Got The Ok For Another Tank

[Defiance]

Hiya's,

My fiancee has given in, lol, i best reword that ........ My darling babe has said it's fine if i have another aquarium

We have space (after i remove a piece of furniture) for either a 5ft or 6ft long tank, either way the tank will be 24" wide and 24" high

As it stands now i will call two places up monday and sort out prices and delivery etc, think maybe 4-6wk wait though (i could if needbe collect)

Now i have been researching the "optiwhite" glass, alas the price difference wasn't as bad as i thought but i've read it really can scratch much easier than standard float/plate glass so will be sticking with standard glass

Anyways now for the main reason of my post ................. going on a tank size plus or minus imperial gallons 125-150 anyone care to chime in on the Q's below

1: What size heater or heaters ?

2: External all in one filters (with uv) what size ?? and will one be enough (have seen some using ones from da bay, i saw 2 that seem fine for my planned sized tanks)

3: Seeing as the tank will be bare, any ideas on the lighting setup needed for a hopefully healthy planted setup with just a community type setup (nothing specialised fish-wise i mean)

As soon as we recieve whichever tank we decide on i have to make a stand, not a problem luckily, but i will take my time and do a diary (old digicam though lol) but it will be a plodding job not a rush rush one

Many Thanks

Tony

 

[anwhyte]

Hiya's,

My fiancee has given in, lol, i best reword that ........ My darling babe has said it's fine if i have another aquarium

We have space (after i remove a piece of furniture) for either a 5ft or 6ft long tank, either way the tank will be 24" wide and 24" high

As it stands now i will call two places up monday and sort out prices and delivery etc, think maybe 4-6wk wait though (i could if needbe collect)

Now i have been researching the "optiwhite" glass, alas the price difference wasn't as bad as i thought but i've read it really can scratch much easier than standard float/plate glass so will be sticking with standard glass

Anyways now for the main reason of my post ................. going on a tank size plus or minus imperial gallons 125-150 anyone care to chime in on the Q's below

1: What size heater or heaters ?

2: External all in one filters (with uv) what size ?? and will one be enough (have seen some using ones from da bay, i saw 2 that seem fine for my planned sized tanks)

3: Seeing as the tank will be bare, any ideas on the lighting setup needed for a hopefully healthy planted setup with just a community type setup (nothing specialised fish-wise i mean)

As soon as we recieve whichever tank we decide on i have to make a stand, not a problem luckily, but i will take my time and do a diary (old digicam though lol) but it will be a plodding job not a rush rush one

Many Thanks

Tony

lucky you m8, a 300w heater would cope with 150g, not sure about the other 2 questions though

 

[mattlee]

the more filtration the better, i would go for 2 externals 1 at each end with as much lph as possible

 

[Defiance]

Hiya's,

300watt heater i think i'll have to go with a rena smartheater, the black plastic submarine looking critters

Now the external filters with uv are £70 each (not bad at all) and here's a quick copy/paste ..........

Suitable for fresh & salt water aquarium tanks
Suitable for tanks up to 1000 Litres
Self priming unit, filter fully self primes after simple setup
Drip free shut off tap for easy cleaning
UV bulb on/ off switch provides independent control from filter operation
9w UV bulb included
Four filter media basket compartments for layered filtering
Included filter media; Bio balls, Ceramic rings, Activated carbon and three fine filter floss foams

Specifications

Model: '2000EF+' All Pond Solutions External Filter
Flow Rate: 2000 Litres per Hour
Water Volume: 20 Litres (Approx)
Hose size: 25mm Outside diameter, 18mm Inside diameter
Height max: 2 Metres
Voltage: 220-240v
Power: 55w
UV power: 9w
Dimensions: 290 x 290 x 485 mm
12 Months warranty.

Do these sound ok ?? as far as i can read before foods done they're the largest the company does

Many Thanks

Tony

 

[mattlee]

i have the rena smart heaters in most of my tanks and they seem to be very accurate and reliable, so far......! would defo recommend them
the filter is the most important part of a tank set up so if i were you if funds allow go for a reputable well known brand like eheim, tetratec, rena etc. also dont forget that filter manufacturers quote filtration flow with out the media in so it will be less than stated when full of sponges and media except for eheim i believe as these seem to be the closest to the quoted facts and figures given by eheim
even take a look in classifieds etc for used filters there are a few deals to be had.

 

[Defiance]

Hiya,
Yeah i use a 150w rena, so far so good, and i do prefer their looks and practical tough cover

I've just looked an da bay

Found this but x2 cost of other filters ..........

EHEIM 600 EXTERNAL FILTER 2075 PROFESSIONAL 3 +MEDIA £150

The future wife would have a tizzy if i got 2 of those straight off the bat, pretty chuffed she caved in about having another tank let alone a 5-6 footer

What i can do though is slowly sneek things up on her lmao, get one to cycle with, then of course get another a few weeks later

Then again if i said 2 were deffo needed she'd say well get another (but of course i have to face her scowling look for a day or 2 he he)

The rena heaters are always in my LFS so that's a simple go n buy anytime i call in before the tanks made/arrived

Never had sand as a substrate only used gravel, but now i'm thinking maybe with a nice sized tank i might try soil/sand and maybe a few gravel patches (off i go to search sand as a substrate)

Ohh and will have to fully read about the eheim filters to see if they are uv or not (only glanced at cost n quick specs to do post while i have a coffee)

Well Thanks for the replies keep em comin, any input is much apreciated

Cheers

Tony

 

[erk628]

I would suggest two heaters instead of one so if you need a 300 watt then get two 150 watts and put one on each side. As for as filters go if its a 6 foot I would suggest two fluval fx5's. I have a 150 and thats what I'm doing I just got the first one the other day and its doing a wonderful job on its side of the tank. I will be getting the second in a few weeks. If you decide to get the fx5's let me know I have a really cheap trick to double the flow rate that comes out which will greatly improve your water circulation.

 

[MrPandaram]

RENA heater is the best. even my digi thermo stay at 26.1 or.... .2! always!

but bit ugly and bulky though..




there is also 'Hydor' External Heater.. seems to be good. planing to go for one soon.

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hydor-External-Heater-200W_W0QQitemZ270505040658QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item3efb5b5b12

 

[mattlee]

the renas can also be used externally with the purchase of a kit

 

[Defiance]

Hiya's,
I will go in search of the rena external kit

Then again i guess with the kit it will bump the price up to that of a true external heater so negating the need for the kit, but i will check nonetheless

Cheers for the replies

Tony

 

[MrPandaram]

the renas can also be used externally with the purchase of a kit

got the idea.. it will be ok since rena have auto cut off when there is no water.

i am going to build one.

little woman not going be very happy about this as i just finished off building an sump with everithing.

 

[Defiance]

Hiya's,
In the fourteen years i've been with my l'il woman i've learned one thing from day one !!

Don't make the l'il woman unhappy lmao

Always i stress Always keep them happy, this way they are like putty in your fingers lol

But seriously, yeah making one wouldn't be too hard, but i've tracked a 300w external heater down for £32.50 which aint bad at all

So now after numerous searches i'm gonna get 2 of the Aquarium fish tank external filter 2000L/H 9WUV + Media from da bay from allpondsolutions and one of the 300w external heaters (ordered one of those filters for my mother earlier for her yet to be delivered rio 240, hope it's here tomorrow as she is driving me potty lol)

So so far the new setup will look like this .......

6'x2'x2' tank, 2 of those external filters, 1 300w external heater (where tank is now, the heater very rarely clicks on as the rooms nice n toasty)

Subsrate i really am drawn to sand with gravel scattered for easier planting (hopefully done in a tasteful/natural looking way) , then as i read up more on sand as a substrate plants to suit

And obviously then it's a case of cycling and hopefully healthy vegetation then choosing critters that enjoy a sandy substrate

Any more ideas just chuck em here, i'm open to any help/advice

Cheers

Tony

 

[Defiance]

Hiya's,
Ordered a 6x2x2 earlier

Be upto 6wks (beats 9wks as it said on the tank website ) to be made/delivered

I hate to wait for "goodies" so upto 6wks is gonna seem like a lifetime he he

Been looking into making my own 3d background, found some foam insul blocks in wickes, already have a tube of silicone etc, so i think i'm gonna go for it and make it an inch larger on every side then cut it down to size when actual tank arrives then colour/coat and finish

Not certain as to what substrate to use yet, but think i'm going for an external/inline 300w heater (tanks gonna be in living room and we have the whole place nice n toasty so can't see a problem, but if needed i'll double up and drop wattage accordingly)

The lighting will cause me headaches i guess lol, but will continue reading up and researching

The base i can make (err i have to rather, fiancee wants it to blend in with other wood decor/furniture i've made, but no biggy as i love working with wood and metal and engines and cars, but heck don't we all ? lol)

Anyways, i'm a happy chappy, 6ft is about the max we now have room for so really we're both chuffed

Ohh and thus far "she" wants a large community tank (i've only really had these so who am i to go against "her" )

Well i'm off to search the forum

Have Fun

Tony

 

[OldMan47]

To get reliably stable temperatures in a typical home environment, you will want about 5 watts of heater per gallon. On a tank that size you could get by with a pair of 300W heaters, even though it would be slightly smaller than typical recommendations, because surface to volume ratio is in your favor on a large tank. For a filter on such a large tank, I would be looking at the Fluval FX5. I have a Rena Filstar XP3 on my 125 gallon but it is at its limit as far as servicing a large tank. I have not seen such good reviews on the larger XP4. The person who told me to avoid them is someone I trust implicitly, not a presence on this forum. She had a total of 3 before giving up on them. Each of them leaked when first placed into service.

 

[Defiance]

Hiya,
I'm gonna go with two Hydor external 300w heaters, not that i dislike standard heaters, it's so i have less problems when i construct a 3d background

This way i just really have the inlet/outlet to contend with, and of course valves and T's to make water changes easier

Back to the heaters ........ from what i've read i can put one just after the external filter/s, then the second somewhere after but before the tank itself

Cheers

Tony