I've acquired a new tank!

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Punkrulz

Large Fish
#1
Sep 5, 2007
210
0
0
Deptford, NJ
#1
Hey guys,

So I finally was able to acquire a new tank! Unfortunately I'm a bit disappointed, because this tank is not a 55g as I had thought, but appears by dimensions (30"W x 17.2"H x 12"D, there abouts) that its' a 26-29 gallon. But it's a step above my existing tank to say the least. I am going to try to attach a few pictures at the bottom.

There are a few questions that I have, so bear with me!

1) Substrate: I am going to go with more sand as the substrate for this tank. This is a lot more space, so it's going to require more sand. I'm already incredibly familiar with the cleaning of the sand, but riddle me this:

I will be getting a python. Can I place all sand necessary in the tank, put water in it, drain, water, drain, water, drain... cleaning it but on a much larger scale?

I've recently recovered from the back pain involved of doing the buckets back and forth from the bathroom to the fish tank... this sounds like it would be feasible, but I would like to know what luck you guys have had doing this.

2) Filtration: I believe this thing came with an old, cruddy, marineland penguin 335 biowheel? Looks like I may be missing a wheel, it's real dirty... it's going to be replaced. I'm looking for cheap and affective here. Do I go cannister? Or HOB? What kind of HOB should I get?

3) Heating: What size heater, and recommended brand / type should I get?

4) Lighting: This topic is in bold because it's a very important one. The previous owner explained that the light fixture broke previously and I would have to get a new one. Right now, the top of the tank has hood kind of like my existing, and it appears that there is a light fixture that would fit around the top of the clear part of the hood... same setup as my existing. Where could I get a light fixture that would do the same? Or, I could do without the hood and go for something a bit better, however I'm also limited because there is a top to the tank I would like to try to use and there's only 6" clearance between the top of the tank and the bottom of the topper. I will really need your help on this one guys!

5) Stocking options: I believe right now my existing stock will be migrated over to the new tank. What kind of options would open up to me regarding stocking, sizes of fish, types of fish, etc?

6) Painting: I am by no means a handy man. The wood is kind of beat up all around on this tank. The girlfriend will be cleaning it today hopefully, but it will be limited. I'm thinking about painting the wood a black, what would I need?

I think that's it for now guys... I am really looking forward to your responses!
 

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Cichlid-Man

MFT Staff
#2
Jul 9, 2003
8,866
14
38
38
Columbia, SC
www.youtube.com
#2
1. Never done it that way but i guess its possible. Cleaning sand is easy, i said it in the other post but either just hover the vac over the sand or wave your hand over the sand lighting so the wastes come up and suck them up.

2. Cheapest route would be HOB. I prefer Aquaclear HOBs. Not really sure how their price compares to others or if they fit in your budget but worth checking out. They suck/push water the best i've found.

3. Visi-Therm Stealth is what i recommend. 100-150w should be fine.

4. Lots of options. The easiest cheapest route would be just to go buy a new hood from the LFS. Just like you would get on a aquarium kit. They sell replacements. If you wanted to spend more money and get more light....well lots of options. Most would require you to get a fully glass top though. Just replacing the hood would be the cheapest easiest way to go. Are you planning on keeping plants?

5. Not to sure i'll wait for someone else.

6. I know a lot of people use Krylon Indoor/Outdoor spray paint for the backs of their tank, the glass. So i would assume the same kind of paint would work for your task.

You have a nice stand and canopy there, should look good setup.
 

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Punkrulz

Large Fish
#3
Sep 5, 2007
210
0
0
Deptford, NJ
#3
Thanks for your response Chiclid-Man!

Does anyone else prefer Aquaclear, or anything else? I've found one for my tank for $30 on DrFosters and Smith... $10 cheaper than another website I was looking at.

Also, not a bad heater, and I see that it is fully submersible. Does this mean that it is preferred if I have it in the middle of the tank, fully submerged at the bottom to provide best heat? Or on the side like my other one is, where the temperature control dial hangs out at the top and the water is not touching the cord? My only concern is really hiding the thing... if I get plants, that won't be a problem.

I'm a little bit concerned about buying a brand new hood at the LFS. I saw some of the hoods that PetSmart had, and I'm not sure if they would fit, and they were also pricy. I'm looking for a lighting option that would be suitable to house a decent amount of plants, but again more on the cheaper side. I understand this will probably be my biggest expense... but I'm willing to invest a bit more in that if I can make it work. Since I know it will take awhile to cycle this thing, I know I have some time to save some pennies. :) Oh, and I DEFINITELY will be doing plants in this tank so that should help with choosing. Please, nothing too extravagant.

For the painting, I was strictly talking about the wood. I've thought about painting the back of the glass, but were you saying that I could also paint the wood with the same paint? I'm not sure how to care for it or anything... in lieu of sanding, priming, painting, etc... it doesn't help that I don't have a shop either, just my apartment so it will be tough. Friend is a carpenter, I wonder if he'll know...
 

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Cichlid-Man

MFT Staff
#4
Jul 9, 2003
8,866
14
38
38
Columbia, SC
www.youtube.com
#4
Is it real wood? You talking about the tank trim or something with the stand and canopy? The tank trim should be fake would that you could easily spray paint. The stand and canopy would probably require some sanding and what not.

I'll wait for someone more versed in plants then me to really help you with lighting, as i don't really know and don't want to lead you on a pointless wild goose chase for lights. :p

I like to put my heaters at the bottom of the back glass, horizontally. Distributes the heat good. And its easier to hide that way. But either work, vertically, horizontally...as long as the heater is mostly underwater.
 

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Punkrulz

Large Fish
#5
Sep 5, 2007
210
0
0
Deptford, NJ
#5
Stand / Canopy is what I'm thinking about painting black, it would match some decor in our livingroom that way too and would hide a lot of issues with the wood. Thanks for the advice!

Anyone else?
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#7
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#7
Heres a link to tank sizes by dimensions How do i figure gallons on fish tank? - Yahoo! Answers just measure your tamk and scroll down until you find the size.

not trying too be a smart--- here but is a python really needed for a 29g being that even if you do a 20% water change every week it's only 6 gallons being changed out. Not sure the expense is worth it but to each there own :) .. I have recently looked into the python for my 90g but I just cant spend that much money right now, so instead I bought some 5g buckets..was using 1 3g bucket before...now that is a pain in the butt...lol

Stealth is a darn good heater but again a bit pricey in my book...I cant think of the brand i am using but it is totally submersible and adjustable. I know it is the next one down in price from the stealth at pet smart.

Are you still looking for a 55g? If you are you may want to look at setting this tank up with equipment (heater,filter) that you can use in a 55g later on.

That stand looks to be in good condition..personally I think painting it would be a mistake, I think spray paint would just screw it up. Maybe if you stripped it down completely and hand painted it then coated it with some clear laquer.
 

DesignsOnYou

DesignsOnYou

Large Fish
#8
Jun 21, 2008
493
0
0
#8
I'm with brian1973 as far as the painting goes, for what it's worth. Spray paint is a great way to cover things quickly, but it tends to drip, and be hard to cover things evenly, especially wood. You'd probably be happier stripping it and staining it, or maybe even just using regular latex paint on top of what you have if you want the black color, depending on how glossy the current job is, the glossier - the harder to paint over.

The heater that I have and I'm pretty sure the one brian is talking about is the Visi-Therm Deluxe. Here's a link to the heater page on aquariumguys.com
Submersible Aquarium Heaters
I have a 200 watt on my 55 gallon, it's recommended for up to 50 gallons, but my house stays pretty warm, so I think I'll be ok. The box says that a 200 watt heater will raise the temp 27 degrees Fahrenheit in a 25 gallon, 18 in a 50, and 9 in a 65, if that helps as a general rule of thumb.

Also, if you are going to upgrade at some point, it is probably better to spend a little more now so you don't have to completely start over when you upgrade. It won't hurt to over-filter or have a heater that can do more than it needs to.
 

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Cichlid-Man

MFT Staff
#9
Jul 9, 2003
8,866
14
38
38
Columbia, SC
www.youtube.com
#9
I wasn't suggesting he pain the stand canopy for what its worth, i thought he meant the tank trim. ;)

Only complaint i have with the Visatherm Stealth is it has no indicator light on it. So unless you grab it or have a thermometer you can't really tell its on. Other then that they are great. Going to be ordering a couple more myself here in a few weeks.
 

Whiskers

Whiskers

Large Fish
#10
Feb 29, 2008
425
1
18
central Michigan USA
#10
wow, i wouldn't paint the stand or canapy. they look nice. i'm sure your carpenter friend shoud know some tricks to fix the flaws in the stand.

i have to agree with the others in that if you plan on getting a 55gal one day, you might want to buy everything for this tank to meet the requirements of a 55.

i use a marineland visi therm and it has the little red light that comes on, such a warm feeling hehehe. a good thermometer is always good advice IMO, just incase.

as for the cleaning of the sand, i would say yes but put the water in tank first. just fill it like 1/4 of the way and slowly pour in the sand stirring as you go. that should help the debries float to the surface.

one way to maybe save a little money on a python is to make your own. go to home depot or some store like that and you can get fittings that will hook to your sink, a y with shutoff valves, some hose and a shutoff valve near the vac end ( if you want ) and some cpvc like 1/4" to attatch to the end or you can use the end of the hose. from my expereance i found it easier to be steady over the sand with a 1' to a 2' chunck of cpvc. ask your carpenter and if they do any plumming they might some extra stuff or can help you with a DIY python.

i don't know about lighting so no ideas there. hope everything works out good for you.
 

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Punkrulz

Large Fish
#11
Sep 5, 2007
210
0
0
Deptford, NJ
#11
Thanks for the suggestion guys. I know the 29 may be a bit small for the python, but it would help immensely with filling the tank with water and hopefully cleaning the sand, so I think that's why I would want to pursue that option.

I was looking more closely at the wood for the sand, and even the cabinets of the stand seem to have some issues. I'm still going to consider if I want to paint it, or leave it as is.

Does anyone else have any other recommendations for lighting? I really would like to know what I could buy and would work so I could get my setup going... I think that would be the toughest part.
 

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