Tank Equipment - Lighting Help At The Moment!

[Musho3210]

IMO black background is the best, mostly cause its great in hiding black equipment, and most equipment is black.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, Aragonite sand is what you want. What are teh dimensions of your tank (LxWxH)?

The Seio is a good powerhead for sure, but I'd take a Hydor Koralia over the Seio anyday. Similarly priced in most cases, and they Hydor is MUCH more energy efficient, and IMO has some much better design features. Unfortunately the Hydor's reliability is unknown as it's a new product, but thus far I'm a fan.

 

[alexlark]

@ pengy666

I was looking at one of your other posts and have seen your setup. Must say very nice!! I also agree with Musho3210 though in that black hides a lot of equipment. Personal taste I suppose. So you just used standard B&Q bathroom paint on the outside and that was all is it?


@ SkiFletch

Funny you should mention the Hydor Koralia powerheads as afterwards lastnight I was pricing them up also and I must say was VERY impressed at the output over the energy consumption. I also liked the magnet design over the usual suction cups. Excellent feature!! I think I am aiming to get these instead now.

My tank is 4ft wide x 12" width x 18"tall.

This is a pic from December 06 when I was still setting it up after upgrading from a 2ft tank. This is my 3rd tank:

I have been looking at sand prices. With regards to the 20lb bags. How many would I need for a decent bed?

Is this the stuff I'm after:

Ebay item number: 290158263306

or is it best to use Live Aragonite Sand ?

 

[SkiFletch]

For sand, I'd start with just one 20lb bag. That tank doesn't have the biggest footprint and won't need much sand as a result. Do not waste your money on "live" sand, that's a gimmick. Trust me, nothing's alive in those oxygen deprived bags that sit on warehouse shelves with no water movement for God knows how long .

And for the paint, just get a black "enamel" paint

 

[WayneVT08]

I had a 55 gallon tank with the exact same footprints as yours, although it wasn't SW I still needed 2 20lb bags of sand to give me a decent sandbed.

 

[alexlark]

I had a 55 gallon tank with the exact same footprints as yours, although it wasn't SW I still needed 2 20lb bags of sand to give me a decent sandbed.

@ WayneVT08

Quite true. I am using play sand in my freshwater at the moment and I needed 2 bags for that.


@ SkiFletch

That is exactly wat I was thinking about with the bags sitting around for god knows how long! Will save some cash here then!
I'll keep and eye out for some decent black enamel paint. It sould set it off a treat.

 

[pengy666]

Cheers alex, Yes I say bathromm cause its more resistant to the water and any mould etc and it wipes clean easy!


I dont have to hide any equipment



But in the states things are different!

Its a personal choice and I gotta say black is too dark for a marine setup!!

 

[alexlark]

I think I may have a look at some more pictures of peoples tanks before I definately make my mind up. Looking forward to getting my bits and bobs together before switching to saltwater though!!

PS. Do you think black masonary paint would be ok. It's water based and is for use outside on walls. I suppose I could try it on a spare pain of glass and see what it's like. What do you think?

 

[AK77]

If you're going to paint it, I'd use a spray paint. You'll get a much nicer finish, brushstroke and bristle free.

 

[pengy666]

probably not a good idea to use spray paint, they can be harmful to us?

I'll leave it at that I reckon.

 

[AK77]

Why would using a spray paint be harmful?

All you have to do is position the tank outside or in a well ventilated area, wear a 3M mask and voila. You'll get a much better finish, a more even coat and significantly less chance of a run in the paint work. You also get a great choice of colours and finishes in car sprays. Gloss, satin and matt too.

 

[SkiFletch]

I used spraypaint on mine

 

[alexlark]

If you're going to paint it, I'd use a spray paint. You'll get a much nicer finish, brushstroke and bristle free.

Would that be ok as it's oil based. I read in another topic that oil based paints can damage the silicone?

 

[AK77]

Hmm, I'm not aware of the oil based paints damaging silicone, although that doesn't meant to say its not true. If the oil based paints contained thinners or another solvent, then possibly. However, if this is a concern, simply use electrical or masking tape over the silicone to protect it. Use newspaper over the sides of the tank (to avoid spray deposits).

It would be a good idea to turn the tank upside down, but again, cover the top with something first, just to avoid any mist landing on the front/inside of the tank. Perhaps rest the tank on an old towel or something. This will stop the spray from hitting the ground and blasting forwards, underneath the rim and into the tank. The last thing you want to be doing is rubbing paint flecks off from the inside of the tank!

Make sure the glass is completely free from any dirt or oil. Use a window cleaner on it first, or hot water with white vinegar in it. Use a clean, lint free cloth to polish it. Then commence with the painting. Hold the spray about 18" away from the surface of the glass and do short bursts, left to right in a sweeping motion. With spraying I've found that its best not to continuously hold the spray down but rather, press whilst spraying left to right. Wait 1-2 seconds, and spray again right to left. This stops the nozzle from clogging and the paint from "spitting" out. Let the paint build up gradually.

Make sure you get enough cans to do the job, and it might also be worthwhile investing in a matt lacquer. This will safeguard the paint against scratches once its dried. Believe me, there is nothing more annoying, than getting a perfect paint finish on something, only to have to scratch later on by accident.

Wear a mask and goggles. Stand upwind of the object being sprayed and wait for a day when the wind is very calm.

HTH and good luck

 

[alexlark]

Thanks for the info!! I will take all this into consideration when the time comes. Thanks!

One question regarding my filter: Im using Substrat Pro filter media (see further up the page) at the moment for my freshwater. Is it ok to rinse this out and then use it for the saltwater setup??

Thanks