How many tanks do you keep?

[fishychick]

I was just wondering how many tanks people have going at the same time and how much time would you say, per week, do you spend taking care of them? I have a 10 gallon and a 5 gallon. Thanks to a recent thread, I'm trying to figure out if I have the space, resources and time to start another tank or two so I can more appropriately take care if my 3 cories. But, I want to be realistic about what I can handle before I take on more tanks. Thanks!


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[aqua_holic]

At one point I had about 20 running, but now only 9. I don't think I spend more than 2 hours a week maintaining them. I don't find it's much extra work to keep additional tanks, but some people choose to spend a whole lot more time on their tanks than others, and some tanks are higher maintenance than others. I keep low maintenance tanks. It's all dependent on the choices you make

 

[fishychick]

What makes a tank "low maintenance"?


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[aqua_holic]

What makes a tank "low maintenance"?

How the tanks are set up. Plants, while widely regarded as making the tank easier to maintain, can require a good amount of time. No plants, no extra time. Small filters clog faster than large filters, so by running a big filtration system you can go longer between cleanings. Feeding a high quality food limits the amount of waste produced, so that comes into play as well. Keeping fish that all eat the same food means you don't have to target feed, with can be time consuming. Keeping fish that don't require you to have To alter your water chemistry means you don't have to test so much. Sand keeps waste and food on top, rather than letting it fall through to the bottom like gravel, so vacuuming isn't required to the degree that it is with gravel tanks. Using a pump to drain tanks for water changes takes a fraction of the time a siphon does, so that in and of itself will cut down on time tremendously. Same with using a python to refill the tank rather than buckets.

There are a whole lot of factors but I think the biggest one is your personal perspective on what needs to be done as how often. For example, some people feel it necessary to clean the filters every month. And in some cases it probably is necessary. But in many cases it's not. Some people like to do tank maintenance, and others don't. So in that regard, you can make as much work for yourself as you want.

 

[mikem691]

4 running and 4 empty. The empty ones are taunting me to fill them with something. I spend about 2 hours a week for water and filter

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[CoronaBlue]

2 tanks (125g and 75g). 2 hours max a week. Do 2 WC a week but only clean glass and sand once a week.

 

[Tolak]

17 running in a 30 tank fishroom, plus a couple 150 gallon tubs. Not going to count empties, my wife might see this.

Time depends on what I'm orienting the fishroom towards. The room is designed for angel breeding, lots of bare bottom tanks with overflows for water changes, no big tricks just a lot of little ones. Maxed out I can pull a spawn every 3 weeks times 5 setups, if I could move that many angels. You're looking at 1-2 hours per night on hatching tanks, call it 15 minutes every other day on 20's for growout, 30 minutes per week on 40b's for growout, 20 minutes per week on pairs. A couple 55's for pairing are 15 minutes, 150 gallon tubs are 30-40 minutes. Bottoms get cleaned, filters get cleaned on the fly, it's a festival of multitasking. Add in an hour for me having a brain cramp and having to mop the floor or some such, some days I suck at the multitasking thing. Toss in feeding & such probably around 16, maybe 20 hours per week, as if I could sell 300-500 angels per week.

I try to keep it to 3 pairs producing or less, some tanks get tied up with side projects, so you could easily half that total. The first couple weeks with angel fry are a black hole of time sucking God like cleanliness, I leave a couple weeks break from this every couple months, and generally take the summer off. Summer might be 2-3 hours per week, I've got a lot of bbq to get done ya know!

 

[brennae]

I have 11 going and spend several hours a week. More when I clean the canisters and hob. My tanks range from 1g to 55g.

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[Eggheadfish]

I have three running and one empty which I'm going to switch out with one that's up right now.
I don't spend more than two hours a week in maintenance and feeding in total, I do 1 WC per week on the bigger tanks and two on the small one. Same with amount of tank scrubbing. Two tanks have sand and one is bare bottom so cleanup is pretty easy. I have all HOB filters.
I do, however, spend about two hours a day staring at them hatching plans and enjoying the scenery haha

 

[Mr Fisher]

I've got 7 going currently. I usually spend about an hour a week to keep them up

 

[treemanone2003]

10g RCS, about 20 min/wk
55g Discus, about 90 min/wk
14g BioCube (SW) about 20 min/wk

The BioCube is getting upgraded to a 40b this week so it'll probably take all day to get it where I want it and don't predict any more than 20-30 min/wk.

11 tanks in storage ranging from 10's to a 265.


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[jetajockey]

I have 8 10gs, 6 20Hs, 6 40b's, 8 15's, a 55g, a 120, a flatback hex 50, and I just got 4 8' frag tanks that I'm going to set up next weekend.

I probably spend about an hour a day on fish tank related stuff not including what I do business-wise. Most of the tanks are on an overflow system so I don't do many water changes.

 

[Eggheadfish]

Wow! I'm jealous! Although if I had that many tanks I would have nowhere so sleep. My place is small

 

[fishychick]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate your responses!

 

[Coursair]

4.
2 -10g
2- 5.5g
My 1.5g is empty and have other small tanks around as well.

I'm debating going down to my two 10g tanks again. Got injured and busy.

All planted. All easy tanks.
Doesn't really take longer to care for 4 as for 2 tanks...but I had knee surgery. Carrying buckets hurts for now.


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[Gsdsar]

I have

1 55g planted
1 29g planted
1 26g BF planted
1 5.5g Betta

Right now cycling the 29g. So that is taking time. But in general, I spend about 2 hours a week doing maintenance. Sometimes more if I am pruning and relocating plants.


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[ppo8820]

Ive got 3 at my home, 2 at work. I do NOT want as many at my house and am looking to move my betta into the 10, and the angel baby into the big tank I am cycling at the moment (have been for like 2 months and it blows)

 

[B-Chrono]

I have 2 20g running right now.

 

[Brookster123]

5.5 high tech planted cpds and shrimp
20t High tech gbr community
20L low tech apisto breeding
30l high tech apisto community.
I love them all equally.. can't have jealousy.. the plants are so sensitive..

I try to break up the maintenance to a few small sessions a week. Baring any major trimming/planting or under cabinet tinkering, I'm in anywhere from 45-60 min. a week..
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[Aliray]

3 ten gal tanks. I never really noticed the amt of time but not that much. One is live plants and fish, two are fake plants and real plant combinations. Alison