Do I Set Up My New Tank Now?

[hanny93]

Hello everyone, hope all is well.

I recently convinced my boyfriend to buy me a 36x15x18 tank for £30, because it was £30.

But, I dont have anywhere to put it other than my windowsill (mother wont let me put it where she can see it) and the filter will be on the floor next to my bed.
It also doesnt have a lid or lights.

Now, my grandad is a carpenter and i can get him to make me a decent stand and lid out of basic MDF or leftover food safe oak he has, for im sure not very much money, and i can spend a bit of money on making my own lighting. I already have heater and filter(eheim 2213 - will this be enough okay for a 36 gall?) and the 64 litre tank that currently houses the fish and shrimp i want to move over, so i wont have to cycle (hopefully).

My question is, do i move everything over now, today, and just do it as and when i have money, which if i can sell this 64 litre and some spare riding boots i have should be a decent amount, about £50 do the stand, lid and lighting, then scape etc every time i get paid, building it up slowly, or do i have a 3 foot tank on my windowsill for the next two months whilst i save up enough to get it all done at once!?

Decisions!!!!




Also, any stocking suggestions? I already have 4 dwarf neon rainbowfish and some cherry shrimp, deffo want more shrimp

 

[micko]

How about you have no lights on it?
I've recently set up a tank over a month ago and it only has natural light, its placed on the kitchen work top. Plants are going mad in it, they're already at the top of the tank and they were only half the height of the tank when I put them in.
No algae too, well, its not getting a chance to grow with the MTS and red cherries.

You could try it anyway and if you don't like it then there's no harm done.

 

[hanny93]

Oh, never thought of that! So i dont need lights at all? Saves me some moeny doesnt it! Be much more natural for the fish and plants aswell with natural sunrise/set..

Could i get a couple of LED spotlights to dimly light the tank at night? would that cause any algae problems?

Think i might try it and just put up with the filter being on the floor

DNR arent jumpy fish really are they? thats why i was after getting a lid.

Does this mean i can get emergent plants like the one BigTom had in his big tank?

 

[micko]

I'm not sure about DNR's about being jumpy, sorry.
You would be able to get plants like that but I think big tom had a problem with one of the plants when I stem snapped it done damage to his tank I think, I may be wrong and picked this info up from somewhere else. Just keep the water level down a wee bit from the top.
You can of course buy/make some L.E.D lights, there was someone on here the other day who cut a drain pipe in half and drilled a few holes in it and cable tied the lights through the drill holes and put it over his tank.

In mine I have no extra light. It was really an accident I done that tank, it was only supposed to grow a few plants on as I had no more room in the other tanks. Its a real jungle now.

 

[Louiseness]

I would just be aware that right on a windowsill it seems like it could get quite hot with all that light beaming in. But that's the only potential problem I can think of.

 

[micko]

I would just be aware that right on a windowsill it seems like it could get quite hot with all that light beaming in. But that's the only potential problem I can think of.

+1.

Forgot to mention that as mine is half covered as it sits below the window sill on the work top.

 

[hanny93]

I can easily buy a blind to go behind the tank if it does start to get to hot, or open the window or get a fan or something but thankyou for the concern, think im gonna go for it!!

i saw the drain pipe thing, wasnt keen on it tbh, but ill keep it in mind

The only problems i can think of right now is fish jumping out, getting too hot and access for the filter, but theyre all easily fixed really, or i can just get my grandad to make me a stand and then ill think about lights.

thankyou for all the help, going to start a journal i think!!

 

[micko]

Looking forward to the journal.