Have I made a Mistake? Time to change over

[Lynnzer]

Have just got back from another tank purchase session. I didn't really go for a new one but ....... temptation crept up behind me and kicked me in the brain.
So the one I bought, I did so with the intention of replacing a cheapy that I actually started off with a few years ago now. It's a Ciano 25 that has seen better days, and to be honest I hate the shape of it. It houses half a dozen Emerald Rasbora and several Black Carbon Rili shrimps.
The one I have bought is another nano tank, the Waterbox Clear Mini 6
While driving home I was playing things through in my mind. What about filtration, what about heating etc.
Then I thought about the nano tank at the checkout desk at the LFS. It didn't have any heater or filter on display, and the tank is very well planted with loads of exceptionally small plants, possibly small baby tears or similar. Plants aren't my best subject. Anyway with so many plants that lift up to the top of the tank at the rear, there's no way to put a filter or heater in to hide it. Thinking of it, and thinking often isn't my best thing, I seem to remeber looking at the tank and it seemd to have a partition on the end that would probably be the place where the necessary bits and pieces would reside. It looked all neat and tidy and to be honest another inspirational tank.
I'll give them a call tomorrow and see if they can verify my suspicions and if I'm right might be able to swap my purchase for one of those on display.
However, in the meantime can anyone point me to a tanlk that fits that description, or even how toy set up a nano tank so that all the fiddly bits aren't showing.

 

[Wills]

I dont think so Waterbox tanks are a lot of fun and look great! For filtration there are a few options, you can get small externals like the Oase Filtosmart 60 or there are some even smaller you also get hang on the back filters which though a bit big can be hidden with emergent plants like a monterra or a peace lilly. For heaters check out some of the beta tank heaters there are some that are just a little black rectangle that would hide really easily. An other option would be to do a sponge filter, I can never remember the name but the kind where you clip a sheet of sponge into a corner with bioballs and and air pump are nice and simple, probably good to hide a heater in too (as long as it does not touch the plastic or foam though).

Wills

 

[Lynnzer]

I dont think so Waterbox tanks are a lot of fun and look great! For filtration there are a few options, you can get small externals like the Oase Filtosmart 60 or there are some even smaller you also get hang on the back filters which though a bit big can be hidden with emergent plants like a monterra or a peace lilly. For heaters check out some of the beta tank heaters there are some that are just a little black rectangle that would hide really easily. An other option would be to do a sponge filter, I can never remember the name but the kind where you clip a sheet of sponge into a corner with bioballs and and air pump are nice and simple, probably good to hide a heater in too (as long as it does not touch the plastic or foam though).

Wills

Thanks Wills. I haven't got the room for an external filter so anything else may be considered. I think perhpas a H.O.B. may be one way to solve the problem however it needs to be slim and preferably as inobtrusive as possible. It's a pity that there isn't a sort of H.O.B. that works the same way, ie under tank height. Or maybe I just haven't found it yet. I have sponge filters of various shapes and sizes but they are a bit obvious in a small tank, and also various internal small filters such as the Oase Bioplus 50 but again they are a bit obvious and will undoubtedly restrict the space available to do a good aquascape.
I've seen the rectangular heater things already while looking for a heater for another small tank. I wanted no more than a 15Kw but had to settle for a 25Kw to get things going quickly. The tank that's in isn't a show tank though so it didn't matter.

 

[Wills]

Thanks Wills. I haven't got the room for an external filter so anything else may be considered. I think perhpas a H.O.B. may be one way to solve the problem however it needs to be slim and preferably as inobtrusive as possible. It's a pity that there isn't a sort of H.O.B. that works the same way, ie under tank height. Or maybe I just haven't found it yet. I have sponge filters of various shapes and sizes but they are a bit obvious in a small tank, and also various internal small filters such as the Oase Bioplus 50 but again they are a bit obvious and will undoubtedly restrict the space available to do a good aquascape.
I've seen the rectangular heater things already while looking for a heater for another small tank. I wanted no more than a 15Kw but had to settle for a 25Kw to get things going quickly. The tank that's in isn't a show tank though so it didn't matter.

You can set up the Oase Filtosmart 60 as a HOB and it does not sit on the top like the Seachem ones for example, you just need to work out how to be discrete with the pipes.

Wills

 

[Lynnzer]

Well I just found some flat small heaters. I have 2 on the way as I want to try them on different tanks.
The first is one that I intend to replace my usual round normal type heater in my aquascaped tank. It's a Sunsun and I already have their external canister filters that are great so I can trust them at least. There really isn't sufficient room for the normal one and you can see it sitting between the wood in the back of the tank: Here. A nice flat one will squeeze into the tank easier.
The other is a 15w for this nano tank, the subject of the topic.

Now all I need is to find a suitable HOB. Will be researching more later today, and I even thought of making a sponge partition in the tank with the small area behind it running one of the internal filters with the outlet spraybar over the swimming area.