Whether it’s breeding fish and raising the fry, or completing a collection of rare Southeast Asian anabantids, advanced aquarists often have several tanks. This soon leads to a major problem: How to find time to perform the necessary maintenance on all those tanks?

I currently maintain seventeen aquariums ranging in size from twenty gallons to three hundred. Nearly half of these tanks are 50 gallons or larger, so it is important for me to be as efficient as possible when performing routine maintenance.

I have three different sizes of gravel washers to use in different sizes of tanks. These connect to flexible, clear plastic hose purchased from a hardware store. This hose is long enough to reach the drain in downstairs bathroom, or outside, from any tank I am working on, making it unnecessary to lug around buckets of water.

My water is treated in a couple of plastic 55-gallon barrels. These barrels were purchased from a local soft drink company for twelve dollars each. They formerly held soft drink syrup. They were cleaned by using generous amounts of baking soda, salt, and a lot of scrubbing. Most fish do well in tap water with the chlorine neutralized. I use De-Chlor.

In a multiple tank system like mine, a water pump is essential. Your local nursery or garden supply can often sell you one, or you may mail order one. A water pump enables you to fill one tank while you are siphoning water from another, saving you a lot of time. A water pump also provides a rapid method of dissolving salts, and water movement also quickly dissipates gas bubbles found in suspension in tap water.

Nearly everyone who keeps a large number of tanks sooner or later buys supplies through mail order. I realize this will displease most pet shop owners, but if I had to buy all my food and equipment from them, I could not afford to keep as many tanks as I do.

Setting up a multiple tank system does not mean running out and buying dozens of expensive, new aquariums. Used tanks are never in short supply. Check classified ads, pet shops which are going out of business, and even bait shops. Metal-framed aquariums are generally not a good idea because of their propensity for leaking, and they are difficult to repair. Sterilize used tanks with a mild solution of chlorine bleach. Rinse the tank well and use a little chlorine remover in the rinse water.

When I speak of a multiple tank system, I do not mean the same system pet shops use. The goals and methods of a fish dealer differ substantially from those of a hobbyist. Whereas the dealer seeks only to maintain fish long enough to sell them, the advanced hobbyist attempts to keep fish in an environment which enables them to thrive. The ability to supply differing environmental conditions is perhaps the greatest advantage to a multiple tank system. It should be noted, however, that unless you are willing to keep fish with same requirements as to water chemistry and temperature, a central filtration system is out of the question. If you are only interested in a specific genre of fish, such as tropical salt water fish or rift lake cichlids, then a central filtration system may be the best method.

Getting fish to spawn and raising the fry is the most rewarding part of the hobby, and the best reason for having several tanks. When fish breed, you know they have been provided optimal conditions. If the fish you are breeding are commercially desirable, you can sometimes trade them for supplies or sell them outright. Captive breeding also prevents depletion of wild stock.

Multiple tank maintenance doesn’t have to break your back or your bank account, and it can be highly rewarding. Just be sure you have a game plan before you begin – and enjoy yourself.

By Terry Ranson
Vol. 1, No. 6 The Newsletter of The Tri-State Aquarium Society May 1999
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