'lets All Attempt To Make Mamma Like Fish' Journal!

[hanny93]

I've done a fair few journals and have always given up due to something or other happening, but this one i want to make work!

So, basic specs.


About 100 litres glass tank.
At the moment, no lighting other than a desk lamp, and rubbishy heater, decent eheim aquaball but want an external (see other thread about best external atm).
Got java fern and moss and a little anubias growing in there, and stocking wise, 4 honey gourami, 2 baby dwarf neons and some cherry shrimp.


Have just ordered about £50 worth of bogwood so hopefully that will be here on sunday, and next step is full set of salifert test kits and a good heater.

Then it will be new filter, new lights, new plants, new fish.


As title says, this tank is to make my darling mother like fish, as she moaned for three months about ow there was 'nothing in my tank' and it looked boring, so this tank will be vibrant, exciting and colourful


Now, question time.

Filter - which is the best for my tank, open to all suggestions, but preferences lie with eheim.

Heater, again, which is the best heater for my tank i.e. one or two and which brand?

Lighting - I wa sgoing down the arcadia arc pod route, but at £25 a pop i dont want to rush into it and have made the wrong decision. I've worked out if i buy two, i will have just under 1WPG, is this too little? If so what other options do I have?


Thats it for now

 

[minnnt]

Hannah, glad to see you making a new journal.

First of all, the filter. Everybody knows what i am going to say... TetraTEC EX700 or 1200.

Secondly, the heater. I have had good results with Aqua Ones and Interpet. 2 Aqua One 50w stubby heaters would be great. They look pretty decent too.

Thirdly, lighting. You don't mention how long your tank is. If you are spending £50 on 2 Pods, you might aswell get a proper lighting unit. Have a look on the APS website. Or... Use the info in the pm i sent you a while ago and make your own.

Some basic fertiliser will work wonders and ensure good healthy growth from your plants.

Finally, you planning on adding to the Praecox?

 

[hanny93]

Heellooo, haha always new journals, ooops

Think i am going to go with tetra this time, seen some good reviews

2 heaters to spread out the heat and incase one breaks? will 100W be enough?

Tank is 36 inches long, ive had a look at aps lighting and its a bit expensive, £75 for two T5's which im not sure will be worth it, especially as i will have to start dosing!! although i may just go cat litter and excel. I know £25 isnt a lot of difference but £75 just seems a lot for two tubes haha, i was going to make my own but couldnt remember whether or not it was attachable, turns out it is


I think i will add to the Praecox, i do like them a lot im thinking of swapping the honeys for praecox and getting cories and maybe another mid swimmer, possibly microrasboras, not sure.

 

[minnnt]

Harlequins or glowlights look ace in a planted setup.

With the pods, you think the whole tank will get enough light? 3ft is a decent length.

Definately go with tetratec, they're excellent. If your tank is 100 litres then 2 50w heaters would be fine. I think kittykat advises 2 75w heaters though usually.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

For lighting, buy some high power led's (can buy kits Inc heat sinks & lens's) some wood and a cheap power supply and build one , not at all difficult, if you were from this neck of the woods I'd build it for ya, got plenty of time on my hands now and it's quite enjoyable.

 

[hanny93]

Minnt i dont think os no, never really thought of that, but was in my lfs this aft and looked at the pods, and they were ashorter than i imagined them, think im going to build my own, still doesnt make sense!!


LFS had glowlights aswell, really liked the look of them, especially as i am painting the tank black on two sides when i decide where it is going thinking a biggish shoal


Also, how do you think a apir of HRP's would go down? No glowlights or goruamis or anything, just a pair and shrimp?


Steveo - Do you tihnk you could make one and post it?! I'm really not at all DIY, how effective would they be compared to a T5 HO?

 

[minnnt]

LED's have become very popular, i think they're the current top dog in the plant growing light league? Also more efficient than T5's.

HRP's are great, but they will dig pits when they spawn so may be disruptive. And unless the Shrimp are the massive Bamboo Shrimps i would say they wouldn't last too long. My pair would have nailed them straight away.

Personally i would try and get some bogwood that stains the water a little and have a shoal of 10 Glowlights... They really are over looked these days for Neons and Cardinals.

You could consider Silver Tip Tetra's, Rosey Tetra's or Cherry Barbs instead? Silver Tip's are great, but can be a bit nippy, but if kept in a decent sized shoal shouldn't really pose any risk. Also check out Ember Tetra's.

 

[hanny93]

mmm well ive just got new bogwood (yay) and it seems unsoaked so will get lovely tea water

I do like the look of glowliughts, and i LOVE SBS's ember tetras, dont really like silvertips or roseys, however cherry barbs are nice, wouldnt they massacre my shrimp aswell? Although tbh shrimp arent a major part of my stocking plan its just for little extras.

I do love HRP's, especially when theyre lovely and big and healthy, i just dont want to waste a good pair on my tank if it isnt right for them.



Think i might go with LED's then, STEVEO!! Help

I dont know its sort of a build up weekly type thing, if i have £100 in new savings at the end of the week I'm allowed to spend £50 (this is what ive told myself) because im saving for too many things atm!

 

[coldcazzie]

Think i might go with LED's then, STEVEO!! Help

Steve has a link to his build in his sig.

Also, here's Andy's LED build which should give you a good grounding.

SBS also considered a build I believe and spent a while talking to Andy about it, I'll see if I can dig it up.

 

[hanny93]

It soooooo does not make sense to me.

I think because i dont know why you need things it doesnt make sense, and im worried about eletrocuting myself or blowing all the fuses. Even my dad wont touch it and hes a trained elctrician (albeit a few years back, and he is a wimp)

 

[Jay1983]

I have the APS overtank lighting unit you looked at and it really is worth it in my opinion. I received it for Christmas and think it's brilliant. Also defo get a tetratec external... I have an ex1200 on a 110 litre and its a bit powerful so is turned down. the ex700 would be good on your 100 litre i'd say

Jay

 

[hanny93]

Thankyou for your input Jay, i think i will go for the EX700 in a couple of paydays, cant get it yet anyway until my stand is finished and i dont know when that will be!!


I think im going to make my own lights, that way i can control how many watts will be going over the tank and thus work out what WPG i wil be getting

 

[Jay1983]

Thankyou for your input Jay, i think i will go for the EX700 in a couple of paydays, cant get it yet anyway until my stand is finished and i dont know when that will be!!


I think im going to make my own lights, that way i can control how many watts will be going over the tank and thus work out what WPG i wil be getting

Smart move on the ex700 I had a fluval 305 before and it was doing a decent job but after adding the ex1200 I can only ever imagine purchasing tetratec externals now. I don't believe fluvals are as bad as certain people would like you to think as I have 3 and they have all done a job. They just are not in the same league as tetratec.

Nice 1 on making your own lights sounds interesting.

Jay

 

[hanny93]

well i had eheims and i love them, i have an aquaball on the tank ATM and had a 2213 on it a few months ago, but ive been hearing good things about tt, so might aswell!

 

[Jay1983]

well i had eheims and i love them, i have an aquaball on the tank ATM and had a 2213 on it a few months ago, but ive been hearing good things about tt, so might aswell!

Yeah I bought mine as a few members on here rave about them... I now understand why!!!

Jay