If you must use it, put a 3/4" plywood under it. Anything less than 3/4" won't be strong enough.
New 40B and a return to the hobby. Yay!!!
- Thread starter laurenrocksth
- Start date
I would get a stand for it too. And with lowlight plants, and twin bulb T5 should work fine. A cannister is also a good choice. If it were me, I would get a Eheim 2217. But a Eheim 2215 would work too.
I would also get a inline heater if you are getting a cannister. One less thing in your tank.
What is your budget as far as equipment, substrate, fish etc....?
I would also get a inline heater if you are getting a cannister. One less thing in your tank.
What is your budget as far as equipment, substrate, fish etc....?
Is there ever really a budget in fish keeping? By that i mean we do plan to use only a given amount of money but as time goes on we buy new equipment, plants, livestock, etc. And by then we already went over the set budget. Say the OP's budget is $300 then the OP goes out and buys all that he/she needs to have and spends the $300. All of a sudden theres this light fixture that caught the eye and they buy it. Bamm over budget.
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If you want plants I would go DIY CO2 and Eco-Complete Substrate. DIY CO2 is really simple and helps the plants a lot and the substrate is well priced and clean. For Light I would get a Current Satellite LED+ or Finnex Ray2. The Ray2 makes more light but the LED+ gives you better customization. I have both on different tanks and love both. Canister wise I'm still a big fan of the ehiem classics but the Fluvals are good too.
That stinks about the bureau. I figured that since it was solid wood and the majority of tank stands are particleboard, it would be better.
In terms of budget, who knows. I don't really have one in mind. I'd just like to get good quality stuff that will last a while.
I've never done an inline heater before, but it would be nice to have one less thing in the tank.
I'm not sure that DIY CO2 would be feasible for a tank of this size. I'm fine with no CO2 for now and low light plants. Maybe some crypt parva for the front, and kind of get taller from there? I'd also loooooove some Manzanita with moss
In terms of budget, who knows. I don't really have one in mind. I'd just like to get good quality stuff that will last a while.
I've never done an inline heater before, but it would be nice to have one less thing in the tank.
I'm not sure that DIY CO2 would be feasible for a tank of this size. I'm fine with no CO2 for now and low light plants. Maybe some crypt parva for the front, and kind of get taller from there? I'd also loooooove some Manzanita with moss
Yes, there is a budget. However, you're looking at it as if it's a set cost, more like a one time purchase, instead of an ongoing organism. My monthly budget, aside from things like utilities involved, is about $10. I think I looked at something in the neighborhood of $400 at initial set up. So, yeah. I want new light fixtures. I can expand my budget and get it in a hurry, or be patient. I'm going the patience route.
That said, this is an addictive hobby, and it's easy to get caught up in MTS, destroying any well meaning budget in the process.
It's less about solid wood vs particle board, and more about proper support for the weight across the entire tank holding surface. It's what we experienced with our buffet table.That stinks about the bureau. I figured that since it was solid wood and the majority of tank stands are particleboard, it would be better.
In terms of budget, who knows. I don't really have one in mind. I'd just like to get good quality stuff that will last a while.
I've never done an inline heater before, but it would be nice to have one less thing in the tank.
I'm not sure that DIY CO2 would be feasible for a tank of this size. I'm fine with no CO2 for now and low light plants. Maybe some crypt parva for the front, and kind of get taller from there? I'd also loooooove some Manzanita with moss
Inline heaters. Wow. My mixed feelings on them are mixed :nilly: Yes, in my mind, it's great to have one less thing in the tank. No, it's not great to have an extra two points where your return line (or intake, whatever) can leak. I don't know if you're aware, but it's typically, canister to hose and hose to spray bar or intake to hose and hose to canister for the ends of your line. Inline heaters go in the middle, so there's canister to hose to heater to hose to spray bar, and I'm just more paranoid about the possibility of a heater malfunction melting the hose than I am bothered by the aesthetics of a heater in the tank.
You could consider doing liquid CO2. People say it's not cost effective, and maybe it's not, but one of the big bottles of Flourish Excel lasts me about 6 months, dosing my 55 3 times a week. I'll go through the bottles quicker since I'm dosing a pair of 10s now, too, but $20, even 3 times a year, doesn't seem bad to me, and is less sticker shock than setting up a new pressurized CO2 system.
True. I was thinking initial budget vs. Monthly budget.
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Absolutely.
I would spend the extra money on a Eheim, and a Hydor inline heater. You need a filter and heater, but you don't need those brands. And those brands happen to be on the more expensive end of filters and heaters.
I would also get Eco Complete for substrate. That is not needed for a low light planted tank, but it won't hurt and it looks nice.
So when I asked what the budget for this was, it was to give more helpful advice on what to buy. You could spend as little as $100 setting up a 40B, or as much as $500 or more.
I have never had a inline heater leak. I have had 8 over the years. This is something I have never even worried, or thought about to be honest. It is so nice being able to control the heater from outside of the tank, as well as not having it in your tank. I would never buy another in tank heater myself.
If you are doing low light plants, they would be fine without any CO2 in DIY or Liquid form.
