Trout in Aquarium

[radke22]

Is it possible to have a fish tank capable of keeping trout alive? has antone ever seen trout in a tank?

[Cyberfish]

Yup, I had a small rainbow in a 30 gallon tank, fed it crappie minnows. can't remember what happened to it, I think i got hungry for fresh trout an had a fish fry

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simul iustus et peccator

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[Jimmy]

The best Trout to keep would be Rainbows because they can withstand higher temps. If you wanted to keep browns or brooks you would probably want to invest in a water cooler which would cost alot of money.

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Jimmy

[LocalGuide]

Ya, it helps to keep the water cold. But it can be done and like Jimmy said, use Rainbows.

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AKA PikeEye 300

[Guest]

You'd probably want highly oxygenated water too. I haven't been into aquariums for quite a while now, but always thought one of those counter-current or venturi protein skimmers that they use in saltwater aquariums would work well to keep the water saturated with oxygen. It wouldn't clean the "scum" out of the water like it does in salt water, however.

[irvingdog]

Good line of thought Fargingicehole, but the TDO or Total Desolved Oxygen that the trout are going to need can be easily achieved by a "spillway" box filter or a simple air stone placed near the surface of the tank. Aeration of the water occurs at the surface (hence gas-air exchange) and although it would appear that there would be value in a venturi or counter-current skimmer, it can get to a point of saturation. A better idea is to keep the bio-load low. Few fish, clean tank, lots of nitrifying activity, and regular partial water changes.

[Jimmy]

At one point in time I had approximately 15 aquariums. All were filtered by undergravel filtration w/air. Never have I had a problem with bioload, as long as I did a partial water change once a month. Powerhead filtration is even a step better than air, so I could not see a problem with water quality as long as water changes are made every month. At one time I had 35-40 fish all 2" or larger packed into a 55gal. aquarium with little or no problems.

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Jimmy

[Guest]

Yes, Irvingdog, I agree! The low bioload point is very valid, and the frequent partial water changes are important to keep the nitrate levels in check. What do you think about a good undergravel filter powered by a pair of submersible powerheads? You could use the venturis to add additional aeration, and the turbulence would cause good gas exchange at the surface. If their output was adjusted right, it would also create a nice, steady current in the tank. Trout might like this?