Stripped and new set up...so far

Today i finally stripped my 100 litre tank and then had to clean 6 bags of gravel my fingers are killing me.

The sand was easy to get out thanks to silverrabbit giving me advise...i used the pan of a dust pan and brush to scoop it out it looked like Southport beach when we used to go when we where kids!!! Normal coloured sand on top and black sand underneath that was very smelly!

Cleaned with warm water and a bit of milton baby bleach like Kelly advised me too. I cant believe how clean and tidy it looks already, gravel in but no water as yet as i havent an external filter yet. Would it be okay to put water in without a filter or will the water get yucky?

Here's what it looks like so far, im very impressed but think i may need some more gravel...what do you think? (its about an inch thick)


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The water should be fine in there with out a filter just dont leave it for to long. The gravel looks fine to me but its up to you and what you think looks best really.

Ok thanks Kizno what would you say was too long?? I was just thinking about the plants i need to put in would it be deep enough to plant them in.

A week at most. The plants wont like it with no filter if your thinking sbout putting them in now. i would maby up it to 2" for planting.

The gravel really pops

Thanks silver i wanted something bright...and bright red i got!

Just an update
I finally got my external filter today (what a lot of bother) well put it together as instructed in the manual, started it up worked perfectly until i moved it into the right spot where it would stand...it stopped!!!!
Tried getting it to work again nothing, so reading the manual again i realised i could cut the tubes down to size i needed. So did all that and turned on again...nothing, so left it on for a while and it started doing something! Then i heard the water actually doing what it was supposed to be doing...its just fantastic.

The only bad point is i cant put my lid on my tank properly as the in & out filter bits are in the way... any suggestions what i can do??

Cant believe the filter is silent but the only noise is the water spraying in to the water...sounds like i have a stream running through my livingroom

Il get photos tomorrow not much to see really but i could sit there and stare at it all day!

Looking forward to the photos!

Ok photos as promised, firstly this is my new plant i bought, it an Anubias Barteri On Driftwood:
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This is my current set up as i need to get more plants:
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Nataliey wrote:Thanks silver i wanted something bright...and bright red i got!

Just an update


The only bad point is i cant put my lid on my tank properly as the in & out filter bits are in the way... any suggestions what i can do??

Cant believe the filter is silent but the only noise is the water spraying in to the water...sounds like i have a stream running through my livingroom
!

Isnt the holes in the lid for the pipes to go in? The filters are really quite but can sometimes buzz a bit if they get air in the filter. I like the sound of the spray bar i have 3 of my tank in my room and it helps me sleep i cant sleep if the room is silent

kizno1 wrote:

Nataliey wrote:Thanks silver i wanted something bright...and bright red i got!

Just an update


The only bad point is i cant put my lid on my tank properly as the in & out filter bits are in the way... any suggestions what i can do??

Cant believe the filter is silent but the only noise is the water spraying in to the water...sounds like i have a stream running through my livingroom
!

Isnt the holes in the lid for the pipes to go in? The filters are really quite but can sometimes buzz a bit if they get air in the filter. I like the sound of the spray bar i have 3 of my tank in my room and it helps me sleep i cant sleep if the room is silent

There are holes in the lid but they are not big enough.

I think its qiute relaxing sounds like a little stream trickling down a hill or my partner pointed out it sounds like chips in a chip pan...now i think about it it actually does!

looks good...I have a tank in the kitchen and we are used to the noise...visitors look round as much if to say what is that noise?

Nataliey wrote:


There are holes in the lid but they are not big enough.

I think its qiute relaxing sounds like a little stream trickling down a hill or my partner pointed out it sounds like chips in a chip pan...now i think about it it actually does!

Just cut them to make them bigger then thats all i think you can do or you will just have to leave the lid wonky
haha i think the stream sounds a little more relaxing than cooking chips lol

liz2 wrote:looks good...I have a tank in the kitchen and we are used to the noise...visitors look round as much if to say what is that noise?

Haha its pretty obvious what it is in my room there's 3 splashing away you cant get away from it lol. I dont even notice it unless i think about it.

Ideas for my tank

My female bettas will be going in this tank, just got my new tetratec EX700 filter yesterday so cycling at the moment so wont be putting anything in for a while.

I know i need lots more plants in there but i want unusual plants in there not what everyone gets from their lfs! Im going to get more plants from the seller from ebay where i got the plant on driftwood from his plants are just gorgeous...you have to wait for a week as he orders them from abroad but they are really nice and well worth the wait.

Iv got some terracotta pots to put in there but just need to plug up the holes at the bottom, im also thinking of making some slate caves and growing moss on them or getting some coconut caves and growing moss on them instead.

Id like to put shrimp in this tank too but im a little unsure as iv not kept shrimp before, if i do il be getting little hidey caves for them too which il also grow moss on them.

Are you kjeeping any other fish or just bettas?
A nice big bit of bog wood always look nice IMO. You can just find a nice bit in the forest and sand it down.
This is what i did
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Ive made coconut and slate caves and i think the slate caves look nicer and are betta form my bns but they do look a little out of place where as coconut ones blend in a little more.
making coconut caves
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making slate caves
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Yes just for female bettas and maybe some shrimp not sure yet about that. Iv looked at your coconut cave link before its good

Will take a look at the slate cave thread as im sure it'll be cheaper in the long run to make my own.

Iv got a bit of drift wood already not sure about bog wood yet will have to think about it as its just ideas.

with all the silicone and slate it cost me £12.50 to make 2 and i still had half a tube of silicone left. It doesn't have to be bog wood any hard wood will do im using some oak in a few of my tanks.

kizno1 wrote:with all the silicone and slate it cost me £12.50 to make 2 and i still had half a tube of silicone left. It doesn't have to be bog wood any hard wood will do im using some oak in a few of my tanks.

Thats a good idea too, do you let the oak wood soak in boiling water before you put them in??
How big do you make your caves?? There are some on ebay for £3.50 or i could offer best price...the size of those are 14cm x 7cm x 5 cm approx.

Just ordered some plants from my favourite seller on ebay (I got my plant and driftwood from him) his plants are really nice he buys them from his supplier abroad then sends them to me...takes a week usually but like i said before well worth the wait.
They are 10 Green Cabomba, Dwarf Hair Grass Potted and 10 Vallisneria Biwaensis.

Nataliey wrote:

Thats a good idea too, do you let the oak wood soak in boiling water before you put them in??
How big do you make your caves?? There are some on ebay for £3.50 or i could offer best price...the size of those are 14cm x 7cm x 5 cm approx.

.

Oak seems to take agers to sink so i boiled it put in in a tub weighed it down using bricks and then ones it sunk i boiled it again. I just used what ever size slate i could find one of mine is about 18 X 8 X 4 and the others about 18 X 8 X 8 which doesnt look goof at all its to tall. £3.50 is a good price but i just like to make them myself i think they look nicer and then i can make them exactly how i want them.

Well went to Maidhead Aquatics yesterday to see what plants they had...not much but thats usual!!

So i decided to buy 2 coconut caves as i really dont have time to make my own. I boiled them andleft them to stand for about an hour and here they are:
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I think they look like little fairy houses!!

I also bought a wooden tunnel, im going to be growing moss on this:
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