"sophie" wrote in message
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In message , NetMax
writes


snick


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).

One cm would be more than the styrofoam could absorb. Alternately set
your plywood on four bricks (one per corner). It does not need to be
level, only flat. You could shim 1 corner if you needed to raise it
1cm.
You could also place the plywood on a level spot on the lawn (grass).
I
must be more daring than most, as I just set it into a normal stand
and
fill it with very warm water.

warm? is this something to do with testing the silicone? and I thinkg I
tend to agree with you that putting it on a stand would be easier! when
you say the tank doesn't have to be level, only flat, do you mean for
testing purposes or generally? wouldn't an un-level tank put undue
pressure on the lowest wall, or is it that because the pressure from
the
water is outwards in all directions the added weight on the lower wall
isn't an issue? (one of the things that I find unnerving about metal
stands is the fact that they only support the edges of the tank...)

Under water pressure, silicone needs to flex, so testing old tanks with
cold water is a severe test to start with. I usually first test with a
more accurate water temperature (ie: 80-90F). You can then test with
cooler water if you like, as the silicone has already softened up a bit.

snip useful info about bacteria, also other stuff, thank you

I have customers come in for
aquatic plants to feed their Goldfish. I usually send them off with
less
expensive ideas (zuchinni, brussel sprouts, pealed peas, oranges,
blanched lettuce etc),

mine won't eat lettuce, but they go nuts for blanched skinned peas.
only
one of them likes the mini-worms, but the minnows guzzle those in a
slightly sinister way.

or I sell them Amazon swords, Anubius or Onion
plants (which have a better chance of survival). I keep planted
African
cichlid tanks, so I'm certainly not a conformist myself ;~).
Experimenting is how you learn stuff )

learning is good, learning by mistakes is fine too, as long as I don't
damage the fish.

That's where common sense begins to creep in. It gets much easier as you
go along. For example on the topic of foods, avoid exterior surfaces of
veggies which might be sprayed for pesticides, and avoid creatures which
have toxins in them (spiders, newts, bees etc). It makes perfect sense
when you think about it.

more snip


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.

I'm very happy with the current production series of Fluvals 104 to
404
and have about a dozen running in the shop. At home for that size of
tanks, I have a 304 and a 2213 (not on the same tank). I prefer the
304,
as the 2213 is a little dated. I've no experience with Aquaball
filters.
Internal canisters have their idiocincricies, which you already know
about with your internal Fluval. For Goldfish though, overfilter! I
would have thought that the AC300 powerfilter would be less expensive
than all the choices we discussed. For sand, you should not have to
pay
much. The lid can be home made. Skip the polo lights as indicated.
That leaves the stand & filter. Your aquarium seller can't set you up
with a filter?

I kind of wanted a new one, possibly not my best idea! I don't know if
the Aqua Clear (are they the AC300 manufacturers??) are available here.
The reason I was after an internal canister is because I had an idea
they are quieter. they also seem a little cheaper.

Hagen manufactures the AquaClear 300 which I abbreviate into AC300. Any
internal canister will be quieter than a power filter, because the water
insulates your noise source. Powerfilters may have a motor hum,
components rattle (cover) and you have the sound of the water returning
(louder as the tank level is lower). After internal canisters, external
canisters might be the next quietest. I don't know about the costs where
you are. The internal canister's best feature is the ability to position
it anywhere (your tank might only be half-filled with water and the
filter will work fine, set lower down). The same applies to sponge
powerhead filters. Their drawback is a more akward servicing, they
displace valuable space inside the tank and they have limited filter
media choices & area. In the end, you should use the filter you are most
comfortable with, as that is what you will least likely mind servicing,
which means it's better for the fish )
--
www.NetMax.tk

snink

Very welcome, glad to help. Yes, larger tanks are more
self-maintaining,
and 48x18x18 is a very nice size (though I'm biased). It's not so big
that it takes 3 people to carry it or require floor reinforcements,
but
it is big enough to do alot of things with it.

as I have these goldfish which require gigantic amounts of
space-per-fish, it's kind of a necessity! I'm looking forward to them
getting big. and not eating the minnows...

thank you again,
--
sophie