parameters can change very rapidly in a small tank. On the other hand, you don't have to worry so much about dosing trace elements ect... , just do a small water change every week to keep levels up. Of course , the reason I have a 10 gal is that it was all I could squeeze into the budget at the time. If it was up to me, I'd have a swimming pool put in and then convert it to a reef tank .
Logan J

 

[Grant R]

Thanks for all the comments and idea's everyone, some excellent thoughts put forward.
D9hp - All in good time fella and now you've got your exciting new job, it'll no doubt be me in envy of your bigger tank soon.

 

[mitche8359]

I'd have a swimming pool put in and then convert it to a reef tank

With a below water observatory window.

 

[Grant R]

Imagine that !!
8O 8O 8O 8) 8O 8O 8O

 

[d9hp]

And then you could scuba-dive in your backyard! You could also have a few 60inch Zenith Flatscreens with some football games goin on. Wouldn't a 40,000 gallon fish tank be a great way to spend those annoying commercials?