tank and substrate advice?

[JDFish]

Ill cut straight to it. Getting a new tank and im unsure if i should get 80cm long 45cm high 45cm wide. OR Should i get 80,45,40? I enjoy aquascapes and plan on doing them in the future. I also will have the tank heavily planted.

Now for Substrate.
I have around 18kg of oliver knott soil brown. however with an extra 10-15cm getting added in width i need more. is there any good substrates for good prices. really dont fancy spending another 60 euro for a 10l bag. thanks

 

[Colin_T]

the 2 tank sizes you mention are only 5 cm difference in width.

The bigger the better for tanks so 80 x 45 x 45 is better than 80 x 45 x 40.

no idea about the substrate but looks like a gimmick. I would just add natural brown gravel

 

[JDFish]

I agree bigger is better but if I go 45 on width my tank will be literally on the edge of my stand. I'm considering adding an extra 5cms on to the height. I'm not sure if it would look better or worse

 

[Colin_T]

I'm not sure what you mean by the tank will be on the edge of the stand?
Aquarium stands are usually designed so the tank fits evenly on the frame. Most of the weight is supported around the outer 2 inches of the base and the middle of the tank usually sags a small amount (fraction of a mm). Polystyrene foam is put under the base to help remove uneven surfaces and to help reduce pressure on the base.

The sides of the tank should go almost completely to the edge of the stand.

If you post a picture of the stand and aquarium we can have a looksie

 

[JDFish]

I have it about 1-3cm from edge on all sides, a bit off topic but how much Watts would I need for a 160 litre aquarium?

 

[Colin_T]

How many watts for a heater or watts for a light?

For a 160 litre aquarium you need a 200 watt heater.

Lighting will depend on how tall the tank is. 18inch high aquariums can use 50-100 watts of light.
Tanks that are 24 inches high need about 150 watt to penetrate the depth.

 

[JDFish]

Would 2 30w spotlights be enough lighting to grow some carpet plants etc

 

[JDFish]

I could go with 3 30w lights but a guy who sells plants told me 90w for a 160 litre tank is far too much lighting