Path: utzoo!hoptoad!amdcad!decwrl!ucbvax!sdcsvax!telesoft!bruceb
From: bruceb@telesoft.UUCP (Bruce Bergman @spot)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Tank Size
Summary: me too!  and a question.
Message-ID: <174@telesoft.UUCP>
Date: 24 Jan 88 21:15:44 GMT
References: <5927@sol.ARPA> <2196@gryphon.CTS.COM> <2634@calmasd.GE.COM>
Organization: TeleSoft Inc., San Diego, CA
Lines: 60

In article <2634@calmasd.GE.COM>, jnp@calmasd.GE.COM (John Pantone) writes:
> > The question was asked "are hex tanks any good".
> 
> Many folk have, correctly, pointed out the relationship between surface area
> and number of fish - but there is more to the story.
> 
> [ some stuff about numbers, figures, and (ick!) ratios...  :^) ]
> 
> put a glass or plastic tube 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter into the tank - and
> support the bottom in such a way that water can enter the tube (we propped
> it on a piece of lava-rock).  Get one of those air-bubble stones and a
> plastic tube (can run down the large tube) and connect to an air pump.  This
> will do 2 things - 1 it will "lift" water up the tube, and cause increased
> gas exchange at the surface - 2 it will aerate the water "artificially" with
> all those bubbles - increasing the gas exchange again.

I did the same thing in my tank.  I've got a 15 gal hex tank which sits on my
desk here at work and did two things.  One, I filled it with mutant goldfish
rather than warm water folks.  And two I used a filter which "lifts" water from
the bottom to the top.  This does a much better job of keeping the water full
of oxygen, and for fish who need to surface often, this is important to making
sure they're willing to venture to the bottom.

Now, I HATE heaters in tanks that are for display (like the one here at work),
so I haven't broken down and used warm water folk yet, however I'm getting the
itch to do this.  The filter and method of aerating that John mentioned above
(and the method I'm currently using) will mean no change except the heater.

A change of subject and general question:

At TeleSoft, we've always been a very special company.  Before we moved into
our current new building, employees brought their animals to work.  Dogs, cats,
fish, whathaveyou.  Since moving, we've not been allowed to have the four leg
kind, however they haven't said no to fish.  We HAD a 8x2x2 marine tank in our
lunchroom, filled with clowns, octopi, invertebraes, etc.  When we moved to
the new building (which was now two stories), there wasn't any room to put
the tank back in operation, and the tank weight exceed the second floor limit
(besides, the octopus died from a bad crab he ate for dinner).

So now it sits in an unused corner of the building.  There are four smaller
tanks in operation, one of which is a marine tank.  Two hexs.  One normal
tropical rectangle.  We've been playing with the idea of starting another
medium-to-large marine tank, however we'd have to find room for it first...

My question is, how many people keep fish at work?  What kind of tanks are
you keeping (cold, warm, marine, etc.)?  

Swim well,

bruce
-- 
allegra!\                         TeleSoft, Inc.
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           >--sdcsvax!---->--telesoft!bruceb (Bruce Bergman N7HAW)
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All expressed opinions belong to "Bill the Cat" or me.  :^)