# Should I upgrade my 10 or get a new tank?



## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Ok, so I've been planning on upgrading my current 10 gallon shrimp tank for a really long time, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
The problem is that I'm going to college in 1 1/2 years, and I plan on having a tank in the dorms or where ever I am if it permits(most dorms allow up to 10 gallons, but they won't know how much the 60P holds ).

I plan on getting a ADA 60P while I'm there, or maybe even a 45P, but if I upgrade my 10 gallon, I would have to get a 20" light fixture, while the 60P is about 24", the 45P about 17".

I guess my options are:
1)Look for a tank that is 24" (I only know of the 20high which I have has a breeder tank for my endlers, but don't like the height of it, and the 29 right?)
2)Get a custom made 24" tank(if I do that, what are good dimensions and the average cost? might as well get the 60P if it's $50+)
3)Hang the 20" light on my 45P(It'll be 2x40 watts so might be a bit much).
4)Wait 1 1/2 years (don't want to ).
5)OH! I could buy a 60P now I guess, and then bring it to college. Though does anyone know how much or how safe it would be to bring it with me? I mean, I could throw my stuff into it when I board the plan(and save the packing material that shipped with it). Should I even risk getting the 60P and not have the dorm people notice I have a 15 gallon. I could say my friend told me it was 10 

And if I do get a new tank, it'd be an emersed set up and I'll keep the old 10 set up till it's ready probably. Or just have it grow half way cause I'm impatient xD
What should I do?
Thanks! I don't want to have regrets later on. xD


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## Squawkbert (Jan 3, 2007)

If there will be airplanes involved on a regular basis, I'd wait unless you already have a trustworthy friend who will take your tank and care for it properly when you aren't there for months at a time.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Just a little clarification - I just got a 29 and it's 30" not 24"


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Ah, I see, I guess I might get a 60P.
And I do have a lot of relatives where I'm planning to go, so I can sell my plants and fish and leave all the rest of the stuff at their place while I'm gone. My brother also is in school somewhere close(will grad when I get to college, so dunno if he's staying).
I won't be taking the tank with my right away though, probably after a few months to half a year.

And thanks for the clarification.

My mom might not let me take it at all to college, so we'll see, lol.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Both the 20G high & 30G high has a 24" length ... http://www.wetdryfilter.com/aquariums.htm


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Alright, thanks!

I think I might just go with the 60P now though, to save myself a bit of money from all that upgrading xD 

My b-day is coming up soon anyways


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## FobbyBobby23 (Mar 8, 2005)

I'm currently in college across the coast from what I call home. The biggest issue that you are going to run into (if you do go to school far away from home) is what to do with your tank when you have to go home and during winter break when the dorms are locked down and no one can go in and out of the dorms. It is good that you have relatives so you can store your tank at their place. What you could also do with your livestock instead of selling them is to just ship them to yourself home! Also, for breaks you can buy an automatic feeder and automatic doser (i didn't dose any macros though, just mixed some traces with flourish excel) and shorten your photoperiod. It has worked pretty well for me two years in a row. I've come back to mostly algae free tanks (only a little green dust algae) and all my fish and shrimps have survived AND I've had lots of plant growth!

9
Haha you're correct in the fact that schools don't even know how big a 10 gallon tank SHOULD look like (my school has a 2 gallon tank limit (are you kidding me? that is fish bowl status) but my RA has been in my room plenty of times and has never asked or thought twice about the size of my tank!) I live in on-campus apartments now and the RAs are basically non-existent and barely step foot into my dorm. So unless you make some enemies at your new college who wouldn't waste a second to taddle-tail on you, then you should be ok with having a tank that is a little larger than what the school permits.


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Haha, thanks for the tips! Yeah, I was thinking for breaks other than summer, I could do a auto doser and auto feeder thing. I hope I have as good luck as you do with it xD

And how big is the tank in your room? 2 gallons is ridiculous! I hope I don't think I'm the type of make enemies though o_o If anything, I guess I could desperately go to a small cube xD
Thanks again!


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## FobbyBobby23 (Mar 8, 2005)

My tank is a 5.5 gallon. But I'm sure I could have gone with a 10 gallon since at its biggest is only 4 inches bigger than the 5.5 and if you asked most people to estimate the tank's volume they'd be clueless . Plus, I live in an on-campus apartment that has the same set of rules, but I have much more space (like a living room) which can easily accommodate for a 10 gallon without overcrowding things. 

Just make sure you put the tank on a sturdy piece of furniture. I used my dresser last year and this year I'm using a coffee table.


I'm usually pretty strict with rules but I feel the 2 gallon limit was arbitrarily assigned. Most universities limit it to about 10 gallon which seems much more reasonable.

Plus the first thing they'll think when they see your tank is think how cool it is and spend a good amount of time staring at it! Not many people have seen planted fish tanks (at least planted the way we do on APC!).


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Lol, true, true, they'll think it's all high tech and stuff 

Maybe I'll just do an emersed set up at first, and see what they say, and if nothing comes up, fill it up with water!


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## insomniaclush (Jan 14, 2008)

A good reminder when thinking about moving around a setup ADA tank is, when your dorm closes down and/or you're planning a trip and thinking about taking the tank w/ you is you will have to tear down the whole thing before you move it. ADA states when moving any of its tanks there should not be any materials in it such as substrate, equipment, whathaveyou because you might disrupt its structural integrity and break a seem or crack it. If you have a heavily planted tank leaving for a mo. or two can't hurt it as long as you have power going to it throughout the duration of your absents. If you have live animals in it invest in a auto feeder for when you have to take a trip away from it. 24" lighting is pretty easy to find for your tank. Coralife, current and many others have a high output 24" in there catalogue. ( http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...life24aqualightpowercompactstriplight1x65watt )( http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...wattpowercompactfixturesinglestripwlunarlight )( http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU.../coralife24aqualightw21wattlunarmoonledlights )( http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...life24aqualightpowercompactstriplight2x36watt )( http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...183/cl0/coralifefreshwateraqualight242x65watt )( http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...242x65wattpowercompactstriplightw2lunarlights ) of course the crème de la crème would be a metal halide preferably the ADA solar I w/NA MH-150 or even a DIY MH-70watt suspended above the tank a few inches would work beautifully. It seems I went a little link crazy and made no sense but in my behalf I just got back from the dentist office for a root canal and am on a sh** load of drugs lol &#8230; "Aw man, I have no idea what's going on right now"

Main question though would be a YES, go w/ the 60-p or a custom cube would be awesome. Maybe a 24 in. x 24 in. x 24 in. ? Take a look @ http://www.glasscages.com and call in a quote and make sure you add in the starphire glass for all 4 sides. That would be an awesome cube!


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## FobbyBobby23 (Mar 8, 2005)

gotcheaprice said:


> Lol, true, true, they'll think it's all high tech and stuff
> 
> Maybe I'll just do an emersed set up at first, and see what they say, and if nothing comes up, fill it up with water!


haha don't even worry about that! just do an emersed set up if you want to try the method of growing in your HC and other such plants before adding water to the tank

i'd say just go straight for water in the tank since a lot of schools don't allow things like frogs and terrarium type animals, so an emersed set-up may actually attract more negative attention than a filled tank with fish

and insomniaclush brings up a good point to empty the tank before moving it around, that is good practice with any type of fish tank not just ADA ones


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## gotcheaprice (Sep 4, 2007)

Yeah, I guess I could just leave it there, but totally break it down during the summer(and sell everything/send it to myself).

I'm gonna go with a current usa 2x 65 watt orbit probably and hang it. I _might_ DIY a MH pendant, but will be expensive right? Mind pointing me in the drection of instructions or where to get one in the first place?
Lol, good luck with your teeth, but too bad bigals doesn't ship to Hawaii(lol, a waste of your time, sorry!) xD
And also getting one of those tanks to Hawaii would be KILLER shipping. I think I'll stick with the 60P for now.

And why don't they allow terrariums? I should do an emesred set up with a snake! No snakes in Hawaii, so it'll be something new.


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## FobbyBobby23 (Mar 8, 2005)

^^ my school at least, doesn't allow ANY type of pets except those that are strictly aquatic and live underwater

no dogs, no cats, no frogs, no scorpions, no snakes, no hamsters and the like (this applies if you're living on-campus, off-campus you're good to have whatever you want!)

i guess they just don't want things running around!


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