Maxxx
- #1
So I wanted to make a 12 long, but that didn’t pan out because the dollar per gallon sale made it too tempting to just buy a 20 long. Technically we are limited to one ten gallon per room but I’m a bit of a rebel.
I was trying to set this tank up on a budget so I made my own lid out of acrylic
I split the cost of a shelving unit with my brother and kept the bottom half.
We just recently started an aquarium club at college and had a family weekend so we used the tank to get a bit arts and crafty. We had kids color in a fish and we hung them with fishing line from plastic mesh above it.
The sand in the tank is the black blasting sand from tractor supply. After the event on Saturday I was finally able to set up the tank using plants and some red flourite substrate I had sitting in another tank with my filter running. I just mixed in the flourite with the blasting sand and I think it looks great. Hopefully the flourite will hold in nutrients and the sand will allow easier rooting for the plants.
Now for filtration I really wanted a canister and Amazon had the cascade 1000 on sale for the same price as their smallest model ($70)... So I am using a filter rated for 100 gallons on a 20. I guess if I ever upsize there won’t be a problem with my equipment.
On the downside the intake basket was too long and I didn’t want to raise the tube a foot high above the tank or cut any of the pieces. So believe it or not, I actually applied knowledge learned in the class room and drew up and 3D printed my own intake. The intake sponges are small Fluval ones purchased at a petco. I forget the actual labeling on them.
For the heater I got an h7 for $25 off amazon. I like it because it’s adjustable, keeping the temp within 2 degrees of the setting and gives the temperature of the tank. The only downside is the light is kinda bright at night when I’m trying to sleep so I have it on the side of the tank. The light is a Nicrew ClassicLED Plus.
Here’s a current picture of it all set up
I have a bunch of amazon and rosette swords and sprouts planted. I’m hoping it will look really cool once it all grows in. The stocking on this tank is still up in the air. I really want to get a nice school of fish but I do have to move this tank back and forth from home and college. I was thinking for a schooling fish cardinal tetras, harlequin rasboras, ember tetras, or zebra danios. Some centerpiece fish yet to be decided and probably a bristlenose pleco or some otos for a hand in keeping it clean. I kinda want to wait till the fish auction going on in Monroeville on the 28th to decide since the aquarium club is taking a field trip there and I might see something I really like.
At some point I also need to drill holes in my lid for the intake and output of the filter, but I don’t need to get the lid on till I have fish. I’ll probably get around to it sometime in the next few weeks and I’ll post an updated picture when it’s done.
I was trying to set this tank up on a budget so I made my own lid out of acrylic
I split the cost of a shelving unit with my brother and kept the bottom half.
We just recently started an aquarium club at college and had a family weekend so we used the tank to get a bit arts and crafty. We had kids color in a fish and we hung them with fishing line from plastic mesh above it.
The sand in the tank is the black blasting sand from tractor supply. After the event on Saturday I was finally able to set up the tank using plants and some red flourite substrate I had sitting in another tank with my filter running. I just mixed in the flourite with the blasting sand and I think it looks great. Hopefully the flourite will hold in nutrients and the sand will allow easier rooting for the plants.
Now for filtration I really wanted a canister and Amazon had the cascade 1000 on sale for the same price as their smallest model ($70)... So I am using a filter rated for 100 gallons on a 20. I guess if I ever upsize there won’t be a problem with my equipment.
On the downside the intake basket was too long and I didn’t want to raise the tube a foot high above the tank or cut any of the pieces. So believe it or not, I actually applied knowledge learned in the class room and drew up and 3D printed my own intake. The intake sponges are small Fluval ones purchased at a petco. I forget the actual labeling on them.
For the heater I got an h7 for $25 off amazon. I like it because it’s adjustable, keeping the temp within 2 degrees of the setting and gives the temperature of the tank. The only downside is the light is kinda bright at night when I’m trying to sleep so I have it on the side of the tank. The light is a Nicrew ClassicLED Plus.
Here’s a current picture of it all set up
I have a bunch of amazon and rosette swords and sprouts planted. I’m hoping it will look really cool once it all grows in. The stocking on this tank is still up in the air. I really want to get a nice school of fish but I do have to move this tank back and forth from home and college. I was thinking for a schooling fish cardinal tetras, harlequin rasboras, ember tetras, or zebra danios. Some centerpiece fish yet to be decided and probably a bristlenose pleco or some otos for a hand in keeping it clean. I kinda want to wait till the fish auction going on in Monroeville on the 28th to decide since the aquarium club is taking a field trip there and I might see something I really like.
At some point I also need to drill holes in my lid for the intake and output of the filter, but I don’t need to get the lid on till I have fish. I’ll probably get around to it sometime in the next few weeks and I’ll post an updated picture when it’s done.
