Advice on New Tank setup

[bunjiweb]

Well i ordered a 6 x 2 x 2ft tank this week which should be coming on tuesday. I have also ordered 2 x 2ft overtank luminaires which i am going to mount from front to back rather than sideways.

So far I have spent £255 on tank and lights. I plan to make the stand myself from wood. Using 6 x 18x3x3" uprights with 1-1.5" hardboard on the back and sides with 6x2x2ft 2" top and bottom. This shouldnt cost me much more than £50 or so in materials. Heaters and powerheads will cost me another £60.... then theres all those "hidden extras" so im looking at about £425 in total, not too bad for a 6x2x2ft setup.

- I plan to use the Eheim 2217 filter that is on my 60G tank. Now, i know that this alone is not enough filtration... So should i get another filter, or can i supliment it with powerheads?

- The other question is would it be worth having undergravel filters at either end of the tanks (2ftx2ft) with large powerheads on the top (600-1000L/H?)...

- As far as heating goes I was planning on 2 x 200W heaters one at either end, will this be enough?

- Is there anything else i really need to think about?

Ben

 

[Paul_MTS]

I'm guessing your going to use sand being a catfish tank there fore UGF would be rendered useless!!

powerheads can't be used as extra filtration as there is no extra media to hosue the bacteria extra filters would.

 

[bunjiweb]

No actually i plan to use 2mm silver quartz gravel. Its fine enough for cats and doesnt have all the horrid qualities of dirty dirty sand....i love the look of sand but hate dealing with it...

Ben

 

[Paul_MTS]

even though that size gravel will till render is useless.

sand rocks my world though!!

 

[yvez9]

i would put 3 200 watt heaters but i guess yu could try 2 and see if it heats up well enough before adding fish.

as for filtration, i would make a sump for a tank that big full of bio-balls and floss. for that of course you'll need to drill your tank though...

Maybe add another canister filter and 2 power filters (like aquaclear 500)... don't know how that would look though

 

[bunjiweb]

At the most i would add another canister filter, maybe an Eheim 2213 or 2215.. but i dont think i need to venture into sumps etc....

And as for heating, well my room is usually fairly warm so i think a couple of 200s, or 250s if i can get them for the same price, would do fine.

Ben

 

[bunjiweb]

The deal for the previous overtank luminaires i was after fell through for some unknown reason so i am getting arcadia ones from a website i found that do them for £58.99 each for the 2ft T8 ones, seems a bargain to me!

Decided to go for 2 x 300W Visitherm heaters that works out to about £33.

I am as i previously said also going for an Eheim 2213 as secondary mechanical filtration. This will cost me £45.

Then all i need is Gravel. I am going for 50KG silver quartz 2mm gravel which will cost me £20

Then theres just the stand. I have planned it all out and i reckon i will be spending around £40 on materials.

So this adds up to around £410. With the extras that i will inevitably have to buy my previous estimate of £425 was about right.

Ben