My 500 litre tank

[Linchpin]

This is a tank, I only started this hobby around Feb with a 30 litre tank and after a couple months it wasn't enough.

I bought a 500 litre from a friend and fixed it up nicely, made a new lid, sanded down the frame and painted it and fixed up a leak or two.

I'm really proud of it esp because its my first try at doing anything like this.
Please excuse the quality of the photo, my camera's broken so I used my phone.

A few things have changed since this pic was taken so I'll post new pics later when i get another camera.

[Warr7207]

Nice setup dude, what inmates you got in there ?

[Linchpin]

Hey there, inmates sound like they're in some sort of prison...now that I think about it, they are kinda.

Anyway, my inmates are as follows:

A bunch of guppies, sue me, I started off with the little buggers :)
A couple Tetras (also started off with them)
2 blue Gourami's
2 Golden Barbs
4 Cichlids, 2 pairs, not sure what "brand" they are, I'll post pics at a later stage
2 Skunk Loaches, to control the Rams Horn snail population
1 Catfish of some sort, I'll post a pic if I can take one, he hides a lot even tho he's 12-15cm
1 little pleco, think its an albino (if thats spelt correctly)
1 Rainbow shark, or Bridal Shark, I think its the same thing (12-15cm)
2 Bala Sharks, really cool placid fish, still really small, 5 or 6 cm
And lastly, my favourite,
1 Black Knife Ghost fish, such a character

I'll eventually set up another tank for my smaller fish of find them homes before my other fish grow big enough to eat them, altho I've heard people say guppies are second last on the food chain, just before mosquito's :)

Oh I also have a couple Apple Snails

[Linchpin]

Here are a couple more photos, also taken by my phone unfortunately.

I made a little cave for my ghost fish, you can just see his head sticking out:smile1:

[Linchpin]

Just to add to my list of fish, can't believe i forget to mention him.
I've got a little 30 litre tank with my Blue/Red/Purple Betta in it.
I moved him because some of the other bigger fish liked his wavy fins too much.
He's a lot happier now.

[Henk Hugo]

Dude - those skunks will start beating up the other fish.... besides Rams horns are good... you want them in your tank

[Slummies]

what rock is that? really looks nice

[Linchpin]

The rocks are those from outdoor fish ponds/water features. They're real, not plastic rubbish.

I "aquired" them from my dad :) He's building on to their house and are gonna make a big fish pond and water fall thing. Every time I went to visit I put a rock in the boot of my car.

He didn't seem to mind when he saw my tank the other day, now he wants a tank so I bought him a 300 litre.

The gravel/rocks/pebbles lining the bottom of the tank is from a river bank in the area.
It took hours and hours to clean it, but it was worth it.

[Henk Hugo]

you might want to make sure that the rocks/pebbles that you add to the tank is innert and not leaching anything into the water......

[Linchpin]

it should be fine, a friend used rocks from the same place for almost a year now and everything's ok.

How would I check/test for anything being leached out?

is there some sort of test kit or do i just hope for the best?

[Linchpin]

I really really like the rocks but I'm looking for some decent wood for my tank but its so expensive. Where'd u get yours?

[Henk Hugo]

if it is sand stone then its disolving and pushing up your PH and Hardness.... you also dont know what else its leeching into the water....

[Linchpin]

Been checking pH once a week and everything's stable, between 7 and 7.5.
As for the hardness I havent got anything to test it properly yet but I do a crude soap test every now and then.

If the soap lathers easily, water isn't hard.

I'll get propper test kits at a later stage. Its the beginning of the month and my budget is already screwed :(

What would u recommend for plants to grow, any specific gravel/sand i should put under my existing ground cover?

Cheapness is also a factor for me at this stage :)

[Linchpin]

Shot a lot.
DIY for dummies, u shoul start a thread for all us dummies out there :)

Thanks again

[Henk Hugo]

The decomposition process of fish waste and dead plant matter will drop you PH, so something if buffering your water to 7.5PH. Take some of that rock and put vinegar on it. See if it fizzles or if left in the vinegar it dissolves

[city bowl]

Protea wood is safe that goes for bottlebrush wood as well.

[Linchpin]

I put some of that rock in some vinegar this morning, no fizzle and it hasn't started dissolving.

I'll leave it over the weekend to see if it dissolves but the vinegar hasn't even discoloured a bit.

I'll have to get some test kits when I have some spare cash lying around.

Thanks for the info.

As for the wood....Protea? Really?
I'ss see if I can't get some but otherwise I'll just have to fork out the money for Mopane roots. Bloody expensive.

[Linchpin]

Hey, just an update on the rocks in vinegar thing, had them in vinegar for 3 or so weeks and nothing. still as clear as when i put them in.

Tank water pH is at 7 now.

[Linchpin]

Some more tank shots....

[Linchpin]

Hey people.
Just thought I'd show you a few pics of my tank now that its got some wood in it.

I bought the wood from Namibian Hardwood in the cape.
They're really really cheap and the wood is great.

I got 5 BIG pieces (+/- 50-60cm or 5-6kg) for under R500 excl courier.

[Henk Hugo]

looking good man!

[Linchpin]

Thanks man :)
I waited forever to get the roots and then I still had to soak them for a week or so...

If anyone wants to get some roots go to http://www.namibianhardwood.co.za/index.html
You'll find contact details there.

By the way, I'm looking for java moss, anyone know where I can get it (if I can get it), in the Port Elizabeth area if possible.

[SalmonAfrica]

Nice tank! :D

Java moss doesn't even come our way often, but I've found the easiest way to obtain the plant is to talk to people at your local pet store. It grows rampantly and people are often willing to share.

[Sabi]

Tank lookin' great man!
Yea, drift wood is heck of expensive, you found a nice alternative to lfs lol.

[stripes]

Hi Linchpin,

Wow your new tank looks gr8!! As you said in your first post. After a few months after starting a 30 Liter tank was not enough. That also happened to me and this past weekend I bought myself a 270liter tank. My first tank was a 50 Liter & second 1 a 150 liter and now I have my own 270 liter tank. Will post some photos asap!

This is such a gr8 hobby I just can not get enough.:bigsmile:

[Linchpin]

Shot man,
Those photo's were taken a while back, I'll update them....one day :)
30 or 50 litre tanks just don't do it anymore, go big!
I'm doing civil engineering and a buddy here at work had an idea of a 50megalitre tank, that might be overkill :)

[rogerrabbit]

Don't know if your tank can ever be to big or an overkill. Somewhere on this forum Veegal(I think) posted a link to a mega tank forum, the link deals with a tank a guy installed in his house, can not remember specs but to give you an idea someone needs to get in a rubberduck to change lightbulbs. Now you talking big tanks.

[solex69]

www.monsterfishkeepers.com (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com)

[Linchpin]

I've seen that one before, someone has way too much money.
Would be nice tho...if I had a mil to spend...

[Jodyc]

Nice setup mate,

Dunno if you are aware of it but your Black Ghost knife will most probably have ALL your Tetras and Guppies for dinner :)