new to the whole fish thing etc

[Rocky998]

You are keeping two one-inch fish in a 20-gallon tank, and I admire you have managed somehow to get away with it so far. But most people don't want a tank like yours, where you struggle to see anything apart from the plant. Newcomers need fish that they see, please be careful of the advice you give, remember that people see your profile and then think that you are a very experienced fish keeper.

I guess I always try to view what was said in the way a new person to the forum and hobby views it... They may not have understood that they meant "cheap" as a relative term and I was just trying to clarify that for the OP. In the end I agreed with what was said. Always look at the rest of the debate including reactions. Cause I agreed with @connorlindeman at the end and I realized we were saying the same thing in different ways

 

[connorlindeman]

Cause I agreed with @connorlindeman at the end and I realized we were saying the same thing in different ways

When did you agree with me? In this convo or some other one?

 

[Rocky998]

Oops. My bad... I was thinkibg of @SomethingsFishy24's post

 

[connorlindeman]

Oops. My bad... I was thinkibg of @SomethingsFishy24's post

i was gonna say i dont remember that lol

 

[Slaphppy7]

A 55G filled tank (water only, no substrate or deco) weighs 625 pounds...I wouldn't put this tank on anything other than a proper tank stand.

Standard aquarium tank sizes and weights

Volumes in US Gallons and liters, dimensions in inches and centimeters, and estimated weights in pounds and kilograms, both empty and full with freshwater

www.aqua-calc.com

 

[outofwater]

A 55G filled tank (water only, no substrate or deco) weighs 625 pounds...I wouldn't put this tank on anything other than a proper tank stand.

Standard aquarium tank sizes and weights

Volumes in US Gallons and liters, dimensions in inches and centimeters, and estimated weights in pounds and kilograms, both empty and full with freshwater

www.aqua-calc.com

And here I was, thinking I could rig my new 55g on a TV stand seriously though, I will build a stand for it, if the one I'm chasing rn doesn't pan out

 

[PheonixKingZ]

ill take a pic of the underneath when i get home and have a chance

Hello and welcome to TFF!

A picture would definitely be helpful. The hitch could definitely support the tank if you added proper reinforcements.

Do you have any plans for lighting? I see lights in the first few pics but they don’t seem to be overhead.

 

[outofwater]

a lot of great advice so i'm try to answer everything

so location is Massachusetts if that's what you mean for water

I'm in MA too. I know there are different water sources depending on what area/town. I'm in brookline, it's soft water I've been told. I currently have cories, neons, a single otto (can't find any more in stores atm) and a dwarf gourami in a separate tank because he's a perpetually hungry asshat that will bully any other fish for food) .

the hutch i took the draws out and looked underneath it definitely don't look like it would support it not entirely sure

but ended up reinforcing it with materials i had laying around

i put a piece of 2x6 for base then the leg is a 2x3 on top of that and wedged between that2x6 and the top peice of wood that was already there i did that on all four corners and two in the middle i added a middle 2x3 peice going across underneath sorry if my explanation of that isn't that great

Explanation is clear enough, and given that we've already established that once fully loaded your tank will likely weigh over 600 lbs, you better confirm that your hutch can support the load

ill take a pic of the underneath when i get home and have a chance

The outside look is great, if you can ensure it will support it safely, it will make a great location

 

[SoundSoSavage]

sorry for late reply been dealing with my two year being sick on top of the newborn doesn't want to sleep lol

anyways so here's the pictures

pretty much not a carpenter by any means so if there is a better way then what i did or i did it wrong let me know

the idea is there the wall being the built in hutch a big closet that is in my kitchen i have it powered through there hence the orange exstension cord as my two year old loves pulling wires ...

so it's wired underneath there is a hole on top of hutch in the corner for feeding the wires into the top draw we're the surge protector is etc so you don't really see wires and it's hidden etc

so i was trying to add support we're the back of the main board the tank is sitting on but issue being the draws can't exactly use a 2x4 as a support draw won't close ?? and i can't exactly take it all apart and like buid a stand there as it's an apartment

sadly not really any place to build or buy and put a stand anywere hence using the built in

also i did fill it about half way to test the filter to make sure it worked etc and didn't hear any creaking don't know if that matters


a lot of fish i haven't heard of i looked the suggestions up
cory and guppy's look like a good fit is that possible ?

also liked something called a blue ram or something saw on youtube and shrimp look nice

plants i really would like to do i was looking at a full spectrum light that looks like it hovers over the tank versus the plastic lids ? as the light once water is in the tank doesn't seem all to bright ? not sure and was looking at a glass lid idk if they are better or doesn't matter etc

 

[Gemmsy]

Not an expert here, but looks like two supports on each end and two in the middle. Roughly an inch thick supporting a 4 piece border with the sheet wood on top. Hard to say wether that will be adequate as it depends on how everything is joined and aligned. I would get some foam or rubber for the tank to sit on.

Personally I wouldn’t trust it and would install my own uprights under each corner of the tank (check the floor). You could always fit false drawer fronts or a curtain rail to hide the gap and then it can easily be put back to normal when/if you move? If there is no option to do a more permanent fix.

 

[SoundSoSavage]

thank you everyone for all the help glad I asked before just doing whatever,

I'll be waiting on filling and stocking the 55 Gallon, as I will be getting the built-in hutch done right so I don't run into problems later on.
going to reinforce it with 2x4 instead by simply rebuilding it completely and just making new draws at the new dimensions, so it will look the same just be a proper stand that can hold the 600 pounds
and gives me time to research which fish I want to get and make a decision.

in the meantime, I did tell my kid he would have a fish tank this month Month even though he is 2 I rather keep my word etc.

so, I brought a marineland contour 3 gallon it will be here today.
thinking of putting couple shrimp and 1-2 guppies would that be, ok?

 

[connorlindeman]

thank you everyone for all the help glad I asked before just doing whatever,

I'll be waiting on filling and stocking the 55 Gallon, as I will be getting the built-in hutch done right so I don't run into problems later on.
going to reinforce it with 2x4 instead by simply rebuilding it completely and just making new draws at the new dimensions, so it will look the same just be a proper stand that can hold the 600 pounds
and gives me time to research which fish I want to get and make a decision.

in the meantime, I did tell my kid he would have a fish tank this month Month even though he is 2 I rather keep my word etc.

so, I brought a marineland contour 3 gallon it will be here today.
thinking of putting couple shrimp and 1-2 guppies would that be, ok?

3g os too small for guppies unfortunately

 

[Rocky998]

3 gallons is not big enough for any fish really. Shrimps are ok though. Also, you still would have to cycle it no matter what... I would only cycle it with 1ppm ammonia though instead of 3ppm. Do not put fish in that aquarium though

 

[SoundSoSavage]

ah ok glad i asked so that's fine i can wait till the 55 is all set for actual fish

so must i cycle for 2 weeks with no exception or am i able to get purified water or i did go by my local fish store to look around at fish see what i like etc
they do sell established tank water versus using tap

also i do have some tetra tap water safe liquid stuff

of course i don't mind cycling the tank etc before getting the shrimp but would i have to for such a small tank ??

how many shrimp should or can i do?

 

[Rocky998]

"Matured" tank water does little to no good in a new tank... The bacteria attaches itself to surfaces meaning decor or filter media from an established tank would be way better. Also shop water can contain so many diseases and parasites that you wouldnt want that in your tank. Its too risky. And remember cycles take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 weeks. It usually takes 3 to 4 weeks though, rarely reaching the 6 week mark. For shrimp in a 3g you may be able to do a plant cycle and add the shrimp immediately though. But you have to get fast growing plants