Starting My Temperate Tank

Well i'm off to set up my 10g temperate! . I will be awhile. I should have some pictures up by tonight.

That's awesome -- can't wait to see!

Yeah i have to rearrange my room a bit so it won't get set up until tonight.

Do you have filter media that you can use, or do you have to cycle the tank?

I will have to cycle the tank. I am planning on getting livestock mid november so i'm hoping the biological bacteria will have been established by then.

It usually takes no more than two weeks for the fishless cycle, if that's the way you're going, so you'll be fine.

Yeah that's with warm water tanks. With temperate since everything has a slower metabolism it takes almost twice as long as a regular cycle and since i'm not currently near the beach i don't have the necessary tools to fishless cycle.

I see... Well, good luck with that! (sounds like you might need it)

Yes. However if i start a cycle tomorrow (it's to late to set up my tank tonight) and my parents bring back the stuff in november the fact that the tank will have been cycling and with the help of the coldwater stuff it should be fine. The biological bacteria will already have established themselves in the sand and rocks from the beach.

Yeah. You'll still probably end up cycling into early November.

Thats okay. I will have two weeks into november to finish up most of the cycling. The only problem is i have to find a good spot for the tank and i have to like the set up. RIght now what i have looks tacky and i am not liking it at all. I really want a zero edge tank that i could make DIY. However right now i am looking at thrift stores and etc. I saw a 30 long with stand. I might get that and spray paint it black.

Sounds like you want this to be perfect.

Any particular reason you want black?

Right now in my room i have a mono chromatic theme. I also have semi-minimalist design. I add plants which add warmth to the room and right now the tank must fit the theme of room so it matches well. I have a corner for it but it just has to be perfect so i won't take it down. Here is what i want the tank to look like. It fits with my room well.

http://www.redseamax.com/redseamax/250Temp/redseamax/Red_Sea_MAX_HP_250.html

My room looks modern to say the least.

Wow, that certainly is a nice tank! I particularly like the stand design.

My room follows a modern theme too, but I mix and match colours to make things a bit more fun.

My room consists of:

- blue and pine bed stand and dresser
- black entertainment center w/ video game systems and DVDs galore
- stainless steel mini-fridge
- varnished mahogony bookcase x2
- a few of those bins on rollers
- Newt tank (on dresser)
- hamster cage (on bookcase)
- 25g tank on pine coffee table

See what I mean?

My room is as follows.

-Pine furnishing with a dark blue comforter(pillows are white, dark blue, and light gray)
-Black mini-fridge
-White contemporary wardrobe (essentially a white cube with stainless steel handles)
-Dark green dresser (has to go)
-Black Cube
-Black small drawer with TV

Basically most of my furniture has to be replaced.

As for the tank it is to expensive for my budget and i need to find a way to make it look like that. If you go to the homepage and check jon olavs aquarium blog you will see his white DIY tank. I think i will do that but have three sides glass as shown in the RSM tank.

Wow, that is modern!

You need a good $1000 shopping spree to replace a few of those oddballs. And buy a new tank

I'd like to replace my crappy furniture too.

I'll go have a look at the tank now.

Okay. Tell me your opinions when your done reading it.

Here are a few sketches. I think i might make the back come out about 4 inches so i can mask the intake and outake tubes.

I can't view it. When I try it just crashes my computer and I have to reboot. That's why I disappeared.

Did you make those sketches?!

Yeah. On google sketchup. How old is your computer? I am making some new ones with the updated back.

I just tried to view it again (stupidly) and it crashed the computer again!


That's really good sketches. = ]

The computer is about 8/9 years old.

Some updated sketches. Oh i'd say you need a new computer .

Wow, you're a master at those!

Yeah, I'd say I need a new computer too.

So basically the water comes in through the right tube and is pumped into the chiller (the gray box) and is pumped back into the aquarium. However this will most likely all be wood. :|. I have no idea how i would get it curved. My guess is that its not going to happen. But it would simply tank 6 beams of wood and then 4 plywood sheets. They canopy would be easy and i could use acrylic for the back. The only problem is i have no money :|.

The tank is approximately 42 gallons.