Keep tank or replace?

[zain611]

So I've had my tank set up for a few days now. I don't know why but I have a uneasy feeling in myself about it and not felt excited or really really happy with it since the day I filled it with water. The tank is a aqua one aquastyle 620T which is 62l x 39d x 72h (cm). Its a nice tank but i just don't feel completely comfortable with it. I don't know if it's because it's tall so has a higher centre of gravity which means its more likely to topple over or if its just I'm not used to owning a large tank.

My local fish shop have the aqua one aquastyle 620 which is 20cm shorter but not sure whether to get it or not. It's center of gravity is lower so its more stable and its 40 litres less which makes it more lighter (although it seams my floor can easily take the weight of the 620T). Only worry I'd have is if my wood ornament would fit in there. I wouldn't worry starting again with another tank as both the 620 and 620T have the exact same filters so I can swap them over without having to do a complete cycle again.

Just want peoples views and if I'm just being a wimp about it.

 

[Colin_T]

Get rid of it and get something longer and not as high.

The extra height on the tank makes them stress a lot of people because most tanks that are 72cm high (29inches) are usually 6 foot plus long and a couple of feet wide. When you have a tank that is 29inches high and only 2 foot long x 14inches wide, it will appear top heavy and stress you out.

If you can get a longer tank that isn't as high, it will have a bigger surface area, which is better for fish. Fish swim left and right and only go up and down for food. Having a longer tank will spread the weight out more evenly on the floor and give you more options on what fish you can have and how many fish you can have.

 

[zain611]

Get rid of it and get something longer and not as high.

The extra height on the tank makes them stress a lot of people because most tanks that are 72cm high (29inches) are usually 6 foot plus long and a couple of feet wide. When you have a tank that is 29inches high and only 2 foot long x 14inches wide, it will appear top heavy and stress you out.

If you can get a longer tank that isn't as high, it will have a bigger surface area, which is better for fish. Fish swim left and right and only go up and down for food. Having a longer tank will spread the weight out more evenly on the floor and give you more options on what fish you can have and how many fish you can have.

Thanks Collin

To be honest I am starting to get accustomed to it. Just going out and coming back home to see it begins to make me used to it. I'd say mainly its the big change from 28 litres to 130 litres which got me and like you said the height. Not to bothered about the weight now as thinking about it it's like 2 adults standing there.

The cabinet is just a millimetre off from the side which my dad wants to correct so might have to drain the water and move the tank.

Where can I place my ornaments most important my large red Moor wood? My longer marina syphon just arrived so might start emptying the water. Also thinking I might get a black background

 

[zain611]

What should I do with the filter? It's those overhead ones so can't keep the water in it when I have to move it. I don't want to lose that good bacteria.

 

[Colin_T]

Put the driftwood in a fish bucket.

Put your filter materials into a bucket of tank water. It will be fine for a couple of hours.

If you want to see what a black backing looks like, put a plastic bin liner on the back of the tank (on the outside) and see what you think. You can use coloured card, paper, or buy a plastic aquarium backing from a pet shop. One of my friends use to put a newspaper with the comics on the back of his tanks.

 

[TallPaul]

I took a look at the tank and I do admit it is an odd shape. My advice would be to have a look at aquascaping tutorials.

Having a good aquascape would help to balance the proportions of the tank. That would mean stacking the substrate so that it is much higher at the back and sloped down to the front.

Some dramatic drift wood and plants would help give an illusion of depth.

A well planted tank with drift wood, bog wood and plenty of rocks and leafy plants will give fish hiding spaces. It will add colour to the bottom of the tank and improve the overall appearance.

 

[zain611]

Thanks guys. Just went and got a black background 120 x 61cm. The back of the tank has these borders which luckily enough has little gaps to slide in the background. From measuring the glass from border to border its around 57 x 57cm. I bought some background adhesive also but not sure now if I need it but might be worth it to stop reflections. I've emptied just about all the water in the tank. There is water left in the overhead filter but might need to remove it when I take it off the tank. My dad wants the tank off so he can put something on the legs of the cabinet so it hopefully sits level then. It's off by just a mil but my dad doesn't want to risk it.

Tallpall I bought this iwagumi set which does look good in the tank. At the moment I have one vallinseria with about 4 leaves in the back left. Want to get more to cover the intake pipe. My plan is to get bog wood with java fern attached to place at the back of the wood and rocks. Might also get more valisneria to put with the other one as it kind of looks odd by itself. I bought a tub of java moss so at the moment waiting for seachem flourish glue to arrive before I can attach it to the wood piece and place between the rocks. The moss is currently in my 28 litre. As it's a tall tank I'm mainly looking for tall plants.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AQUARIUM...UNTAIN-ROCK-IWAGUMI-AQUASCAPING-/173450294268

 

[Fishmanic]

you could also buy a nice piece of manzinata wood that is taller than it is wide and then attach plants such as anubias to it to help fill the upper level of the tank

 

[zain611]

you could also buy a nice piece of manzinata wood that is taller than it is wide and then attach plants such as anubias to it to help fill the upper level of the tank

Will look into that. The iwagumi set kind of takes up the length of the tank although I might want something to put on the sides as their are some big gaps .

Sadly I didn't have time yesterday to move the tank and get on modifying the cabinet so it sits perfectly level on the carpet. The filter media has a bit of water in it in the overhead filter but thinking I might move the media in my 28 litre. Don't want to risk the bacteria dieing. This also gives me the opportunity to put a black background on back whilst there is no water.

 

[zain611]

My seachem flourish glue arrived today so hopefully can attach my java moss on the wood. Luckily able to get half the wood in the bucket. I did notice it is slimy when I took it out the tank but from rubbing it it was the tannins.

Could I try boiling it? I have 3 buckets filled with the Aquarium water so the tank has at least some old water in it when I refill it.

 

[Colin_T]

The slime on the wood is usually biofilm (microscopic organisms like bacteria & algae). Just hose it off.

You don't need to buy special glue or anything. If you have Java Moss use some cotton thread from a sewing kit or a big of fishing line, or even a rubber band to tie it to the wood. If you want to use a glue, use super glue. Let it dry and then its good to go.

 

[zain611]

The slime on the wood is usually biofilm (microscopic organisms like bacteria & algae). Just hose it off.

You don't need to buy special glue or anything. If you have Java Moss use some cotton thread from a sewing kit or a big of fishing line, or even a rubber band to tie it to the wood. If you want to use a glue, use super glue. Let it dry and then its good to go.

Thanks Colin
Does boiling the wood do any good? Just asking whilst it's out. So hopefully today might move the tank and have a look at the cabinet to see why it's slightly off from the side.

With the filter I might put back the filter sponge I transfered over to the 28 litre. May also still dose the seachem stability.

 

[Colin_T]

Boiling driftwood can help it sink and leech out some of the tannins. It will also kill off anything growing on it but within a week of being back in the tank, the wood will be covered in microscopic organisms again so there's no real point in boiling it.

 

[TallPaul]

I booked my bog wood to try and get some of the tannins out. I quite like the yellow tint in the water but I certainly don't want it tea coloured.

Within a week I had grey fluff all over it, this is normal as the wood is a great surface for bacteria to latch on to. Once the tank had settled down all of the fluff disappeared. I took it out twice and scrubbed it down but the fluff just returned the next day. If you get it then you can brush off some of it if it is really unsightly but don't panic, it's normal and will go away on its own

 

[zain611]

My red Moor wood is half soaking in a bucket of aquarium water. I think I might get rid of the water in that bucket as it must be stained from the tannins. Need to see when I will have the time to apply my black background on the tank and glue moss on the wood.