Upgrading My Tank...

[tomtomtom1230]

I've got Interpet's Fish Box at the minute, the 65 litre one. I'm at my stocking limit but I'm looking for something around roughly double the size (the 120-150L range). I don't really have room for anything bigger than a 150L tank sadly, unless I get something like the Juwel Trigon 190 but that'd cost an arm and a leg!

Anyway, on eBay, somebody put their old fish tank up for sale for a stupendous low price. It's never been used and it's got all the gubbins with it - turns out it's an Interpet FishPod (which I didn't realise until after I paid for it). I thought this was the slightly newer version of the FishBox, but with the same capacity. 2 tanks are ALWAYS better than one Turns out it's 120L anyway! What a stroke of luck!

Has anybody had any experience with the bigger Interpet tanks? I hear a lot of flack about their 'PF' range of internal filters (which is what this tank is being shipped with) so perhaps that's the first thing to change?

I don't really know where to start - my current setup is a 65L tank at it's stocking limit with a Fluval U2 internal filter and a 150w heater (unbranded, but it works so I wont knock it!). The lighting is terrible in my current tank but I didn't bother replacing Interpet's standard blue bulb for a white day-time one, I hope that fixes my concerns about light.

When the tank arrives, I think I'll have sand (rather than gravel) since I enjoy keeping catfish but I'll have a go at planting this one (god forbid)! Do I put the plants in before or after the tank is cycled? If it matters, unless I can't avoid doing so, I'll try to do a full fishless cycle.

Thanks!

This thread is a little bit pointless but I'd appreciate it if somebody could address one or two of my worries ie:

Is the 2 day-time lamps better than one day time and one moon-light lamp. Do I really need the blue one? I don't use it that often as it stands.
Where do I start about re-homing my fish? I don't have space for a bigger tank as well as a smaller one so I'll just use the bigger one when it arrives, I'll move the fish temporarily whilst I move their old tank and wait for the new one to cycle.
And finally, the planted tank question. Do I need any plant supplements, when do I add plants to my tank etc?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Naringlo]

Hello! I have the Interpet Fish Box 120L.

I don't know what PF range is so you'll have to explain. :L

Well my experience, they're pretty good in my opinion except for the lighting. I wanted T5 but have never found any that fit the fish pods. I use two white lights or else the tank is only lit up by one half. With the standard lights, plants just die, but I'm not sure about low-light plants. Just go with the most powerful lighting you can get. Some of my vallis did grow,, but then died. Though I don't use Co2 so that may be the case but otherwise I've been told my lighting isn't powerful enough.

I use the standard filter and heater and so far so good. Though with the standard filter I got mine with, I'd probably change the carbon one for the normal stuff. (haven't got around to it yet.)

My signature shows my stocking and I've been told I could keep 1-2 more rams and maybe some more tetras.
If I had the money I'd probably switch something for some corys.

Here's a pic of my tank. Don't be fooled by the plants, they all died and I'm left with just rock.

 

[Juggler75]

Yey another bod with multi tank syndrome

I got back into the hobby via a fishbox (48l one) last summer then moved up to two tanks but found the fishbox was good for light if you used both bulbs.

I don't know much about the 120l fishpod but theres no reason to cycle the tank if you plan to keep the same stock as its the filter you cycle, not the tank, so the u2 is already cycled for your current stock assuming your stats are ok.

If you want to move to a different filter then you can take the media out of the u2 and put it into the new larger filter (nothing wrong with cutting up the sponges into chunks in either filter to make sure everything fits) in order to 'seed' it.

Assuming the 120l will be going into the same spot that the 60l is in and you wanted to keep the same stock I would do the following.

1. Get some buckets or plastic boxes with lids capable of holding at least 2/3 the volume of your tank (spread over 2 or 3 containers if need be)
2. Syphon out 1/3 the water into a container.
3. Take out the decor/plants you want to keep and put them into one of the containers then syphon out 1/3 of the water from your tank into some other containers.
4. Net your fish and put them into the containers containing just water and pop the lids on.
5. Syphon the rest of your water and then move your tank out of the position.
6. Move your new tank into position and put in the sand (pre rinsed) and half fill with dechlorinated water of the right temp.
7. Replant any plants/replace any of the decor and then empty in the water out of the container.
8. Set up the new filter (inside of which is the media of the U2 topped up with cut up sponges so it is fully stocked), heater etc.
9. Over the course of an hour syphon some of the water from the tank into the containers containing the fish to acclimatise them to new conditions.
10. Net fish and place them into new home.
11. Top up water with dechlorinated water of correct temp.

11 steps (or even 10 as step 9 sometimes isn't really neccessary as essentially its just a really big water change - but I would if your tap water is significantly different to your tank water pre move) that will take maybe 2 hours to do if you pre prepare and you'd end up with your new tank fully cycled containing your existing livestock so don't need to rehome them. I followed these steps to move the inhabitants from the 48l into 2 larger tanks (split the filter media in the same ratio as the stock over to the new external filters that each tank was running) with no problems.

Of course if you want to change your stock then ignore everything I wrote (apart from not having to cycle your tank)

Godd luck

Good luck

 

[tomtomtom1230]

I don't know what PF range is so you'll have to explain. :L

It's the range of internal filters that the tank is coming with. I do believe you use one in your tank by the look of your pic. Do you find that it's noisy?

Thanks for a pretty comprehensive step by step guide to rehoming my fish, too Juggler - I really appreciate that. I'll go out and by some containers and 15L buckets today I think

I'm really looking forward to it, I think my fish will be much happier in a larger environment with a more natural array of decor.

 

[Naringlo]

Oh right haha that does make sense. Hmmm if you have the venturi thing on it's noisy but if you don't it's not that bad. I can't hear it with the TV on or anything.