I'm starting this thread now because I'm at the earliest stages of setting up a tank, and it may be helpful to others in future as a work in progress. That will be true regardless of the ultimate results
Reading furiously over the last few weeks, I've gained tons of essential knowledge from the posts here, and the links to other sites. The downside is it's turning out to be a bit more involved than I first imagined, the upside is the final result will be designed to be better for the inhabitants - and me!
So, where I am now ...
I got a 48" x 12" x 12" tank off ebay, local collection for only £15 inc top glass and sliders. It had a high corner crack that contributed to the price, and a low corner one I only just discovered, both now patched/repaired.
I've got a 50mm slab of polystyrene for it to sit on - and an extra leg to fit to my Ikea desk that it will sit along the back of. I know 50mm is overkill but read on (and it was all B&Q had) ...
I'm planning to house two axies in this, and reckoned the high length:height/depth ratio was a good choice for this.
I prefer things to be as "natural" as possible (while acknowledging the artificiality of it all) so my aim is to have filtration, plants and live food (if I can get that past the wife) all in the tank with as little maintenance as possible.
I realise it is possibly many weeks before the axies can be introduced.
Current thinking/exploration:
I'm planning to create some artificial rock formations that will a) hold back sand for planting, b) create different levels c) create natural looking hides and d) possibly hide things like the filter (an internal, foam canister, power head filter with with spray bar off ebay). The idea is to have some densely planted areas where things like shrimp and guppies may hide/spawn, and some low level plain areas that area easily cleaned after feeding etc. It will all have some sand, but different levels, none too deep.
The filter can cycle this volume of water about 3 times per hour which seems ok?
For the artificial rock, I'm planning to use the offcuts of polystyrene from the base, mucho carving, coat in grout and acrylic paint then seal with a pond sealant (probably with a bit of sand in the final coat to give it some texture). One larger piece in one corner, a piece round the filter 1/3 along and maybe one other outcrop, all trending away from left to right. In my mind I see a shallow corner of a mexican lake with a bit of tree stuck in it, but who knows how close to that I will get - or if the axies will care.
I've got some java moss growing in a jar while planning goes on, and plan to use some elodea from my (equally self-contained) small garden pond. Will get other plants as I go along. I'm also hoping that the garden pond water might be useful in starting the nitrogen cycle, maybe along with a couple of new goldfish that will go in the pond afterwards?
Thermometer and test kit on the shopping list for next steps.
Sound ok?
Anything major I haven't thought of?
Watch this space ...
Edit:
I realise on re-reading this that it may come across as sounding like I know what I'm doing! So just to clarify: I don't, but I *think* what I'm planning is based on what I've read here and that's really what I'm trying to document here - along with corrections and direction from the community - a from-first-principles set up. My experience is only that we used to have 3 tanks fo goldfish for the kids, and I built and maintain a naturalistic outdoor pond. I realise neither of these necessarily translates much to this world.
Reading furiously over the last few weeks, I've gained tons of essential knowledge from the posts here, and the links to other sites. The downside is it's turning out to be a bit more involved than I first imagined, the upside is the final result will be designed to be better for the inhabitants - and me!
So, where I am now ...
I got a 48" x 12" x 12" tank off ebay, local collection for only £15 inc top glass and sliders. It had a high corner crack that contributed to the price, and a low corner one I only just discovered, both now patched/repaired.
I've got a 50mm slab of polystyrene for it to sit on - and an extra leg to fit to my Ikea desk that it will sit along the back of. I know 50mm is overkill but read on (and it was all B&Q had) ...
I'm planning to house two axies in this, and reckoned the high length:height/depth ratio was a good choice for this.
I prefer things to be as "natural" as possible (while acknowledging the artificiality of it all) so my aim is to have filtration, plants and live food (if I can get that past the wife) all in the tank with as little maintenance as possible.
I realise it is possibly many weeks before the axies can be introduced.
Current thinking/exploration:
I'm planning to create some artificial rock formations that will a) hold back sand for planting, b) create different levels c) create natural looking hides and d) possibly hide things like the filter (an internal, foam canister, power head filter with with spray bar off ebay). The idea is to have some densely planted areas where things like shrimp and guppies may hide/spawn, and some low level plain areas that area easily cleaned after feeding etc. It will all have some sand, but different levels, none too deep.
The filter can cycle this volume of water about 3 times per hour which seems ok?
For the artificial rock, I'm planning to use the offcuts of polystyrene from the base, mucho carving, coat in grout and acrylic paint then seal with a pond sealant (probably with a bit of sand in the final coat to give it some texture). One larger piece in one corner, a piece round the filter 1/3 along and maybe one other outcrop, all trending away from left to right. In my mind I see a shallow corner of a mexican lake with a bit of tree stuck in it, but who knows how close to that I will get - or if the axies will care.
I've got some java moss growing in a jar while planning goes on, and plan to use some elodea from my (equally self-contained) small garden pond. Will get other plants as I go along. I'm also hoping that the garden pond water might be useful in starting the nitrogen cycle, maybe along with a couple of new goldfish that will go in the pond afterwards?
Thermometer and test kit on the shopping list for next steps.
Sound ok?
Anything major I haven't thought of?
Watch this space ...
Edit:
I realise on re-reading this that it may come across as sounding like I know what I'm doing! So just to clarify: I don't, but I *think* what I'm planning is based on what I've read here and that's really what I'm trying to document here - along with corrections and direction from the community - a from-first-principles set up. My experience is only that we used to have 3 tanks fo goldfish for the kids, and I built and maintain a naturalistic outdoor pond. I realise neither of these necessarily translates much to this world.
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