I Want A Bigger Tank But...

[mrapoc]

I currently have a Mirabello 70 litre tank (12"x24") and it was my first ever aquarium about 3 years ago. I now feel I have mastered it and really want a bigger tank for the advantages of easier maintenance (planning on an external) and more room for plants etc. etc.

The thing is, our "porch" area is the only place mum would allow it, and the current width of 24" uses pretty much all the space I have to use. The reason it has to be in the porch area is the water on carpet factor ( ). Step one would be a way to reassure her that no water would spill during water changes or even possible leaks (shouldnt tho). I think shes going by my current performance during water changes (messy ) so is there a method of gettin round this? such as a fold up polythene mat?

Another thing is which tank would I wanna go for? Also which size? I aint after a masssssive tank, just something a nice upgrade from 70 litres (perhaps 120 litres??) with a cabinet. It also has to fully support external filters as my last tank had to be "ghetto" modded for external filter use. I dont intend on using an internal filter really. Another thing that annoyed me with my current tank was it was all built into one unit. Sure it was easier at first, but the plug turns off the heater, light and pump (there was only a seperate switch for light) which also means i cannot use timers

Any lighting solutions have to also be good for growing plants as i intend to keep my current live plants

Im in the uk

thanks guys

 

[rabbut]

Waterchanges;

On my 60l, its a good old fassioned bucket and syphen hose. In the 335L, It's a garden hose all the way. Run hose to the tank from the drain. Suck on end of hose to start syphen. Stand back and watch for 1/2 an hour. At 50% line lift hose out of tank to break syphen. Make cup of tea, as I'm about to loose water in the kitchen for an hour or so, so that steap for me is very important Then, I atach the hose to the tap and fill direct from the tap to the tank, with the flow slowed to take an hour or so... Treat the whole tank with sufficient water conditioner for the whole thing and you won't have any issues Minimal fuss and little mess

Water damage removal;

I use macroflease mats. The absorb like kitchen towels, like 20 layers thick and are easy to clean and dry after use You can use shower curtains also, but then you stand in water and it gets onto the carpet anyway

The Juwel Rio range are esaily upgradable lighting wise, just rip out the internal filter to make way for the exturnal and your good to go Fluvals have good tanks, heaters and lights, but the ones that include exturnal filters, have filters too small for the tank, and that have reliability issues, so these will need replacing Some of the Aqua-one stuff is good, but not all.

HTH
Rabbut

 

[mrapoc]

seems a plan!

out of the tank manufacturers mentioned which would you go for? I was going to purchase my own external anyway.

Refilling the tank, is there such a thing as an inline decholorinater? I want to use an inline heater with the external too

I couldnt find those mats anywhere on the net lol, mind pointing me towards one?

 

[freerunner416]

I have a wife that sounds like your Mum.

I had 3 tanks which leaked and wanted to buy another one that was almost 60 Gallons (treble what i did have). All she could see was 3 x as much mess and water everywhere. Also with (another) new carpet in the living room she didnt want it wasted during water changes etc.

I now have a piece of old carpet that circles the tank and i lay it down everytime i am going in or out it. Takes two seconds to do and keeps my wife happy and you also dont need to worry about the mess (or sighing) as its all going on the carpet!!

Goodluck.

 

[sid.sarah]

I now have a piece of old carpet that circles the tank and i lay it down everytime i am going in or out it. Takes two seconds to do and keeps my wife happy and you also dont need to worry about the mess (or sighing) as its all going on the carpet!!

Top tip with the old carpet idea!!

And with regards to the water inline decholorinater? you can but them that fit to a hose, I have just looked online but i cant seem to find them but i know i have seen them for sale @ Swallows in Rayleigh Essex.

 

[rabbut]

Why spend money on an in-line dechlorinator? They aren't needed I just dose for the whole tank before starting to refill with my usualy dechlorinator. It needs like 10ml for the whole 300l tank, to remove chloramine also

I picked up my rugs from the market, so don't know of anywhere selling them....

See if your LFS will do a part-exchange for the fluval extrunals supplied with their tanks, with another better brand of filter. If they will, go Fluval, as you can't fault the rest of their kit. If the LFS won't do a part-ex, I'd be tempted into a Juwel Rio tank, or a Vision, depending on your preferance. Lighting is easy to upgrade on them and Exturnals can easily be made to fit

HTH
Rabbut

 

[mrapoc]

Will that not affect filter bacteria as the water would not be dechlorinated instantly? Surely the temperature would take quite a plummet too if refilling from the tap?

 

[Tolak]

http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/16.../Water-Changes/

Cooler water changes are used to induce many species to spawn. If you are doing a 20% water change the most the temperature could drop is 20% of the difference between tank & tap. It is usually much less, as the heater begins to heat the cooler water.

I have a 65 gallon in the living room with white carpeting. I have a clear desk mat purchased from an office supply store under the stand to prevent any water damage.

 

[rabbut]

Just to add, for the temperature to drop by the same % as the amount of water changing, the water going in has to be a 0c, and there has to be no ambient heating, and this is why the temperature doesn't drop anywhere near as much. Water from the tap round my way comes out at 4c in winter, 14c in summer. I have an inline heater on the tank, that can heat 300l of water from 14c to 30 in under 12 hours, and the room at ~20c provides heating on the way in. For large waterchange, you can also place an in-line heater on the hose to heat it on the way in.

Most filter bacteria comes in from the tap anyway, is the current train of thought, so it is actually fairly resistant to the stuff. A light rince in tap water isn't likely to damage filters, but running the media under the tap and squeezing like mad will, as it will dislodge lots of bacteria as well as killing the strains that are no resistant to chlorine. Treating the whole tank with enough water conditioner to treat its entire contents of water when full also ensures that most of the chlorine/chloramine is removed very quickly after entering also.

I have been doing 50% waterchanges, weekly, or twice weekly for about 4 months, using a hose all the way, without any issues

HTH
Rabbut

 

[mrapoc]

so basically, adding enough anti chlorine/chloramine to treat the whole tank, fill up 30% or whatever iv changed with pure tap water (from outside) with a hose, will not cause problems with either fish or filter bacteria?

i was under the impression that any untreated water would start to kill off filter bacteria instantly and fish cant even live in it!

 

[rabbut]

What you state is what I would call semi-true....

Chlorine and chloramine burn the fishes gills, in a similar way to ammonia. Short-term low-level exposure won't do any noticable damage, but accute or long-term exposure will. Its the same with the filter bacteria. A mature colony can be rinced under the tap without ill effects (though I don't recomend trying this ), but when it is under the tap for a long time with you squezing out all the muck, you get the chlorine into the centre in sufficient ammounts to do damage...

Adding sufficient dechlorinator to treat the whole tank means that the dechlore is very concerntrated (ralative to usual) and as it acts instantly uppon contact with the chlorine, thus the added chlorine is only active for a few seconds tops, before the dechloreinator bonds to it and nutralises it. These few seconds are too short a time to do any damage

HTH
Rabbut

 

[tenohfive]

Call it a novel solution to the spillage problem - bathroom towels. Two should do

I'm all for budget solutions me.

 

[mrapoc]

thanks guys

so to get this straight, my plan would be..

empty water

clean etc..

unhook external to prevent potential bacteria loss

dose the whole tank with anti chloramine/chlorine

fill up with hose asap so that the additive isnt..wasted (how long will it stay active in the existing water before more is needed?)

wait say...10 mins? for chloramine to be sorted out (less volatile to chlorine) then hook up and off u go



i am planning on a tetratec ex700 or ex1200 depending on what sizes of tank are suitable at my "local" fish store,
so anything with a juwel or fluval will do dandy

 

[rabbut]

Why switch of the exturnal? The chlorine/chloramine will be bonded to the water conditioner and harmless long before it gets into the filter unit

As far as I'm aware, water conditioner stays active untill it has all bonded with chlorine/chloramine, so it could be from a few seconds to indefinately, depending on the amount of chlorine/chloramine is in the tank I tend to deliberately slow the flow at my re-fills down, such that it takes about an hour for the tank to refill from the 50% line. This reduces the speed of any temp drops or pH changes e.t.c, such that the stress factor is reduced, and this often leads to spawning behavior in my L66 plecos I have just been looking over my log book, and it would seam that I have been doing this now for about 6-8 months, not the 4 I origionally thought

HTH
Rabbut