How to Make Plastic Drum Fish Tanks

Many people feed gold fish to other aquatic animals such as Cichlid fish, frogs and reptiles. Just about every pet store has tanks dedicated to housing ̶0;feeder fish.̶1; If you require a lot of feeder fish for your animals, you can use a 55-gallon drum to house the fish until you need them for food. You can also do this if you plan to resell the fish to other aquarists who have need for feeder fish.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium gravel
  • Aquarium air pump
  • Air tube
  • Aerator
  • Aquarium starter
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the 55-gallon drum in a covered area protected from the elements.

    • 2

      Clean the 55-gallon drum inside and out with fresh water and mild dish soap. Only use plastic drums used in food preparation. Do not use drums that housed chemicals, because you could end up with dead fish regardless of how clean you get the drum.

    • 3

      Fill a strainer with aquarium gravel and clean it with a garden hose to remove dirt. Place the gravel into the 55-gallon drum. Do this until you have added 55 pounds of gravel. This is one pound of gravel per every gallon of water.

    • 4

      Place an air pump designed for aquarium use near the drum. Use a pump rated at 55 gallons or higher. Attach rubber tubing to both air ports on the pump. Cut the tubing to equal lengths that reach from the pump to the bottom of the 55-gallon drum. Place aerators onto the ends of the tubing, then place the aerators in the drum. The air provides oxygen for the fish and helps to reduce algae.

    • 5

      Fill the drum with fresh tap water. If you choose, you can add the appropriate amount of aquarium starter. These chemicals add beneficial bacteria and help to speed the cycling process of the tank.

    • 6

      Stock the tank with feeder fish. If you are holding feeder fish for immediate sale, you can add one fish per every gallon of water. If you plan to house the fish for a while, divide the average length of the adult fish into 55-gallons. You should only keep one inch of adult fish per gallon.