118g? Time to upgrade?

[Amelia]

left: 65g, right: 118g

So! I've been offered an 118g Juwel tank for the bargain price of $800. It's only 5-feet long, not 6 (dimensions above). I currently have a 4-foot 65g tank housing 5 juvenile severums. If I was to upgrade to the 118g I'd expand my focus to other SA cichlids and do a SA biotope.

My question is is it worth it for only an extra foot of footprint? That doesn't really allow for much more territory than what I already have. PLUS I'd have to sell my current 65g and probably shut down one of my other tanks (45g and 25g) too to accommodate.

Opinions? Yes or No? Plus, what could I stock given this extra space and footprint?

[talldutchie]

The few adult severums I've seen struck me as homicidal maniacs. Adding an extra foot isn';t going to do much I think, just postpone the eventual rehoming for another 2-3 months if I am correct.

[Amelia]

I should clarify I don't intend on keeping 5 severums. I was just going to wait until they develop and then keep the nicest ones, probably only 2 if I get a nice pair or 3.

[talldutchie]

Well, perhaps I jumped to conclusions. For just a pair of severums the gain will be minimal. However if it frees up the smaller juwel you do get a very nice tank for a biotope. I'm running an 80cm Rio and really like that.

[Sandz]

You could get a used 300gal for the same price around me... or less. That is a huge chunk of change for just another foot... even if its 2x the water load. I would hold out for a 6ft tank.

[talldutchie]

Did you look up the exchange rate?OP isn't in the states.

[KevinVA]

Still quite a bit, but you're also getting the stand. =X That being said, are they made out of glass or acrylic? That could be the difference. Otherwise, you're just paying for branding, right? If it's used, how about a counter-offer of $600? You could always find a 100+ gal tank and find/build a cheaper stand.

[Amelia]

I probably shouldn't have mentioned the price, its gunna cause confusion. Fishkeeping is extremely expensive here and $800 is INSANE for a tank that size with a stand, hood, lights and internal filter here (I'll be putting a canister on it too if I get it). It was $2500 new 2 years ago and the only reason I'm being offered it so cheap is the guy who's selling it is a mate. I paid $600 for my 65g ($1800 new) and that was a steal. All my tanks have been secondhand because I simply cannot afford new tanks. My 45g was $400, would have been $800 new and my 25g was $250, would have been about $500 new. BUT at the end of the day $800 is still $800! I could hang out for a tank with a bigger footprint but they don't make 6-footers standard here, if there are any they're all custom made and very rare.

Also, if I decided to upgrade to the 118g I wouldn't keep a pair of severums as this would obviously limit options. I'd just keep one.

[KevinVA]

I forgot that it was so expensive for you. Even the fish we can get for $10 or so here cost you upwards of $40-50. You know your market better than we do, so if it's a killer deal, you should probably jump at it (so long as you can afford it). It's honestly not that bad a deal, even for here, to cover the cost of tank, stand, lights, filter, etc.

[Amelia]

Thanks Kevin, I think I'm going to. The only issue is to afford it I'll have to sell one of my other tanks... and I've never been able to sell a tank in my life! I still own every tank that I've ever bought as I have this phobia that as soon as I sell them I'll need them back for something! Plus I've snatched them all up in fantastic deals and I know if I ever want to buy them again I'll never get them as cheap again.

My options are just selling my 65g and doing a straight upgrade to the 118g, or moving my cichlids from the 65g to the 118g, and then combining my 25g (neons, gourami and dwarf chain loaches) and 45g (german rams, harlequin rasbora and cories) community tanks into a 65g super-community and then selling the 25g and 45g. Most people would probably suggest this route but I have a strange attachment to my 25g as it was my first ever tropical tank. Go figure. OR if I really wanted to throw things around I could keep the severums where they are and make the 118g a massive super-commy.

Anyone wanna throw me a bone on what THEY think I should fill the 118g with?