850litre tank!! 5x3x2

[Paul_MTS]

Oh right.....don't think i can get hold of that, i noticed in 1 of your posts you said your covers cost £50 or so......wondered what made them that price!!!

I'll have to settle for some glass covers for now as my bank balance isn't expensive tank stuff freindly!!

Right i reakon I'll go for a double and single then, space the 2 units out nicely then in the double one nearest the middle I'll have a blue light of some kind, I'll open up the case to that and switch it seperately. Doesn't your tank any plants at all?

Nah I'm not too botheredabout looks but my hoods cost me a fiver each and directs the light better.

 

[CFC]

I have a couple of bunches of giant vallis and a few sad looking Amazon swords to add a bit of greenery to the tank but thats it, i pretty much dont bother with plants as big fish and Cichlids tend to destroy them routinely anyway.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I'll give some a go, I like having my tanks planted.

could you post a full picture of your tank? I'm thinking of filling the along the back then along the sides alot with deco, then just have a like a center piece to break up the swimming space a bit...... how much should i try to leave open in percentage terms?

 

[CFC]

There are some full tank shots here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=44848&hl=

The best way to decorate big tanks is to just do it the same as you would a smaller tank but with larger materials, the average height of a piece of bogwood in my tank is about 14 inches and each piece is around 6" thick.
How much swimming space you leave is very dependent on the fish you keep, i have a open area of around 4x2' because my ray needs a reasonable ammount of room to move in but some fish would require less.

 

[Paul_MTS]

Excellent, quite a bit of wood in there then!!

Do you have any rocks in there?

 

[CFC]

No, no rocks at all in that tank. It started off with all the intentions of being a Amazonian biotope but over time a few non Amazonian natives have sneaked their way in One day i will convert it back to being a Amazonian biotope tank and move the other fish out into different tanks but until our housemove actually happens that wont be for a long while

 

[Paul_MTS]

post when your doing the house move so i can laugh in your general direction

I hink i'll go about siliconing some rocks together..make a few caves extra!!

 

[Paul_MTS]

tonight the tank got lifted once again!!

heres some pictures with the tank actually on the stand and the sump underneath. I thought my dad had given me a bit more space for pipe work but it seems i'ved got about 7-8 inches to play with.

 

[Paul_MTS]

and the sump underneath.

 

[Paul_MTS]

and a kind of birds eye viewm not quite enough space to get it all in!!!

 

[Aussie_Star]

looking really nice paul, I got two question and a suggestion for yoy.
1) When are you going to start to cycle it
2) What are you using for subtrate?

And for the lighting, You should check the loacl electrical supplier and see how much commerical lights are. I got 4 2ft double globe lights for about $80 and for a double 6ft light at the LFS was $200, so you can save big. You my already know this but just wanted to add

 

[Paul_MTS]

I'ved just got to sort out the pipe routing for the sump overneath then I'll beable to fill and cycle.

I'ved got 3 25kg bags of sand in the garage ready!!

Yep already onto lighting, my bros a electrian and picked me up 3 6ft units without tubes for £30 in total. and i got tubes on order from work, a original tropical, marine white(it was a more pure than the freswater one) and a marine blue as a blue moon wouldn't fit.(blue moons only go up to 48")

 

[Paul_MTS]

oh yea, i put the background on the tank last night. I siliconed it on to make sure it's not coming off as i had to climb into the tank to get it on!!

 

[technium]

Paul your tanks coming on lovely, I will try and post some pics of mine soon too and get you a pic of my sump and trickle tower.

Bet you cant wait to get some fish in that baby .

Keep posting pics so we know how its going.

 

[Paul_MTS]

thought i'd post some pictures with the background in, looks really good now in person, I think i'll have to get it and give it a good scrub though it's quite filthy!.