100 Gallon Stock Tank - Something Unique ?

[kput]

I am picking up a couple 100 gallon stock tanks to help with a tank move, and plan on keeping and setting up at least one in my basement. I am looking for something to do with the tank a little beyond the norm. I already have a 120 display, and will soon be upgrading to a 300, so pretty fish that are fun to look at will go in there.

I'm looking for some advice or options that I can stock this 100 with. I'd like to do something a bit uncommon. A breeding setup, or farming, or who knows ?
I'm not really interested in something sophisticated that requires a lot of attention, I work long hours so daily testing and working aren't something I'm interested in. I'd like to avoid some sory of coral growing, and focus on livestock.

I've considered an eel tank potentially? I'd love to do rays or something along those lines, but they'll get too big.
Something that is also viewable from the top? I know I won't have great visibility with it being a pond style tank, so something where I can actually see what the fish / whatever is from above?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Pntbll687]

I am picking up a couple 100 gallon stock tanks to help with a tank move, and plan on keeping and setting up at least one in my basement. I am looking for something to do with the tank a little beyond the norm. I already have a 120 display, and will soon be upgrading to a 300, so pretty fish that are fun to look at will go in there.

I'm looking for some advice or options that I can stock this 100 with. I'd like to do something a bit uncommon. A breeding setup, or farming, or who knows ?
I'm not really interested in something sophisticated that requires a lot of attention, I work long hours so daily testing and working aren't something I'm interested in. I'd like to avoid some sory of coral growing, and focus on livestock.

I've considered an eel tank potentially? I'd love to do rays or something along those lines, but they'll get too big.
Something that is also viewable from the top? I know I won't have great visibility with it being a pond style tank, so something where I can actually see what the fish / whatever is from above?

Thanks for the help!

You'll be limited with the 100g stock tank because of the dimensions. You could use it as a sump, or an extra chamber to have live rock or just extra water volume for the system.

If you're looking for something capable of holding rays, and gets good views from the top, you'll probably have to go with a 300g or bigger stock tank, simply to get wide enough that you can see into it without being directly over top.

If you have the means I would plumb the 100g into the system as extra water volume. Add a couple ball valves to isolate it and you have an EASY 100g water change section.

 

[kput]

You'll be limited with the 100g stock tank because of the dimensions. You could use it as a sump, or an extra chamber to have live rock or just extra water volume for the system.

If you're looking for something capable of holding rays, and gets good views from the top, you'll probably have to go with a 300g or bigger stock tank, simply to get wide enough that you can see into it without being directly over top.

If you have the means I would plumb the 100g into the system as extra water volume. Add a couple ball valves to isolate it and you have an EASY 100g water change section.

Plumbing it into my display isn't possible unfortunately.

 

[Pntbll687]

Plumbing it into my display isn't possible unfortunately.

Save it for when you upgrade to the 300. Plumb it in then.

You can always just use it to culture live rock.

 

[kput]

Save it for when you upgrade to the 300. Plumb it in then.

You can always just use it to culture live rock.

Plumbing it into anything upstairs isn't possible. The basement is on the opposite side of the house, and across a slab.

I understand it won't work for rays, hence why I said in the post "but they'll get too big" I'm looking for some sort of unique livestock that it will work for.

 

[Squeaky McMurdo]

Get the 110 gallon Tuff Stuff one. It works really well as a pond. Bigger, wider, and not as deep as the rubbermaid kind, and doesn’t have the flared sides. It is also conveniently cheaper. Try to choose fish that will swim closer to the surface so you can see them. It might be fun to set it up as a tide pool. Mine is fw.

 

[kput]

Get the 110 gallon Tuff Stuff one. It works really well as a pond. Bigger, wider, and not as deep as the rubbermaid kind, and doesn’t have the flared sides. It is also conveniently cheaper. Try to choose fish that will swim closer to the surface so you can see them. It might be fun to set it up as a tide pool. Mine is fw.

I've already got the stock tanks bought, picking them up tonight. Got two 100 gallon tanks for $100 so I'm not going to complain.

I really like the tide pool idea? I would need a way to get some heavy water movement going.. attaching powerheads to a rounded tank might be difficult. I can also figure out a way to imitate higher and lower water levels too, potentially..

 

[KLaRue]

Everyone loves top-down tank shots of reefs. Maybe combine the tide pool idea with nems and clowns?

 

[kput]

Everyone loves top-down tank shots of reefs. Maybe combine the tide pool idea with nems and clowns?

I'm talking with one of the guys that works at the Aquarium here in Omaha and getting some pretty good ideas.. Lots of inverts, nems, unique mollusks, clams, urchins, etc etc.
Only challenge will be finding the more unique stuff, I'm in Nebraska and can't take a quick walk down to the beach to collect specimens unfortunately.

 

[ZoWhat]

I'm not really interested in something sophisticated that requires a lot of attention, I work long hours so daily testing and working aren't something I'm interested in. I'd like to avoid some sory of coral growing, and focus on livestock.

Hate to be blunt...but...

You want smthg phenomenal but with little effort.

The line starts in the back sir... lol

 

[kput]

Hate to be blunt...but...

You want smthg phenomenal but with little effort.

The line starts in the back sir... lol

I said unique, not phenomenal. I don't want to consistently have to mointor alk, mag, calc, etc etc etc. or run sophisticated testing equipment, hence not wanting a coral grow operation.
I understand that there will be effort required to get the tank up and running, but the daily requirements of an SPS tank, are very different than that of a FOWLR tank.

 

[ZoWhat]

I said unique, not phenomenal. I don't want to consistently have to mointor alk, mag, calc, etc etc etc. or run sophisticated testing equipment, hence not wanting a coral grow operation.
I understand that there will be effort required to get the tank up and running, but the daily requirements of an SPS tank, are very different than that of a FOWLR tank.

Thats why im 90% zoas/palys.... i do maybe 3 water changes a year. I do monitor calc/mag once a month.

I enjoy watching a zoa or paly take over a spot.

I'd say I have about 20-30 different species in various colors. With blasting all actinic lighting, it looks like a Jimmy Hendrix music video with all the colors.

SPS corals can stay at the LFS .... i don't want them

All zoas/paly tanks have it going on. It just limits you in not buying any nipper fish like drawf angels