Mel's New Tank Journal

[MermaidMel]

Hey guys, thought you might like a look at the pics I've got so far, got the tank Tuesday and have been working on it slowly, not rushing anything in case I hate it later on!

Tank is Aqualantis Evasion 120XL (70usg) in Maple finish, cost me £200 second hand but included a 300W heater and a full vinyl background that I used later in the journal (see below) plus a tenner for my mate to collect it and deliver it to me

Stocking will be transferred from my holding tank (in sig) and will add more black neons to it later on and possibly other fish, not sure yet, Sev is only a lickle baby right

(Filtration is Eheim 2217+) was brand new £84.95

Ok so I wanted black sand and a root style background, but I hated the way the 3 pieces of background show the join so blatently

So after spending the best part of £100 on backgrounds (and had considered full 4ft pieces but none of them appealed to me because of the way they had bends and curves in them and could easily lose small fish behind there like I did with a fighter fish last year). I wanted the background to stick flush with the back of the tank and so I went for the Juwel especially as I have horizontal bracing in the tank that I could silicon the backgrounds to, to reinforce them and keep them up high in the tank

So yeah, after spending all that dosh on backgrounds, I spend most of last night and half of today, lovingly hacking away at it to lose the joins and in between each piece stuck down sections of the vinyl background I got with the tank

Plus some channelling out for the intake

And now it starts looking something like this (with some sand added)

I like the nooks and crannies it provides for the fish that like to hide out (plecos especially)

I have the other side to stick down and have about 50 crypts to dig up and prune and plant in this new tank, plus some water wouldn't go amiss, back later!x

 

[Ben M]

great price for the tank. i like the background as well. will keep an eye on this thread to see what happens.

cheers

 

[IC1]

Looking forward to watching the tank progress. Where did you get the filter from for that price?

Thanks

IC1

 

[MermaidMel]

Looking forward to watching the tank progress. Where did you get the filter from for that price?

Thanks

IC1

Hi I got it from that famous auction website(!), brand new though on a buy it now, he had loads, just look it up

 

[MermaidMel]

Concealed intake

Full tank shot empty, I've put a piece of 2D background on the far (wall) side to complete the look, not sure if I need another bag of sand though

The plan is to be able to grow something up between the cracks and nooks, just need to figure out a way to safely weight the plants (anubias maybe, or some moss) into the foam background) although once it's full of water, you won't notice the black foam showing in between the pieces of background

 

[Ben M]

you could also try java fern in the cracks.

cheers

 

[MermaidMel]

you could also try java fern in the cracks.

cheers

Hate the stuff ;-)
Thanks though!

 

[minxfishy]

Looking good hon

 

[ian]

looks really good!

 

[MermaidMel]

Moving the crypts

These were what they originally looked like in my old tank

They grew...

And they grew some more...

Now they have been uprooted and pruned and been split between 2 ends of the new tank and they will grow even more creating a clearway to the foot of the tree stump in the tank (hopefully)

Some sumatra and other wood is placed in the tank and now the water is going in

 

[MermaidMel]

Water's in
(some wood currently floating)

I would appreciate comments/advice on anything you would do differently

 

[MermaidMel]

I'm glad y'all like it so much

 

[Mr Spoon]

I'm glad y'all like it so much

Well i like it , especially the way you done the back ground, so much better than just sticking it in as it was with those joins . When the plants grow either side it will look amazing good work.

 

[rhstranger]

Very nice. A tremendous improvement over the stock background. The depth with the layers is very cool. and the fish will love the nooks and crannys.
Very creative. Can't wait to see it grown in with some fish swimming around.

 

[MermaidMel]

Thank you guys, I'm not 'fishing' for compliments, but I agonised and worked hard on it and wondered if anyone had any ideas to make it look even better? It's kinda hard I guess, until the plants fill out and the wood sinks and the fish are in there to get a real true idea of it, fish are going in before tomorrow, will post again then.