What Tank To Buy

[PDSimon]

So long as it's playsand (ie. safe for children). Then yes it's all the same stuff.

Thanks

Have to wait until mon/tues to get my tank still

The only thing to bear in mind is that some play sand differs in colour to others, I think the consensus is argos playsand is the lightest of the chain stores offerings....I think

I ended up getting silica sand for £7/25KG (same stuff, but a tiny bit coarser and needed lot's more washing - and I mean lots!)

I will check that its not to orange or anything...

How're you meant to wash sand without getting sand and water everywhere? what're the advantages of silica sand?

 

[Curiosity101]

To wash, fill a bucket around 1/3 full with sand, get a hose and power it into the sand holding the bucket at an angle. It's tricky at first but you will soon get the hang of powering the water through without losing lots of sand as the water rinses.

 

[kaivalagi]

To wash, fill a bucket around 1/3 full with sand, get a hose and power it into the sand holding the bucket at an angle. It's tricky at first but you will soon get the hang of powering the water through without losing lots of sand as the water rinses.

Yep, that's how I did it, in a nice big 60L cement mixing bucket...doing one bag of sand at a time. Careful you don't go too full on with the water pressure otherwise you may block your drains!

I have 75Kg altogether for my tank, although I expect not to use it all, should have about 10-15Kg left over I think...

I found this site to give me an easy idea on amount: http/www.aquariumlife.net/subcalc.asp
You want between 1" and 1.5" of depth...

 

[PDSimon]

To wash, fill a bucket around 1/3 full with sand, get a hose and power it into the sand holding the bucket at an angle. It's tricky at first but you will soon get the hang of powering the water through without losing lots of sand as the water rinses.

Yep, that's how I did it, in a nice big 60L cement mixing bucket...doing one bag of sand at a time. Careful you don't go too full on with the water pressure otherwise you may block your drains!

I have 75Kg altogether for my tank, although I expect not to use it all, should have about 10-15Kg left over I think...

I found this site to give me an easy idea on amount: http/www.aquariumlife.net/subcalc.asp
You want between 1" and 1.5" of depth...

1.5 inches for a planted tank yeah? a 25kg bag should be almost 1.5 then..

61 pounds is needed according to the calculator.

Thanks

Will take a while with a 12L bucket

 

[PDSimon]

To wash, fill a bucket around 1/3 full with sand, get a hose and power it into the sand holding the bucket at an angle. It's tricky at first but you will soon get the hang of powering the water through without losing lots of sand as the water rinses.

okay, I was reading a thread(My link) about how you shouldn't fishless cycle planted tanks. Is that what you did?

 

[Curiosity101]

It's not 'shouldn't' cycle a planted tank. It's that the plant experts don't always need to cycle the tank because they have such fast growing plants that they are sufficient to take the brunt of the first stocking.
The theory is that you get your plants growing at their absolutely maximum levels because they aren't competeing as much with bacteria for nutrition.
I wouldn't recommend doing this for new keepers or for people who have 'plants in their tank' as opposed to a 'planted tank'.

 

[kaivalagi]

Yeah, I just read that post, very informative, Dave Spencer is the man that knows it seems, but a tad too involved even for me and my OCD

I think I fall into the "plants in their tank" category and will never fall into the other more full on category. I love the hobby but I want to spend most of my time watching my fish behaviour rather than worrying too much about the plants...

I say that now....give it a year and I may go for it - but only low-tech with no CO2 and just minimal ferts


<hijack>
I have a post on the planted tanks section regarding algae when bringing my old filter (current tank has hair/fuzz algae issues) across to a new tank...I am getting the feeling that to control algae properly there is only one way and that's with a planted tank...I have just put good blinds on the window and will run the new tank with 5 hrs light initially to see what is what...but I suspect algae will re-appear regardless of what I do...when I start setting up my new tank I'll create a journal, so atleast when/if I hit and algae issues my tank history will be there and maybe I'll get some helpful pointers to control things better than I have currently managed.

C101, after feeding do you ever make sure any left over detrius is not on plants etc? I wonder whether food debris on plants which my cichlids miss if actually the cause of all my issues...?

Sorry, thread hijack over
</hijack>

 

[chrisbassist]

Please let us know how it comes out mixing apistos and guppies. I have always admired the Apistogrammas but have been reluctant to bring any into my fish room because I have always kept tanks with nothing but livebearers or with livebearers and a cleanup crew of cories. Apistogrammas always struck me as being among the more difficult cichlid types that would not get along well with my fish. If I have been wrong, I would be very happy to find that out because I love the looks of them.

I have recently added a couple of apistos to my tank (cockatoos) and so far they haven't paid any attention to the guppies, but then again, they're still smaller than the guppies. we'll see iff I have to get rid of the guppies when the apistos get bigger, but they seem very peaceful...

 

[PDSimon]

ok, so I'm hopefully organising everything nicely.

I have:

API test kit
Household ammonia from boots (9.5% w/w - Whatever that means)
12L bucket
2 bags of sand from argos = 30kg total (b&q one was a bit darker)

To get:
Synringe/pipette
my fish tank (+ plants and rocks and what not but I can add them throughout the cycle if need be I guess)

feel free to add more

 

[Curiosity101]

kaivalagi - Algae will appear in every tank unless it has a UV on it. Short lighting period and lots of plants is probably the only advice I would be able to give so it sounds like you have a good plan.

As for food, I just try not to feed them too much in the first place so no I dont check for anything leftover.

PDSimon - That sounds like everything to get started

 

[PDSimon]

PDSimon - That sounds like everything to get started

i was wondering, when you're washing the sand in the bucket, how do you sterlise it properly, maybe not to sterilise the sand but to sterilise all the stuff thats been building up in the garden hose/ or does it not matter

- my keyboards playing up, ctrl/shift aren't working

 

[kaivalagi]

PDSimon - That sounds like everything to get started

i was wondering, when you're washing the sand in the bucket, how do you sterlise it properly, maybe not to sterilise the sand but to sterilise all the stuff thats been building up in the garden hose/ or does it not matter

- my keyboards playing up, ctrl/shift aren't working

If you're worried just run the hose for a bit before using it...personally I think you're worrying too much and it shouldn't be a cause for concern

You'll be flushing the sand with that much water it really wont be any problem

 

[OldMan47]

I always run the hose long enough that I have no more worries about what it may have in it. Then I use it to clean my gravel and don't much worry about contaminants from the hose. The long initial run is because I know that I can smell the things in the hose when it has sat for a while and if I drink from the hose right away I find that I can even taste the plasticizers in the water. By letting it run a bit, I feel fairly confident that there is nothing in the water that is getting into my gravel.

 

[PDSimon]

Ok, thanks all

 

[PDSimon]

Tank still hasn't arrived they said last friday and now they're saying wednesday!