There’s a wealth of opportunity out there …
By Donna M. Recktenwalt
a-q-uar-i-um 1. a container (as a glass bowl) or an artificial pond in which living aquatic animals or plants are kept. 2: an establishment where such aquatic collections are kept or exhibited. (Webster’s Seventh new Collegiate Dictionary)
Most of us still think of aquariums as basically rectangular glass or acrylic constructions that may vary in size from a couple of gallons to a hundred or more. But aquarists aren’t limited to containers of these accepted definitions. Many others – some originally designed for quite different uses – can be used to hatch, raise, maintain, and breed fish.
Plastic containers – shoe, sweater, and storage boxes – work very well as aquaria and are growing in popularity for everything from wetting peat to raising fry and serving as breeding tanks. Light, strong, resilient and easy to clean and handle, they can easily house small breeding colonies or lots of fry. To keep track of what is where, try using small stick-on labels on the containers, or keep a diagram. These containers are relatively inexpen-sive and are designed to stack neatly when not in use, making for more efficient use of limited space.
Styrofoam. We usually think of this material as shipping boxes, but styrofoam containers (often used for shipment of foodstuffs or medications, as well as for picnic coolers) can work well as aquaria, too. Fill with water and appropriate plants, then cover with a screen (to keep the fish in and curious children and pets out). Be sure to test carefully for leaks (some styrofoam is not completely water tight), and wash well before use.
Fiberglass tubs and boxes are sturdy, durable and easy to clean. if desired, a “window” can be cut in one side and glass or clear plastic installed using on the inside using silicone sealer. Plywood tanks can be a practical alternative for those requiring larger capacities. One-half or three-quarter inch marine plywood can be assembled with screws or screwable nails, then the inside coated with two to three coats of marine paint or polyester resin. A “window” can easily be added. These wooden tanks are not recommended for plecos, which tend to eat the resin coating, then the wood beneath. Every couple of years wooden tanks should be emptied and the surfaces checked, then recoated if necessary.
Other Possibilities
Children’s wading pools. Inexpensive and easily available, these can serve very well for daphnia ponds and similar uses, but are ultimately subject to breakdown from ultraviolet light.
Plastic laundry baskets. Lined with a layer or two of 1-2 mil plastic, these can work quite well as aquaria. Range them along sturdy shelves or set them on the basement or patio floor, then throw in a mass of java or sphagnum moss (the coarse kind, not peat), and add fish. Some aquarists put a breeding pair in each container and leave them alone, except when feeding or harvesting fry.
Watering troughs. These steel, heavy plastic or rubber containers may cost more than some of the other alternatives, but you get the benefits of high volume coupled with high durability. The steel ones will dent, and eventually rust, but the plastics are resilient, and there are no concerns about toxins or breakdown due to ultraviolet light.
Bathtubs, refrigerator/freezer liners and the like are sometimes available and can be fairly easily adapted for