Upgrade Project Thread

[Lizzie71]

I am so happy! My OH has finally agreed that he doesn't mind me getting a bigger aquarium. So I'm planning my new tank.

This time I will take my time and plan what I'm doing in advance - the first tank (see below) was an impulse purchase and I've had a few problems with it. But this time I've done a lot more research and I think I know what I'm doing a bit more. But I plan to use this thread to post my ideas and hope that you lovely people will add a few comments and suggestions.

The plan is basically a 2 or 3 foot community tank. I don't really want anything bigger than that as I have limited time and money to spend on the project. It will be a peaceful tank, no aggressive fish, as the project is partly for my children too.

The existing small tank (see below) is hopefully going to become home to a male betta, possibly with the otos and/or shrimps staying with him. The platys and guppys will form part of the new community.

First thing I'm considering is substrate. I would like a dark coloured substrate, but the cheapest option is undoubtedly playsand. If I use playsand, can I still have plants? And is it OK to keep clean? Is it possible to get black sand?

Right, I'm off to look on ebay for a tank!

 

[Lizzie71]

OK, what do people think of this substrate?

[URL="http/www.seapets.co.uk/product-details/s...tegory/940.html"]http/www.seapets.co.uk/product-details/s...tegory/940.html[/URL]

As I will have some real plants, and I don't want anything too difficult to clean, I think this could be ideal. But would it be OK for cories, plecs etc?

http/www.seapets.co.uk/product-details/s...tegory/943.html I like this one too.

 

[Spooky76]

Hey

Sand can be difficult to clean, but then again looks better imo.

Yes sand is fine for plecs and corrys, in fact better than gravel in that there are no sharp edges to cut themselves. YOu could have Khuli lochaes, which burrow into your sand.

Think your on the right lines.

What tank you thinking of getting ?

 

[Lizzie71]

They had a fluval roma for £199 in Maidenhead Aquatics, including the stand. Think it was the 200, looks like a good deal.

But I'm probably going to see what I can find on ebay, unless I have a sudden windfall!

 

[Lizzie71]

OK, I've been thinking some more about this. Given that I will probably get a tank about 90-125 litres (what's that in gallons?) I am thinking about the following fish, rough plan only.

2 existing guppies
3 existing platys
2 existing otos (but may transfer those back to the small tank when I get my betta)
3 existing shrimps (ditto)
2 mollies (my children love these for some reason)
a group of zebra danios
a group of small shoaling fish (tetras of some kind?) - son wants neons but I'm worried they might be too sensitive in a new tank
a group of corys

Decided against a plec for now, I will have the shrimps and corys at the bottom and I think that's enough. Other possibilities if I have room would be a group of 3 small gouramis, or cherry or pentazona barbs.

I've also looked at the boesemani rainbowfish, and I would love one of those in due course space permitting.

How does this sound to everyone? Any other suggestions?

 

[Matty P]

Yeh sand looks much nicer than gravel imao. It isn't too hard to clean if you get the technique right - you just need to hover a gravel cleaner a couple of inches above the sand (maybe a bit closer) and it should hoover up all the debris that lies on the sand.

HTH

 

[Lizzie71]

Well, as I posted earlier, I found a 2nd hand tank for £50 which I thought was a great deal. Decided to buy it after picking up the older child from school this afternoon, but then I got chatting in the playground with a friend who used to keep tropical fish. It transpires that she has a 2 foot tank she no longer uses as her golden retriever kept trying to get in it I offered to buy it from her, but she is giving it to me for free

I'm so excited! She is going to get it from the attic later, and drop it round tomorrow

I don't know what bits she still has and whether they are in working order, so I'll be having a look tomorrow and then seeing what I need to add, but that's £50 saved at least

 

[Matty P]

Nice find - make sure all the seals are in good condition and test the tank before you use it too.

 

[Lizzie71]

Well I have the tank

It's a bit smaller than I really wanted, but a free tank is a free tank, so can't really complain! It is 60 x 30 x 26 which makes it about 14 gallons, so just under twice the size of the one I currently have.

I will need to revise my stocking ideas down a bit I fear, I was planning on about 20 gallons originally.

Other option is to keep the smaller tank running as it currently is for the existing fish, and start anew with the bigger tank.

I need to go shopping for a stand or cupboard of some kind for the new tank, plus a new filter and heater (it had an undergravel filter but no instructions and anyway it looked too filthy to save). Oh, and some gravel too. Might be able to do that tomorrow, hopefully. Then it's rubber gloves on and get scrubbing - the tank has been in the loft for 5 years and looks it

 

[Matty P]

60 x 30 x 26 = 12USG (47L)

 

[Lizzie71]

Sorry, typo, should have been 60 x 30 x 36 so slightly larger!

How about keeping:

the current livebearers, maybe plus one or two
5 or 6 corys
3 shrimp
8 small tetras (neons?)
a couple of small gouramis

Would that work?

Otos could then stay in the small tank which would either have a betta, or maybe a colourful shoal of one type of tetra.

 

[Straydum]

thats too many for a 14g and i wouldnt consider putting gouramis in there unless you want just 3 or 4 of them with nothing else except maybe shrimps. cories have to be in groups and just 5 of them would already bust the bioload.

 

[Lizzie71]

Just 5 cories would be all I could have? You must be joking!

According to Thinkfish, my maximum stocking level would be 77cm. Now, I know to take that with a pinch of salt, so I have chosen fish which together add up to 57cm, and that's including the shrimps which don't actually add much to the bioload.

I'm sure plenty of people have more than just 5 cories in 2 foot tank!

 

[Lizzie71]

OK, due to opposition from dh and wanting to save money, I am considering a total change in plan. The 14 gallon I was given is an old tank and looks it. If I do clean it up and use it, I will have to buy a new piece of furniture or a stand for it. The cheapest suitable chest of drawers I have seen is in Ikea for £30 but I have my doubts over its sturdiness.

But for £50 I could have the juwel tank and cabinet I saw in the local pet shop. This looks better, doesn't need cleaning, and comes with its own cabinet so need to buy furniture. It's also a bigger tank and could fit more in.

I have almost certainly decided I don't want two tanks running, so I am thinking of selling the small tank on ebay (or on here), as it's only a few months old and must be worth something. Then I will have some money towards either the new piece of furniture for the old tank of my friend's, or the £50 juwel tank.

But I will need to sell the small tank first, which gives me a slight problem with the existing fish.

AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH why is it so difficult?