underwater
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2009
- Messages
- 21
I have a 125 gallon already sitting in my living room, and I am having trouble deciding if I should sell it off and then that money, along with $200-$300 more, can buy me a nice 75 or 90 gal tank that I feel I will be happier with. Would it be a mistake? Some of my reasoning:
I don't like the current stand, it is a homemade bare wood stand and a little bit crooked. If I painted it a nice dark wood stain especially if glossy, which seems like a lot of effort, I might like it more. I would love a stand with cabinet space. (A lot of the used ones I find do not have a stand that I love, however.) Also, my current stand is extra tall and I am accustomed to that, and I dislike tanks being so short!
I don't own a GOOD filter, and if I bought a used tank from someone, I would likely be getting a good filter at a good price as part of the deal. They might also have fish, better lights, etc. In fact, I found one 75 gal that is a bowfront and one thing I love is that it has black sand in it now, and that stuff is not cheap. If I keep my current tank, I would probably be spending $125-175 on a good filter anyway. I already have some white sand but white isn't as good, but still would be okay.
On the other hand it seems so silly to not use this nice BIG tank that is already here. And I am happy with the glass tops, the light is nothing special but I personally like it just fine, and I do have some untreated pool filter sand I can toss in there (might need to just buy 1 more bag for $7).
One of my biggest reasons is that I am trying to get the right balance for me between having multiple tanks vs not having too much to maintain. I am hoping someone can clue me in about how much less work the 75 gal will be versus the 125 gal. Or what if I go with two or three tanks, possibly as small as 45-60 but maybe I should at least have one that is 75+. I just don't want to get the smaller ones and then regret it and have to upgrade.
Personally I don't like the idea of keeping big fish, but I do like the idea of having a huge tank with many, many fish/etc. However then I keep running into problems with compatibility, so it seems like that should be my main reason for having multiple tanks, if I really feel I need to keep another type or two types that aren't compatible.
Or should I just use a divider or two, is that a really bad idea? Aggressive fish on one side, community on the other?
I just feel like I am sick of having the tank without the extra niceties. Like now I am wanting quality more than quantity, to put the money into that side of things instead. Maybe I would be just as happy or happier with the 75 gal? And would have to buy used package deals in order to be able to afford it.
And it's not a good reason, but I just feel like I don't want to have to clean out the bottom of the 125 gal. It's extra dirty. Might only take an hour I suppose.
Oh, also if I buy a different tank, sometimes I can find ones that are already established/cycled and get 1/4 to 1/2 of the water and the filter already has the bacterial colony. With the existing tank I sort of like that I would be 'starting over' and it would be more my creation. Although I would still be making it similar to the previous owner's layout since I have the previous owner's decorations.
I don't like the current stand, it is a homemade bare wood stand and a little bit crooked. If I painted it a nice dark wood stain especially if glossy, which seems like a lot of effort, I might like it more. I would love a stand with cabinet space. (A lot of the used ones I find do not have a stand that I love, however.) Also, my current stand is extra tall and I am accustomed to that, and I dislike tanks being so short!
I don't own a GOOD filter, and if I bought a used tank from someone, I would likely be getting a good filter at a good price as part of the deal. They might also have fish, better lights, etc. In fact, I found one 75 gal that is a bowfront and one thing I love is that it has black sand in it now, and that stuff is not cheap. If I keep my current tank, I would probably be spending $125-175 on a good filter anyway. I already have some white sand but white isn't as good, but still would be okay.
On the other hand it seems so silly to not use this nice BIG tank that is already here. And I am happy with the glass tops, the light is nothing special but I personally like it just fine, and I do have some untreated pool filter sand I can toss in there (might need to just buy 1 more bag for $7).
One of my biggest reasons is that I am trying to get the right balance for me between having multiple tanks vs not having too much to maintain. I am hoping someone can clue me in about how much less work the 75 gal will be versus the 125 gal. Or what if I go with two or three tanks, possibly as small as 45-60 but maybe I should at least have one that is 75+. I just don't want to get the smaller ones and then regret it and have to upgrade.
Personally I don't like the idea of keeping big fish, but I do like the idea of having a huge tank with many, many fish/etc. However then I keep running into problems with compatibility, so it seems like that should be my main reason for having multiple tanks, if I really feel I need to keep another type or two types that aren't compatible.
Or should I just use a divider or two, is that a really bad idea? Aggressive fish on one side, community on the other?
I just feel like I am sick of having the tank without the extra niceties. Like now I am wanting quality more than quantity, to put the money into that side of things instead. Maybe I would be just as happy or happier with the 75 gal? And would have to buy used package deals in order to be able to afford it.
And it's not a good reason, but I just feel like I don't want to have to clean out the bottom of the 125 gal. It's extra dirty. Might only take an hour I suppose.
Oh, also if I buy a different tank, sometimes I can find ones that are already established/cycled and get 1/4 to 1/2 of the water and the filter already has the bacterial colony. With the existing tank I sort of like that I would be 'starting over' and it would be more my creation. Although I would still be making it similar to the previous owner's layout since I have the previous owner's decorations.