My 100L planted tank log

It can, but you don't really notice it. Depending on the amount of lighting you have.

 

Ok. Thanks for the help guys. Hope it all goes well tomorrow.

 

nope not at all, thats a std 3ft tank? so its not that deep,and the glass will only be 3-6mm? so thats not a prob!

to give you an idea, my tank is 800mm deep, the lights are another +-50-100mm from the brace, the brace is 10mm thick, and i have no shadow!

 

Ah ok sw33t. How thick should the brace be? My tank has 6mm thick glass. Sould I make the euro bracing sides 8mm and the middle brace 6mm maybe? Will I be able to put a 4mm glass panel on the braces as a "lid" to stop the water vapour from messing up the light and getting the canopy wet?

My current dimensions are:

83cm X 4cm 8/6mm (back brace with room for cables)
90.7cm X 4cm 8/6mm (front full brace)
31.8cm X 13cm 6mm (middle brace)
31.5cm X 32cm 4mm X2 (sheets for the cover)

 

Here's a diagram: (first without cover sheets and second with it.)

 

Just do euro bracing, right around the tank and no center brace.

 

I can't do it right around - I have that hang-on filter and the heater cables would be messy.

 

looks good, thats the ONLY prob i have with the HOB filters, as they need space! if it was not for this, the Euro bracing would have worked!

 

I went to a LPS (panorama) and talked to somebody about it. He said that since it's 6mm glass it shouldn't be a prob but the wood it stands on (solid wood panel, +/- 2.5cm thick) is no good since it can swell and crack the tank


what the hell. I bought some of my plants, didn't find everything I wanted but it's OK for a start.

 

the wood will swell if its not treated. but then again, the same can happen with my tank, and anyone that has a wooden cabinet? so if you take the time, sand it down, treat it and use a new piece of poly, you should be fine!

 

But damn the thing is I don't want to take the tank down again!

 

eish....

 

I checked at the shop and some of the tanks are like that too.

They told me I need to get thick hardboard or marine-ply for the base.

 

My plants:

 

The one the pot furthest right IMO isn't aquatic. When planting, take them out of the wool stuff because it messes with fish gills.

 

Yeah I saw it in a thread at APSA - think it's a corn plant. Will it die in the water? And thanks, didn't know it's bad for fish.

 

It will take a while to die being fully submerged. Could just plant it into a pot and put in near the tank...

 

Yes, and it will pollute the water when it dies

 

:\ greatness fantastica

 

I have concluded that I'll just take the chance for now. I'll be cleaning the tank somewhere in next term then I'll brace the tank top and bottom with thick glass, get a different wood base and replace the polystyrene. For now it has to hold.

The lights at the lfs is too expensive, but I believe it is better. However, I made a McGuyver lighting with a 20W fluorescent light. I hope it's sufficient as it's the equivalent of 100W normal bulb. It looks good to me and cost me R50

I planted the corn plant to see how it goes. If it starts dying I will trash it. Another thing is the lily leaf I got from Stodels. It looks nice and if it gets more leaves then it will look even better. It might cut off some light but I will maybe put in another light some time.

Here's the pics: