(no subject)

[tamakun]

So, fishtank. :) Ever since I've mentioned the tank's had a leak in it, I've been thinking over what to do. Ultimately, I've worked out a wonderful plan - essentially, I can't just buy a new tank without buying a suitable stand, so I've gone forward and bought a new tank and stand combo. As the old tank is like 20 years old, I'm going to transfer the fish out of the old set, fix up the seal problem with aquarium silicone, and sell it off. But anyways, I've been wracking my brain on how to transfer the fish without shocking them too much (solution to that was easy enough once I realized I didn't have to turn off the tank, it's still running just displaced from its normal location).

What I've been researching this past week, however, is something called Aquascaping. Essentially, it's making the aquarium look less like a tank and more like a livable area for the fishes, plus making it more appealing to the eyes. I discovered this Japanese artist by the name of Takashi Amano who has created Nature Aquariums. Go ahead, check out that link. I'll wait. I'd absolutely love to have that similar style, but I'll deal with a plant-centric tank (maybe if I can find some decent driftwood and ferns that'll grow on said driftwood, I'd be almost there) and schools of fishies. :)

So, here's what my old tank looks like:

And here's the new tank for comparison's sake... ;)

I really like this new tank. 47 gallons, stands 30 inches tall (with the stand, it's 5 feet tall total), and it's more of a "column" than anything else. Of course, It's only half-full with fresh water right now, and I'm going to be buying all the stuff I need for it tomorrow. Once I get it set up the way I like it I'll grab another shot of it. :D

I have a lot of links sitting on my Firefox here, so I'm going to subject you to a lot in another post. In the meantime for you all, though, I have to mention this awesome piece of work. I was recently introduced to Retro Sabotage - start at the bottom of the page and work your way up. But I just had to link this from the site: Twenty Lines. An incredible piece of work. :D

(I still have yet to see 2001: A Space Oddysey. Am I bad?)

Comments

[the-pirate-show.livejournal.com]

That's a very cool tank. I'd be tempted to put a tall, skinny-ish column of rock inside.

[tamakun.livejournal.com]

Actually, I have three rocks that I picked up that reminded me of this design (http://www.hemmy.net/images/arts/aquariumart11.jpg) - while the rocks are not 2-and-a-half feet tall (and I think I would be very hard-pressed to find something at the stores of that size) it's still at least a foot tall, and I'm hoping to use it with the other two rocks and create a serene cliff-like aquascape.

I'm also going to grab a few extra-large plants for the background. Considering I did well enough with the anubias in the old tank (I think that's what plant's survived all this time) I feel confident in a few other plants - heck, I upgraded the light for the sole purpose that plants at the bottom would still be able to grow :)

[scruloose.livejournal.com]

The new aquarium is pretty cool looking! You could plant a tree that'll grow right out the top of it!
(I really like the Amano one with the plant growing up out of the water.)

As for transferring the fishies with the minimum of stress... there's a whole procedure for it: get the new tank set up, try to get the temperature the same as the old tank, and leave enough room for the water from the old tank; then capture all the fishies, put them in plastic bags full of water from the old tank, close the bags and put them in the new tank to float around; gently transfer the old tank's water to the new one; and after a couple of hours let the fishies out of their bags.

The reasoning behind transferring the water to the new tank is to soften the shock of going from the chemical balance in the old tank to the new, clean water. The idea behind leaving them floating in bags for a while is to let the temperature equalize slowly before exposing them to the new water.

These things may be kind of overkill for fresh-water fish, I mostly remember my Dad taking these steps with his delicate marine fish.

Oh, and a side note, for the repair job: be sure to get the special aquarium-rated silicone, and apply it on the inside of the tank. Regular silicone is made with solvents that are pretty toxic, and the next guy probably doesn't want that leaching into the water.

[tamakun.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was concerned that I would have to turn off the heater/filter system, empty the tank, move the fish to a bucket, move the tank, and then set up the new one and then leave it for a few days to let the water acclimatize and dechlorinate, which would've put the fish in a very stressful, cold, and cramped environment for much longer than anyone would recommend. Then I realized I just needed to move the old fishtank out of its cubbyhole without turning anything off, and set up the new one, and move the water over without losing any of the bacteria in the old tank. I might even put the old filter running alongside the new one for a while so that it can propogate its "seeded" filter media.

It may be overkill, yes, but the fish stand a much better chance of surviving if you introduce them slowly, just as you said. I was considering starting a saltwater "reef" tank but those are ex-pens-ive, not only to start up, but to maintain. I'm already putting a lot into this new setup. And I'll be happy with freshwater regardless. :D

As an aside, I've recently been told not to use the bagged water from fishstores as they may carry diseases and such. It's strange because for all this time they've never mentioned that, and I've happily added their water to my tank (sometimes with horrible results, might I add).

Thanks for reminding me about the silicone! I needed to put that on my list of things to buy tomorrow. :D

[lordshipmayhem.livejournal.com]

Excellent looking tank, bad person. Looking at it my immediate question was how stable it was. I'd hate to be the owner of the evil elbows who managed to knock it over!!

If you're going to watch 2001:A Space Odyssey, I strongly recommend Arthur C. Clarke's book first. If you don't, half the stuff won't make sense - they had to cut out a ton of explanatory stuff and significant events, as if they hadn't it would have been twice the length. I should have a copy somewhere around here to lend you.

One anti-Windows geek over on slashdot says in his signature: "Oh my God! It's full of bugs!!"

[tamakun.livejournal.com]

Well, let me tell you that the stand and tank, when empty, are really heavy already. (Heck, they almost didn't fit in my car, and I had a little trouble getting the tank on the stand at first!) After adding half-a-tank of water, it's pretty stable. Good idea, though - I should try "shaking" it a tiny, tiny bit just to ensure that it is solid, and to future-proof myself.

If I borrow your book, it'll be a while before youg et it back, I'm really lousy when it comes to reading. :P But I would be willing to try, regardless. :)

[kinnonyee.livejournal.com]

I never watched the movie either. IBM=HAL or something, One letter removed.

Nice tank. Or are you happy to see me? :p Sidney collects fish too. You should talk to him about it sometime.

[tamakun.livejournal.com]

Saltwater or Freshwater? Man, I really should talk with this guy :P

[kinnonyee.livejournal.com]

Freshwater, but had salt before.

[tamakun.livejournal.com]

I was considering getting saltwater for this tank, but at the same time, I'd still have to do something about my current tank, and furthermore, saltwater tanks are high-maintenance and expensive to upkeep. Maybe someday later on in my life :P Still would be great to talk with him :)