Foam base mats

[Deleted member 149562]

....and if you are after a BN or 6 to go into your "itch"....I am inundated with the blighters....you'll have to catch your own though

 

[Wills]

I'd go with this one https://mbstore.uk/product/diversa-set-aquarium-with-stand-240l-white/

The basic stand means I can customise the surround better and not block cupboards etc. And thats £370 for the tank, stand and surround, £200 for a second hand Oase 850, about £50 for the lights I want so a total of £620. Then far too much money on sand, rocks, wood and plants.

Stocking plan is centred around a female Nicaraguan Cichlid, with a group of Rainbows - mix of Aytinjo Bosemani, Kali Tawa and Herbertaxelrodi, group of Synodontis Poli/Petricola and if I have space some colourful livebearers and some kind of 'algae cleaner' - not a replacement for maintenance but something to pick at the biofilm. Possibly BNs or I did come across some central american gobies that would do the job but hard to find for sale...

I did want something in the region of 90 gallons but the 240 litres is around 65 gallons so not a great loss. The Nic is the biggest fish by far at 6-8 inches but I think a 240 is going to ok for her. The rainbows are all smaller species with the Aytinjos the biggest at 4 inches, Kali Tawa at 3 and Yellows in the middle of the two.

Wills

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I'd go with this one https://mbstore.uk/product/diversa-set-aquarium-with-stand-240l-white/

The basic stand means I can customise the surround better and not block cupboards etc. And thats £370 for the tank, stand and surround, £200 for a second hand Oase 850, about £50 for the lights I want so a total of £620. Then far too much money on sand, rocks, wood and plants.

Stocking plan is centred around a female Nicaraguan Cichlid, with a group of Rainbows - mix of Aytinjo Bosemani, Kali Tawa and Herbertaxelrodi, group of Synodontis Poli/Petricola and if I have space some colourful livebearers and some kind of 'algae cleaner' - not a replacement for maintenance but something to pick at the biofilm. Possibly BNs or I did come across some central american gobies that would do the job but hard to find for sale...

I did want something in the region of 90 gallons but the 240 litres is around 65 gallons so not a great loss. The Nic is the biggest fish by far at 6-8 inches but I think a 240 is going to ok for her. The rainbows are all smaller species with the Aytinjos the biggest at 4 inches, Kali Tawa at 3 and Yellows in the middle of the two.

Wills

If you went with the lid too, it comes with a light included.....mine is in the cupboard as a spare (too bright for my liking but would be ideal for planted aquariums)

£330

Diversa 240 Litre Aquarium Set with LED Lid & White Stand

Discover the Diversa 240 Litre Aquarium Set with LED Lid & White Stand - a perfect blend of style and function, ideal for enhancing any space.

mbstore.uk

 

[Deleted member 149562]

@Wills

Go on....scratch that itch....you KNOW you want to

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Mine is looking really nice today. I know some people are not keen on black silicone seams and prefer them to be clear but you really don't notice them once the aquarium is filled up with fish, decor and water (all of my aquariums have had black seams anyway, doesn't bother me in the slightest since the most important thing is that the seams stay stuck together.

The lid covers the braces and I could, if wanted, fill to the brace level...but a few centimeters airspace is not a problem aesthetically imho.

 

[Wills]

I don't mind black silicone, would probably go for black over clear on this tank. If you ever have to use meds that can stain clear silicone its not clear anymore so would rather do the black.

Need to have a think, really really want a 4 foot tank and some bigger fish again and the more expensive options are not going to happen any time soon, nothing right is coming through as second hand. There is a second hand Juwel 350 for £350 that is tempting but not 100% as not a big fan of their internal filters...

Someone else put it a good way the other day - just feel like I need this to the point I might burst.

Wills

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Someone else put it a good way the other day - just feel like I need this to the point I might burst.

Aawww! You do need this dream tank
I won't add any pressure for you to go for this one. You know deep down what you want to go for, you just pressure yourself to come up with the perfect plan before acting, I think, but the perfect plan is super expensive, and the compromise might allow you to achieve something very close to your dream scenario, but it's hard to bite the bullet because you don't want to regret choosing the compromise...

Am I right?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I don't mind black silicone, would probably go for black over clear on this tank. If you ever have to use meds that can stain clear silicone its not clear anymore so would rather do the black.

Need to have a think, really really want a 4 foot tank and some bigger fish again and the more expensive options are not going to happen any time soon, nothing right is coming through as second hand. There is a second hand Juwel 350 for £350 that is tempting but not 100% as not a big fan of their internal filters...

Someone else put it a good way the other day - just feel like I need this to the point I might burst.

Wills

On a purely value for money basis, I have yet to find another aquarium setup like these with the build quality like they have for less than double the cost and the damned curb delivery.

This is the first rimless aquarium I have ever owned...always been terrified of them tbh....but it is so strong, the stand was dead easy to put together, the mat comes free and is really effective.....value for money, it cannot be beaten

(And none of the stupid plastic bracing nonsense of the Juwel aquariums.....these use thick glass bracing, old school style)

In all the years I have had fish, the Diversa setup is by far the best built and best value by far. Diversa are part of AquaEl so they are not a flybynight firm without experience in these things.

Imho you can't go wrong with one of these setups...none of the worries of a secondhand setup, none of the design flaws etc

 

[Wills]

Aawww! You do need this dream tank
I won't add any pressure for you to go for this one. You know deep down what you want to go for, you just pressure yourself to come up with the perfect plan before acting, I think, but the perfect plan is super expensive, and the compromise might allow you to achieve something very close to your dream scenario, but it's hard to bite the bullet because you don't want to regret choosing the compromise...

Am I right?

Sort of, but I'm more concerned about spending £300ish now to only spend £1000 in a year or two. But I suppose in my head I've been comparing the cost of two full set ups so on top of the tank filter at £200, lights at £50, rock, sand, wood at likely £2-300 so comparing £700 to £1500 but its actually just the 300 vs 900 for the tank and stand as everything could move over.

On a purely value for money basis, I have yet to find another aquarium setup like these with the build quality like they have for less than double the cost and the damned curb delivery.

This is the first rimless aquarium I have ever owned...always been terrified of them tbh....but it is so strong, the stand was dead easy to put together, the mat comes free and is really effective.....value for money, it cannot be beaten

(And none of the stupid plastic bracing nonsense of the Juwel aquariums.....these use thick glass bracing, old school style)

In all the years I have had fish, the Diversa setup is by far the best built and best value by far. Diversa are part of AquaEl so they are not a flybynight firm without experience in these things.

Imho you can't go wrong with one of these setups...none of the worries of a secondhand setup, none of the design flaws etc

Your recommendation is definitely going a long way for these guys At this price if I hadnt spoke to someone that had one I would have dismissed them as just cheap...

 

[Deleted member 149562]

This is the Diversa website (its in English)

Strona główna - Diversa

www.diversa.info.pl

(The parent AquaEl is a Polish company too)

They supply a variety of aquatic equipment. MB are the only UK retailer for them and have been so since 2014. Diversa have been manufacturing aquariums etc for over 40 years and only became a part of AquaEl in 2018

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Sort of, but I'm more concerned about spending £300ish now to only spend £1000 in a year or two. But I suppose in my head I've been comparing the cost of two full set ups so on top of the tank filter at £200, lights at £50, rock, sand, wood at likely £2-300 so comparing £700 to £1500 but its actually just the 300 vs 900 for the tank and stand as everything could move over.

Ah. Yeah, you definitely have to remove the costs of the filter/hardscape/plants etc from the total you'd need if you did upgrade the tank in a year or two. Also should consider that you could sell the previous tank and recoup some of the costs there, so it's not as if the first tank would be a total loss either.
You're too intelligent to not have known you were unfairly balancing the expenses, so perhaps some part of you is afraid to commit to the compromise scenario and sees the upgrade as inevitable. Worth thinking about.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

@Wills

You could buy 3 Diversa setups for the same cost of one Juwel setup...and still have change in your pocket.

That's food for thought.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Another thought: Even if you go for the compromise smaller tank now and later decide you want to upgrade in a year or two, you still get to enjoy your nicu cichlid for two years before that happens, rather than waiting two years without your dream fish until you can get the larger tank.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Another thought: Even if you go for the compromise smaller tank now and later decide you want to upgrade in a year or two, you still get to enjoy your nicu cichlid for two years before that happens, rather than waiting two years without your dream fish until you can get the larger tank.

The 240 litre is 4ft long anyway...its 120cm long.

So could be fine for several years before an upgrade potentially being needed.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

After saying all that, I regret impulse buying what I thought was a 37g second hand, that turned out to be 34g, and finding out after setting it all up that I'm gonna need a bigger one.

I'm getting a second hand fluval 240 now hopefully (still arranging the trade with the seller), and I'm both excited to have a larger tank to scape and for the cories and plecs to have more space, and dreading a bit the switch over and re-scaping. Hoping to have the tank by or at the weekend. Wish me luck, please!