Aqua Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 I went into Jansens today (as you do) to get a new tank. My 5.5L round bowl just isn't enough for me already, and I was looking @ a tank 600*300*300... The wonderfully helpful chap that I was talking to (tony, I think) seemed rather put out by the fact that I wanted an u/gravel filter on my tank, and he was pushing for me to buy a side-mounted filter... My question is, Would using an u/gravel filter (one that covered the entirety of the botton surface) be effective? At any rate, he managed to convince me to wait until payday when I can afford $130-odd to buy an entire new kit (tank/filter/gravel etc), instead of just buying a new u/g filter plate and tank... I just thought it was rather odd - a salesman pushing me to NOT buy now, and wait until I can get everything at once, at a cheaper overall price, instead of buying it piece-by-piece... So, I think I'll wait a few weeks, until after payday & my moving house to Ellerslie, AKL before getting my new tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 I have always bought my tanks from a glazier - usually cheaper but they do not have the fancy stands and hoods etc. UGF work very well but it depends on what sort of fish you plan to keep. Large fish would benefit from better filtration as they create a lot of waste and you don't want fish that like to dig in the substrate if you have an UG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 Hi aqua My missus bought a complete outfit. (by complete I also mean a complete waste). Think of it like buying a complete computer. Half of it, you either don't want or don't need. Same goes for tank-outfits. Buy what fancies you, not the salesman. Her outfit was not really a bargain. A mediocre heater, a sub-mediocre filter. By the time you get what you really want, you wasted a lot of money. Sit down, make a list of what you want and need. Then choose the best brands you can afford. You really only get what you pay for. In most cases, a bargain is not really a bargain. Think, ask, read then go out and buy. And you shouldn't go too wrong. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua Posted January 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 I have always bought my tanks from a glazier - usually cheaper but they do not have the fancy stands and hoods etc.. I agree! I've been looking through the Trade&Exchange, trademe etc... If it's only the tank I'm getting, I don't think that there should be any problems with infection...?? And when I get a plain glass tank, do I really need a light? I mean, I'm only planning on having white cloud mountain minnows (wcmm) for a while, and they seem quite happy in my little 5.5L bowl w/out a light... I *have* been told that wcmm are almost ridiculously easy to breed, so again, I don't think that I'd really need a light...? I am planning on having a planted (as far as I can) tank, so that the fishies have something more realistic than a pink "No Fishing" sign, or a derelict castle to swim around/into... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 Do you mean infection from a second hand tank? If so, a thorough clean will do the trick. Fish do not need light but plants do. If it is in a well lit room, and you choose plants which don't require a lot of light, then having no light won't be a problem. If you want a cheap light, get one of those compact fluorescent tubes that look like folded over rods around 10 - 15cm long and that plug in like an ordinary light bulb. These do not get as hot as light bulbs and will sit on top of a sheet of glass (like an aquarium glass lid). You then go see a friendly builder, or visit a building site (or shop) and acquire a piece of plastic guttering the length of your tank. You can get end caps for the guttering if you want and cut a shape out of one end for the power cord to fit and there you have it. Sit the light on the lid and put the guttering on top and it looks very neat and tidy. If you like, line the inside of the guttering with aluminium foil to reflect more light downwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua Posted January 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 If you want a cheap light, get one of those compact fluorescent tubes that look like folded over rods around 10 - 15cm long and that plug in like an ordinary light bulb. These do not get as hot as light bulbs and will sit on top of a sheet of glass (like an aquarium glass lid). You then go see a friendly builder, or visit a building site (or shop) and acquire a piece of plastic guttering the length of your tank. You can get end caps for the guttering if you want and cut a shape out of one end for the power cord to fit and there you have it. Sit the light on the lid and put the guttering on top and it looks very neat and tidy. If you like, line the inside of the guttering with aluminium foil to reflect more light downwards. Ok... here I'm confused... I'm not terribly good with DIY projects, in fact, most of the time, it's a better idea to ask my mother & father than for me to do it! I even have trouble dismantling the fake Xmas tree... :oops: With the fluoro tube plugging in like a normal light bulb, does that mean I'd have to get some sort of extension-thingee?? Does anyone want to quote me how much they'd charge for one of these things & delivery? I have the difficulty of not having a car, living so close to work, so my transport means are rather limited.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatman Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 I have not had any problems with the good old under ground filter, three of my 600x300 tanks have u/g filters so has my 36x18x18 inch and also my 1300mmx500mmx450mm and two more 600x300's with small sponge filters. the 36x18x18 has 9 clown loaches and a large plec and silver shark so this tank has another internal filter just to clean up the muck that the clowns seem to stir up from the bottom at times. http://www.globe.net.nz/~biteme/clown.html In my opinion the u/g will be fine unless you are going to heavly stock the tank with fish, or as Caryl says UGF work very well but it depends on what sort of fish you plan to keep. Large fish would benefit from better filtration as they create a lot of waste and you don't want fish that like to dig in the substrate if you have an UG rgds Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua Posted January 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 No, I'm not going to be keeping large fish, maybe a school of WCMM to start with... Not sure if I even want to go for other fish! However, Fatman - those clown loach are gorgeous... So an U/g filter should be fine then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 yeppers Aqua an u/g filter should do the trick. How is it all going?? A library will give you all the books you want without cost too. Reading up on the fish you wish to keep is a great way of knowing what you really need in a set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 There are also some fish clubs in Auckland. Have a look at the main page of this site (click on the "fnzas is here" at the top of the page) and look under Clubs. There is a list of clubs and contact details. You may be able to arrange for someone to pick you up if there are any other members nearby. As for the lights, you can find them in the supermarket next to the other lightbulbs. They plug into an ordinary light socket. These can be bought from a hardware or lighting shop. You then get someone to wire it onto a cord and 3 pin plug. If this is beyond you, we could make one for you but freight from the South Island would add $10 - $15 to the price. A lighting shop ought to be able to do it for you at little cost. The plants seem to like these lights too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 You can also get those lights in full spectrum/daylight and I think there are grolux type ones too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 Really? I don't think I have seen them. Mind you I haven't been looking either. I am not too keen on the Grolux myself as I find the algae tends to get out of hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted January 5, 2003 Report Share Posted January 5, 2003 Hi Caryl Ordinary Grolux lights, like Ira suggested are actually not bad for growing. The big marijuana plants testify to that. BUT, you may be right with the algae problem. In my mollie tank with no plants, there is not one square inch NOT covered in algae. A real eyesore. Mind you, it is good for plant-liking mollies. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua Posted January 5, 2003 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2003 Well, I just went out and bought a lightbulb... It's one of those Philips "essentials", the energy saving ones... It's a fluoro tube, so I'm assuming I've got the right one??? Now all I gotta do is wait for payday (mid-month) and get a connection cable So many ideas, so little money!!!! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatman Posted January 5, 2003 Report Share Posted January 5, 2003 I also use a phillips energy saver lamp on one of the tanks,, it is mounted in one of those flexi type tabl;e lamps,, they are cheap from the warehouse terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua Posted January 5, 2003 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2003 What a brilliant idea! Saves having to make an entire hood-type contraption! :lol: So just a desk lamp with a flexible neck so I can point the bulb sideways across the tank? Would it be worth getting something set up to direct more light downwards into the tank, or would that bulb be sufficient?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 6, 2003 Report Share Posted January 6, 2003 Caryl, The only place I've found that has more than just the standard spectrum compacts is a place called Lamp Specialists(Or something like that) they've got the daylight, growlux, etc ones. Just your standard lighting place doesn't seem to have any real kind of selection of them. You may have something similar somewhere near you. I've decided I probably won't bother with grolux lights anymore and just go with full spectrum ones. I don't know if they make much of a difference, but they are a lot dimmer looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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