Installing background in running tank

Hi everyone - I'm still here, reading and learning (though often
waaaay behind!)

My Rio 125 has been running for about three months. The current
inhabitants are six mollies, four danios and two neon tetras. Have
been treating ich since last Saturday, though all looking good now.

I want to add a background, more gravel, live plants and some more
fish (starting with clown loaches, Gill ;-)). My main question now is
about the background. Can I install a background in an aquarium that
contains water? I'm planning on the Juwel STR (two pieces of 450). I
thought that if I lowered the water to between 1/3 and 1/2 capacity,
I could slide the background in on an angle and silicone the bit
above the water. Is this do-able or am I going to have to empty the
tank and move the fish?

How long after aplying silicone before I can re-fill the tank? And
will my filter survive for that length of time or do I need to remove
it and bag it?

(Planning to buy the background today, so quickish answers would be
great! :-) )

--
FishNoob

IMO it can be done as long as you can keep the filter running. I would
personally take the water out of the tank & put it in a temporary container.
Then put you Filter & fish in the temp container that way they are both safe
& out of harms way. Silicone should be allowed to cure for at least 24hours.
If after 24hours the vinegar smell is gone it should be ok.

"FishNoob" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone - I'm still here, reading and learning (though often
waaaay behind!)

My Rio 125 has been running for about three months. The current
inhabitants are six mollies, four danios and two neon tetras. Have
been treating ich since last Saturday, though all looking good now.

I want to add a background, more gravel, live plants and some more
fish (starting with clown loaches, Gill ;-)). My main question now is
about the background. Can I install a background in an aquarium that
contains water? I'm planning on the Juwel STR (two pieces of 450). I
thought that if I lowered the water to between 1/3 and 1/2 capacity,
I could slide the background in on an angle and silicone the bit
above the water. Is this do-able or am I going to have to empty the
tank and move the fish?

How long after aplying silicone before I can re-fill the tank? And
will my filter survive for that length of time or do I need to remove
it and bag it?

(Planning to buy the background today, so quickish answers would be
great! :-) )

--
FishNoob

FishNoob wrote:
Hi everyone - I'm still here, reading and learning (though often
waaaay behind!)

My Rio 125 has been running for about three months. The current
inhabitants are six mollies, four danios and two neon tetras. Have
been treating ich since last Saturday, though all looking good now.

I want to add a background, more gravel, live plants and some more
fish (starting with clown loaches, Gill ;-)). My main question now is
about the background. Can I install a background in an aquarium that
contains water? I'm planning on the Juwel STR (two pieces of 450). I
thought that if I lowered the water to between 1/3 and 1/2 capacity,
I could slide the background in on an angle and silicone the bit
above the water. Is this do-able or am I going to have to empty the
tank and move the fish?

How long after aplying silicone before I can re-fill the tank? And
will my filter survive for that length of time or do I need to remove
it and bag it?

(Planning to buy the background today, so quickish answers would be
great! :-) )


Backgrounds are normally fixed to the back of the tank on the outside -
I use sellotape to fix mine - you need to be careful to avoid air
bubbles although these can give a more textured look (did it by accident
on the Malawi tank). So if you are off to buy the type of background
that I understand that you are just go buy it, manovoure it behind the
tank and get sticking....

Gill

PS I wouldn't go adding any Clowns until you are totally sure that you
are clear of ich (they are very susceptible to it). I'd wait at least
another week if not more so that you are totally certain that the ich
has gone...

This is the background that is being installed.

http://www.juwel-aquarium.de/en/strukturrckwnde56.htm

"Gill Passman" wrote in message
...
FishNoob wrote:
Hi everyone - I'm still here, reading and learning (though often waaaay
behind!)

My Rio 125 has been running for about three months. The current
inhabitants are six mollies, four danios and two neon tetras. Have been
treating ich since last Saturday, though all looking good now.

I want to add a background, more gravel, live plants and some more fish
(starting with clown loaches, Gill ;-)). My main question now is about
the background. Can I install a background in an aquarium that contains
water? I'm planning on the Juwel STR (two pieces of 450). I thought that
if I lowered the water to between 1/3 and 1/2 capacity, I could slide the
background in on an angle and silicone the bit above the water. Is this
do-able or am I going to have to empty the tank and move the fish?

How long after aplying silicone before I can re-fill the tank? And will
my filter survive for that length of time or do I need to remove it and
bag it?

(Planning to buy the background today, so quickish answers would be
great! :-) )


Backgrounds are normally fixed to the back of the tank on the outside - I
use sellotape to fix mine - you need to be careful to avoid air bubbles
although these can give a more textured look (did it by accident on the
Malawi tank). So if you are off to buy the type of background that I
understand that you are just go buy it, manovoure it behind the tank and
get sticking....

Gill

PS I wouldn't go adding any Clowns until you are totally sure that you are
clear of ich (they are very susceptible to it). I'd wait at least another
week if not more so that you are totally certain that the ich has gone...

In article ,
says...
Backgrounds are normally fixed to the back of the tank on the outside -
I use sellotape to fix mine - you need to be careful to avoid air
bubbles although these can give a more textured look (did it by accident
on the Malawi tank). So if you are off to buy the type of background
that I understand that you are just go buy it, manovoure it behind the
tank and get sticking....

I thought these structured backgrounds went inside the tank?

There are silicone marks on the glass from when a background was in
it before, and I assume they'd show if I was to use a background that
attached to the back of the tank. Having said that, it might be worth
a go, for the sake of convenience.

PS I wouldn't go adding any Clowns until you are totally sure that you
are clear of ich (they are very susceptible to it). I'd wait at least
another week if not more so that you are totally certain that the ich
has gone...

nod I know they're very susceptible. But I wasn't planning on
putting them in for at *least* another week anyway, as I want to
order plants on-line too. If I get a background in these weekend, I
can order plants at the beginning of next week for delivery next
Friday, put those in on Friday evening or Saturday, and then probably
not add the clown loaches until the following weekend. It's too
difficult to try to do anything much when I'm here with the kids on
my own, and the baby wants me and only me in the evenings, so
weekends are the only time I can do this kind of thing. I'm not
complaining - I know how fast the little ones grow up :-) - I just
have to plan a little more carefully :-)

--
FishNoob

In article ,
says...
IMO it can be done as long as you can keep the filter running. I would
personally take the water out of the tank & put it in a temporary container.
Then put you Filter & fish in the temp container that way they are both safe
& out of harms way. Silicone should be allowed to cure for at least 24hours.
If after 24hours the vinegar smell is gone it should be ok.

*sigh* Moving the fish is something I'd wanted to avoid. Plus the
filter set-up from the Rio is too big for my other tank, so I'd have
to just leave the sponges sitting in the water.

I've had the filter from my smaller tank running in the Rio, so it's
still active. It's smaller, and attaches to the glass with sucker-
feet. Could I turn off the Rio filter, put the old filter on its side
near the bottom of the tank, and reduce the water level to about 1/3
of its normal level? That way the fish wouldn't need moved, but I
could give the silicone as long as it needed to set. And the old
filter would be running the whole time. I assume I'd need to leave
both filters running for a while to re-start the Rio filter. Would
that work?

--
FishNoob

FishNoob wrote:
In article ,
says...

Backgrounds are normally fixed to the back of the tank on the outside -
I use sellotape to fix mine - you need to be careful to avoid air
bubbles although these can give a more textured look (did it by accident
on the Malawi tank). So if you are off to buy the type of background
that I understand that you are just go buy it, manovoure it behind the
tank and get sticking....


I thought these structured backgrounds went inside the tank?

There are silicone marks on the glass from when a background was in
it before, and I assume they'd show if I was to use a background that
attached to the back of the tank. Having said that, it might be worth
a go, for the sake of convenience.


PS I wouldn't go adding any Clowns until you are totally sure that you
are clear of ich (they are very susceptible to it). I'd wait at least
another week if not more so that you are totally certain that the ich
has gone...


nod I know they're very susceptible. But I wasn't planning on
putting them in for at *least* another week anyway, as I want to
order plants on-line too. If I get a background in these weekend, I
can order plants at the beginning of next week for delivery next
Friday, put those in on Friday evening or Saturday, and then probably
not add the clown loaches until the following weekend. It's too
difficult to try to do anything much when I'm here with the kids on
my own, and the baby wants me and only me in the evenings, so
weekends are the only time I can do this kind of thing. I'm not
complaining - I know how fast the little ones grow up :-) - I just
have to plan a little more carefully :-)


Sorry - I did the search on the background - and yep it is internal so
if that is what you are after then I guess it is silicone...never tried
it myself - I just have the external ones...

Know what you mean about little ones - takes me three times as long to
do anything with my 4 year old in tow "helping" :-)

Gill

Doesn't even have to be another tank. I have used a Rubbermaid container.

"FishNoob" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
IMO it can be done as long as you can keep the filter running. I would
personally take the water out of the tank & put it in a temporary
container.
Then put you Filter & fish in the temp container that way they are both
safe
& out of harms way. Silicone should be allowed to cure for at least
24hours.
If after 24hours the vinegar smell is gone it should be ok.

*sigh* Moving the fish is something I'd wanted to avoid. Plus the
filter set-up from the Rio is too big for my other tank, so I'd have
to just leave the sponges sitting in the water.

I've had the filter from my smaller tank running in the Rio, so it's
still active. It's smaller, and attaches to the glass with sucker-
feet. Could I turn off the Rio filter, put the old filter on its side
near the bottom of the tank, and reduce the water level to about 1/3
of its normal level? That way the fish wouldn't need moved, but I
could give the silicone as long as it needed to set. And the old
filter would be running the whole time. I assume I'd need to leave
both filters running for a while to re-start the Rio filter. Would
that work?

--
FishNoob

In article ,
says...
Would
that work?

.... and, of course, putting the old heater in too, again on its side
under the water.

Any thoughts?

--
FishNoob

In article ,
says...
As far as I know these ones are installed inside aswell. I assume he is
talking about the picture backgrounds that go on the outside.

Who's this "he"? Gill and I are both of the fairer sex :-)

--
FishNoob