posted 6 years ago
I asked my fishkeeper husband, he says:
"Your idea to use it as a holding tank rather than a rearing tank is spot on. Just new water and an aerator on day of catch will do for 2 to 3 days carefree.
To raise fish in there, you could easily plumb an overflow and use a timer to do daily water changes. Sponge filters are the best choice, for any tank. People usually do this with the barrel sideways so the fish can move. The key to growth is not heavy feeding, but water changes.
There are a million ways to keep fish, and it sounds like you know a lot already.
Just for kicks, here are my 135g and 75g tanks. Each tank is filtered with nothing but two sponge filters, and a lone emergent pothos vine. One coarse (airstone), one fine (powerhead). I even got a shot lengthwise through both tanks. Crystal clear water and healthy fish and water parameters. Fancy filtration is a waste of money and time. The fish don't benefit.
*This sponge filter public service announcement brought to you by cranky old experienced fishkeepers worldwide."
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