Pet shop tanks

[sedgy90]

Hi guys.

Really random question but when purchasing fish what is your preference when it comes to shop tank layout?

Many shops have a sump to support a lot of tanks.

Some smaller shops have individual filters inside each tank.

Some have a large tank sectioned sharing water and filter.

Are there any other ways to have multiple tanks in a small pet store?

I am planning to open a store with a relatively small aquarium range and this is one hurdle I have to think of before I say YES this is what I am going to do with my life from now on. Thanks.

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[Brookster123]

Central airline with air driven sponge filters.. cheapest way by far. Quite effective too!

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[sedgy90]

Awesome. Will look into how that works. Does that keep water separate to minimise illness etc? Thanks.

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[Brookster123]

Yup!

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[sedgy90]

Thats ace. I have had tanks for years and allways gone for power driven internal filters or more recently external filters.
Air filters look like the way to go then. Thanks alot.

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[emerald76]

My LFS uses huge filters for show tanks and then has private qts in the back. Where will this shop be?


Emerald76

 

[treemanone2003]

Central airline with air driven sponge filters.. cheapest way by far. Quite effective too!

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Probably the best all around system. Water never mixes between tanks and you can also keep temps more accurate for different fish in separate tanks.


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[Andy Sager]

If you are going to centralize your tank system, the best way to prevent illness from spreading is to have a good ultra violet sterilizer on the system so that any water going to the tanks goes through the UV first. I've designed systems from 100 gals to 2500 gals and they all have the same principle. Only the size of the sumps, pumps and sterilizers were different.
Having said that, for freshwater aquariums, I still believe the best way is individual tanks. FW fish can come down with many different illnesses and need different meds for treating so by having separate tanks, you can reduce the risk of spreading and of needing to use large quantities of medications. You can also better adapt a tank's water to a particular need of a particular fish. Yes, it's more work to have separate tanks but, IMO, it's better in the long run. Whether you use sponge filters or inside corner filters or HOBs doesn't really matter. I know stores that use each type and have very good quality fish.
As for marine fish, centralizing the system is the easiest as the fish all use pretty much the same water parameters. Again, a good sterilizer is key to keeping the systems as pure as possible. A good method is also having a qt section if you decide to import your fish directly from shippers instead of from a local wholesaler.

Hope this helps

 

[PB_Smith]

In my opinion and experience, under gravel filters are the best for use in freshwater "sale" tanks. They provide great biological filtration and are more aesthetically appealing in that the only thing visible is 1-2 tubes in the rear corners. With the regular use of a diatomaceous earth filter to filter out excess detritus, they will literally last for decades with little more maintenance than changing air stones.

The store I most often frequent uses a combined system of under gravel filters and a centralized filter system with UV sterilizers. Each tank can be segregated from the system in the event of infection.

Most stores use a centralized system for the saltwater fish with massive UV sterilizers and mechanical filters. For corals most employ your standard reef setups, just on differing scales.
There is one store near me that specializes in coral propagation and selling frags and they have the biggest wet/dry/live rock/sump/more live rock set-up I have ever seen.
The water comes from the tanks through an array of filter socks, a couple dozen large ones and then is pumped up to the top of two acrylic columns about 10' tall and 2' square each one and they are full of chunks of coral rock and coral skeletons that are completely encrusted with coralline and other varieties of algae. It sits right under a skylight. Then the water dumps into a huge sump with an array of protein skimmers and then into another sump/tank that is about 5' square and is stuffed with even more live rock.

At least that is how it looked from what I could see, but the corals he has are gorgeous.

 

[emilygupps]

I like the idea of buying fish from stores that has each tank with its own system.

Ich happens, I understand that but if I see one tank at a big box store with ich I just turn and leave because they all share water. But at my small LFS each of his tanks (fresh water) has the little corner filter or a sponge filter and he marks off which tanks are "under observation".


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[sedgy90]

Thanks for all of your replies. They have given me some thoughts to mill over.

If it all goes ahead I would be setting up in St Helens, Merseyside.

There are a lot of obsticles before we can get the green light but fingers crossed.

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[dragon14]

Good luck!

What a fantastic goal!

 

[sedgy90]

Thank you very much.


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[dragon14]

You're very welcome.

 

[emerald76]

Hmm I have no idea where that is, England?
You may have to ship lol!


Emerald76

 

[sedgy90]

Haha yes England.
By Liverpool... The Beatles haha.

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[emerald76]

Yah somehow don't think the parents will sponsor a trip across the pond for fish


Emerald76