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hey there.. well i have brought a tank on ebay with everything supplied.. in here i will keep a weekly diary of progress on the tank.. i have some good ideas with the aqua scaping.. etc.. so i'll post ideas, pictures, plans etc. on here and u guys can tell me what u think .. so basically we can share ideas and opinions!!
here is the tank as it stands now!! 21/1/05
http://members.optusnet.com.au/atozzi/34_10.jpg
its a 3ft(92x35x45cm)..
more details to come.. keep u posted

r0b3y

Last edited by r0b3y at 26-Jan-2005 00:55

Sounds like a very good idea at least that way you can look back and check exactly what you have done other than relying on memory. It also could and will help others setting up a new tank.
A tip dont put it on a computer use a note pad it is a lot safer that way.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

No. 1 the Stand 26/1/05

The stand that came with the tank was just normal pine and was untouched.. no stain, varnish etc.. so to blend it in with other furniture in our house i gave it a nice stain.. here is how it was done..

Pretty straight forward DIY:
- The stand should be given a light sand.. with soft sand paper.
- Then the stand is given a quick brush and wipe down to remove all dust.
- Next I apply the first coat.. I chose to use a dark stain which matches all other furniture in the room.. after the first coat is done, it should be left to dry over night
- The next day you repeat point 1 and 2.. a light sand, brush off the dust
- Then your ready for your final coat
and your done..

Here is a before and after picture:
Before: http://members.optusnet.com.au/atozzi/34_10.jpg
After first coat: http://members.optusnet.com.au/atozzi/stand%201st%20cote.jpg
Final product: http://members.optusnet.com.au/atozzi/finished%20stand.jpg
I cant complain with the result..

r0b3y
help with my fish list: http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/53661.html?200501260128

Last edited by r0b3y at 26-Jan-2005 03:08

Hi,
It looks like a very nice job on the staining.
My only "negative" comment is that the tank is right
beside what looks to be a speaker. Depending upon
what you listen to, and how loud you like to listen,
you may have some fish going through shock as the
more base notes are transmitted through the tank.

If you could, you might want to relocate one of the
two, the tank or the speakers.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

hey frank.. if its the first picture u are talking about.. that was taken at the previous ouwners house.. thanks for the info ne ways

r0b3y

I have only kept bettas in small tanks for far but am planning on starting a 29 gallon freshwater community w/some plants. I will be checking this diary, it can really help me out alot. Good job.

No. 2 The Setup
Hey again.. this is the setup so far.. but need more plants .. here are some pictures of it atm..
http://members.optusnet.com.au/atozzi/IMG_0199.jpg
http://members.optusnet.com.au/atozzi/IMG_0200.jpgmy anubias on drift wood!!
http://members.optusnet.com.au/atozzi/IMG_0198.jpg
at the moment i have vals which are on the left and anubias attached to my drift wood.. what else would you guys suggest i add??.. need somthin the is more bushier to provide cover.. an i was also thinking of adding some terracotter pots??

r0b3y


Last edited by r0b3y at 02-Feb-2005 05:25

Last edited by r0b3y at 06-Feb-2005 02:21

hey thought it was time to update .. i'm getting really lazy .. ne ways so what has happend since we left off:

- added some more drift wood
the diftwood is leech free.. i find boiling the drift wood for about 3 to 4 hrs will speed up the leeching process.. after boiling put it in a bucket and replace the water when ever it gets dark until the leaching stops.. by doing this, my medium sized peice of driftwood stopped leaching within a month!!

- replaced the air stone in under gravel filter with a powerhead
works much better for my plants as i have been told that air stones drive out the co2 in the water, so to be on the safe side i replaced it with a powerhead.. i much rather it because it keeps the water flowing and doesnt really interupt the surface.

- Successfully performed a fishless cycle
The fishless cycle i highly recommend to anyone who has to cycle their tank!! The fishless cycle is much quicker and took me only 2 weeks.. there are no major expenses and it basically works itself without harming any fish.. i used this link as a guid to my successful fishless cycle http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_fishless.php.. if you would like more info on it please feel free to message me and i would be more then happy to give u some trips.
Water quality at the moment:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ph: 6.6
Nitrate: 20 ppm

- Added my first new school of fish
in my established 2ft tank i had 6 Harlequin rasboras.. i fetched these out and introduced them to their new home!! they absolutly love it!! they are so active and love to play with the powerhead.. about 3 days later i added my female pearl gourami. She is so cute, a bit shy at first but now she is eating and getting used to her new home..

Did moveing of objects adding etc..
- mooved vals closer together
- added some cabomba plants
very nice plants require medium light but are an amazing plants that gives off nice white flowers
- attached java moss to driftwood
the trick to this is to evenly spread it out on where you want it to be attached.. use fishing line.. it works really well and cant be seen.. keep the fishing line on it for about a month and it should work.. other ppl might know more and eaisier ways on this though.

Whats next??
adding school of 6 panda cories that i have orderd from work.. another pearl gourami and some plants etc..

pictures to come shortly.. hope you like!!!

r0b3y

Love it so far...i'm just about to go through some changes myself....even better when the parents are away!!!