how hard is it...

to run a big tank. I'm talking 200l. not sure of dimensions. 4ft? something like that.

bear in mind I'm fairly new to the hobby and my current tank is a 30cm nano.

a friend offered me a 200l tank with wooden lid, lights, wooden cabinet etc. I've seen the tank and it's really nice. I told her I'd sleep on it, but to be honest with myself, such a large tank sounds daunting to look after.

but then I start imagining all the pretty things I could do with it....

 

Much easier than your 30cm Nano
You just change a little more water.

 

lol - Larger tanks are "easier" to maintain than nanos...larger bodies of water stay more stable and are more forgiving than littlle 10 liter nanos...

Yes,waterchanges are done by bucket in stead of a coffe cup,so there is a bit of heavier lifting involved,but a 4foot is an awesome sized tank to have...Fish grow fast,plants can reach their full sizes and you get to play a lot more with your decor ideas...

 

oh dear. the dreaded MTS is sinking in its claws and pulling me towards the abyss!

what's the recommended % and frequency of water changes on a tank this size?

 

Depending on how messy your fish is etc but around 10-20% a week should be fine.

 

MTS aint 2 tanks....its LOTS more(but it starts with the 2nd...lol)

As for waterchanges,it will depend on what you plan to keep,stocking density and if you feed heavily or lightly... Initialy 25% per week while filters run in,then like 30% every 2 weeks or so...as a general guide line...

 

Generally a 25% water change per week is what most people go by.

 

I wholeheartedly disagree with you! I only have one tank (and its barely stocked) and i already want another one teehee

but yes, the bigger the tank, the easier it is to maintain

 

@Anine, it definitely leaves you with more options of stocking, decor, equipment, etc...

I have only had 4 foot tanks for the last 10 years, before that I had 2 foot tanks.

Now my wife is getting into the hobby and I promised a 2 foot tank for her (which I was told she will plan and I will maintain )

and I have also been thinking about how to do things in the 2 foot and to be honest I told her the other day that I dont know if I will be able to do much in the tank even though I had 1 before...

4foot in my opinion is an ideal sized tank with some limitations but lots of options!

 

Trust me! mts is not about how many tanks you have, (I've got 10) its about always wanting just one more!

 

(un)fortunately the space I have available isnt big enough for the 4ft and its cabinet and lid. boohoo. so I'm going to keep an eye on the classifieds for a 3ft. that should fit

 

How much space do you have? I just had a custom tank made 100x35x38, for breeding purposes and also built a custome canopy and stand, altogether it was only R1200.

The entire stand has a very small footprint but also would have enough space for you to play around with.

But yes the 4ft is ideal, that is still one of my easiest tanks too maintain.

 

Its much easier!
if you stock it "lightly" - it will be even easier.
just put some thought into your filtration. if you set it up well - your tank can run very well and for very long with minimal input

Have fun

 

a standard 4ft (1,2m) tank is 250 litres. i would think the tank you are getting is a little bit smaller than that.

20% water changes once a week or 10% twice a week is even better for water changes.

good luck