[Qwedfg]

Hello again

it’s been a while since I’ve posted here as life has taken me in a different direction and between moving, 3 kids and a new job I haven’t had time to keep a tank in a number of years.

Things have settled down slightly and my youngest son is getting to the age where he is interested in watching fish (perfect excuse for the wife) so the tank bug is biting again. I mostly have kept saltwater tanks in the past with only small nano tanks dedicated to freshwater but this time around I’d like a bigger freshwater tank that is relatively low maintenance.

I have a bunch of stuff left over from previous builds:
6 bulb 36 inch ATI t5 fixture
Digital aquatics controller
Custom built co2 regulator

This seemed the most relevant to restarting a tank but I have 5 boxes of crap in my garage that I didn’t even bother mentioning. I figured I could repurpose some of this to piece together a decent freshwater display.

I would like a relatively high light co2 display but don’t want to do the trimming as I don’t have time for it so I was thinking running 4 bulbs with co2 and doing a mostly crypt based tank.

My main question is what size tank would this light fixture work on? Would a 40 gallon work best since it’s the same dimensions as the light or could it fit over a 46 inch long tank? Since I don’t plan on planting many stems there wouldn’t be an issue with plants growing inward to get to the light correct?

My secondary question is on ease of water changes. The tank will be in the basement but my new house doesn’t have any sort of sink or water source downstairs since it’a on a well. Has anyone dealt with this problem and how did you get a water source and waste water outlet into the basement? What worked best for you?

Looking forward to being part of the community again and stealthily buying fish tank stuff while my wife isn’t paying attention like the old days.

 

[Plinkploop]

Hello again

it’s been a while since I’ve posted here as life has taken me in a different direction and between moving, 3 kids and a new job I haven’t had time to keep a tank in a number of years.

Things have settled down slightly and my youngest son is getting to the age where he is interested in watching fish (perfect excuse for the wife) so the tank bug is biting again. I mostly have kept saltwater tanks in the past with only small nano tanks dedicated to freshwater but this time around I’d like a bigger freshwater tank that is relatively low maintenance.

I have a bunch of stuff left over from previous builds:
6 bulb 36 inch ATI t5 fixture
Digital aquatics controller
Custom built co2 regulator

This seemed the most relevant to restarting a tank but I have 5 boxes of crap in my garage that I didn’t even bother mentioning. I figured I could repurpose some of this to piece together a decent freshwater display.

I would like a relatively high light co2 display but don’t want to do the trimming as I don’t have time for it so I was thinking running 4 bulbs with co2 and doing a mostly crypt based tank.

My main question is what size tank would this light fixture work on? Would a 40 gallon work best since it’s the same dimensions as the light or could it fit over a 46 inch long tank? Since I don’t plan on planting many stems there wouldn’t be an issue with plants growing inward to get to the light correct?

My secondary question is on ease of water changes. The tank will be in the basement but my new house doesn’t have any sort of sink or water source downstairs since it’a on a well. Has anyone dealt with this problem and how did you get a water source and waste water outlet into the basement? What worked best for you?

Looking forward to being part of the community again and stealthily buying fish tank stuff while my wife isn’t paying attention like the old days.

I converted my 2 person tub into a sump and had the output for water changes plumbed to my outdoor garden, but that's waaaaay more than I think most spouses could handle. Maybe one of the python systems could be lengthened and used? Either that it'd be running up and downstairs with buckets (not pleasant but really gets your legs in shape 😅). And welcome back!!

 

[Qwedfg]

Thanks for the reply. I have a python but I never used it from one floor to another I wasn’t sure if it would work that way. Buckets are for sure off the list, my wife would have a heart attack on the hard wood floors and I would end up with a hernia! I will try the Python idea since I have one already. Worst case scenario I could attach a hose to an old sump pump and shoot it out of the bulk head but I don’t think that would be an option over the winter.