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Well someone was getting rid of a 55 gallon tank on CL and I picked it up a couple weeks ago. It needs some scrubbing and I'm working on finding a stand, but it looks like after this winter, Sedge is getting an upgrade! Tank still won't be very deep (front to back), but I think this is the biggest I can go in the current space.

Anybody had much luck getting that white frost off of glass? I'm going to be scrubbing lots with vinegar solution...

I'll have two Fluval 306s so hopefully that will work well. Right now I have a 100 watt and 50 watt heater, so I'll need something else. Probably 250-300 watts total, I think.

Excited to get it all set up and share pics. Won't be for 2-3 months probably though, when it warms up a bit.

Nice find! You can try a mr clean eraser with the frost. Most importantly, you will need to check the seals. Even if there is a little bit of compromise, it will lead to leaks.

Oh I'll try that. Yeah, I'll test it out, but as far as I know it was working fine as a fish tank when last used.

Testing is fine, but you need to really visually check for any missing or lifting parts. Silicone with a lot of frost or algae need extra scrutiny. Thats actually how my tank developed a leak.

Well, now I'm having second thoughts about upgrading. I am supposed to pick up a stand for 40 bucks in a couple days.

The main reason for upgrading is obviously to give Sedge more space, as he's about 4 inches now (he's in a 29 gal full with ATBA). I think I feel extra bad because he's been so mopey this winter, but that probably (??) has nothing to do with tank size / boredom (or does it?)

Of course, the people on this forum probably think it's good to upgrade. Most people IRL think I'm crazy

Thing is, the 55 gal I picked up will need some cleaning and I think I might not be able to get it totally clear. The stand is 30 or 45 mins away, so all this stuff ends up taking lots of time initially! Then I'm worried about extra maintenance (probably not that much, I'll have 2 306s running) and cost / waste of additional energy use.

I was kind of planning on waiting to upgrade for another year or two, since I'm a grad student in an apartment, and I'm hopefully finishing my phd in that period of time. So then, if I move, I'd have to deal with a lot more stress if I upgrade now...

I always have too many projects *sigh*. Most of them involve my animals. And I need to write my dissertation

Thoughts? Dissuade my guilt for leaving him in the 29 for now, or convince me that upgrading is really worth doing now?

You can go ahead clean it up and sell it.... wait for the $1 per gallon sale for a new tank. Stands can be made easily (depending on the style and functionality). Getting a "forever" home out of the way is a big accomplishment though

As for cleaning, you just need to find an easy and convenient way to do it, but its different for everyone.

Yeah I think right now I'm going to focus on enrichment in the current tank, and wait to upgrade till I'm ready...

Sounds good to me