The 82L Community Tank
🎬 Tank Timeline
Four years, one 82L tank, and a slow shift from a chaotic mixed community to a calm, steady one — now home to Dollars and Barbs with barely a loss in over a year.
🐠 How It Started
I picked up this tank from Rourkela around four years ago (~Aug 2022). Like most people starting out, I went in a little too ambitious — 🐟 neon tetras, alligator fish, cichlids — all sharing the same water at once. It was fun, but it didn’t last long; the tank taught me a lot about compatibility the hard way. The throwback clips below catch that early tetra-and-guppy era on camera, back in August 2024.
These days it’s settled into something calmer: Dollars and Barbs, sharing the same 82L tank (RS Electrical) for about a year now — with almost zero losses. ✨
💧 The Routine That’s Kept It Stable
- 🌡️ Borewell water, warmed slightly before it goes in
- 🧂 Rock salt, plus an anti-chlorine and anti-ich treatment (Rid All) with every top-up
- ⚙️ A filter and heater running at all times
- 🔄 About 60% of the water changed every two weeks
🩹 When Something Looks Off
White spots, ragged fins — Rid All’s Anti-Fungus Solution is the first thing I reach for.
🍽️ Feeding Schedule
- Daily 🟠 — Optimum’s non-veg red pellets (floating)
- Wednesdays & Sundays 🪱 — half pellets, half bloodworms
Four years in, it’s less about the fish and more about the routine — the same small checklist, every couple of weeks, is what’s kept the tank quiet and healthy. 🌿