New Tank Pick-up Question

[fapjat]

Tomorrow I will be purchasing a 100 gallon tank from someone. The tank will come with everything from tank, stand, filters, fish, etc. How should I transport all this in my truck? Should I empty the tank to a certain level and pull out the fish? It seems like a pretty nice tank from what I have seen and pictures. Is $150 a great price for this deal?

 

[Tolak]

Here's a helpful link to moving tanks & fish; [URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=129060"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=129060[/URL]

You want the tank completely empty, no water, no gravel or other decorations, no fish. Filled aquariums are only stable when they are filled in a static position, moving with anything in them, even wet gravel, puts stress on the seams. These things have a way of going out at the most inconvenient times, 100 gallons is a lot of water. 5 gallons makes an instant 30 foot circle on a cement loading dock, just to give you an idea.

$150 is a great deal for all that gear, just go through that link, if you have larger fish you can use covered buckets or large coolers to transport. Keeping the filter media wet is of vital importance.

 

[dcarmor927]

dude, you're so lucky, thats a f--king steal...ill buy it for $200 from you haha jk enjoy it

 

[quantumnerd]

Three words:

You. Lucky. Idiot.

jk

Just check that its all working...

We dont want an excuse for flood insurance in your house, do we?

 

[fapjat]

Thanks for the link for aquarium moving!!! I am probably getting myself in over my head, but I have been doing a lot of research on this sites and I just ran into this deal. My daughter has a 30 gallon tank that I have been toying with as of late, but I want to keep that hers.

I was told that it comes with 2 penguin filter, both powerhead??? What are this internal, external, undergravel? Are they any good?

 

[LauraFrog]

A powerhead is basically a pump that plugs into an electricity supply and sits inside the tank. They're often used just for creating flow, but you can also put a box underneath them that contains filter media, with slots or lattice at the side so the water is drawn over the filter media as it enters the filter. So it's an internal filter, can't vouch for the brand, I've never used it. I'd recommend taking out the media, sealing it into a plastic bag full of tank water and wrapping the electrical parts in a dry tea towel and putting them in a box in the car.

 

[waterdrop]

In California, USA, a Penguin is probably a "Marineland Penguin BioWheel" Hang-On-Back(HOB) external power filter. A large tupperware sealable bowl could probably be filled to overflow with tank water and the biowheels floated in before closing up. This would keep the bacteria fully submerged during the trip.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[fapjat]

I just got done setting up the tank and releasing the fish. I couldn't get the HOB filters to turn on and work properly and I noticed they weren't working well where I got them. I found there where cracks in the filter line where water comes up from. So, I put plumbers tape to close the gaps and got the filters working. The tank came with two 30 gallon HOB marineland filters; these filters have a bio-wheel, filter wool, and an exta slot for another filter media. The setup also came with an 2 undergravel powerheads? I got one to work but the other is not working. As far as fish go, the setup came with 4 silver dollars, 2 angel fish, 3 snake looking fish the seem to be algae eaters, two catfish, and a couple other fish I have yet to identify. I will try to post a picture of it if I can figure it out. I will probably have a lot of questions for everyone. If anyone can give any words of wisdom I would appreciate it.

 

[waterdrop]

Hi fapjat!

I've read comments from at least one experienced aquarist here that instead of struggling with long tube cleaners on their filter tubes, they just replace the tubes altogether every couple of years or so because the tubing is relatively inexpensive.

I suggest you carefully measure the width (opening and tubing wall) and take your tape measure with you and pick up enough tubing to make yourself a new set of tubes, on your first LFS trip.

You will probably be able to build up a pretty good little list for that first trip.

~~waterdrop~~