155g Planted Elephantnose Display

[itiwhetu]

If I had $4000 US. I would carpet the house!!

 

[FF_Member146894]

this stand really has me worried.
i've seen 50 gallon water heaters flood houses and this is 3 times as much water.

i didn't actually build this stand, like all my others (because i thought that buying one would give better quality) and now i'm starting to regret that choice because:
1. it doesn't have as much support as i want (i'm sure it's enough though)
2. as you can see from the pictures, the side supports have a beam going across the whole length of the tank with plywood on top of it, but the beam isn't flush with the supports (only 1 beam has this problem, the others are fine).
so, i'm worried that when i fill the tank up it'll push the beam flush with the support, causing the tank to become unlevel (the tank and stand are perfectly level right now).
any stand builders, or anyone that knows one, what should i do about this? should i stick a shim in the gap (the place i marked in red)?

(it looks like a huge gap on the photo, but it's really only under 1/4 of a centimeter)

 

[itiwhetu]

Can you put up a photo of the whole stand. I would say put a shim in the gap if it perfectly level now, as that is how you want it to stay. From the photos you have posted the stand looks like it is made of bits and pieces which isn't always the best. The best stands are made from the least pieces possible.

 

[FF_Member146894]

The best stands are made from the least pieces possible.

the stand's support is only made of 8 2x4s and 3 beams going across the top of some, how much less can you make this?
or do you mean the exterior (non-support) bits?

 

[anewbie]

I've found RJ enterprise stands to be pretty good if you want one that is premade. I have one for 120 and another for a 40B.

 

[itiwhetu]

Sorry it is hard to tell what is what on the photos supplied. A tank of this size I would usually use 150x150's as the legs and 150x50 as the beams.

 

[FF_Member146894]

Sorry it is hard to tell what is what on the photos supplied.

it's against a wall and i have to get inside of the stand to take a picture, so i can't get any particularly better ones.
i'll just shim the gap.

i'm not really worried about not enough support because i suppose the stand builders make them to withstand more than the weight of the water and tank.
according to the internet, a 2x4 can support 1000 pounds if it's evenly spaced, and in theory, that gives the stand a crazy amount of load bearing capacity

 

[FF_Member146894]

when it comes to the stocking of this tank i feel stuck.
for bottom dwellers, i feel like the elephantnoses will take up the majority of the space, but i might be able to get in one species of smaller synodontis (don't know which are plant carpet safe) or catfish in there.
in the middle of the tank, the generic congo tetra seems too bright and shiny, so i thought another species, Distichodus teugelsi, would make a good alternative, but there isn't much information on it.
i'd get some butterflyfish for top dwellers, but the puffer will eat off the long fins, so i'm a bit stuck there, too, when it comes to something unique.
it's time to get serious with stocking ideas, although i could just stock the tank minimally and see what comes up at various stores over the years.

 

[itiwhetu]

when it comes to the stocking of this tank i feel stuck.
for bottom dwellers, i feel like the elephantnoses will take up the majority of the space, but i might be able to get in one species of smaller synodontis (don't know which are plant carpet safe) or catfish in there.
in the middle of the tank, the generic congo tetra seems too bright and shiny, so i thought another species, Distichodus teugelsi, would make a good alternative, but there isn't much information on it.
i'd get some butterflyfish for top dwellers, but the puffer will eat off the long fins, so i'm a bit stuck there, too, when it comes to something unique.
it's time to get serious with stocking ideas, although i could just stock the tank minimally and see what comes up at various stores over the years.

Are you sure the puffer will attack the Butterfly fish. How can you say that with such certainty

 

[FF_Member146894]

Are you sure the puffer will attack the Butterfly fish. How can you say that with such certainty

i can't
some people say they've managed to keep them together, others say the puffer will attack anything that looks like a worm, and a few say you can't keep schoutedeni puffers with other fish at all
i suppose i'll find out when i put him in with some other fish, some short-finned fast tetras first to see what his reaction will be

 

[FF_Member146894]

i cut some 4x4s today to replace or add on to the 2x4s that are on the stand
all that needs to happen now is to install them and get a spray bar done for my FX6 and i'm set to start filling the tank
@itiwhetu is it possible to use a bit of paper as a sort of shim

 

[FF_Member146894]

I think I'm going to build another stand to replace the store-bought one
after that I'm finally going to be able to get this thing filled with water

this is a sort of extended temporary tank anyway before I can upgrade to a 450 soonish, so I won't try too hard on the scape, keeping it as a sort of jungle, plant grow-out thing
I expect the tank to be mostly done and planted near mid or end december
I'll update once the stand is built

 

[Colin_T]

If I had $4000 US. I would carpet the house!!

Carpets are horrible things and get really gross if not cleaned properly and regularly. Better off tiling or laying vinyl flooring. Easier to clean and you don't have to worry about gross stuff living in the pile.

 

[anewbie]

Carpets are horrible things and get really gross if not cleaned properly and regularly. Better off tiling or laying vinyl flooring. Easier to clean and you don't have to worry about gross stuff living in the pile.

Well that is only true if you get your carpets dirty....

 

[FF_Member146894]

my father's egotism thinks the stand will hold so he refuses to help me build a new one
if I fill this thing it might not come down in a day, sometime later
but at least I know how my hobby can end and will never sleep well again