New Nano

i just got my 1.2m tank.. goin to section the back off with black perspex

 

yep im thinking black perspex 2, just painted my 1.2m black (outside off course) and it looks great, gives the tank so much more depth. if i dont come right with the perspex then only will i go with the gravel background

 

from what ive seen.. perspex is EXPENSIVE.. but for a nano im sure its fine good luck

 

hi shihr how well do those internal filters work?

 

See you got something done. My tank is done and was going to finish the cabinet this weekend. Put everything together saturday night and low and behold I made a huge mistake with the measurements. Have to get new panels cut for the cabinet.
Hopefully tomorrow and should be finish by next monday.

Will try and send your plants tomorrow. Have a little spare time hopefully.

 

they work amazingly well and also is really easy to clean.. only prob is u cant pack too much filter material else u get a dry filter

 

Linga my Nano filter is the same as yours but with a little difference. Would be fun to see how they compare once working.

 

yep these type of filters is essentially a sump in your tank, and sumps have been proven to be very effective form of filtration. i think the main benefit of an overflow type filteration system is surface skimming (that odd almost oily looking dirty bit thats always at the surface), with a sump or in tank sump filtration that layer is always removed always keeping your water clear and more important the level of the water in the display constant.

if done in a large tank the filtration capacity is huge, for my little nano its total overfiltration which is always good , gives you a little room to sort stuff out if theres a problem.

@ Vis the cabinet measurements can be a pain, a few millimeters can cause problems, i started on mine last night, managed to do the hood part, will try to complete it by the end of the week. no hurry with the plants, whenever you have time its cool

 

Haha . .linga ..good on you dude

You're almost done . . .

 

dude i havent done any woodwork in such a long time, i had totally forgotten how much work and patience is required, and i hate the smell of wood filler

 

heheh . .well . . .you made the tank . .what stops you from making the cabinet?

 

I am pretty nifty with the wood in most cases. Painting no problem. I even have a vey artistic streak but man Silicone is not my thing I suck at it for some reason. Still want to do a complete little tank like yours and not just modify one.

 

Yep silicone can be a pain of note, i now have new respect for tank builders, but you truly have a great feeling of accomplishment when you fill that tank and there is no leaks, to just stand back and say yeah i built that .

well had a lazy day yesterday, didnt do anything, so nothing to report back . will try and do somthing today.

 

Update time

had a busy weekend, finished the woodwork, and did 2 coats of varnish, i think i will still add another coat and then see how it looks. i still havent placed the vanished cabinet on the tank, but i did test it out before painting it looked ok.

 

thats not bad at all man! nice one..

 

thanks alot, i really suck at DIY with woodwork being the worst i think. i cant wait to put it on the tank to see what it really looks like.

 

dude, this is looking wicked. I have been itching to start a Nano tank for some time... this is only making things worse!!! (or is it better??)

Well done Linga!

By the way, if you had to add up total cost of this tank, from glass, to silicone to wood, to the filter media and equipment... what cost are you looking at?

 

hi thanks alot for the kind words. i wont be able to give you a cost as i had the wood/ paint/ etc already lying around at home. the glass however was about R 180 as its 6mm. for this size tank you can comfortably get away with 4mm glass which would be much cheaper. sorry i cant help with more cost. but i should say you can prob do it for R 500, with the lights.

 

@Madam

Get a standard 1 foot or 2 foot tank from LPS. (Between R50-R75)
Get a small internal filter to suit.
Get hubby to make cabinet. (Show him pictures of this tank and look for Vis's one where he built the same tank). I know your hubby would love this project, and being the scrutinizing engineer he is, he will more than likely come up with some cool ideas.
Get a standard light fitting put into the hood.
Go buy the globe from makro. (Phillips Genie or Tornado energy saver globe... MUST SAY COOL DAYLIGHT on the box.)

 

ok so the paint dried, and i just had to out the tank in the cabinet, looks ok i think. Now i just need to sort out the lights and put in a background, still wrestling between black or a gravel covered background.