• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

New House... New Tank! Suggestions Please...

jagillham

jagillham

Member
Joined
6 May 2015
Messages
341
Location
Kent (UK)
Hi,

Been a long time since I was on these forums!

Few years back now I was on here a lot battling with my 120cm long, 50cm wide and 60cm deep tank. Despite EI, CO2 injection (via fire extinguisher), compost substrate, 4x 54w T5's and loads of flow... it never achieved the greatness of many tanks on here. This is about as good as it got:

dc019d-562f-467b-823e-a6be92dec54e_zpsv84dybbi-jpg.jpg

I never managed to get anything to remotely carpet, and many plants turned into bare stems heading for the top! 🙁

Anyway, we're since moved house, and there is 8ft of wall going spare... 😱 I'm thinking of some big wall unit. Tank in the middle, but also lots of storage for the kids toys etc too. The tank itself maybe 6ft long. Happily I have most the equipment, and the unit will be the stand, so I just need to buy the tank itself - which are actually quite reasonably priced for a large custom made one.

I think one of my previous issues was the old tank was too deep. Any advise on an ideal depth for a planted tank with ambitions of carpeting? Would really like to hear some ideas of what I could do with the new tank. I did have a few ideas, including running the filtration from one side wall to the other, so the tank permanently flowed in a single direction (like a river), rather than in a big circle like most tanks do. Also the more of my existing kit I can use the better.

Thanks!
 
Sounds an amazing project 🙂

jagillham said:
I did have a few ideas, including running the filtration from one side wall to the other, so the tank permanently flowed in a single direction (like a river), rather than in a big circle like most tanks do.
Click to expand...

You might take some inspiration from George Farmer's latest Interzoo 2018 video - Oliver Knott tanks
 
You can more details on this tank by Filipe Oliveira (with Aquaflora & Ruinemans - note the fish) on his Facebook page
Also check his You Tube Videos

Amazing how these tanks are transported to Interzoo :wideyed:
 
Last edited:
And we're off! 🙂

I'm using kitchen units for the cabinet, but not keen for it to look like a kitchen! I'm hoping by having them close to the floor, and with the 400mm doors, it won't.

The units are just the bog standard B&Q 'cheap' ones. £33 each, and they are actually really quite well made. The sides are 18mm each, with a support pole in the middle which is around 40mm too. By the time I join them together it will effectively be a 40mm vertical support every 400mm.

I'll put a support beam running the length of the complete unit underneath. This means the weight won't be on the feet under the bottom of the cabinets, but actually support directly under the verticals. Not sure what I'll do for doors yet. Ideally I'll find some second hand solid wood ones to paint up.

I've placed the feet on top to show width of a 4ft, 5ft & 6ft tank - not sure what I'll go for just yet.

image1 (4).jpeg
 
Do a 4-5 foot tank
And
A 2 foot tank (glass now rest later)

Plan on complimentary scape so the two tanks look as if they could be "one"
 
alto said:
Do a 4-5 foot tank
And
A 2 foot tank (glass now rest later)

Plan on complimentary scape so the two tanks look as if they could be "one"
Click to expand...

Wishful thinking unfortunately, I’ll be losing 2 of the 3 units to the kids toys! Cupboard may be a squeeze, got a 2ft sump, 5kg FE to go in with all the usual tank paraphernalia.
 
Kids need fewer toys 😀 - hold out for at least 50:50 share!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top