Hi, once again i have got the thinking. I suppose i never really stop, but i like planning ahead. I would like to upgrade my 10g tank in 1/2 a year or so, and since i just purchased a eheim 2213, my next tank would be in the range of about 30-40 gallons roughly and i would like it to hold dwarf puffers because, as much as i would like to own south american puffers, i do not like the idea of doing deninstry to them every few months, nor do i have the facilites to grow enough snails to feed 3 SAP's.
So my plan is to upgrade to a long shallow tank(puffers stay near the bottom anyways). Now, the breeder tanks are wider(looking to get an all-glass standard, their breeders measure 18inches deep while the longs measure your standard 13inches, just like a 55g). But the breeders are only 36 inches long vs the 48inches of the "long" tanks.
Doing the math, the breeder tanks yield more surface area(the bottom of the tank) then the longs..by about 25 square inches more...not a huge difference.
So what i am really asking is,do DP's take advantage of the longer tank like say a SAP would, or would the wider tank be better for such exploritory fish?
My reasoning: I'd go with a long because stands and lighting for the 48inch tank would be more readily available due to the amount of 55g tanks in use. Lighting would also be easier because there would better coverage from a single strip with the narrower tank than with the wider breeder.
I'd go with the breeder because ground space/depth is vital to adding depth to the aquascape.
I am leaning more towards a 33 long, since the eheim seems not quite enough for 40g.
Dwarf haven: 30g/40g breeder vs 33g/40g long
I've started to really like depth from front to back on my tanks. I look at my 60 gallon (55 on steroids) and my 75 gallon and while the 60 has its nice aspects (nice with a current) but i really enjoy what i can do with drift wood and rock in the 75 gallon.
The tank sizes i'd like to start getting are 50 breeders from the LFS, however for what they want for them i could almost by a 75 and with a bit more get a 90 on sale from another lfs.
I dont have dwarfs but from watching my GSPs and ceylons they alternate from puttering in one end to zipping back and forth in the tank depending on if i'm sitting next to it or up and moving. If i'm there they are in the end/corner beggin for food.
Jason
PS for dwarfs i'd think a deeper tank front to back with driftwood and rocks would look awesome
.
The tank sizes i'd like to start getting are 50 breeders from the LFS, however for what they want for them i could almost by a 75 and with a bit more get a 90 on sale from another lfs.
I dont have dwarfs but from watching my GSPs and ceylons they alternate from puttering in one end to zipping back and forth in the tank depending on if i'm sitting next to it or up and moving. If i'm there they are in the end/corner beggin for food.
Jason
PS for dwarfs i'd think a deeper tank front to back with driftwood and rocks would look awesome
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Apocalyptictoast
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: Houston
Apocalyptictoast, i havent done any serious looking yet. I am sure i can find a glass versa top or worse comes to worse a coated metal screen top for the tank online...or do what all the cool people do and make it a topless planted tank with one of those legged uber expensive 10000watt power compact lights mounted on it. 
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Myaj
- Tech Team
- Posts: 4587
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:27 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
- Contact:
Maybe I'm just weird...
I don't think an Eheim 2213 is nearly enough for puffers in a 33xl or any other 4ft long tank. I run a 33xl right now, that has a 2213 AND a Rena Filstar XP3 on it. The eheim barely moves the water around, but I keep it running with just bio media so I have an extremely "cycled" spare filter at a moments notice. The XP3 causes some major current, but the fish love it (I've kept both puffers and rainbowfish in this tank). Even with the XP3 though, by the time you get to the other side of the tank the currents mainly been broken up by the plants and decor.
I guess I think a 2213 is about right for a 10 or 20 gallon tank if its the sole filtration. I just like a lot of filtration and water movement though.
I don't think an Eheim 2213 is nearly enough for puffers in a 33xl or any other 4ft long tank. I run a 33xl right now, that has a 2213 AND a Rena Filstar XP3 on it. The eheim barely moves the water around, but I keep it running with just bio media so I have an extremely "cycled" spare filter at a moments notice. The XP3 causes some major current, but the fish love it (I've kept both puffers and rainbowfish in this tank). Even with the XP3 though, by the time you get to the other side of the tank the currents mainly been broken up by the plants and decor.
I guess I think a 2213 is about right for a 10 or 20 gallon tank if its the sole filtration. I just like a lot of filtration and water movement though.
yea, i was thinking about picking up a larger filter too. I have it on my 10g and i think its just enough filter...although a heavily planted tank will require less biological filtration, i may add a power head to the tank with a sponge filter for extra water circulation...although i'd hate to buy yet another filter considering i just purchased this one.
I like the canister layout on the eheim classics, but the xp3 is calling my name for such a long tank. Maybe i'll do what you do and run both.
I like the canister layout on the eheim classics, but the xp3 is calling my name for such a long tank. Maybe i'll do what you do and run both.
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RTR
- Mentor
- Posts: 6155
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 4:39 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): East Coast, USA
For DP's I'd pick the longer tank, as more territories can be established than in a boxier tank of the nearly same footprint, and sight lines are easier to break. For SAPs would take the longer also, for the improved swimming room along the front.
For larger puffers (one specimen), I'd take the boxier tank for the ease of improved aquascaping.
For larger puffers (one specimen), I'd take the boxier tank for the ease of improved aquascaping.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
yea, i have poked around here and see that SAP's like to swim and are quite good at it, so the longer would be the more obvious. But the dwarves, they are smaller and a densely planted tank(front to back) seems like a huge maze for these guys.
I put this same question up on plantedtank.net and quite a few responses have been for the 33/40 long because stands and lighting are more readily available. I am now leaning towards a long, although the breeder is not out of the question yet.
I suppose the next Q will be about size(gallons). I live at home with my parents(i am 20) and commute to Rutgers university in camden. So i am on the second floor(upstairs). I know the house was built in the fifties and the structure i have seen in the basment seems of high quality worksmanship and material. Should i consider placing this tank somewhere other than my room on the 2nd floor? I would like to keep it in the bedroom because i spend a good deal of time in there(i have my com. workstation in my room where i work on my projects( i am a computer animation major). Do you think 40 gallons is too much? i realize its close to 400 lbs, and alot of water if it ever cracked/imploded. The other option i am considering is our finished basement. its below the ground thus the temp stays pretty consistant. If the tank was to leak, it wouldn't damage the rest of the house(cement floors under the think layer of carpet down there).
The downside is that its secluded and requires a visit to see the tank. It also is basically dark downthere with only 2 small windows thus requiring all artifical light(i like the idea of trying to include ambient day/sunlight).
ugh.
I put this same question up on plantedtank.net and quite a few responses have been for the 33/40 long because stands and lighting are more readily available. I am now leaning towards a long, although the breeder is not out of the question yet.
I suppose the next Q will be about size(gallons). I live at home with my parents(i am 20) and commute to Rutgers university in camden. So i am on the second floor(upstairs). I know the house was built in the fifties and the structure i have seen in the basment seems of high quality worksmanship and material. Should i consider placing this tank somewhere other than my room on the 2nd floor? I would like to keep it in the bedroom because i spend a good deal of time in there(i have my com. workstation in my room where i work on my projects( i am a computer animation major). Do you think 40 gallons is too much? i realize its close to 400 lbs, and alot of water if it ever cracked/imploded. The other option i am considering is our finished basement. its below the ground thus the temp stays pretty consistant. If the tank was to leak, it wouldn't damage the rest of the house(cement floors under the think layer of carpet down there).
The downside is that its secluded and requires a visit to see the tank. It also is basically dark downthere with only 2 small windows thus requiring all artifical light(i like the idea of trying to include ambient day/sunlight).
ugh.
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Myaj
- Tech Team
- Posts: 4587
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:27 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish - Location: SE Wisconsin
- Contact:
400lbs is fine on the second floor. That's about the size of two full grown men standing close together, and if your floor can't handle that, you have more problems than deciding which size tank to buy!
In my 33xl, I had one SAP and a pair of dwarf puffers. If it helps you decide, my dwarves were rarely out in the open, they were always busy hunting in the plants. The SAP would do the same but would also come running to the glass to greet me. The dwarves were far more interested in what they could hunt down themselves (red cherry shrimp and snails for the most part) than anything I had to offer, even live blackworms. While I think a long tank packed full of plants with a nice big bunch of dwarf puffers would be very nice, I'd wonder if you'd ever even see the buggars. Of course, if you go with SAP's, you can only have maybe 3 of them and agression might be an issue...
In my 33xl, I had one SAP and a pair of dwarf puffers. If it helps you decide, my dwarves were rarely out in the open, they were always busy hunting in the plants. The SAP would do the same but would also come running to the glass to greet me. The dwarves were far more interested in what they could hunt down themselves (red cherry shrimp and snails for the most part) than anything I had to offer, even live blackworms. While I think a long tank packed full of plants with a nice big bunch of dwarf puffers would be very nice, I'd wonder if you'd ever even see the buggars. Of course, if you go with SAP's, you can only have maybe 3 of them and agression might be an issue...
my thoughts exactly. Sure, i go down there(sorta my movie room) but i spend only a fraction of the time down there compared to other places in the house(i'd like to place it near the front door where everyone comes in, also has alot of natural light available.
When we had gold fish, the tank was kept in a basically unused room( we have a mini apartment on the house sorta...it has a kitchen, batroom, bed room and living room and was kept in the unused bedroom) and soon, outside of weekly cleanings, i forgot it was there most of the time.
With the 10g i have now in my room, i see it alot and have my dad in here all the time looking at it. It also adds a nice something to the room as well at night.
When we had gold fish, the tank was kept in a basically unused room( we have a mini apartment on the house sorta...it has a kitchen, batroom, bed room and living room and was kept in the unused bedroom) and soon, outside of weekly cleanings, i forgot it was there most of the time.
With the 10g i have now in my room, i see it alot and have my dad in here all the time looking at it. It also adds a nice something to the room as well at night.