# Tank Size



## zanguli-ya-zamba (31 Jul 2014)

Hi Members,
hope you are all doing well and that the summer is nice ?
I am planning to build an other tank, as I really don't like the size of my small tank.

The current size is : 45x45x50 cm 
This size is not aesthetic and not efficient for flow etc...

So I wanted to have an aesthetic advice for the size.
The cabinet is 45x45 cm so I wanted to stay with this base. 
What do you think about

45x45x30 cm ? or this size also will not be nice ?
or I can go with 45x36x30 cm

thanks for your help 

cheers


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## James O (31 Jul 2014)

How about a shallower tank 20 or 25 cm deep - 45x45x20 

maybe with a tall piece of redmoor or similar coming right up out of it all covered in moss & fern with floating plans all around.  That way it would look great from above like a living flower display........

......that's enough dribbling from me


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (31 Jul 2014)

James O said:


> How about a shallower tank 20 or 25 cm deep - 45x45x20
> 
> maybe with a tall piece of redmoor or similar coming right up out of it all covered in moss & fern with floating plans all around.  That way it would look great from above like a living flower display........
> 
> ......that's enough dribbling from me



Aaaaaah james that could be a great idea !!!!! 

I like your idea I got plenty of mopane wood so it could work. floating plant huuuummm I can have some riccia around ferns on the wood. unfortunately i din't have mosses any more.
let me think about you solution thanks a lot.

Maybe some one have an other Idea ????

cheers


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (5 Aug 2014)

Hi guys 
So I decided on the size of the tank and I will follow James's idea and I will go with a shallower tank. 
First I did an error on the size, I didn't took the measurement of my DIY cabinet and I did it this morning. 
So the final size will be :
50x40x25 cm andi think it will be a nice size. 

I have an other problem and this problem is ruining my time to start the build of the tank. 
Here in Congo it's impossible to find silicon for aquarium work ! The only one I have find is a Soudal universal clear silicon. I have 1/2 of aquarium silicon tube in my fridge since a year but it will not be enough. 

Do you think that regarding the small volume of the tank I can use a universal silicon or it will blow up ? 

That's my only concern now to start the project 

Thanks for your help members

Cheers


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## Edvet (5 Aug 2014)

Any acid based silicone should work.
As long as it is not for kitchens/bathrooms: anti fungus


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (5 Aug 2014)

Hi Edvet thanks for you reply. 
Can you help me to figure if it is ok to use this one here the ref of the product. 
Soudal universal transparent 102246. 

An other question I think that with the small size and height of the tank I can go with 6 mm thickness glass with out any fear ? 
It gives me a safety factor of 10 so it s ok ? 

Thanks again for your help


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## Edvet (5 Aug 2014)

6mm should be fine, i myself would do in 8 mm, little extra cost, much safer feeling.
I googled your product, but couldn't find any info on it, so i couldn't comment. Maybe there are other aquarists in your country who could comment on it?


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (5 Aug 2014)

Hi Edvet thanks again. 
For glass thickness 6 mm gives me a 10 safety factor. 
Unfortunately there no other aquarist than a friend of mine that is not here at the moment. 
I will try to find info on the web and come back to you


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (5 Aug 2014)

So I did a small research and found the Soudal PDF catalog it took me an our to download it with the Congolese Internet lol. 
So it says this silicon contains acetic acid and it is a really elastic silicon. 

So am I in the good product range ?


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## Edvet (5 Aug 2014)

yup acetic acid is safe


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (5 Aug 2014)

Ok thanks I will buy the silicon and the glass tomorrow 
thanks again for your help 
really looking forward to set up that shallow tank ( a first for me)


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## Edvet (5 Aug 2014)

Let it cure a day for each mm glass.


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (11 Aug 2014)

I have put the tank together this morning when I had a 30 min free time in my work. 
I hope I glued it well ?! 
I don't know why but I have the feeling that at some part I didn't put enough silicon. 
We will see during the flood test of it will work. I will do the test on next Monday (one week to cure ). If there is leak I will have to scrub all the silicon (it s a pain in the *** to do that) and glue again. 

Cheers


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (11 Aug 2014)




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## zanguli-ya-zamba (11 Aug 2014)

When the silicon will be dry, I will just have to cut the silicone that have popped out during the assembling ? I don't know if I made my self clear hahaha


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## James O (11 Aug 2014)

Nice tank size 

1 day for each millimetre.  Basically as thick as your glass is.


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## tim (11 Aug 2014)

Nice ! I have a 40x40x25 running at the moment nice height for square tanks. Look forward to seeing this planted zanguli.


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (15 Aug 2014)

Hi all,
So today was the 5th day, and I could not wait more longer hahaha. I know I should waited tomorrow but I really wanted to see if my job was done correctly. 
So I flooded the tank this morning, just after taking out the piece of silicone that was popping out of the edge, and no leak nothing hehe . 
I wanted to know how many days I should run the test before saying that the tank is secure to put it in the office ? After 3 days maybe we can say that tank is well build ??? 

Here is a shot of the tank with water. 







Thanks for following I will put some pictures of the tank on top of the DIY cabinet I did last year.


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (28 Sep 2014)

Hi guys I wanted to know if there is a risk of blowing if the silicon work of the tank show this ? 


This appear after the water test of 7 days, when the tank was empty. 
I decided to do an other water test to see if silicon will hold in place. 
15 days and nothing. 
Do you think that it will hold or one morning I will find water every where ? 

Thanks


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## Tim Harrison (28 Sep 2014)

It doesn't look good from a structural integrity point of view, but silicon is very strong stuff, so you may get away with it indefinitely. Personally, I wouldn't like to take the risk. Regardless, I couldn't live with it aesthetically anyway...


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (29 Sep 2014)

Troi said:


> It doesn't look good from a structural integrity point of view, but silicon is very strong stuff, so you may get away with it indefinitely. Personally, I wouldn't like to take the risk. Regardless, I couldn't live with it aesthetically anyway...



Hi Troy,

Thanks for your answer mate !! 
I think I will leave it like this. 

Hope I will not found one morning that the office is full of water lol. 

I will take a pic right know of the tank and like that you can give you point of view. 

Cheers


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (30 Sep 2014)

Here is what I have done in about 20 min. I also have a sort of planting schema. 








There will be HC on the front. 
Lilaeopsis  and Rotala red on the right back. 
In back middle some storaugyne or a medium plant. 
On the wood I will put moss. 
At the base of the wood there is a cavity I will put a fern don't know yet which one. 
Around the wood it will be Hemianthus Micranthemoid. 
Far back left there will be hygrophilia polysperma or alternantera. 
On front left I will add Hydrocolite triparta. 

Hope you all get a pic if the tank. 

Cheers


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (2 Oct 2014)

Right side was unbalanced. Rocks are too small compare to left. 
One problem is that I don't have enough substrate to elevate a bit more that side and adding bigger rocks without good level of substrate behind it, flow not be good at all. 
Fortunately I found a flat bigger rock behind a pot of flower and now it's better. 
Can I have a feedback on this please. 








Thanks for your comments


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## Edvet (2 Oct 2014)

I wouldn''t stack the little rock (right side, doesn't look natural)


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