# Pet store tanks



## Parag (Mar 28, 2014)

I am in a possible position of opening a pet store with a large focus on aquariums and exotics. I do custom tank builds as well so naturally i want to build an awesome setup for my store, but i am a bit lost about the best way to go about it. 
Most fish stores have simply a ton of 10 gallon tanks because it is obviuosly cheap, but is that the only reason? I was thinking of doing a large acyrlic display more like petsmarts have but that requires having a shared water system, is that a problem with potential disease? I dont want to contaminate my whole store. 
Or maybe do a division with new fish, a quarantine section.. 
Are individual tanks worth the added maintenance?
Any ideas??


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## jccaclimber2 (May 6, 2012)

1) What is your location? By your post count you are new here, so help us get to know you (and make it more interesting to us to provide feedback).
2) Have you kept large numbers of tanks before, or just manufactured them?
3) My local stores tend to have 15 gallon and 20 long setups rather than 10s. It lets them have large numbers of different tanks (and species) yet still have a small enough tank to catch them.
4) There used to be a nice fish store in Columbus, OH named Byerly's. They had a large common system, and as a result lost a huge number of fish on a couple occasions. Fish coming in from wholesalers are a mess. They're starved, confused with changing water conditions, and often carrying ich. In a small setting you can treat a tank, with a big setting not so much.
5) Careful with acrylic display tanks. I would either put a replaceable covering on it as you often see at public zoos, or use glass. The acrylic is pretty, but constant scratches from customers rings may not be.
6) Personally I'd use air driven foam corner filters, but there are both pros and cons to this method.


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

If you want to do shared water system you could do multiple so not all tanks are at risk at the same time.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Welcome to the site. I would suggest also on a main display tank is to put a separate filter on it. Like a couple of canisters or what have you depending on the size of tank.


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## Parag (Mar 28, 2014)

Yeah im new here, i am in denver,co
No ive never kept more than 4 tanks at a time. But some were rather elaborate. That is an interesting point with too much traffic scratching the finish but ive been able to repolish out alot in the past.
In the past few hours actually my location has reduced my fish area quite a bit, now i am only allotted one wall that backs to my storage that is about 10 feet long and 10ft high. Since now i am talking only 10-15 tanks what do you guys think. Maybe each of my three horizontal tank rows on its own independent system?? Plus my brackish tanks.
Is the ich and other diseases as common as i think it is? 
Seems like every 5th fish i buy has a problem one way or another. 
If i went with three systems do you think a canister filter and a 18 gallon sump is sufficient for each?


Im not too much of a fan of air driven filters, not one for the appearance.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Parag;469961
Is the ich and other diseases as common as i think it is?
Seems like every 5th fish i buy has a problem one way or another.
If i went with three systems do you think a canister filter and a 18 gallon sump is sufficient for each?[/QUOTE said:


> Almost every disease can be caused by stress.shipping often causes great stress(lost shipment,delayed flights...)
> 18 gallons of usable water maybe,not an 18 gallon tank or bin.
> I would seperate as much as possible.If you are sucessful selling fish then you will get new ones every week.You don't want to hold them for a week before you sell them or mess up any still left over .
> MY #1 LFS has overflow tubes in every tank and an automated water supply that adds(changes) 25% every night!When new excess water is added old extra water is drained and removed from tanks.They have a couple thousand gallon "storage" pool in basement to pre warm it before it gets pumped into tanks.Clean water is the best medicine.


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## Parag (Mar 28, 2014)

Wow if i could devise a situation like that it would totally be worth tying all tanks into one, but i just dont have the space for that. How does a place like that declorinate?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Chlorine will evaporate,but chloramine will not. So knowing what is in your water supply is important(you can check on net if you know name of water supplier).some also use very large carbon filters(hundreds of pounds) on slow flow with a back wash feature to remove chlorine.This does not work in small fast flow applications.an example would be RO water filters.They all have carbon and flow slow as chlorine will kill the most expensive part of filter(the Thin Film Composite membrane{TFC}).
Kens fish sells dry dechlorinator very cheap for those who change (use) lots of water.
Sodium Thiosulfate


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## jccaclimber2 (May 6, 2012)

A big enough carbon filter will remove both chlorine and chloramine (different filter blocks for the latter) in a fast flow situation, but we're talking things like whole house filters opposed to the little ones you see as RO unit prefilters. RO membranes units do not take out the ammonia left over from breaking chloramine, so you need to have a sufficient carbon block to remove it. This is probably not economical with that level of water changes. I use RO to remove calcium, but I use Safe or Prime to neutralize the ammonia after.
Even with a nightly water change (not hard to implement) you still need standard filtration in each tank. You could go pump driven, but more maintenance/cost/failure modes.
If you have to dose then standard dechlor for chlorine (sodium thiosulfate) is very cheap, even compared to water costs. If you have chloramine and choose a chemical dechlor then Seachem Safe powder is worth looking in to.
A foam wall makes air driven filters much nicer looking vs. blocks and gives you a place to hid the heater. The standard under gravel filter still has (generally) two tubes you have to look at, and get fish hiding behind when catching them.
I've heard that the incoming fish side of The Wet Spot out in Portland, OR actually QTs and treats incoming fish (and has lower loss rates accordingly). I've also heard mention of an enormous (thousands of gallons) water storage tank. I have not been there myself, so this is second hand from someone I know who has.
Personally I have 5 (soon to be 10) food safe 55 gallon drums in my basement all plumbed together for RO storage for water changes in my 300.


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## MASTERSURGEON04 (Oct 4, 2011)

susankat said:


> Welcome to the site. I would suggest also on a main display tank is to put a separate filter on it. Like a couple of canisters or what have you depending on the size of tank.


*old dudehello i used to have a store in miami ihave 3 big coral tanks in from of store right side fres sentr salt water big display with devides holding about 2000 gallons and the right i have 16 x 90gallos shearing 3 big refiugen separe i roner the store for 9 years and don't a single problem i have a large stock of shars that is the most dificult fish to keep thank u jose.*c/p**w2:fish5:


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

Some shops have trough run water. But there is mostly privately buyed anything because you fear to infect the entire system. Then it is limited to the standard offer. Those looking for something special, is rather not go.
Separate water will be better


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