Tank plans.

[Calappidae]

Its going to be my grandmother's birthday real soon :hb2:

I'm trying to think of something to give her.. she has a 10 gallon freshwater tank but I just don't think I could add anything cool in a freshwater tank... When she comes over... out of all the tangs, clownfish, scooter blennies, gobies, harlequin shrimp etc... she is MADLY inlove with my peacock mantis...:idea: She loves the colors on him (and he's a brown kind), loves the personallity, loves how they watch you, and such... I want to get her a peacock but theres something about her... she can't be anywhere incontact with salt :sad2: She even told me when I cleaned out my 10 gallon (which was a salt tank) that it must not have any type of salt stuck in the silicone.. that sensitive... she can't even sit right next to my salt tanks because of whats in the air like the ocean she is just that sensitive.

So my questions is.. Is there anyway to perfectly contain the salt water in the tank to prevent allergies. She is also allergic to the krill I feed mine and I may not be there everyday to feed it...So would they regularly eat pellet food that she can safely feed.. wouldn't be any different from her freshwater fish, and then I can bring a clam or something every once in a while and feed it myself. Atleast the water quality for a peacock isn't a big deal.

I planned on canister, skimmer, (both hang-ons) and a heater.. I wanted to go small... Like a 24Lx9Hx7W 6.6 gallon that my one store has which is acrylic

 

[Fartin'Gary]

Just think about what you are proposing. Giving an elderly person who is allergic to salt water a salt water tank. That just isn't going to work out man. The tank needs to be open so there can be good exchange of gasses. Everything it eats is from salt water. I would forget about that idea and just let her admire yours.

 

[Islandoftiki]

Yeah, I'm going to go with Gary on this one. This doesn't sound like a good idea at all. Maybe get her a nice framed picture of a mantis or something.

6.6 gallons would be WAY too small. You should be aiming for a display size of at least 20 gallons with a total water volume of around 40 gallons if you're going to have a sump. If you did smaller, water quality would be a problem and peacocks need high water quality. You could get away with a smaller water volume of say 30 gallons if you had a really good filtration system with a skimmer and refugium.

This whole concept is just wrong all around. It's almost like you tried to come up with a worst case scenario.

 

[TundraGuy]

No comment just going to sit back and watch.

 

[Calappidae]

Yeah, I'm going to go with Gary on this one. This doesn't sound like a good idea at all. Maybe get her a nice framed picture of a mantis or something.

6.6 gallons would be WAY too small. You should be aiming for a display size of at least 20 gallons with a total water volume of around 40 gallons if you're going to have a sump. If you did smaller, water quality would be a problem and peacocks need high water quality. You could get away with a smaller water volume of say 30 gallons if you had a really good filtration system with a skimmer and refugium.

This whole concept is just wrong all around. It's almost like you tried to come up with a worst case scenario.

I understand its too small water quality wise, I really keep up with testing the water every single day and I have a 100 gallon hang-on skimmer on it.. its really long though so space wise is there surprisingly alot of room... people that visit think its an acrylic 20 long.

I'm going to skip on the mantis for her safety like you guys said, why risk somebody's health for a mantis (which we all do when you think about it..), I might try to make a small statue of a mantis (out of glass or origami) since she is real decorative. I tend to think too big :headwally:

 

[Kharn]

Why not upgrade her 10 gallon freshwater to something larger ? Might even become easier to manage not that freshwater 'is' difficult.

 

[Calappidae]

Why not upgrade her 10 gallon freshwater to something larger ? Might even become easier to manage not that freshwater 'is' difficult.

I kinda find freshwater harder than saltwater :lolspin: I have an empty 29 gallon that I could give her from when my reef got nuked by something.. (I think that was my last dose of reef buffer... I do water changes now) But there is coraline in the silicone.. :headwally: