Yaaaaaaargh!

[fenwoman]

Right, so I have a 48" X 12" X 18" tank ont he stand which is 12" deep. I was planning to get another tank the same size off ebay to go on the bottom. Typical though I cannot find one. All the tanks I'm bidding on are deeper. So it looks like I will have to dismantle the tank, save all the water, put it on the bottom in order to get another tank to fit on the top since it won't matter if it is deeper. I can put some wood on the top so that the tank doesn't hang over the edge.
I have just got the present tank (32g) looking beautiful with lots of plants etc and now have to pull it apart and set it up again below. Good job I've got zillions of buckets to keep all the water eh? Not looking forward to this one bit. One of the tanks I'm bidding on is 42" long, 22" high and 15" which I worked out to be 50g. Is this correct?
If this is correct, can I NOW keep oscars??

 

[Gankutsuou]

4 foot by 1 foot by 1.5 foot is a bit more than 32 gallons...

 

[fenwoman]

4 foot by 1 foot by 1.5 foot is a bit more than 32 gallons...

UK or US gallons? I'm in the UK and was using the conversion chart on this site.

 

[14gtr14]

170 litres: 37 Uk gallons or 45 US gallons...same size as my tank.

and the other one is 60 US gallons and 50 UK gallons.


...all done on google!

 

[Erised]

14gtr14 is right, it works out to 37UK gallons.
Your new tank, if you would get the one you're bidding on right now, works out to 50UK Gallons (well, just under). Though a lot of people on this website use US gallons, which would make it 60G. As to whether or not you'd be able to keep an oscar, I'd check the cichlid forum. I've seen a min. of 55US G recommended, as well as 75US Gallons, so worth double checking in the cichlid forums where the question is meant to go =)

 

[pica_nuttalli]

also, it would be better (in the sense of "more stable") to place the larger tank on the bottom, especially if it doesn't 100% fit on the stand. if the larger (more massive) tank is up high, then the center of gravity is not only elevated but also has protusions on which something could easily catch and accidentally upset your tanks. but if the larger tank is down low, then the center of gravity is much lower and any protusions would be less vulnerable to the application of force. a lower inertial center is inherently more stable in a standing structure.

but in the good news department, you should be able to move your current tank by just emptying out all the water first. of course, you'll probably want someone to help you with it, but its probably easier to get some assistance than it is for you to spend a whole weekend trying to recapture its former glory!

 

[fenwoman]

also, it would be better (in the sense of "more stable") to place the larger tank on the bottom, especially if it doesn't 100% fit on the stand. if the larger (more massive) tank is up high, then the center of gravity is not only elevated but also has protusions on which something could easily catch and accidentally upset your tanks. but if the larger tank is down low, then the center of gravity is much lower and any protusions would be less vulnerable to the application of force. a lower inertial center is inherently more stable in a standing structure.

but in the good news department, you should be able to move your current tank by just emptying out all the water first. of course, you'll probably want someone to help you with it, but its probably easier to get some assistance than it is for you to spend a whole weekend trying to recapture its former glory!

Sadly, any new tank can only br 12" deep if it is 48" long to go on the bottom of the stand. Luckily the floor is solid and the snand stable and nobody here but meto catch on anything.. If I get the tank I'm bidding on it may well be able to fit on the bottom though as it is only 41". This makes in shorted and well able to fit having a slight overhang as it will not be restricted by the legs of the stand. Hope you understand. I'm not with it at the moment as I was having a doze and got woken up by the phone and still not woken up properly. If I get the tank which is 42" long, I won't have to move the top tank so I'm holding off until I see whetehr or not I get it.

 

[TerraDreamer]

I hope your stand is very, very sturdy. Two tanks plus gravel, that's a LOT of weight.

 

[gsta13]

Wait untill you get one you like! You sound just as impatient (sp?) as i am! Lol but it would be better off holding off the purchase until you get one the exact size you want and you also wont have to stress your fish (and yourself!) by moving the already esablished tank. Also what Pica said is a good thing to bare in mind lower COG is always a good thing!
Greg

 

[HODDY]

personaly i would never buy tanks off ebay.My friend has brought 2 now and 1 was cracke dand the other a massive leek.And the one i brought had a massive crack on the glass bar thingys(keeps the tank together)

 

[fenwoman]

I hope your stand is very, very sturdy. Two tanks plus gravel, that's a LOT of weight.

The stand was built to take 2 tanks.

 

[three-fingers]

I just bought a tank of ebay and picked it up today. It has some problems (the owner badly and dangerously re-wired some things and left very dirty sand in the tank), but was well worth £175 when it should cost £360 new .

 

[fenwoman]

personaly i would never buy tanks off ebay.My friend has brought 2 now and 1 was cracke dand the other a massive leek.And the one i brought had a massive crack on the glass bar thingys(keeps the tank together)

If the tank was cracked when I went to see it and not described as thus in the auction I would not buy it. I bought 3 tanks off ebay altogether. 2 small ones and this one I have had set up now since before xmas. If you bid and win a tank, and it is damaged in any way, simply don't pay for it and walk away. That applies to everything on ebay.
Since my larger tank was only £10 and lots of similar sized ones were selling privately for £80 and more, I went for the cheap option and have been very pleased with it so far.
It is common sence to check the item description and inspect it when you go to collect it. That would apply to anything I bought and collected off ebay.
Perhaps your friend was unlucky? Why did he accept the tank which was obviously cracked or damaged when he went to see it?

 

[Fate2006]

you wanted to know about Oscars? you could keep 2 in that tank, but it'd have to just them nobody else unfortunatly... you could try getting 1 oscar and mabye 3-5 other central and south american cichlids (depends on the type)... other than that not much to say sorry if your looking for something really nice I'd say get a single tiger oscar from a chinese store (the REALLY BIG ONES!) like 10" already and just put him/her in the tank with something for the bottom, I felt so bad seeing the oscars at this chinese place by me, he was atleast 10" and they had 2 of them in a 20 gallon tank with a divider! too much money for me to buy and save them though, $250 each!!! RIP OFF!

 

[pica_nuttalli]

no! bad Fate! tsk, tsk! waaaaay too small a tank for Oscars--they need at least 50g for one adult, 100g per mated pair and 150g for just 2 random Oscars.