twinkles Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 NZ's entire population of killies would probably fit in there they'd look brilliant too personally i love huge planted tanks with small fish - cardinals, small rainbowfish, glowlight danios, ember tetras, anything brightly coloured, schooling and under 4cm. Would probably cost heaps to stock, but they'd look great schooling up and down the huge tank, and plenty of colour and variety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oeminx Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 I like the idea of bar seating in front it. Another idea I had is have it as a window display so people outside can see it also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkles Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 you'd have to put chairs outside the windows for all the passers-by to sit on, might end up with a row of people outside watching the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie841 Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 I like the idea of bar seating in front it. Another idea I had is have it as a window display so people outside can see it also. Like this? You could put a couple of them inside also :bounce: http://image03.webshots.com/3/3/15/42/7 ... AdZ_fs.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oeminx Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 [Edit] Double post sorry :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oeminx Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 you'd have to put chairs outside the windows for all the passers-by to sit on, might end up with a row of people outside watching the tank Then you sell them a coffee :lol: Like this? You could put a couple of them inside also :bounce: http://image03.webshots.com/3/3/15/42/7 ... AdZ_fs.jpg I can see the picture, it is in a Forbidden land and I don't have permissions to see it. you sure the link is right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinkles Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 i can see it, funny shaped tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oeminx Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 I can see it now :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 This is an awesome idea I would probably just get in touch with one of the tank makers down there and get them to make it all if time is an issue... DIY to save a few $$'s can take alot longer and at the end of the day you want things done properly as it will be on display and if it looks bad or even worse cracks then it wont do much for business. I would stock with africans as well, not only because I keep them, but because they are very hardy, easy to find, and colourful it is also very easy to buy some breeders and breed a large number of each species to stock a tank cheaply or there are plenty of breeders around who can help. Although a planted tank will look awesome I think it would be more maintenance than a rocky tank filled with africans, I have found alot of the tetras etc need to be replaced all the time as they cark it or have short live spans. It all depends what you like and probably what you can get hold of. Good luck and I look forward to seeing this plan develop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elusive_fish Posted May 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 Get a million DEmasoni's and electric yellows, lol.. the colour contrast is a true spectacle. if you buy the fish from breeders, you may be looking at under $6per dem and under $5 per e. yellow. course you can add other fish too, male peacocks (colour) and red zebras. you will need a lot of fish though Great suggestion. Something like that would be perfect. Can anyone out there supply? It would be so much better to start off with fish bigger than juvies, but id imagine I wont find many people willing to part with quantities of adult fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenna Posted May 27, 2009 Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 new cafe in christchurch..... WITH FISH!!!! Where will you be? I'll be there June 27th guaranteed - probably waiting as you open the doors Sorry, i have extremely limited knowledge of sumps and cichlids, but anything I can do to help, please ask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elusive_fish Posted May 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2009 new cafe in christchurch..... WITH FISH!!!! Where will you be? I'll be there June 27th guaranteed - probably waiting as you open the doors Sorry, i have extremely limited knowledge of sumps and cichlids, but anything I can do to help, please ask The cafe is certainly happening, the fish are To Be Determined I'd love to do it, but its a matter of money and whether I have time to organise it when I have so many other things to do in the next month. If I dont have an aquarium on open day, it will still happen at some stage. Why would I spend $2500 on a plasma screen TV when the same money would buy a truly amazing tank that would make a real unique feature? (thats a rhetorical question.. im 99.9% sure this crowd will agree!) The cafe is in New Brighton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elusive_fish Posted May 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 I'm still not sure if I have the time or money to be doing this... but... Here is an idea I have for the cafe tank. Its higher bar seating surrounding the tank. To stop awkward eyes-meeting-across-the-tank moments Id have to make a polystyrene rock wall free standing in the middle with a cave network going through it for the fish. For those in Chch, like the cichlid tank out back of redwood aquatics. Please excuse the ugly drawing, but you get the idea! For construction, I was thinking about something like the below. Red = 100 x 50 clear framing timber, yellow = 100 x 100. It would have kitchen style laminate covering around the outside. Despite he way ive drawn it, I think id make the bar free standing on its own fitting around the outside (that way no pressure made on the counter surface would impact the tank cabinet in any way) Two questions: 1/ Would this arrangement be attractive? 2/ Would the bare bones be strong enough as ive designed it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 looks good bare bones are good and will be strengthened by the outer covering of stand good idea on the speration between tank base and bar top i find our malawis low maintenance and always busy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 I think that is a great idea Good luck! Having a tank would certainly attract our attention in a cafe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew129 Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 looks good elusive but more cow bell!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Despite he way ive drawn it, I think id make the bar free standing on its own fitting around the outside if you are going to make the bar free standing and just the frame for the tank then it might pay to put some diagonal bracing on the stand or some steel angle brackets as they use when building decks on houses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elusive_fish Posted May 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 looks good elusive but more cow bell!!! Haha! I wasn't sure anyone would recognise my avatar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 Get a million DEmasoni's and electric yellows, lol.. the colour contrast is a true spectacle. if you buy the fish from breeders, you may be looking at under $6per dem and under $5 per e. yellow. course you can add other fish too, male peacocks (colour) and red zebras. you will need a lot of fish though who sells dems at < $6 ? I could do with that price for my tank ! hopw your new tanks settling down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 28, 2009 Report Share Posted May 28, 2009 6 bucks is pretty much stock standard for dems if you get them through a breeder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elusive_fish Posted May 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 I'm thinking of doing it at bar height, with people sitting on all four sides. Part of that reasoning is that it will be above small kid level... if they want to view it, a parent would have to lift them or sit them on their knee. The bar also provides a buffer between people and the tank, making knocks far less likely. I love little kids (I have two under 4!) but I know they will probably enjoy trying to smack the tank/fish with something hard. Mine have grown up with aquariums, but they still slap the side of it at times. Can anyone help me with a couple Q's? 1/ I want to create a polystyrene wall/divider in the middle. Otherwise you'd be making awkward eye contact with the person opposite I have a big chunk of poly, but how do I laminate a couple of layers together to give me a big chunk to carve? What adhesive can I use? 2/ Would 6 x 4ft neons be sufficient lighting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 For the poly wall in the middle go here http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=29076 Spoon is the only one on here that i know of in chch that has made one so he may be able to tell you how to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 I'm thinking of doing it at bar height, with people sitting on all four sides. Part of that reasoning is that it will be above small kid level... if they want to view it, a parent would have to lift them or sit them on their knee. The bar also provides a buffer between people and the tank, making knocks far less likely. I love little kids (I have two under 4!) but I know they will probably enjoy trying to smack the tank/fish with something hard. Mine have grown up with aquariums, but they still slap the side of it at times. I saw a kid in the napier aquarium that was bouncing a golf ball off the tanks some people have NO idea - make sure you have a good safety factor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 I saw a kid in the napier aquarium that was bouncing a golf ball off the tanks some people have NO idea - make sure you have a good safety factor Better still, ban kids from the cafe then the adults can enjoy the tank in peace, lol. :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 29, 2009 Report Share Posted May 29, 2009 :lol: either that, or read the book "Kids as customers: A Handbook of Marketing to Children" caching muchly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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