Jasmine Posted December 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2006 Oh no, that sounds horrible! Would a bubble wall be a good idea too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted December 5, 2006 Report Share Posted December 5, 2006 Hiya Jasmine Rather a few people use bubble walls in their tanks for effect and of course water movement.. Frenchys suggestion of having 2 forms of filtration is good tho, as if one fails at least you have a backup. Mekhaela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stompa Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 sump filter saves both those problems..... water gets airation as it drips into the sump and you can put a bubble wall in the sump if you want to make sure.. and if you run 2 canisters you have double the amount of power used + more hoses to exit and enter the tank (ugly IMO) and before someone says it ... ill shut up about sumps filters now :roll: :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted December 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Thanks for your diagram of the sump Stompa. I got hopelessly confused really. I really do feel like a noob! I didn't really want to bother you with loads of questions tho. I feel like I need a step by step guide to set it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Hey stompa Don't shut up about the sump idea, they are great thing to have.. Yes the con with the external filters is the hosing, however, easy enough to disguise if you really put your mind to it, our Malawi tank you don't even notice them really.. just a bit of fiddling around to get things how ya want them Mekhaela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted December 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 I'm getting a cabinet type thing custom made for the tank, so as long as I know what I'd need, he can do it for me! So holes in the back would be a good idea for hoses/things? I thought it would be anyway. Has anyone got a cabinet type set up for their fish tanks custom made and if so, what do you have in it to specialise for the fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herefishiefishie Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Sumps are great, go on about them as much as you can. They are the best form of filtration IMO. Guess what the main form of filtration was in the fronnie tank in the story I gave above? :roll: Turns out I had a sump pump failure.....This is where lesson number 1 starts, cheap equipment is very rarely cheap. You may pay less at the start, but it will always cost you more in the long run. In my case, a lot more. I won't name the brand of pump it was (chinese eheim copy)... it was only 1.5 years old....needless to say I won't buy one again. I hope that others can learn from my unfortunate loss. Michael So he did have 2 sources of filtration. Would a bubble wall be a good idea too? If you had just that & the canister you will be fine. Frenchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Hi Jasmine My hubby is a cabinet maker, hes made a few tank cabinets, Rimu. Depending on what way you are going with filtration, the tank stand would need to accomodate. Not sure what you are using as tank stand materials.. solid timber, just steel frame with surround of some sort? Keep in mind that if you decide to go sump , you will need a lid of some sort.. my hubby made a beautiful Rimu stand for someone and they didn't put a lid on it and the water sprayed all up the insides of the tank stand and of course, the heat and moisture, you can imagine what it did to the timber! Wood moves something terrible! Holes in the back of the cladding on the tank stand is obviously needed for hosing etc.. and a decent height is also a good option, gives you room to play with, enough clearance for getting into fiddle with sump and externals, whichever way you decide to go Sometimes people have a steel structure inside tank stand for extra strength, if you go with a rocky African tank, this is a good idea. Can't wait to see your progress when you start set up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Thanks for that Frenchie, I might just do that! Afrikan - My grandad is making it for me, he's not back in Aucks until Saturday morning however, and I'll be talking it over with him. It will be made out of wood, I'll ask him about steel skeleton. I realised there'd need to be holes, and I was going to go with the canister, so would need to put in cabinet type thing. I picked up my tank yesterday. A lot of cobwebs and needs a good clean, something to do tomorrow I guess! So we're getting there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stompa Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 cool jasmine what size is it??? (tank i mean) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 140cm x 49cm x 41cm Will do me quite nicely for a while...until I feel the need (or need to) upgrade my tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afrikan Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Jasmine - Isn't it great when you have a family member that is in a particular trade.. And that's a nice size tank to start out with Mekhaela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Yeah, sure is helpful! He makes all sorts, rabbit cages, avairies etc. Hopefully it'll be good for a Malawi tank. It's bigger than my 1 metre community tank was. And that was bigger than the one before. My boss, though, did for Christmas gift me with a four foot tank that he no longer used...however the bottom cracked and we figured because it had been sitting for ages in his lounge (ten years I think?) and then moved, it stressed it out I was gutted, it came with cabinet and all the bits and pieces. That was my first tank I ever owned. Well, first tropical, I had goldfish and stuff for ages before that tho...I seem to be progressing step by step! Goldfish, tropical now malawi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 I seem to be progressing step by step! Goldfish, tropical now malawi Next you will be getting Sharks and stingreays :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Oh, not quite I don't think LOL. I think the next step after would be Marine? But I think judging by the colours and prices of the Malawis, I'd be quite happy for a while Marines are a tad expensive. Hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malawi_man Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 malawi's are where it stops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 well us students (and other poor people!!!) can always branch out from the fish side of things to amphibians rather than marine reef tanks. I have two axolotls as well as two tanks of frogs- one full of whistling tree frogs and the other full of green frogs. I think that amphibians are amazing and they don't cost anywhere near as much as a reef tank. (well I have marine tanks at work so I cant really complain about not having enough money because I get to look aster that one) well thats my 2cents worth anyway... I want to get some freshwater crays next- once I have set up my two puffer tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 well us students (and other poor people!!!) can always branch out from the fish side of things to amphibians rather than marine reef tanks. I have two axolotls as well as two tanks of frogs- one full of whistling tree frogs and the other full of green frogs. I think that amphibians are amazing and they don't cost anywhere near as much as a reef tank. (well I have marine tanks at work so I cant really complain about not having enough money because I get to look aster that one) well thats my 2cents worth anyway... I want to get some freshwater crays next- once I have set up my two puffer tanks. I've already done the axolotl thing too! Had two of them, one I used to stick my finger in and he'd dart up and nibble on it, and I'd dare whoever was with me to do so. No one did. I'm not much of a frog person though. My mum is. And you've hit it right on the head. I've just finished my studying :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bOi Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 malawi's are where it stops Agreed! Cuz Im also one of the poor students Marine is great but tad expensive. Nice size tank Jasmine, Im sure you would love it. A nice size IMO. Sumps are a good way to go about filtration, especially when you want to keep the tank tidy, less hoses/pipes, cables and heaters in the maintank they all can be kept tidy in the sump. But this means you would need to have an overflow made to your tank. Shouldnt cost much. Have a look around the net, plenty of sump ideas. I initially wanted to go for a sump (maybe when I can afford a marine), but settled on a canister type filter. It works marvels for me. Simple and easy to keep. You can keep the hoses need and tidy if you really wanted 8) Canisters are good as well IMO if you did not want a sump. Just have a look around, plenty of canisters. Best way is to work a budget, then you know what is best to get with what you are willing to spend.. **caugh**fx5**caugh**.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Mate, Marine IS the best, and IS where it stops.... Oh and its spelt **cough** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 haha cough... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meesheelly Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 once I have set up my two puffer tanks What kinda puffers do you have? I too am a poor student. But its not just the being poor its also the lack of space!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted December 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 Lack of space isn't a prob for me. I've got my own one bedroom place I'm renting, so I can put my stuff wherever I want, no flatmates! And the house is quite large so plenty of room. What's an overflow? I was kinda interested in a sump to keep the heaters and stuff hidden, however I get confused looking at how to make them, and just want to buy something ready made. Hehe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 What kinda puffers do you have? I don't have any at the moment but i will hopefully be getting a pig-nosed puffer :lol: which I am in the process of setting up a tank for. And I am waiting on another tank to be delivered for some green spotted pufferfish. What's an overflow? I was kinda interested in a sump to keep the heaters and stuff hidden, however I get confused looking at how to make them, and just want to buy something ready made. Hehe. An overflow is the part of your main tank where the water flows over a bar which is just below the water level and this water then goes down into the sump (a little hard to explain in words) If you don't know what you are doing and want a sump I would reccomend buying one pre setup as There is quite a bit of siliconing and glass cutting involved and if you do't know what you are doing it can result in disasters. :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herefishiefishie Posted December 8, 2006 Report Share Posted December 8, 2006 I have often thought about going marine. The breeding & parental care of cichlids is pretty cool. Their interactions with each other & me.... Frenchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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