The Puffer Forum

Dadof4, Theres something in the water. Definitely dont drink the water. LOL! You have a serious bug! Of course, I say this as I sit in our 1 bedroom apt. surrounded by four tanks... the largest being 45 gal. because we simply dont have room for anything bigger... (unless we remove the desk, couch and tv, then theres LOTS of room! Im telling my fiance when he gets home ) hehe.

I have a dehumidifier in my office/fishroom & living room (2 tanks in there). I dump out 2g of water from each about every other day.

I have 12 tanks stuffed into my 1 bdrm apartment on the second floor of a 100 year old house. I really hope they used lots of nails.

Never have a problem with humidity,...but all of my tanks are sealed up pretty tight.

i think humidity would only be a problem in places where there isn't too much air flow.

for example, a room with only a single medium or larger tank (50g +) in an extremely dry place such as Las Vegas, the humidity added might benefit the room
a room with a medium or larger tank in a room in a place such as Hawaii, the humidity added would not really change much

having said that, i've never lived in a place with a large tank like where Dad lives. I've lived in Chicago and, yuck, I hate that kind of humidity. a tank would make it worse.

SOOOOOOOO, when you gonna put up pics?

A tank is a tank is a tank. Just because it is linked to another tank or tanks does not make it meaningless. The fact that it used as sump or refugium or plenum does not change its nature.

Twelve of the tanks in my fish room are linked into two systems, one of 10 tanks totaling >300 gallons; the other system is only two tanks totaling 70 gallons. Should I pretend that they are only two tanks? No way, each tanks has its own purpose but they work better as a linked system. They are also easier to maintain that way.

The aging tanks need not be tanks - any vessel which was water and food-safe would serve, so I do not count those. They could be swapped out for other containers anytime with little trouble, so they are not to me "tanks" as in operating aquaria.

Some refugia are so small that are really little more than hang-on fixtures. Those I would not call a tank. But a refugium of sufficient size to be housed in a separate tank would tally as a tank.

All that is purely personal nomenclature. Everybody can set their own definitions of such. Mine is basically that any vessel with its own biology and of sufficient scale to be a tank, I call it a tank, whether it is linked to another tank or not does not influence it being a tank. Most folks do not use as many linked systems as I do - that also is individual - in part because I will not often mix fish with potential incompatibilities. As with puffers - they frequently fight. But I can house multiple in essentially the same water conditions but separately housed. that way i can get and keep better conditions for all of them. I could not have done the F-8 work without linked systems. I liked the way that worked so got in the habit of linking tanks routinely. They are still tanks which could be operated independently, but can work better as linked systems.

HTH

Thanx for clearing that up

any vessel with its own biology and of sufficient scale to be a tank, I call it a tank, whether it is linked to another tank or not does not influence it being a tank.

I was thinking that wouldn't include my sump but I forgot I keep LR rubble in there, so it counts!

Yup! It is a tank. LR rubble is a complex biology, and IMHO better off protected from the display specimens. Just as w/macroalge refugia and 'pod generators, isolation/protection is a big plus.

Blaine wrote:I have 12 tanks stuffed into my 1 bdrm apartment on the second floor of a 100 year old house. I really hope they used lots of nails.

Never have a problem with humidity,...but all of my tanks are sealed up pretty tight.

...Where do you sleep? NO wait, let me guess... you have a waterbed...

that was so lame... XD

But REALLY! I dont know how you do it! Must be more roomy than our apartment. Even without two people, it would still feel cramped in here.

I have 3 tanks in the bedroom, surrounding the bed,...3 tanks in the kitchen, I got rid of the kitchen table....3 tanks in the living room, and 3 tanks in the sunroom. I love being surrounded by life all around me.

Granted you have to step outside just to change your mind.....but I like it.

Blaine wrote:I have 3 tanks in the bedroom, surrounding the bed,...3 tanks in the kitchen, I got rid of the kitchen table....3 tanks in the living room, and 3 tanks in the sunroom. I love being surrounded by life all around me.

Granted you have to step outside just to change your mind.....but I like it.

LOL. To each his own. To be fair, I think I spend more time with my fish than the average fish keeper. My fish are quite friendly and I love putting my hands in the tank. I know Im going to get jumped all over about this. When Im not interacting with them and letting them nibble me though, I sit and watch them for hours. Even though its Tonys hobby technically... he shakes his head at me when I do that. Granted, I do spend way too much time doing it. I like to watch the Platys and the babies particularly. Because Im raising them and nurturing them myself, I feel a connection with them. Hahaha. And then I go look at my honeys cichlids and ask him which one he wants to have for dinner. Mmm, tilapia. (Just kidding, just kidding). He always gets me back for that one too, by threatening to make Forbidden Sushi... pufferfish flavor...

DRRT, I should be posting pictures this week of just the tank finally off the floor and on a basic (POS) stand. The first stage is going to be to build the solid stand under the tank with the ability to be skinned.

dad, i am very jealous of your "another tank, sigh"...'problems!'

i'm now maxed-out with the-weight-of-water for tanks that my current second-story domicile can sustain (in this pre-1900 rented house. i don't own it so i can't risk it. water is heavy!), and/or that my spending budget can now sustain.

i can't wait until i have your so-many-big-tanks "problems"! i have now an empty 40g and a 25g used custom empty in my house. they tempt me! but i don't really have the space, and i don't know about the floor.....

LOL. I got 125 gal tank on a second floor. I really do not think it's a problem for a floor to hold the weight, but I got to admit when my kids are playing around the tank I can see a water movement in my tank.