Kia Ora. Hi.

[Oddball59]

Hi there I'm called Phil, I live in East Yorkshire although I'm a Kiwi. (Miss my mountains and bush). I'm retired now, but worked for the military for a while as a naval officer before joining a civilian shipping company as Chief Electrical Engineering officer, I also passed Marine Engineering certificates. So I'm very technologically oriented but love nature and will try to set up a bioscape of some sort.
During my retirement I did valet cars as a hobby, just friends and relatives. However I now have bad arthritis in my hands and shoulders and can't valet any more. So I wanted something else to do, and when I was a boy my father got an aquarium. The more I looked into it the more I realised it was for me. (I also have PTSD, happens when too many people try to kill you lol). So an aquarium will also be a nice calming experience and help with my mental wellbeing.
I am totally new to this... I've settled on a four foot Fluval Sienna tank, please let me know if you have suggestions of other systems, but the Fluval stuff seems so well thought out and appeals to my sense of logical thinking... I like you get those good lights, a good canister filter lid etc included. Ideally I didn't't want a lid but in these days of power conservation I feel one is probably needed. I also have a degree in Philosophy.
I also write poetry and plays, which I've had performed, and a publisher is hassling me to publish poetry which I also perform. I have also had a lot of success as a photographer so I am excited about landscaping my tank and applying all the rules I learnt from photography, depth, the golden triangle, rule of thirds, perspective, shade and shadow etc...
I will say I live on a first floor apartment, and I was very concerned about the weight, but I got a structural engineer in and he said not to worry, positioned against a outside wall, across joists etc... but I'm also putting a sheet of three quarter inch marine ply down as a base to spread the load. (Let me know if anyone has any suggestions regarding weight).
So thats me... Phil. Looking forward to moving forward in this hobby, getting to know people on here and grateful for any advice and learning. Kia Kaha.

(Kia Ora is Maori for hi and Kia Kaha is "stay strong".)

 

[Lcc86]

Welcome! Love the sound of your plans and the thought you're putting into it!

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Kia Ora to you Phil! Welcome aboard

I really like the Fluval range, I have the Roma 240. I hate faffing and messing around so I really appreciate the all-in-one set ups that Fluval offer. And I'd say they're pretty beginner friendly too! I'm part of the hooded tank gang, the evaporation is a pain and the hard water deposits left behind on the glass are diabolical. A lid keeps that problem at bay. Plus, fish jump...no one needs to be picking fish up off the floor every day!

I'm sure you have lots to offer that we can learn form, I look forward to your upcoming adventures within the hobby! Please do share some of your poetry and photography with us

 

[TNG]

Welcome.

Several people have raised concern about the weight of fish tank in their apartment.
If you live in an apartment, the design load on the floor is 200kg per 1 square metre. So, if your room is 4m x 5m, the total load in the room is 4000kg – this is the total load of everything, your furniture, your own body weight, fish tank, pot plants, etc. As the load is transferred from the floor boards to the floor joists, then to the bearers, then to the walls, there’s no need to worry about putting the tank near a wall. That said, it’s asking for trouble if we stack 4000kg on one spot rather than spread it out.

In a house, the design load (known as live load) is lower, 150kg per 1m2. It’s lower because it’s assumed that we have the same possession. As there’s more floor space in a house, the load per square meter is expected to be lower.

This is the design code in Australia, although I imagine it’s similar where you are.

Placing a marine sheet as a base is good idea, so it doesn’t dent the carpet.

Enjoy the hobby!

 

[seangee]

Welcome. Looks a nice setup.
Make sure the walls are decorated to your liking before it arrives. Not the type of thing you want to move

 

[jaylach]

Hi and welcome. I don't believe that I'm going to say this but, with your PTSD (I'm medically retired from the USN) and arthritis you may want to look at artificial plants as live plants need care and could possibly add to stress. If you happen to look in this direction silk plants tend to look more natural and realistic with no need for upkeep.,

I also dabble a bit with photography. Here is a link to my on-line photo site if you care to peek. The link goes directly to my album but the site is open for anyone. It is simple with a bit of an odd interface that takes getting used to but I put it together for some photography friends., It gives back a true image as I have unlimited bandwidth and storage so do zero image compression.

jaylach

I would love to see some of your shots and much respect the fact that you brought up the 'rule of thirds'. It is SO important when shooting something in motion as the subject needs somewhere to go. I have a Canon EOS Rebel T7 with an 18-55MM lens and a 75-300 telephoto; both are equipped with image stabilization. I would love to get a fish eye lens but haven't been able to justify the cost as I can do the effect via software. I use PaintShop Pro. I also have a rebel T3 as a backup but it has a busted battery cover and I need to tape it shut to use. Still fine as a backup. What is your gear?

I am sad to say that 'the golden triangle' is a new photography term to me and would love to be enlightened. I have seen an issue with a lot of beginner photographers dealing with ISO settings. Many want to 'stop time' and have everything crystal clean and sharp. That may be fine for portraits but not for things in motion. Take a helicopter in flight... I believe that there should be just a slight blur on the rotors which denotes motion.

Sorry, I got a bit carried away but, while I no longer sell, I still love photography. LOL! Last thing... While I love my digital Canons film is still the best. Digital is restricted by the number of dots while film is analog. Same thing with photos and audio; analog will always be more true.

 

[emeraldking]

Hi there Phil,
Welcome to the forum...
Well, I love poetry. Maybe you can show some of your work overhere in the right section.

and I was very concerned about the weight, but I got a structural engineer in and he said not to worry, positioned against a outside wall, across joists etc..

That's why I'm glad that I live in Holland. We have better structures when it comes to construction. In general, most houses overhere are made of hard materials. So, they can have a lot of weight, wether that concerns floors, ceilings or walls. But nowadays, also wood and drywall is more used in more cheaper constructions.

 

[Oddball59]

Hi and welcome. I don't believe that I'm going to say this but, with your PTSD (I'm medically retired from the USN) and arthritis you may want to look at artificial plants as live plants need care and could possibly add to stress. If you happen to look in this direction silk plants tend to look more natural and realistic with no need for upkeep.,

I also dabble a bit with photography. Here is a link to my on-line photo site if you care to peek. The link goes directly to my album but the site is open for anyone. It is simple with a bit of an odd interface that takes getting used to but I put it together for some photography friends., It gives back a true image as I have unlimited bandwidth and storage so do zero image compression.

jaylach

I would love to see some of your shots and much respect the fact that you brought up the 'rule of thirds'. It is SO important when shooting something in motion as the subject needs somewhere to go. I have a Canon EOS Rebel T7 with an 18-55MM lens and a 75-300 telephoto; both are equipped with image stabilization. I would love to get a fish eye lens but haven't been able to justify the cost as I can do the effect via software. I use PaintShop Pro. I also have a rebel T3 as a backup but it has a busted battery cover and I need to tape it shut to use. Still fine as a backup. What is your gear?

I am sad to say that 'the golden triangle' is a new photography term to me and would love to be enlightened. I have seen an issue with a lot of beginner photographers dealing with ISO settings. Many want to 'stop time' and have everything crystal clean and sharp. That may be fine for portraits but not for things in motion. Take a helicopter in flight... I believe that there should be just a slight blur on the rotors which denotes motion.

Sorry, I got a bit carried away but, while I no longer sell, I still love photography. LOL! Last thing... While I love my digital Canons film is still the best. Digital is restricted by the number of dots while film is analog. Same thing with photos and audio; analog will always be more true.

Kia Ora Jay, thank you for your kind words... photography sort of became hard for me to stay with when anyone with photoshop can knock out something half decent that you've got up at 3 am to capture on your ectachrome. The golden triangle is important in any visual art form and worth understanding, it's simply put the diminishing perspective, so applied to a aquarium its the focal point which may have been created by plants, rocks, bogwood etc... and gives depth to the subject, so although your tank may ne 50cm deep you channel the eye to the distant appearing point giving many important effects, depth etc.. and a focal point to lead your eye to. your eye may be drawn immediately to that point then you explore back towards yourself, again showing a sense of depth.
I have opinions on the "stoppage of time, as I was/am really into the Cartier Bresson school which revolves around the "decisive moment". That very point in time which makes the photo. A second on either side and it may be gone, it especially applies to street photography, but many examples are to be found in the Magnum Group photographers work. As for iso.... that is also valid in the Cartier Bresson school and can give that sense of motion as I'm sure you know. I can't abide the thought of plastic plants, it seems somehow wrong to be loving nature and losing that unpredictability of real plants, and the changing aqua scape of course.

Hi there Phil,
Welcome to the forum...
Well, I love poetry. Maybe you can show some of your work overhere in the right section.

That's why I'm glad that I live in Holland. We have better structures when it comes to construction. In general, most houses overhere are made of hard materials. So, they can have a lot of weight, wether that concerns floors, ceilings or walls. But nowadays, also wood and drywall is more used in more cheaper constructions.

 

[Oddball59]

Hi there Phil,
Welcome to the forum...
Well, I love poetry. Maybe you can show some of your work overhere in the right section.

That's why I'm glad that I live in Holland. We have better structures when it comes to construction. In general, most houses overhere are made of hard materials. So, they can have a lot of weight, wether that concerns floors, ceilings or walls. But nowadays, also wood and drywall is more used in more cheaper constructions.

Reading your bio you are amazingly well accomplished, I've been watching a lot of stuff on Josh Lim lately and of course Amano. I was very interested when I saw the list of world and national champions... (This is in NO way a racist comment) but I was shocked how many over achieving aquascapers are Asian? I wonder if there is a closer connection to nature in many of these places. I don't think looking from your window and seeing our urban sprawls helps with inspiration? I'd be interested in your take.

 

[Oddball59]

Welcome. Looks a nice setup.
Make sure the walls are decorated to your liking before it arrives. Not the type of thing you want to move

Hahaha yeah it's a problem because I'm sketching out a couple of aquascapes, very different, I'm torn between a Congo impression, but also by nature I'm drawn towards Zen. I'll definitely get that wall right though. Thank you for your kind welcome.

 

[Oddball59]

Welcome.

Several people have raised concern about the weight of fish tank in their apartment.
If you live in an apartment, the design load on the floor is 200kg per 1 square metre. So, if your room is 4m x 5m, the total load in the room is 4000kg – this is the total load of everything, your furniture, your own body weight, fish tank, pot plants, etc. As the load is transferred from the floor boards to the floor joists, then to the bearers, then to the walls, there’s no need to worry about putting the tank near a wall. That said, it’s asking for trouble if we stack 4000kg on one spot rather than spread it out.

In a house, the design load (known as live load) is lower, 150kg per 1m2. It’s lower because it’s assumed that we have the same possession. As there’s more floor space in a house, the load per square meter is expected to be lower.

This is the design code in Australia, although I imagine it’s similar where you are.

Placing a marine sheet as a base is good idea, so it doesn’t dent the carpet.

Enjoy the hobby!

Thanks for the kind words and advice, its helped me feel reassured. (Sorry about the Bledisloe Cup ;-). (Go Black or go home!. Having said that I've spent ages in Australia. Where about are you?

 

[Oddball59]

Kia Ora to you Phil! Welcome aboard

I really like the Fluval range, I have the Roma 240. I hate faffing and messing around so I really appreciate the all-in-one set ups that Fluval offer. And I'd say they're pretty beginner friendly too! I'm part of the hooded tank gang, the evaporation is a pain and the hard water deposits left behind on the glass are diabolical. A lid keeps that problem at bay. Plus, fish jump...no one needs to be picking fish up off the floor every day!

I'm sure you have lots to offer that we can learn form, I look forward to your upcoming adventures within the hobby! Please do share some of your poetry and photography with us

Yes when I looked at stuff Fluval seem to have everything dialled in at that price point... lights, tanks, cabinets, the attention to detail. Down to soft closing hinges and the canister filters seem brilliant... the 07 range. Technology of aquatics has left me behind I'm afraid, but there is so much that is positive... but also so much that is snake oil. It's certainly a trap. quite bewildering. Thank you for your kind welcome. I think there is much to learn from you guys.

 

[Oddball59]

Kia Ora to you Phil! Welcome aboard

I really like the Fluval range, I have the Roma 240. I hate faffing and messing around so I really appreciate the all-in-one set ups that Fluval offer. And I'd say they're pretty beginner friendly too! I'm part of the hooded tank gang, the evaporation is a pain and the hard water deposits left behind on the glass are diabolical. A lid keeps that problem at bay. Plus, fish jump...no one needs to be picking fish up off the floor every day!

I'm sure you have lots to offer that we can learn form, I look forward to your upcoming adventures within the hobby! Please do share some of your poetry and photography with us

Hi there Phil,
Welcome to the forum...
Well, I love poetry. Maybe you can show some of your work overhere in the right section.

That's why I'm glad that I live in Holland. We have better structures when it comes to construction. In general, most houses overhere are made of hard materials. So, they can have a lot of weight, wether that concerns floors, ceilings or walls. But nowadays, also wood and drywall is more used in more cheaper constructions.

I am a believer in the theory of the absurdity of life as espoused by Albert Camus.
Absurdity.

Walking through the streets of shame
I’m a man with no name.
I’m blinded by the pain
and absorb all the futility of it.

Albert Camus strolled by my side,
A wry smile upon his face.
He laughs at my existentialist stupidity
and asks why I’m unable to see the absurdity!

I looked and saw the truth.
All was and is absurd.
He said I had the plague
I had no gun.

But now I was free to dance
dance the absurd
to the sounds of futile life
I’m Mack the knife.

Look around and see that everything
everything that blinds you with pleasure
has always got a futile end.
Hail the absurdity of belief.

Join my dance
Eat the blackness of my plague.
You’re not taking a chance
Its just lifes dance.

Take my hand and walk
No need to talk
See through a ll thats blurred
The honesty of the absurd.

 

[Wills]

Hello Phil, good to have you here - we are from the same part of the world.

If I can share a bit of local knowledge! We have terrible tap water... high nitrates and rock hard. So its good to understand how to deal with these early on. In a big tank like the Siena you might want to think about some terrestrial plants out the top to soak up the nitrate and in terms of choosing your fish head towards hard water habitats Good options for all kinds of things but takes a bit of research (though happy to point you in a few directions) .

In terms of our local aquatics scene not sure which stores you've checked out. Ings Lane is my favourite around here, Maidenhead is pretty good and very reliable. Frisbys is worth a check but a little old school (and pricey...), Octopus 8 in Brough are worth a look too, though they really excel in marines - their freshwater room is a bit grubby sometimes so not always super happy in there. If you are up for a road trip and don't mind a bit of a drive we are not too far from Ferrybridge Aquatics which is a decent store, gets more unusual stuff than the shops around Hull and interesting stuff generally. Or a bit further afield is Wharf Aquatics about 1hr 30 from Hull but well worth the trip

The Fluval Siena range is really nice but I find slightly odd dimensions the 320 litre (from memory) isnt even 4 foot long so not a perfect choice as you have a lot of volume but limited for a lot of bigger species you'd expect in a 300+ litre tank. Have you looked at the Oase Highline range? Similar sort of budget but more standard dimensions - Octopus 8 do nice tanks as they well Waterbox and AquaOne Aquasys which are the open-topped tanks you mentioned, all of my tanks are open topped but I use jump guards which are a mesh lid on an aluminium frame that you cut to size. Though the condensation can be a factor.

Wills

 

[Oddball59]

Hello Phil, good to have you here - we are from the same part of the world.

If I can share a bit of local knowledge! We have terrible tap water... high nitrates and rock hard. So its good to understand how to deal with these early on. In a big tank like the Siena you might want to think about some terrestrial plants out the top to soak up the nitrate and in terms of choosing your fish head towards hard water habitats Good options for all kinds of things but takes a bit of research (though happy to point you in a few directions) .

In terms of our local aquatics scene not sure which stores you've checked out. Ings Lane is my favourite around here, Maidenhead is pretty good and very reliable. Frisbys is worth a check but a little old school (and pricey...), Octopus 8 in Brough are worth a look too, though they really excel in marines - their freshwater room is a bit grubby sometimes so not always super happy in there. If you are up for a road trip and don't mind a bit of a drive we are not too far from Ferrybridge Aquatics which is a decent store, gets more unusual stuff than the shops around Hull and interesting stuff generally. Or a bit further afield is Wharf Aquatics about 1hr 30 from Hull but well worth the trip

The Fluval Siena range is really nice but I find slightly odd dimensions the 320 litre (from memory) isnt even 4 foot long so not a perfect choice as you have a lot of volume but limited for a lot of bigger species you'd expect in a 300+ litre tank. Have you looked at the Oase Highline range? Similar sort of budget but more standard dimensions - Octopus 8 do nice tanks as they well Waterbox and AquaOne Aquasys which are the open-topped tanks you mentioned, all of my tanks are open topped but I use jump guards which are a mesh lid on an aluminium frame that you cut to size. Though the condensation can be a factor.

Wills

Kia Ora. Wow thanks so much for your reply..... really great info, I've been in Maidenhead today and the guy in there was super nice, because of my arthritis he said he could assemble the stand for me, I asked how much and he said rather surprised "nothing", I'd likely slip him 20 to get a beer though, as opposed to Ings who would pre assemble for £40 then deliver for £40! Unfortunately Maidenhead don't have a van. I'd have to organise a two guys to get it up to me but I'm sure thats not a problem. One thing I like about the Fluval is its depth and width, but you're right about the length 320cm, I was sure it was a four footer but its about 5 inches shy. Frisbees I visited and they are very friendly, and it was nice because my father bought our first tank from the same shop over forty years ago when I was about 10 or 11!
However there's a dinginess to the place. I am grateful for your suggestions about alternatives, but I just dig the attention to detail Fluval have, also it comes with the excellent 7 series canister and two of the top of the range lights. My requirement for a lid was purely for power saving, although it's not needed, and has the two glass top pieces you mentioned..... when I envisage my build I do wish I could have plants growing above the water line to give it depth and authenticity. I'm thinking something Congo or African. There also seems to be a shortage of choice for plants.
One thing you may know is where to access hardware... decent sized wood and stones. I'll take a look at Ferrybridge on your recommendation.. Don't mind a drive for the right thing. Thanks again for the welcome and advice greatly appreciated. Kia Kaha.