Bored with my freshwater tanks

[TikiBird]

I am new to saltwater (started up my BioCube last September), but not new to tanks in general. I have three other freshwater tanks right now. I have to admit, now that I am so fascinated by my reef tank, I am kind of bored with my freshwater ones.

I would kind of like to shut down two of these tanks, but they're my 8yo's tanks so I can't really take his fish away. My other tank is such a pretty tank (72 bowfront) I would hate to take it down and let it go to waste.

Has this happened with you guys? What did you do to spice up your freshwater life?

 

[Desmond]

Had 17 fresh water tanks at 1 stage i was breeding and had 4 large display tanks. Stopped all fresh for 2 years and then went salty. Fresh water is cool but a bit boring i find now.

 

[Maddlesrain]

I think trying a planted tank can be a fun challenge for freshwater! Especially if you go for a specific type of scape or theme.

 

[Desmond]

I do like the ada tanks have set a few up

 

[Waters]

I have actually always kept saltwater tanks, and just recently set up a 60G high tech planted tank (to go along with my two reef tanks). Planted tanks are similar to reef tanks IMO....both require a lot of dosing and technology :-)

 

[Jimbo662]

Had 17 fresh water tanks at 1 stage i was breeding and had 4 large display tanks. Stopped all fresh for 2 years and then went salty. Fresh water is cool but a bit boring i find now.

Pretty much the same here. At one point I've had setups to breed guppies and angels. Started with a biocube while I had a 120g planted tank running. Tried keeping freshwater tanks along with reef tanks for about 4 yrs and finally decided to let the freshwater tanks go and just focus on the reefs.

 

[Desmond]

Pretty much the same here. At one point I've had setups to breed guppies and angels. Started with a biocube while I had a 120g planted tank running. Tried keeping freshwater tanks along with reef tanks for about 4 yrs and finally decided to let the freshwater tanks go and just focus on the reefs.

I was breeding all sorts of fish. Malawi , guppies for fun lol as all i did wad feed , dwarf cichlids and L fish. At one stage i had over 80 L046 pleco fry. I had 3 breeding groups of them. Also had a pair of macrostoma beta that i manged to breed after allot of failed attempts. Now i just like the corals [emoji3]

 

[BoneXriffic]

You could throw a turtle in the fw tanks and watch the carnage...exciting but maybe too sad? Lol. Turn the bow front into a reef and use the other tanks for a fuge or something?

 

[JBradford]

I shut all my fresh down about 6 months after going salt. I've started one up here and there with idea I get but like you said it's just not as exciting.

 

[TikiBird]

You could throw a turtle in the fw tanks and watch the carnage...exciting but maybe too sad? Lol. Turn the bow front into a reef and use the other tanks for a fuge or something?

[emoji33][emoji33][emoji33][emoji33][emoji33]

 

[TikiBird]

Thanks you all! It's good to know I'm not the only one. lol I'll look into planted tanks....

 

[JBradford]

I think that's my next FW adventure as well.

 

[erinmegan85]

Planted tanks can definitely be a challenge. Once I started my reef tank my boyfriend decided to make his 90 gallon FW into a planted tank. It's certainly had it's ups and downs.

 

[DanConnor]

Planted tanks are cool- if you get into high lighting / CO2 etc I gets pretty interesting. Somewhat more maintenance than a reef, imo.

I generally like to have 2 things going, and for me the other thing is generally a large vivarium, with dart frogs etc. Currently planning a 300+ gallon vivarium with about a foot of water; palaudarium I guess.

Scott Fellmans blog is pretty cool re fresh water https://tanninaquatics.com/blogs/news

 

[Preme]

Yea I think a planted tank would look awesome!

 

[jflng]

Freshwater tanks are awesome. There are some really interesting fish, inverts, and plants you can get for them. I'm just now joining the dark side with you guys, but I'll never give up my freshwaters.. OK, maybe a few to make room for reef tanks, but I'll keep most of them.

I have 15 planted tanks. 10 of them are shrimp tanks. The sales I make pay for my aquarium addiction. My favorite is a 40g high-light planted tank with some irrubesco red eye puffers. http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/carinotetraodon_irrubesco.htm

Planted tanks are the way to go. Google Amano planted tanks for inspiration.

 

[TikiBird]

Freshwater tanks are awesome. There are some really interesting fish, inverts, and plants you can get for them. I'm just now joining the dark side with you guys, but I'll never give up my freshwaters.. OK, maybe a few to make room for reef tanks, but I'll keep most of them.

I have 15 planted tanks. 10 of them are shrimp tanks. The sales I make pay for my aquarium addiction. My favorite is a 40g high-light planted tank with some irrubesco red eye puffers. http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/carinotetraodon_irrubesco.htm

Planted tanks are the way to go. Google Amano planted tanks for inspiration.

Ooh what cool fish those red eye puffers are!

 

[red13]

I kept freshwater planted for years. They are alot of fun. Another species of fish you might take a loom at are the apistogramma. They were always my favorite. I miss my tanks, can only have one right now so the reef takes priority.

 

[UF18]

Freshwater is almost as interesting in my opinion. I run a nano and pico reef now and did the same for freshwater before. I would set up a nice sub 10 gallon planted tank and just use flourish excel. Combine miracle grow organic potting mix with 6500k CFLs and Excel and you'll be trimming your plants every few days. Add in some big schools of micro fish and you'll be addicted to freshwater for life

 

[bevo5]

I miss my 240g frontosa/tricoti tank. And I miss my 180 Malawi Hap/Peacock tank.

now I have a 200g mixed reef and a 29 biocube QT.

The 180 is empty in my garage. I refuse to sell it - thinking maybe one day I'll set up another african cichlid tank. But that's probably not going to happen. The best practice is to way overstock those tanks - so I would be doing a 40g water change every week added to my 30g salt change. Too many buckets!