I may be in over my head (debating)

[edmlfc]

Need you guys to ease my mind and prove my hubby wrong.

My cousin called me last week and told me he no longer wanted his 200 gallon tank and if I can get someone to move it then I can have it. It's a saltwater tank and comes with everything. Well after a week of the hubby being mad at me for wanting it for Elvis I got the tank today. This tank is growing!
Yesterday I went over to his place to empty it and bring most of the things home like lights, lr, fish (brought to the lfs) and other things. While there I asked him are you sure this is just 200 gallons. No they're not sure so his wife measured it and looked on the internet, she came back and said it was more of a 225 gallon. I got it home and measured it again and looked online and it's actually a 240 gallon. Now I live in a small town house and this thing is as huge as 2 sofa's sitting on top of each other. I can't even reach the bottom. It measures 72X24X31 and has a 55 gallon sump. I need a small child to come over and place my rocks. Anyone have a child i can use? Here's my debate: Do I keep it? Or do I try to find someone to trade for something smaller?
Here's the details: I have plenty of rock, Elvis is a stars & stripes puffer that would be very very happy in this tank...........but I can't get over how big this darn thing is! Please someone convience me! This tank is getting bigger each day!
Btw: Elvis will be the only fish in the tank.



Here's a few pictures. Please excuse the mess. It's been a long two days and I'm extremely tired.You can't really see how massive this thing is. So I put a chair in front of it. That's not no child chair.

[fishboyt]

Keep it! Elvis will LOVE you!

[fishboyt]

Notice in the picture he is in the other tank staring at it!

[edmlfc]

Yes he's been oohing and awwwing since we got it in.)

[fishboyt]

Yes he's been oohing and awwwing since we got it in.)

[cichlid1409]

thats awesome!!! i would put more fish than just elvis though.

[Zulaab]

I would keep it. There is nothing such as a tank to big.

-- Recommend a platform ladder (see lowes $39.99)
It will make your life SO much easier to deal with the tank.

Btw a 240 is an awe inspiring tank. Elvis will have a party in there.

Another thing to make your hubby happy. Once Elvis is in his new home.. how about you tell hubby you will relocate your current Elvis tank :) I am sure that he will suddenly not be as "unhappy" with your new setup. I like the color of the tank :)

Elvis would have them as an afternoon snack if she put more in there. He is a puffer of good size. I am thinking only the largest of angels, triggers or surgeons would be even possible.

How much rock do you have ? What size tank is Elvis in today ?
Will you be using the rock in Elvis' tank to put in the 240 ?

Its a lot of work I am sure, but I promise you, you will be SO HAPPY when you see him in there playing around in the extra water.. Puffers really do enjoy room to show off

Did the setup come with skimmers etc ? Is your cousin able to help you setup the system to help you out ?

[Complexity]

You already know the answer. It's up to you. No one else can really tell you what you want, but they can tell you what they (and Elvis) wants!

The way i see it, you have two choices: keep it or don't keep it. I know, so scientific. )

If you are at a point now where you do not want it, then let it go. If you are not at that point, keep it and begin doing whatever you need to make it usable.

If at any point you change your mind, let it go. Otherwise, keep on keeping it.

What I think I'm hearing you say is that you don't really know what you want, it sooo big (which is a perspective that may change over time as you get used to it), it makes the room's chairs look like Alice in Wonderland in size, you can't reach the bottom (do you need to reach the bottom very often?), and it's making you want small children. Sounds like one heck of an adventure to me!

What would be the worst thing that would happen if you set it up, maintained it for awhile, and then changed your mind later? Other than maybe Elvis never speaking to you again if you put him back into a smaller tank after he got used to his big digs, of course. Would you be sinking a bunch of money into it that you can't afford and cannot recoup later? Think about what the worst would be and decide if you can handle it should the worst happen.

Oh, and as far as your hubby... print off a bunch of internet articles of what wives do when they don't have cool hobbies, such as aquariums. That might make him think twice.

Seriously, take the decision step by step. If you honestly do not like the tank, then let it go. If you're overwhelmed, but like it, give it a try. You can always change your mind later.

BTW, I have a tool that calculates the water volume based on the dimensions given. The tool is saying that tank holds 231.9g of water, not quite 240g. Congratulations on the tank no matter what you decide.

Oh, and I have to ask... a puffer named Elvis?

[edmlfc]

Thanks, and to answer some of the questions:
Elvis dosen't do well with other fish. He's best alone. He should reach around 18", the whole purpose for a bigger tank.

My cousin had about 400lbs of lr in the tank. I gave a few pieces to a friend because I have over 200lbs in my tank that I will be transfering over.

Yes I'm a bit overwhelmed. Who wouldn't be!

I'm going to let it sit empty for a few days and see if it grows on me. I was expecting a five foot tank. This is a six foot monster.


The tank that Elvis is in right now is a 156 gallon, which I thought was huge. Until I got this one in the house. :icon_hang:

About the hubby: I told him I was going to get rid of the two smaller tanks. Last night someone picked up my 90 gallon. He got mad all over again. Dang if I do and Dang if I don't.


My plan right now is to just let it sit until next weekend. I'm waiting to see if it starts to look smaller. I think I'm just in shock right now. The lr is in another tank with a powerhead. I think it'll be ok until I'm ready for it. It's going to be a long week.

[edmlfc]

Forgot to mention: He did not have a protein skimmer but I already had one that I can use so that was cool.

[Complexity]

A fish that will reach 18" would be much better off in a larger tank. So if the question was what's best for Elvis, then the answer is clear.

What about the tank is overwhelming right now? Sit back and try to think about what it is that you find overwhelming about it. Is it the size of the tank in comparison to the furniture in the room? Is it concern that you can't set it up because it's just too physically demanding (too large to put the rocks in, too large to keep the glass sides cleaned, too large for water changes, too large for...). Maybe if you figured out what it is that's scary, you can then make a better decision as to whether those concerns are truly too much for you.

Personally, I think it is very natural to be overwhelmed by a tank that large. But everyone's different so what may be overwhelming to me may not be the same for you. So I can't know what aspects of the tank feel overwhelming for you. Hence, my questions. I'm hoping to spark some thoughts in your mind that can help you dig deeper into what you're feeling so you can then address those concerns directly.

If I was to guess, though, what's making this tank feel overwhelming is that you were not prepared for this tank so it's just taking a little time to adjust to it. It's not the same feeling as when a person dreams of a tank of this size, plans it out for months, goes shopping for it, and then brings it home. You didn't get the benefit of going through that process so now it's hitting you all at once. I have a feeling you'll end up loving this tank.

[thekarens]

I say keep Elvis in the 156g and put a mappa in the 240g! J/K :)

There's no way in h-e double hockey sticks I'd turn down a 240g if someone offered to give me one. I think you just need to teach Elvis to play nice and get him a friend of some sort.

[Zulaab]

The problem with getting a friend for Elvis.. one its going to be hard.. and its going to cost some cash to get.

A second puffer is a DEAD puffer..

I know of a few fish that Elvis would prolly work out with, but considering that each fish costs around $90-150 (because of size) its an expensive endeavor in case you have a dead fish.

Like I said, a LARGE Angel (like 12"+ fish) a Surgeon (again 10-12" class) and Triggers again 8-12" specimens are needed and they are not cheap. I am thinking with what is available in Beaumont, it will have to be a trip to Houston and visit, City Pets or T&T for some of the larger fish that could handle Elvis.. and then again, if Elvis decides they are food, well now you just spent a lot of money on some very expensive food.

Now setting up the tank, personally I would take at least 100lbs or more of rock and put it in the sump. This way you have the stuff in the sump and here is the best part.. you can get a cleaning crew to live in the sump and Elvis will never see all the shrimp, crabs etc. living down there cleaning up "his" mess.

This will also give you space to see Elvis more out and about and not hiding all over the place. Just a suggestion.

[CichlidFan]

Keep it...it will stop growing sooner or later... :)

CF

[Zulaab]

I agree with CF !!! listen to Steve !