New Tank Size?

[RobW1983]

Hi all.

Just bought myself a new tank today. Can anyone help me work out the actual L size?

The tank measures 1000mm x 400m x 400mm.

Would I be right in saying that it's a 180L tank?

Cheers.

 

[BigIan]

160 qaccording to the calculator at the top of the page.

 

[RobW1983]

LOL, perhaps I should open my eyes.

Just need to try and get it cycled and ready for the fish from my old tank. Gonna be a pain as I'm a bit limited for space.



How 'easy' is cycling? Any way I can use the water from my old tank and then top it up? My old tank is only 60L though.

Any advice greatly appreciated

 

[BigIan]

are you going to be keeping the old tank running aswell??

cycling is easy, you need a source of ammonia, and a test kit, (api do a good one.)

there are many threads on the subject so just search for one. you can seed your new tank with media from your old tank to really kick it off, you may be able to have your tank cycled in a week or two.

 

[kizno1]

LOL, perhaps I should open my eyes.

Just need to try and get it cycled and ready for the fish from my old tank. Gonna be a pain as I'm a bit limited for space.



How 'easy' is cycling? Any way I can use the water from my old tank and then top it up? My old tank is only 60L though.

Any advice greatly appreciated

Put the media from the 60L straight into the filter in the 160L and it will be ready to add fish straight away. I would use about All the water from the 60L in te new tank so the water isnt completely different.

 

[RobW1983]

are you going to be keeping the old tank running aswell??

cycling is easy, you need a source of ammonia, and a test kit, (api do a good one.)

there are many threads on the subject so just search for one. you can seed your new tank with media from your old tank to really kick it off, you may be able to have your tank cycled in a week or two.

Nope, the old tank will be going once I get this one set-up, problem is the only place I have to put it, is where the 60L one is now.

 

[kizno1]

are you going to be keeping the old tank running aswell??

cycling is easy, you need a source of ammonia, and a test kit, (api do a good one.)

there are many threads on the subject so just search for one. you can seed your new tank with media from your old tank to really kick it off, you may be able to have your tank cycled in a week or two.

Nope, the old tank will be going once I get this one set-up, problem is the only place I have to put it, is where the 60L one is now.

If its going then you can either use the filter from the old tank and run both the filters in the 160L until the new filter has built up bacteria or you can just move them sponge from the old filter into the new one and add the fish straight away.

 

[RobW1983]

Put the media from the 60L straight into the filter in the 160L and it will be ready to add fish straight away. I would use about All the water from the 60L in te new tank so the water isnt completely different.

My old tank is a 60L Juwel, with an internal filter. I need to buy myself a new filter. Do you mean just drop the old sponges in the new tank?

Sorry for such newbie questions, but I haven't been keeping fish long (3 months).

 

[kizno1]

Put the media from the 60L straight into the filter in the 160L and it will be ready to add fish straight away. I would use about All the water from the 60L in te new tank so the water isnt completely different.

My old tank is a 60L Juwel, with an internal filter. I need to buy myself a new filter. Do you mean just drop the old sponges in the new tank?

Sorry for such newbie questions, but I haven't been keeping fish long (3 months).

Thats fine
Once you get a filter for the 160L put the sponge from the old filter into the new filter and it will already have the right amount of bacteria for the fish you already have. Or you could just switch them over and use the jewel filter for now it gives them more room and more water to dilute the waste.

 

[RobW1983]

Can anyone recommend a decent filter for this size of tank, preferably an external one.

Thanks.

 

[kizno1]

Can anyone recommend a decent filter for this size of tank, preferably an external one.

Thanks.

I would go for a fluval 405. Ive got one on my 30G and there great filters.

 

[RobW1983]

Also, is sand as 'good' as gravel? I'm planning on setting up the new tank with sand (as I think it looks nicer), and a few plants and ornaments that I have already.

My fish at the moment are:

2 Glass Catfish
2 Panda Cory's
2 small Clown Loaches (30mm long)
Snowball Plec (50mm long)
2 Rosy Tetras
2 Sailfin Balloon Mollies
3 Neon Tetra

 

[kizno1]

Also, is sand as 'good' as gravel? I'm planning on setting up the new tank with sand (as I think it looks nicer), and a few plants and ornaments that I have already.

My fish at the moment are:

2 Glass Catfish
2 Panda Cory's
2 small Clown Loaches (30mm long)
Snowball Plec (50mm long)
2 Rosy Tetras
2 Sailfin Balloon Mollies
3 Neon Tetra

I prefer sand. Some people say its hard to clean but i just use a air line tube and syphon all the stuff off the top of the sand. You can use play sand if you give it a rinse first and its alot cheaper i use teco play sand and for your tank you will need about 2 bags which is only about £5.


Quite a few of your fish need to be in shoals.
Something like
6 Glass Catfish
8 Panda Cory's
Snowball Plec (50mm long)
6 Rosy Tetras
3 Sailfin Balloon Mollies (either all male or female or 1 male 2 females)
8 Neon Tetra
2 keyhole cichlids or 3 apistogramma
1 banjo catfish or 3 upside down catfish/Synodontis nigriventris

The clown loaches will have to go as they can get 12" plus and very chunky plus they need to be in groups of 6 which wont work in your tank

 

[elisew]

Hi

As Kizno says really.

I have just sold a 180ltr tank and I previously had gravel, then pebbles then I changed to sand and found the fish, corys and loaches seemed to be 'happier' plus the sand is better for the barbels on corys etc. Sand is much easier to clean and I personally think it looks nicer. I changed from the 180ltr to a 360ltr in one day by adding the used media to the new filter, using the water from the 180ltr and adding a bit of fresh, conditioner water to top it up. when that was all done and the water was up to temperature I added my fish and they`ve been absolutely fine since.
As for filter.....I had a Fluval 205 but felt it wasn`t really man enough to do the job so upgraded to a Fluval 305 and was really pleased with the result, needless to say I`d recommend the Fluval 305

 

[OldMan47]

With the metric dimensions and volumes the answer is easy Rob. At 1000 mm by 400 mm the surface area is about 1000 x 400 or 400000 mm2. That is only 4000 cm2. When you add in a depth of 40 cm, you get a volume of 16000 cm3 which equates to about 160 litres. The differences between outside dimensions and inside dimensions will change the calculation slightly and the substrate etc. will cause the total volume of your system to vary a bit but it will be nowhere as large a variation as the one introduced by the simple inaccuracies in the dimensions. A tank of that size will hold about 45 US gallons, like my endler tank, and can hold a good diverse group of fish if that is your wish for the tank.