In message , NetMax
writes


snipping

If filling the tank elsewhere (lawn, driveway, garage) make sure that
you
have a very flat strong surface. With 600 lbs of water, the tank will
shift to close any gaps, and may cause damage & leakage which would
otherwise not occur.

and here is the problem I'm currently trying to address! I bought the
tank (it wasn't new or home made and had previously been used for
keeping chiclids, but it was being sold to make room for the tanks he
and stuff he now needs, I hadn't quite understood); the silicone seems
to be in good condition (squidgy), the glass is two thinner sheets
laminated together per side totalling 9mm for the verticals and 11mm
for

I've never encounter a production-built aquarium which used 2 thinner
sheets of glass.

I don't know if this is a brit thing, but the small tank I have now, and
all the tanks in the LFS where I bought it - which are non-fancy and
non-branded - are laminated. Whether this means that they're
"home-made", I don't know. I do know that it's not at all uncommon round
here; I have friends with aquariums and the only one I've inspected
closely enough to remember was made of double layers of glass. I'd
understood this was for strength, although I also seem to remember
reading that laminated glass is stronger under "short burst" load than
normal glass but can behave as sliding layers under prolonged load,
(though given the directions of force in a filled aquarium I'm not sure
if that would apply). But as I've never built or tested anything made of
glass (except jewellery) in my life, it's hearsay, not fact.

the base, and I thought yes, I'll test it by filling it with water in
the conservatory - which, I now discover, doesn't have a flat floor.
Looks flat, but isn't. I think what I'll do is get it into the right
place (once I've got a stand for it) and fill it there. I'll need to

On a slightly uneven floor, put the tank on a sheet of 3/4" plywood which
is on top of a sheet of 1/2" styrofoam.

I'd understood this, (and even the reason for it!) but I'm not sure that
the floor counts as "slightly" uneven, the tank is a cm off the floor at
one end (and it is the floor that's wonky, not the tank, I checked).

cycle it before I put the fish in (although I was wondering about
transferring the filter sponge to the new filter and hoping that
worked,

This is how I cycle tanks all the time. Cycling is really only a
nuisance with the first tank in your house. After that it's just moving
filters around, don't overstock and under-feed for a few weeks.

the thing that was worrying me is that I think the gravel in the little
tank must be housing a lot of the bacteria, and if I go for the
(admittedly bonkers) sand idea, I won't be transferring the gravel. In
fact I don't think I'll be transferring the gravel anyway, as the
goldfish keep sucking it up and spitting it out, and I'm a bit worried
that one day a piece will get stuck. I'll have to fish the MTS out, too,
if I can find them. The big stones and the bogwood should carry a few
good bacteria, though? And while my current bioload is gigantic in the
small tank, it should be fine in the big one.

snick

I have a custom glass top design for this tank which adapts to a variety
of filters.
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_proje...asscover.shtml

I'd kind of decided to buy a glass cover rather than a hood from the
LFS; I like being able to see the fish from the top. (I was wondering
about making a wooden "frame" for the top of the tank to cover all the
edges of the glass). And contrary to everything I hear, the plants seem
fine without lights. Not fast-growing, I concede, but healthy looking
(and uneaten!) The tank is in a nice position with nice bright (but
fairly diffuse) light and a little direct sunlight at specific times of
the day (never midday, and the whole tank is never lit at the same
time).

work out if I am in fact certifiably insane to want to keep goldfish
with a sand substrate and some plants (I have some that they don't eat)

Yes, I think this is a certifiable offence in some states, but we won't
tell anyone ;~)

having plants goldies don't eat? ;-) but if I don't try, I'll never
know. and I don't _think_ it can hurt the fish; though it may eventually
prove annoying to me.



and some weather loach... And also I need to work out if I want a
cabinet thing to go underneath or a metal stand... And also I need to
be

If you haven't already gone pricing, you will find that the cabinet might
be your most expensive component.

probably. if the stand is stronger, I'll go for that. they just don't
_look_ as sturdy! He's small but pretty bright and won't climb it - and
the test kits and food are out of his reach. he really adores holding
bits of food tight between his fingers and putting his hand underwater,
and this is a treat for when he is good. messing with the fish without
mum gets this revoked indefinitely. (he also likes hunting for tiny
white worms in the compost for fish treats, but that's another story).
I'd put a "curtain" down the front of the stand, to, so the visual
climbing cue would be absent for his friends.

moresnip
.

I'm on his side "let's do it mom". With your aged filter, you should be
able to proceed quite quickly.

but first I have to buy a filter, lid and stand. not to mention all that
sand and a few more plants. Filters for this size tank aren't cheap (I
think I might fancy an eheim aquaball, if I can get one. I like my
current little fluval a lot, but I've read some really mixed reviews of
the bigger ones.) and the stands won't be cheap either, and I suspect I
won't be able to do that all in one go. the planning is half the fun,
anyway.

thanks for your time, NetMax; I really do appreciate it. I know I can be
longwinded at times, and I also know I got off to a very bad start
keeping fish, so the advice is so reassuring. I'm actually quite
surprised at how committed I can feel myself becoming about the whole
experience - if I'd been told before I bought the little tank that five
or six months later I'd own a four foot tank I think I would have backed
out in fright! but it strikes me now that a bigger tank is actually a
much more stable environment and therefore much easier to maintain, and
to keep healthy fish in.

--
sophie