Ch4Rlies New 2.5 Feet Tank Journal

daizeUK said:

I'm sure you know this already Charlie but make sure that MDF is properly sealed, it's not good stuff for handling water.  You don't want to end up with a warped stand.

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DrRob said:

Yes, this. I'm sure you already knew that though. I've largely given up with MDF for tank stands, pine board seems to be getting cheaper, and there are enough wooden kitchen worktops selling now that you can get some really nice offcuts for very little if you ask in the right places that make perfect stand tops.

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That's on my "to do" list, I did not have any MDF sealer or PVA glue at the time, plan to get this asap and put on a couple of coats. Perfectly correct though, MDF wood and water sure dont mix, warps likes nothing else.
 
Though its just the DIY top that is MDF, the rest of the stand appears to be chipboard with a beech type veneer which helps to protect the wood, not much better :x
 
Great idea about using kitchen worktops as a tank stand, very thick and sturdy usually.
A little pricier than MDF cutouts though, that MDF I got was only a pound, a pound I tell you!!
 

DrRob said:

I seem to have a few of these tanks lying around. One has shrimp in it and some plants jungling nicely. I'll keep an eye on this one as I have an empty one and pretty pictures may get the other half interested in one more tank.

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I'll do my best to make this tank 'pretty', am not very good at setting up tank layouts tbh, so going to enlist the help of my girlfriend to bounce ideas off
 
 

TallTree01 said:

Yay! Journal time! I will be watching

Nice looking driftwood charlie. Got any idea as to what you want to put in there?

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Habrosus cories for sure is on the list, my assassin snails and also the RCS will be going into this tank also.
 
Thats as far as I have got, suggestions welcome

 
Got my Eheim Classic 150 external filter and also a aquael 150w heater delivered today
 
 
 
              
 
 
I like the quality of both these products, just need to get more filter media as eheim has been a bit tight with amount of filter media included, just one sponge media and filter floss, no ceramics or mechanical media.
 
Luckily I have plenty spare
 
Next decision is on the substrate......

Oooo love that driftwood!!!!

thrujenseyes said:

Oooo love that driftwood!!!!

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Thanks
 
Its actually two largish bits of driftwood, or rather bogwood I think it is.
 
Not decided yet whether to use both or just one of them...

gotta be sand substrate surely ... especially if there's cories going in

double post again!! I've got an over-active clicky finger lol

 

         

 
 
Those are the best pics i could do with an iphone
 
Thinking time for which to use or both, depends on substrate probably, and yes Akasha, sand is probably best choice for cories.......

I like both bits of wood but I suppose it depends on if your planning on planting lots or not

Yes, therin lies the dillemma, have not decided whether to go co2 or not since I already have all the kit from a previous project, if co2 then lots of plants, if no co2, then be moderately planted.
 
Also both pieces in seem to take up quite a bit of space and if go for cories, then maybe need more floor space for them?
So in that case would just be one of the two pieces...
 
Round and round and round this goes in my head

I love Eheim classic filters - got two of them and wouldn't use any other model.
I've also ordered two of those EasyHeaters - after the debacle when I thought my Hydor had burnt out - still waiting for it to arrive but now I don't really need it anymore!  Doh!
 
Lovely bits of wood.  I like the second pic best out of those three.  I'd just use one piece of wood I think, they're both lovely but take up too much space together for my taste.  I'm going a bit more minimalist than I used to be - less wood, more plants!

how about cutting one of the 'arms' off the piece of wood on the left and seeing if it will fit into the rear corner on it's side and then arranging the other piece on the other side of the tank and dotting around a few pebbles or small rocks and planting in the gaps?
 
That way you'd get some balance and still have plenty of space for the cories - plus also giving them somewhere to go and hide when they are resting. I know my cories all like to hide and rest under my wood. My plec has dug out the sand under my big lump of wood on the right and he lives under there with the cories popping in and out all day and night. It's like their little cave

One of the reasons I liked the second pic is because the wood is slightly off-centre, making it a focus feature.  An aesthetically pleasing position for it and the angle also makes those 'arms' flow and further focus attention into the wood.

Sand sand sand.
All the wood all the wood all the wood.

 
New T5 lights arrived today
 
    


 
 
I am pretty pleased with these, has 2x T5 tubes, both 10,000k white 14 watts, making 28 watts. Can easily get or change the tubes to 6,700K if plants growth is poor.
 
Now, substrate......

looking good