Some basic questions.

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faldgan

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Jan 27, 2007
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Hi, everybody. I've been reading up on aquarium keeping for a couple of weeks now and just ordered my tank this previous weekend.
It's a SeaClear 72"x18"x30" 165Gal acrylic tank. I got this one because I have a great place to put it in my stairwell.

Good:
This is on the north side of the house - no sunlight for algae.
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It's sitting right on top of the joists. Super-sturdy.
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The 'nook' it fits in is actually 82" long.
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Bad:
It's right below some windows, so before I get the tank I'm planning on putting a plastic coating on them to make them more insulating.
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The nook isn't all that deep. I don't think I'll have room for a very big HOB filter so I'm thinking of using either several smaller ones or a larger canister filter.
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The nook is high enough so that I don't want to build a platform where I can store stuff under the tank, so there is no equipment storage right there.
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Requests for advice:

Heater size.
The LFS said that I should be just fine with a single 300W heater. I'm in the PNW (Seattle) so the weather is pretty moderate. On the other hand, I generally let the house cool down to 58 during the day and at night. It's an old house with cruddy insulation and I don't want to pay loads for heat when I'm not here.
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Filter configuration.
I've got a little less than 4 and 1/2 inches from the back of the tank to the window. I've got about 10" on one end of the tank. This 10" will also hold the power strip and plugs for any and all electrical devices.
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Planting.
I know I want live plants eventually, but will I find it easier to start off with a mix of live and fake or all fake and then gradually add live?
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Stocking.
Looking for happy communities of small fish. A few different kinds of Tetras or similar for starters. I would prefer to keep the tank somewhat understocked. Fish are relaxing, but too many are not so relaxing.
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Cycling.
I'm in no hurry to actually get fish in the water. Heck, the tank is still 6 to 7 weeks away. I figure if I get a cycle started and then start with just a few fish and add slowly with a week or two between new fish I should be just fine. Small fish, big tank is the idea. Is this reasonable or should I try a big fishless cycle and then get many fish at the same time? I'm in favor of adding them a very few at a time.
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Bottom material.
I'd like to try sand from a local river. (It's got a little fool's gold in it - pretty sparkles!) If I get some in some water and it doesn't change PH or hardness, any reason I can't use it? (after sterilizing it)
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Any general advice? Remember, I 'm not going to have a tank for nearly two months, and probably won't be looking any fish in the eye for several weeks after that at the earliest.

Would you folks want pictures of this as I build it out? Would a picture of the nook empty help?

Thanks for reading this far!
 
i wouldnt use a single heater in most most tanks. i have a 120 gal where it stays warmer and i have a lot of lights over the tank. i have 2 250w.

first of all shop online. your going to save a lot of money. i would go with Visi-Therm heaters. i would go with 3 of them.

so you might want live plants. do you think you will want medium lighting and adding co2. if you think you might want to get into plants i would look into putting a canister on each ends. one thing about filters is you cant over filter a tank. another thing is most of them are over rated. you should cut the gal they say in half. so if it says up to 100 gal it should do good in a 50 gal tank. you can also look into the hot magnum for the middle of the tank. you should also look into a wet dry filter if your not going to add co2. great way to filter in bigger tanks.

plants help the tank cycle faster. its something that will effect what kind of filters you should look into.

its great to have understocked tanks. i am a big fan of that.

as for cycling you should read up on fishless cycling. its so much better you dont want to worry about water changes to keep the fish alive.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

i would be worried about toxins. i would just go with pool sand or play sand.
 
Even if you only plan to add fish a few at a time, fishless cycling is the way to go.

Big tank...I'd be running canisters and forego the HOB.

Split the heater need, 3-5 watts per gallon, between 2 or 3 heaters.

Posting a picture/story line would be great! Got a picture of the empty nook area?
 
I'm a bit concerned about the amount of room you have around and under the tank. If I read your post correctly, you have no under tank room, 4 inches in back and ten inches on one side. Thats really not enough room. What about your tank top and lights? That might cut down room even more.

I hate HOB filters, just personal taste. You might have a hard time even getting to yours to get them off to clean them. I dont see where you will find the room for two cannisters. 10 inches is not much room, and both filters would have to fit on that end with tubes runing in back to each end.

On the good side, I love you are going big and under stocked. If you can actually stick to the under stocked part, maybe you could get away with a little less filtration. Real plants would help also, and in my opinion, the only way to go. They are maybe a bit harder but worth the effort.

Good luck, and post pictures!!
 
faldgan said:
Hi, everybody. I've been reading up on aquarium keeping for a couple of weeks now and just ordered my tank this previous weekend.
It's a SeaClear 72"x18"x30" 165Gal acrylic tank. I got this one because I have a great place to put it in my stairwell.

Heater size.
The LFS said that I should be just fine with a single 300W heater. I'm in the PNW (Seattle) so the weather is pretty moderate. On the other hand, I generally let the house cool down to 58 during the day and at night. It's an old house with cruddy insulation and I don't want to pay loads for heat when I'm not here.
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I'm not an expert, but I can reiterate information I just read from Aquarium Fish magazine - if you have a tank larger than 20g, they suggest purchasing TWO heaters, at HALF strength. This means, if you were planning on getting (1) 300W, you'd get (2) 150W. This means that if you had one break, and it does happen, you would probably not lose the other at the same time, and it would be enough to at least keep things from becoming fatal before you might be able to respond.

That's what I'd certainly do, in a tank that size. (Mine's 12G! lol No worries here.)

Btw, lucky lucky you for getting that. I can't wait to see it finished.​
 
Just wondering if you could post a picture of where you plan to put the tank, I too had a spot similar to yours in mind, but when I thought about tubes/wires and the conceling, plus the amount of maintenece an aquarium takes to maintain (gravel vaccuming, water changes,running a python from a sink)I decided against the "perfect" spot and choose an equally appeling but more functional spot. Welcome to Aquaria Central and this totally addicting hobby.
 
Nook Pictures, results of comments so far.

I've attached a couple of pictures of the area, hopefully they come through.

Sand:
So I read up on the pyrite a and while it's too bad that I can't use it, but I'll be happier with live fish than sparkly sand. So I'll just go to Home Depot or Lowe's and buy something there.
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Filters:
Since I do intend to have plants later, canister filters will probably be my best bet. I don't want to go overkill since I do have a limited budget. And consensus seems to be that two would be better, one at each end. If I do this, can I run the hoses from one all the way down to the other end so I can keep both pumps at the same end? Or will that reduce its effectiveness? What total GPH (according to the box) should I be looking for? 3X tank size? So perhaps two Eheim 2217 filters (528GPH) or two Fluval 405's (450GPH) With either solution I'm over-filtering by their standards.
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Plants:
I think I will go fairly heavy on the plants, so I'll end up with a CO2 system. But that can wait a while.
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Cycling:
I've done a bunch of reading on cycling and understand how to do it. I just don't know how much I need to do for the small quantity of fish I want to start with. The consensus seems to be that I should be sure to have plenty of bacteria living in the tank before I add fish #1. What quantity of ammonia should I be adding regularly to maintain the cycle if I am going to start out with something small like 6 Tetras in this tank once it stabilizes?
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Heaters:
Everybody here seems to be saying two, just in case. They are cheap, so I'll probably go with the Visi-Therm 300Watt. What's the difference between the Stealth and Delux? Just the light? In that case I'll probably get the Delux and cover over the light if it's too bright.

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Nook:
It's true that I don't have much storage space in the area. But other than the pumps and electrical stuff for the heaters and the lights, what else do I need? If the pumps and outlet strip are off at one end, and I store the food and supplies in a closet just down the hall, am I going to be miserable?
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Last thing:
Since it's right near a window, I'm thinking of keeping the window open an inch or so, insulating the gap so it doesn't let cold air in and running a hose from there to the ground so I can drain water without worrying about getting spilled in the house. Anyone have thoughts on this?
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Top_Of_Stairs.jpg Full_Nook_View.jpg From_Lower_Stairs.jpg From_Entry_Way.jpg
 
How far is your location from the sink? If you use a python you don't have to worry about spilling water in the house, so I would leave your window alone.

I really just responded though so I could tell you what a cool house (it looks like) you have. :p: I love old houses.
 
It sure would add a lot to that stairwell. It would work fine there except for the room. 10" on one end is not a lot of room especially if you are going to get into plants with CO2. You can make it work, but If the house is yours I would open up underneath to see if it is possible to put some stuff underneath. Amazing how quick you run out out of room.
 
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