Cheekycactus Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 Well I have just gotten myself a big tank, 340L. I am very excited as it will be home to my two growing Oscars and one Pleco. BUT...I have never done this before so I am slightly nervous :-? I'm looking at building a stand for it (have thread in DIY) but I have no idea on what type of filter to use, what size heater or what watt (lol) lighting to use. I have many questions so I hope you can all bear with me as I go along. ONE: Where to put the tank? This I am really nervous about as I am in a rented home and would hate for my tank to damage any flooring or carpet because of the weight of it. Any advice on this please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 Hi Cheekycactus Welcome to the forums. I have moved your post to the Beginners forum, hopefully you will get lots of help with your questions here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheekycactus Posted August 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 Oh thank you Zev :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 No problems Is this the triangle tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 Welcome to the FNZAS forums. Filter, for Oscars it's going to need to be a big one. Canister filter will be best, perhaps a sump if you feel up to it. Heater, the general rule is 1 watt per litre. 340L tank = 340 watts. Standard heater sizes are 25w, 50w, 100w, 200w, 300w. Perhaps two 200 watt heaters and place them at opposite ends of the tank? Lighting, considering it's an Oscar tank, lighting should be simple due to lack of plants. You can slap on pretty much any Fluoro tube as long as it looks good . Being a DIY'er I'd stay away from the lighting setups from petstores as they're quite expensive. Hardware and lighting stores are often much cheaper and wholesalers on TradeMe are even better. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 a 300W jager will suffice, as their coils are massively long. welcome ! :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkfur Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 1 heater works if its a quality one, if you use cheaper ones its best to make up the wattage from 2 in case one fails, then the fish don't freeze while you rush to get a new one going Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheekycactus Posted August 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 No problems Is this the triangle tank? No its a rectangle tank. Any suggestions as to where it can and can not be placed because of weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted August 25, 2009 Report Share Posted August 25, 2009 If you have a concrete floor, then you can place it anywhere if you have a wooden floor, then the best place is against a wall. Heater Best to go with two 200w heaters, for safety if budget is tight, then go with 1 300w heater and place it by the outlet of the filter. Filter go with something nice an big, my preference is with a fluval 405 but I know of the aqua one 1200 external filter works well too. No doubt somebody will have other suggestions. There is no single way in doing things, what works for you is best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheekycactus Posted August 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2009 If you have a concrete floor, then you can place it anywhere if you have a wooden floor, then the best place is against a wall. Heater Best to go with two 200w heaters, for safety if budget is tight, then go with 1 300w heater and place it by the outlet of the filter. Filter go with something nice an big, my preference is with a fluval 405 but I know of the aqua one 1200 external filter works well too. No doubt somebody will have other suggestions. There is no single way in doing things, what works for you is best. Thanks. I'm off to look under the house this morning to check out the floor in my dining area :lol: Another question, would I get anymore fish in my tank or is it only suitable for my two Oscars and Pleco? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 I believe you can add at least 2 x that many fish to your tank. just make sure you have a nice filter like a flubal 405 as a minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 I would start off with the minimum number of fish possible, and work your way up from there. Not just for the reason of cycling the tank, but also so you get a feel for doing regular maintenance and get everything in balance before you start planning what to do next. Exciting innit?! :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Since you already have a tank running, if you get a canister filter, run it in your exiting tank for a few weeks to seed the bio media, or if you already have a cannister, swap some of the media into the new one when you run it, this way you will cut back on the cycling requirement for the new tank. If you cannot do this, do not put all of your existing fish in the new tank all at once, as Whetu says, start it slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheekycactus Posted August 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 Wow thanks for all the input so far. Yes it is very exciting, and that is really cool to know that I can put more fish in if I wish. I will start with the 3 I have now and maybe add later. First step is too start getting the materials for the stand, then move on to buying a filter :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 29, 2009 Report Share Posted August 29, 2009 Another question, would I get anymore fish in my tank or is it only suitable for my two Oscars and Pleco? I'd be inclined to say it's already too small for two oscars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheekycactus Posted August 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 I'd be inclined to say it's already too small for two oscars. Really?? It holds 343liters, to me that is huge :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Really?? It holds 343liters, to me that is huge :-? A lot of people put the recommended minimum for a mated pair at near 500L, and mated pairs get along a lot better so are ok in less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheekycactus Posted September 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 Wow 500l min! Well I'm hoping since these two have grown up together that they will be okay. They are still reasonably young and small and are currently in a rather small tank with no probs. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.