Changing my 40 gal Tank.. Need Ideas

Hello all,
I have a few questions regarding my tank..

First, I have a 40 gallon tank that my father bought when I was around 7 years old, but he stopped using it after his last angelfish passed away, which was about 5/6 years ago, so I recently decided to turn it into a goldfish aquarium. Since the tank is so old, the lid is dirty no matter how many times I scrubbed it with soap and water. The tank is fine but the lid is not pleasing to the eye. One of the lights does not work even when it has been replaced with newer ones. Is there a nicer lid with lights attached (or separated) that is not the one that I am using now?
Secondly, my tank has no substrate because it's easier to clean up after them, but I want some kind of simple decoration that will not hurt the fish and looks good with no substrate. Any ideas for that?
And lastly, my canister filter has two green large tubes that are just hanging on the other side of the tank. I don't mind a few wires, but the tubes are too noticeable and I would like to get rid of them (or replace them with another filter). I would rather not put a background because of the way that the tank is positioned, the couch is behind it and the living room is in front of the tank. If I were to sit on the couch, I would want to look at my goldfish swim. I've seen videos of other tanks where the front and back are clear, but the tubes/wires stay hidden. Any ideas?

 

The lid can be cleaned with vinegar. Remove it and use full strength white vinegar. Also there is a product called "CLR". This is a household cleaner that is very strong and is to remove rust and or calcium deposits or residue. It can be used but you must rinse it thoroughly after using.
Your light looks a fluorescent fixture and you can upgrade to LED bypass tubes that will last almost indefinitely. These bypass LED tubes work on 120 volts. You remove the ballast/transformer in your fixture. The tubes come with a wiring diagram that is simple to understand.
If your light fixture contains incandescent light bulbs you can buy LED that will screw right in.

 

. . . The tank is fine but the lid is not pleasing to the eye. One of the lights does not work even when it has been replaced with newer ones. Is there a nicer lid with lights attached (or separated) that is not the one that I am using now?

Yes. You can get glass covers, and you can buy LED lights with frames (usually wire) that rest on the rim of the tank.

See below from Amazon.com. The dark band you see at the back of the lid is a plastic strip that you can remove and cut to length to accommodate filters, hoses, cords, etc. The band in the middle is the hinge, so you lift the front part when you need to feed, reach inside to adjust plants, etc.




The wires on the light slide in and out so it fits nicely, so each size light fits a range of tank lengths. You can spend a lot of money on the lights, but a less expensive one will probably work for you. Here is one I've used: https://www.amazon.com/Aquaneat-Aqu...b5d93&pd_rd_wg=UYiKf&pd_rd_i=B07G91L6FV&psc=1

 

Yes. You can get glass covers, and you can buy LED lights with frames (usually wire) that rest on the rim of the tank.

See below from Amazon.com. The dark band you see at the back of the lid is a plastic strip that you can remove and cut to length to accommodate filters, hoses, cords, etc. The band in the middle is the hinge, so you lift the front part when you need to feed, reach inside to adjust plants, etc.

View attachment 842144

The wires on the light slide in and out so it fits nicely, so each size light fits a range of tank lengths. You can spend a lot of money on the lights, but a less expensive one will probably work for you. Here is one I've used: https://www.amazon.com/Aquaneat-Aqu...b5d93&pd_rd_wg=UYiKf&pd_rd_i=B07G91L6FV&psc=1

View attachment 842145

Thats the top I use on my 40. The only thing I do not like about it is you must hold it up or prop it on the light fixture at feeding time.
Otherwise its an excellent top. Easy to keep clean as well.
I also have an LED like pictured. I have found the 48" long fixture works better on my 40. I tried the 36" and it sagged a little.
I have the Fluval Sea with the Fluvalsmart app. Problem with that is I can no longer program from my Android tablet. I can from my Iphone. But the programming is extremely difficult on the phone due to its size. I cannot figure out why the Android tablet quit working. So now I am using a mechanical timer.......ugh.....$200 light fixture with a mechanical timer is not what I signed up for.

 

I had an aquarium set up as a sort of room divider with no background like yours. One "short" end of the tank was near a wall. I put the canister filter tubes in that corner and then placed plants in front of them. Also used an in line heater on the hoses under the stand, so no heater in the tank. Both of the long glass panels were nearly unobstructed and the tank was look through without any equipment visible.

I would advise at least a thin layer of substrate for aesthetics. This is just as easy to clean as bare bottom but looks much nicer.

 

I had an aquarium set up as a sort of room divider with no background like yours. One "short" end of the tank was near a wall. I put the canister filter tubes in that corner and then placed plants in front of them. Also used an in line heater on the hoses under the stand, so no heater in the tank. Both of the long glass panels were nearly unobstructed and the tank was look through without any equipment visible.

I would advise at least a thin layer of substrate for aesthetics. This is just as easy to clean as bare bottom but looks much nicer.

The way my canister is set up is that each tube goes on each end of the tank. So the water gets sucked up on the right and comes out on the left side. The flow from the filter oftentimes moves any remaining goldfish poop all the way to the other side of the tank so if I were to add sand substrate, I'm afraid it'll all move to the other side where the flow isn't as strong. I'll keep in mind about the the heater though!

Yes. You can get glass covers, and you can buy LED lights with frames (usually wire) that rest on the rim of the tank.

See below from Amazon.com. The dark band you see at the back of the lid is a plastic strip that you can remove and cut to length to accommodate filters, hoses, cords, etc. The band in the middle is the hinge, so you lift the front part when you need to feed, reach inside to adjust plants, etc.

View attachment 842144

The wires on the light slide in and out so it fits nicely, so each size light fits a range of tank lengths. You can spend a lot of money on the lights, but a less expensive one will probably work for you. Here is one I've used: https://www.amazon.com/Aquaneat-Aqu...b5d93&pd_rd_wg=UYiKf&pd_rd_i=B07G91L6FV&psc=1

View attachment 842145

Thanks! I'll order one and test it out!

 

Thats the top I use on my 40. The only thing I do not like about it is you must hold it up or prop it on the light fixture at feeding time.

I do that all the time. I think nothing of it.

I also have an LED like pictured. I have found the 48" long fixture works better on my 40. I tried the 36" and it sagged a little.

I always use the largest light that will fit the tank. Besides the sagging problem, it also helps get light closer to the full width of the tank instead of more in the center.

 

The way my canister is set up is that each tube goes on each end of the tank. So the water gets sucked up on the right and comes out on the left side. The flow from the filter oftentimes moves any remaining goldfish poop all the way to the other side of the tank so if I were to add sand substrate, I'm afraid it'll all move to the other side where the flow isn't as strong. I'll keep in mind about the the heater though!

On mine there was also two bio wheels for the filter output. These were at the top though, and so didn't obstruct the view.