lyndatu

Hello

I have a 20-gallon freshwater plant aquarium and it was infested by snails, so I broke down the entire system and sterilized everything with bleach - gravel, rocks, driftwood, filter(except filter media) and even the plants. Me and my brother carried the now-empty tank outside for its turn for cleaning, but we accidentally damaged and cracked the tank glass, causing water to leak. The tank was already really flimsy back then - lots of small scratches, weak silicon and unsightly hard-water stains. So we thought of buying a new tank. I visited some of the local fish stores but their prices were very high, so I went to a friend of mine who runs a shop that works on glass, including aquariums. They said that they will build me a strong 20-gallon tank at a good value, but I saw a sample of the tanks they make and it had aluminum panel sidings framing the tank. It's really good for increasing the tanks' durability, but I'm not sure if it is also good for my natural aquascape in the tank - the aluminum sides might affect its beauty(I'm a pretty strict aquascaper ). So I asked if they can remove the aluminum sidings on the corners, but leave the ones on top and bottom of the tank(I thought I could just cover them with black tape or paint it). The aluminum parts are only there for increased strength. To experienced aquascapers out there, I was wondering - will the aluminum sidings on the vertical corners of the tank affect the natural beauty ( ) inside it? Sorry for the long post!

Thanks in advance!

Red1313

I suppose it's a matter of option. You could just think of them like a good picture frame
However here's a pic of my 32 gal. It was obviously but I've gotten rather attached to the red framing.

P.S. Pic's now attached. I aim for a Natural sort of tank (forgive the pot and jar they're temporary ) and I don't think that the sides detract too much.
Also Red is in there just to prove that there is life in the tank.
Hope they help give you an idea.

Attached Images

	DSC02663-smaller-.jpg (418.9 KB, 73 views)
	DSC02662-smaller-.jpg (388.9 KB, 68 views)
	DSC02660-smaller-.jpg (235.9 KB, 66 views)
	DSC02661-smaller-.jpg (346.0 KB, 62 views)

Jonah

I have to agree with Red well apart from the red my bigger tanks all have reinforcements at the main stress points (mine are black pics in profile album) I would rather have reinforcements than flooding. what you do inside the tank is what you will see once you have you fish in it.

Red1313

Lol it was red when I bought it. According to my friends it looks sort of like an over sized Happy Meal
However I'm more amused by the fact that the fish in it are red as well

lyndatu

Hello again and thanks for the replies!

So, it is better to have aluminum for strong reinforcement... My dad was also convincing me to include the aluminum on the sides, but I was wondering if the metal parts will still able to make my tank stand out(I'm aiming to have a natural tank like the ones in the AGA aquascaping contest ). Your opinions would be appreciated! Nice tank by the way, Red!

griffin

sorry to hijack

red - what's the plant in pic 4?

Red1313

It's called an onion plant. It's one of my all time favorite aquarium plants. However it's too big for smaller aquaria. Scientific name Crinum thaianum I believe.

griffin

cool - thanks!