Guess What I Got Today

[moochy13]

i know it seems like a waste, but i suspect you will eventually end up removing the internal filter, just to free up more room, which the smaller the tank is the more it makes a difference. i dont think its that much of a mission to remove it, especially if youve got a bucket or something you can put your fish in for half hour while you do it.

 

[soybean]

i know it seems like a waste, but i suspect you will eventually end up removing the internal filter, just to free up more room, which the smaller the tank is the more it makes a difference. i dont think its that much of a mission to remove it, especially if youve got a bucket or something you can put your fish in for half hour while you do it.

Akasha doesn't have many fish, what she has is small, is only going to add a few more to the tank, knows not to overstock, and most importantly is on a budget that only just stretched to a new tank. She doesn't NEED an external at present, especially not on a 100 litre tank with a few live bearers and corys in.

I have a 180 juwel tank and run both the built in internal and an external eheim. I only added the eheim because I have a lot of fish and some make a lot of waste. Everyone immediately jumps to 'rip out the internal, make more space!' with juwel tanks - if you stock sensibly they're actually perfectly good filters, and I will only ever remove it if I have some larger fish who for some reason desperately need the bit of room it takes up in the corner.

Akasha, rip it out if you want to but I don't think you need to bother at present. Approach this new tank as being more like 100 litres seeing as you can't stock the corner or the gap at the top, and it should be fine with the few more corys you want to add.

 

[Akasha72]

Thank you Soybean. You put it better than I could. I got this tank because it had everything I needed. My existing PF2 filter isn't big enough for this new tank and I can't afford to go out and get another filter when the tank came with a perfectly good one.
It's staying for now. If I decide in the future to take it out then I will.

Regarding my (slightly stupid) question about the substrate - think I'm going to stick with what I've got, just buy a small bag to cover the extra 6" of tank. I like this black gravel and it's smooth enough for my cory's and I can't see a point in throwing £20 at a bag of black sand when I could be spending that on plants.

Okay, I have another question:
I have a strong sturdy blanket box in my bay window which I'm planning to put the tank on (it's had a couple of adults jumping up and down on it and not moved so it should be as strong as any shop bought, mdf stand) My Dad is in the process of cutting me a piece of thick mdf, which he's going to edge with wood, paint black and put a piece of polystyrene inside for the tank to stand on too. The thing I'm unsure of is that the bay window also had a 4ft radiator fastened to the wall. This would mean that the tank would be about 4-5" away from a heat source (in use obviously this time of year) will it be okay because I have the option to switch two pieces of furnicture which would put the tank with it's back to a plain wall?

 

[soybean]

I wouldn't keep a tank next to a radiator myself.

 

[Akasha72]

yeah, I was worried it would affect the temperature too much which is why I thought it a good idea to ask everyone. My two foot is next to the radiator and I have noticed the temp creeps up when the heating is on. The new tank would have it's entire back a few inches from the radiator though and that's even worse.

Right. You know what I'm doing today then ... moving furnicture! Better start swollowing codiene now then

 

[soybean]

Ahh, pills, Ibuleve gel and a hot bath, the usual end to any of my vigorous fish keeping days

 

[BigbruiserAl]

i know it seems like a waste, but i suspect you will eventually end up removing the internal filter, just to free up more room, which the smaller the tank is the more it makes a difference. i dont think its that much of a mission to remove it, especially if youve got a bucket or something you can put your fish in for half hour while you do it.

Akasha doesn't have many fish, what she has is small, is only going to add a few more to the tank, knows not to overstock, and most importantly is on a budget that only just stretched to a new tank. She doesn't NEED an external at present, especially not on a 100 litre tank with a few live bearers and corys in.

I have a 180 juwel tank and run both the built in internal and an external eheim. I only added the eheim because I have a lot of fish and some make a lot of waste. Everyone immediately jumps to 'rip out the internal, make more space!' with juwel tanks - if you stock sensibly they're actually perfectly good filters, and I will only ever remove it if I have some larger fish who for some reason desperately need the bit of room it takes up in the corner.

Akasha, rip it out if you want to but I don't think you need to bother at present. Approach this new tank as being more like 100 litres seeing as you can't stock the corner or the gap at the top, and it should be fine with the few more corys you want to add.

No one said she needs to its just advise as many people end up doing it, the internals are pretty decent for bio loads they hold alot of media it their flow that lets them down. Its your tank akasha just trying to help out get some pics up as you go

 

[Akasha72]

I was planning to get some pics going ... you've seen the first ones (in it's box and it's bargain price lol) I'll keep the camara to hand and keep you all posted. There's bound to be more questions that arise as I go along too. The last two tanks have been thrown together - this time I want to do it right.

When we at the garden centre yesterday (Stephen Smith's in Otley for anyone interested) they had a beautiful marine set up. The back wall just looked like a natural enviroment with loads of anenomies (spelling, I know) and all that. My Dad said it all when he said "look at that, it's a living picture"
That's what I want to achieve - oh boy have I set myself a task lol

Ahh, pills, Ibuleve gel and a hot bath, the usual end to any of my vigorous fish keeping days

Had a bad night with my wonky sacro-illiat joint and the referred pain it causes in my hip. Moving furnicture on my own wasn't on my to do list today but that's life!

I think that hot bath will be on the to-do list though by the end of today

 

[BigbruiserAl]

I think that hot bath will be on the to-do list though by the end of today

MMmmm hot bath, get some http/www.pharmacy2u.co.uk/badedas-original-bath-gelee-p4408.html love the stuff

 

[sarah40011]

only thing with my internal filter was some cory babies got stuck down the back so sad to see them going up and down the corner, in the end cut the sealant and bought an external lol lots of people end up doing it apparently (not saying you should! see how you go)

 

[Peggers]

Congratulations on the nice new tank.

I've found the Jewel internal good and it's actually a lot less noticeable than most, plus gives the heater a place to be put. If you do decide you want more turn over then the bigger powerheads off the larger Jewel tanks fit, or certainly used to.

 

[Akasha72]

Update:

So, I set about moving my chest of drawers - took all the drawers out to make easier and lighter to move (it slides easily with no drawers in), emptied all my fish keeping stuff out of the blanket box, slide the tank (still boxed) into the kitchen and tried to move things where I wanted them. I then realised that I was attempting the impossible and just seriously hurting my wrecked back and rang my Dad.
He arrived nearly 2 hours later in a foul mood, ranting stuff about me wanting everything doing now and how I couldn't wait (I've been waiting 6 years for him to put me a shelf up - I even bought and painted the shelf myself but that's another story!)an arguement ensued and finally he gave in and helped me move the coffee table that has the fry tank on for now and put the blanket box in place.... he then went on to measure my coffee table (it's one of those eastern style things with the metal studs and brackets and is super strong) and decided my new tank would be better on there so I could still use my blanket box for storing my fish stuff - made sense I guess. Except I don't want it on my coffee table.

The upshot is he's now decided to build me a stand for the new tank! .... although I've warned him he's got till the end of the week to produce it or I go back to plan A!! (the 6 year shelf story .... no way is he doing that to my fish!)

 

[soybean]

Plan C - juwel rekord 800s fit on a rio 125 stand, so keep an eye out for one of those cheap.

 

[Akasha72]

Plan C - juwel rekord 800s fit on a rio 125 stand, so keep an eye out for one of those cheap.

That's good to know, thank you. I was thinking about spending a bit of time on ebay later so you never know!

Cheers

 

[Akasha72]

Okay, so I've just been looking on my lfs' website at the plant list. This is a list of the one's I like the look of

Purple leafed alternanthera

Red copper leafed alternanthera

Broad leafed anubis

cryptocoryne beckettii "petchii"

crytocoryne wendtii "green"

Pygmy chain sword


All would like some more twisted vallis




I wouldn't mind some opinions on that list. My knowledge of plants is vertually zero so any help, advice, opinions will be greatly accepted.

I'm also thinking about a nice piece of wood as a central piece and will be re-adding my rocks as my cory's and oto's like them