My New Tank

[danielmeynell]

So i got a 2 and half foot tank on ebay paid £20.00 for it with heater and air pump and tube.

i have just got my light today.

next i need a filter and decorations for the tank and then to start a fishless cycle.

anyone ideas what sort of filter i should get and also on decorations

advice would be realy helpfull

thanks guys.

 

[james_fish]

Sounds like a good deal to me! What is the volume of the tank (How many litre's is it?)

We can decide on a filter more suitable when we know how much water it will be filtering.

As for decorations, down to personal taste! You could go for a natural look. Sand on the bottom, wood and rocks as hardscape. Then maybe a few nice plants like Cabomba and/or Amazon Swords along the back wall. Use a black background aswell, gives the tank depth and calms the fish more.

James

 

[danielmeynell]

thanks for the reply i am not sure how to work out the volume of the thanks mate mite sound abit thick here i know nothing about setting up working this or that out i no my tanks is 2 n helf foot long by 1 foot wide lol if that helps

i like the idea of wood but i read there are so many types of wood what people use i wouldnt have a clue where to start

 

[james_fish]

thanks for the reply i am not sure how to work out the volume of the thanks mate mite sound abit thick here i know nothing about setting up working this or that out i no my tanks is 2 n helf foot long by 1 foot wide lol if that helps

i like the idea of wood but i read there are so many types of wood what people use i wouldnt have a clue where to start

That does help! To get the complete volume what is the height of the tank? We can work out volume by using a volume calculator, but you need the LxWxH to get the correct volume.

As for wood, you can get many types like you said. But the plain old bogwood is fine and is available at every fish/pet store, it's all about positioning it in the tank to make it look good

James.

 

[KittyKat]

Measure the length, hight and depth of the tank in cm, then multiply together and divide by 1000 to get the volume in litres.

So yours might be something along the lines of.. 75 * 30 * 30 cm / 1000 = 67.5 litres

So for a tank of that volume, I would recommend an Eheim Classic 2211 (which I am planning to get for my own 60 litre tank at some point in the future). External filters are usually more powerful, easier to maintain and don't need cleaning quite as often.. also they don't look as ugly as internal filters and marginally increase the volume of the tank.

i like the idea of wood but i read there are so many types of wood what people use i wouldnt have a clue where to start

I recommend bogwood, dried oak or red moor.. but mainly it's down to personal preference.

 

[danielmeynell]

i will go and get the messurements now guys be 5 mins

 

[danielmeynell]

i have just used a tape messure and this is what i got

30 long

12 wide

18 hight

i hope this helps people i bet i sould a right thicko lol

 

[Miles_hot]

is that inch or cm?

 

[james_fish]

That's in inches

So that means your tank is just over 105 litres. A Fluval U2 internal would be adequate but would need regular maintenance. A U3 would be a more sensible option as it would allow for a bigger stocking. Or you could go for an external filter which Kitty Kat outlined the benefits of earlier in the thread. A Fluval 205 would be good for a tank this size. Or an Eheim Classic 2211 (maybe 2213 would be better?) would be a good option.

I'd recommend an external, they cost more but they are miles better in my opinion for many reasons.

James.

 

[KittyKat]

Either the Eheim 2211 for low stocking or 2213 for higher stocking would be fine.. I would probably edge towards the 2213, myself.

I used to run a Fluval 2 in a tank that volume, many years ago, and found it to be barely enough to cope with plants, so a Fluval 3+ (which I think are the upgraded version of 3, and as I have never used the U range) would get my recommendation.

 

[james_fish]

Either the Eheim 2211 for low stocking or 2213 for higher stocking would be fine.. I would probably edge towards the 2213, myself.

I used to run a Fluval 2 in a tank that volume, many years ago, and found it to be barely enough to cope with plants, so a Fluval 3+ (which I think are the upgraded version of 3, and as I have never used the U range) would get my recommendation.

The U range are excellent in my opinion. As far as internal's go, they are right up there. They are big bulky things though like most internals, and not the cheapest things either.

James.

 

[Neomeris]

This may sound wacko, but maybe a natural look could be nice. That tank you described is huge. If I had a tank that size I would put guppies in it, because when you have enough guppies, and you stand away from the tank it looks like all these bright bits of color. I bought some bamboo plants for my tank, and the are doing great, so I recommend bamboo.

 

[danielmeynell]

as i am new to fish keeping i dont wanner spend loads and loads i have had a quick look on ebay now i know the fluval u3 in pets at home is £40.00 and on ebay i can get the same one brand new for £29.00 with free postage but if something gose wrong with it then i would have to mess about where if i get it from pets at home i can just take it back and exchange it with the same one.

is it safe buying filters second-hand

i do like the look of the external but just bit to much i think for me starting out is there any other ones out there i am edgeing for the u3 atm like

 

[KittyKat]

I have bought second hand without any problems before, but I usually buy from reputable members on forums or people with 100% feedback on eBay.

 

[danielmeynell]

This may sound wacko, but maybe a natural look could be nice. That tank you described is huge. If I had a tank that size I would put guppies in it, because when you have enough guppies, and you stand away from the tank it looks like all these bright bits of color. I bought some bamboo plants for my tank, and the are doing great, so I recommend bamboo.

yeh i think a natural tank is what i am going to do like i have had a look at a few pics and some of these tanks i see are unreal realy nice i carnt wait for my tank to be set up i havnt even got round to putting any water into it yet lol just need a filter as i got my light today.

i got a sponge filter with the tank like not to sure wot there all about never seen one befor so was confuzzled lol