# Off to college: what to do?



## Fayettevillian (Jun 11, 2007)

My two options are: buy a good stand for my 29 zero maintenance low tech planted, or downsize to a 10 gallon I could put on a sturdy table. If I did the 10, this is what I have: 

Satellite 18W Compact dual daylight 
Red Sea Florabase or 60/40 Exo-complete/Sand mix
Aquaclear Mini (about 100gph) or Penguin 150 w/ biowheel
Access to my LFS entire store of plants for cheap/free
1 Pair rams, school ember tetras, cool plec or two

What do you think about using the PC light on the tank? Would that be good enough to grow swords, rotala, and some other decent plants (albeit slow)? Also, would it have enough spread to cover the entire bottom?

Thanks,

F'villian


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## screename (Dec 8, 2004)

I would DEF go with the 10. I assume you are living in a dorm and dorms are SMALL!!! Ive got a 8 gallon in my gf's apt and I think anything bigger just takes up too much time and space. Good luck.


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## Haeun (Mar 9, 2007)

*cough* I had a 29 gallon, a 10 gallon, and a 2.5 nano in my dorm room this last year.
We turned our extra wardrobe sideways, and put our TV and my 29 gallon on it. :]
I don't recommend having as many (and as large) tanks as I did though. Was hard moving out. Had to take two trips.

 You can add a 10 gallon to your collection, and keep the 29 at home, and ask your parents to do the minimal water changes.
Ok ok, if you don't want to catch Multiple Tank Syndrome like me, you can just downsize, but yea, 10 gallon is a good size for a dorm room. 
As for lighting, 18W is kind of low, but I suppose it would be a low-tech, low-maintenance tank (essential for during midterm season and finals). 
Unless you're getting a small pleco (maybe bushy nose?), I wouldn't get the pleco. Maybe you can get a school of cory, or otocinclus? The rams sound great. (I personally want to get another 10 gallon just so that I can get rams.) I don't know much about the tetras, so you'll have to ask someone else.

Are you moving far to college? The good thing for me was, the distance between home and college is only 1.5 hours, 2 hours max.


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## danakin (Jun 8, 2007)

"Access to my LFS entire store of plants for cheap/free"

How did you manage that?


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## erijnal (Jun 19, 2006)

Fayette, anything bigger than a 10 gallon is gonna be a PITA to move around. If you're within driving distance of the college you're going to, you're going to be making at least 4 trips back and forth assuming that you're only going to be moving the tank for move-in/out and winter break.

If you go with the 10 gallon, I'd see about going higher than 18 watts. I think I tried 18 watts and I had 0 success with HC and some other plants, so I doubt you'd be able to carpet successfully unless you have 6 inches of substrate haha.

You might want to reconsider the stocking. I haven't had rams personally, but if I remember correctly, it was something like one pair for a 10 gallon.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

^ what they said. Go for the 10g.  Dorm rooms are smalllllll....and it'll be hard to justify the huge tank especially if your roomate (I assume you'll have one?) doesn't appreciate planted aquaria as much as you.

I have my own apartment now and I have a 40g breeder, a 20g long, two 10gs, a few 5.5gs for shrimp breeding, a 7g cube for my higher grade CRS, a 12g cube for SW, and I have an empty 60g cube sitting there waiting for live rock. Hehhehe. It's gonna be a HUGE PITA to move. Don't catch MTS.


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

I had a 15 gallon with 65 watts over it in my dorm room, great stuff. I had it on top of my dresser and it worked out just fine. The 15 is a bit wider than the 10, but only by 4 inches (24" vs 20"). That gives you many more options in lighting though.


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## fishscale (May 29, 2007)

I'm so glad I moved out of the dorms right after freshman year. Dorms suck.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

No they don't. I ran metal halides...and didn't have to pay for the electricity....oh oops. Tank's too hot? TELL THE RA TO TURN UP THE AC! Muhahaha.


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## Haeun (Mar 9, 2007)

Yep. I'm moving into oncampus apartment next year and they're paying for all my electricity, water, and gas usage, puhaha.
But then again, when I'm paying $1000+/month, I damn well better get unlimited electricity, water and gas. :| I can live off-campus for $400+utility.


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## mickey85 (Nov 6, 2005)

Lived in a dorm for 3 years. The first two years, I bred bettas. Had my three studs in 2.5G tanks under my desk shelf. Had a 20 gallon tank on my dresser with 6 females, a TV stand with a 10 gallon growout tank, and all three shelves in my closet stacked three deep with beanie boxes. Stick with the 29G.


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## sirasoni (Jun 12, 2007)

I had a 10 in my dorm/apartment, it really isn't that much of a hassle to set up/take down.


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## Haeun (Mar 9, 2007)

Yea, I think a 10 is really easy. It's the cheapest to setup, easiest to setup, easiest to maintain, and easiest to break down. And pretty easy to transport in a car. Just drain the water to an inch or so. (Bag the fauna if you think they won't survive; mine did.)


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## jasa73 (Jun 3, 2007)

I'd say the 10 is a good size for a dorm. You'll have more room if you loft your bed! You'll be very busy with school and your social life anyway. Plus you'll have to move out for the summer and tear it down ...then there are the holiday breaks. Good luck i think dorm life is a quintessential part of the college experience.


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## y84k (May 31, 2007)

Well maintaining a smaller aquarium physically is easier but a larger environment is easier to maintain biologically.

But obviously you cant get a huge aquarium in a dorm so stick small... or wait it out til' you can move into an apartment the next year..

When I was in college it was a year round program (no moving what-so-ever, makes it a lot easier to maintain an aquarium) Needless to say I had an apartment with a friend of mine. In there I kept a 55 gallon the entire time I lived there. It also worked out well that a LFS was literally one block away (I diddn't even know about the place til' after I moved in)


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## oblongshrimp (Jul 26, 2006)

Also check with the dorm to make sure you can even have a tank over 10gals....many dorms have rules about that crap and the last thing you want is some stupid RA telling you you have to tear down your tank.


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