Largest single keepable in a 50gl bowfront?

[wright4lfe]

been using a 50gl bowfront as a grow out tank for my 240gl for awhile now. well, i've got everything i want in my 240 now and plan on either selling the 50gl or keeping one or two nice looking freshwater/bracksih water fish in it.

i'd like to keep nothing more than 1 or 2 large fish in the tank. maybe some type of puffer or something. if i can't figure out something to put in it i'm probably going to sell it in the next month or so or try my hand at saltwater fish and convert it to a saltwater/reef tank.

 

[Guest]

id love to try saltwater.. its just so expensive but i would say if you have the funds then go for it. But theres just so much you could do with a 50 gallon, just becuase its small (to you) don't get rid of it! because as soon as you do i guarentee you will regret it... you can do so much with a 50 gallon.

 

[iains]

plant it man, having a fully plated 50 gal would look sweet!

 

[RoK]

Maybe you could get some type of large cichlid?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

How about a pair of Discus? Or as Rok suggested, some larger SA or African Cichlids?

 

[rubysoho]

2 angels (max out at 6-8 inches each)
2 fancy goldfish (8-12 inches each)
pair of discus (8 inches each)
a Birchir, here are some available kinds:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=2241
Green Texas cichlid - Herichthys carpinte
Red Devil - Amphilophus labiatus
Jack Dempsey

hehe, the list will go on and on I vote you keep the tank and go with the birchir!

 

[megladonsharky]

Jack Dempsey

Ocscar???

figure eight puffer ( 2>?)

 

[penpitt]

Or get 1 or 2 green spotted puffers, They get up to 6". Most of the time at the LFS they are found in FW. But they will eventually need full marine conditions as adults. I have 1 in my 50 gallon and the water is sitting at 1.015. Within a couple more months it will be at 1.020 and then I will add some LR and possibly a clown perc. To me it seems like an easier way to get into SW. Puffers would not be good if you want a reef setup but for FO or FOWLR they are fine

 

[id10t]

How about a bluegill and a few guppies as feeders of opportunity? Easy to get (if legal in your area you just catch 'em), nice colors.

 

[wright4lfe]

in my big tank i have big cichlids (3 oscars, jack dempsey, green terror, 2 green severums and a red dragon flowerhorn) so i'm not really interested in cichlids anymore...lol

as far as figure 8 puffers and green spot puffers are concerned, what am i looking at care wise? i noticed some of you have said they eventually need to go SW, which is fine with me. but what kind of time frame am i looking at?

also, what will they max out at sizewise?

thanks for all the input.

 

[Hrafnkel]

Several years. I know that figure-8s can live to be 18 or so, sometimes.

 

[TankGirl]

Puffers require a little more in terms of care and maintenance, in that you need live and frozen food for them and you have to sometimes trim their teeth, which will overgrow in captivity and make them unable to eat. Otherwise I think they make great pets due to their relatively long lives and the fact that they will come up and greet you, similar to the way larger cichlids behave.

 

[penpitt]

Figure 8's need low-end brackish water to survive. A SG of 1.008 is hat they seem to thrive in best. They get to be about 3". The green spotted puffers do best in a high-end brackish setup with a SG around 1.020. Since both puffers are usually found in FW at the dealer you slowly acclimate them to brackish water. You can do the change over the course of 8+ months for the GSP. You just don't want to raise the SG more then .002/week otherwise you run the risk of killing off the biofilter.

 

[penpitt]

Here is a link to a puffer site.

Green spotted puffer is tetraodon nigroviridis and the F8 is t. biocellatus.

http://www.pufferlist.com/

 

[wright4lfe]

thanks. this is all great info. i think i am definately going to look into the puffers. i just want a one or two big fish and think puffers will lok unique enough to do the job.

 

[TankGirl]

Our member Pufferpunk is a wonderful resource for all things puffer, and she can assist you with your new setup. I think this tank will make a wonderful puffer display.