Tank Journal Archive

[Savage Henry]

So, I'm relocating to Canberra and don't want to take the CADE with me.

I new this would happen and should have bought a smaller tank from the start.

Anyway, I'm back to the start at looking at my options. I need a tank I can lift and move around myself, so I'm looking for max size, minimum weight. Would go acrylic if I could find a reputable builder.

I will keep my CADE with my parents and my Mum will look after it as I relocated the live stock and live rock to Canberra. I'll then store the CADE tank away.

My biggest issue is whether I should keep the Yellow Tang. I don't think it's grown much over the past twelve months or so, so I might keep it, but if it has a growth spurt it'll have to go.

So, any suggestions on a tank that can be lifted by one average person? I am happy to use a trolley to move it around, but would need to be able to lift it by myself up onto a cabinet.

 

[lukusis]

Acrylic can be heavy, very heavy, in thicker profiles. As is glass too i suppose, the 8mm 60x45x45 i just sold on was a heavy little sucker. Manageable, but heavy.

Forgive the ignorance, but what size is the Cade?

 

[CodyS]

Hey! Hope you're well.

Acrylic could be a bit lighter. But if you are moving it regularly the chance of scratching increases.

I would say either way a 60x45x45 is probably the maximum size I would recommend.

Plenty of nice low iron rimless tanks that size on the market.

I suppose the other thing you would need to consider is the scape. You want to have one solid scape that you can fit in a foam box, bucket or similar.

Stand, sump and easily detached plumbing would be high on my list too.

For the stand, aluminium would be the first place I would look for lightweight. However finding someone to weld it could add up quickly. Thin wall steel would be next lightest if you did it correctly.

The sump I would make from acrylic. With all the baffles and bracings in a sump the acrylic used doesn't need to be very thick.

Hope those mumblings helped.

If you want help designing a specific system let us know dimensions and equipment etc.

Cheers
Cody

 

[Sean81]

If your of a larger size a 600x45x45 is just doable alone. I can move my 120 alone but can be a struggle. I moved it up 3 floors twice and on and off the stand 6 odd times alone while setting up. But I'm not a small guy. Over 100 kg. The stand was actually harder. I think.

 

[Savage Henry]

Thanks for the info guys.

I mistakenly bought a 90x45x45 some time ago that was easily manageable at 6mm. As you'd expect, it had a massive bow and I got rid of it.

I notice the Juwel Rio 180 apparently weighs 30kg. It is 101x40x55. So 4000 square centimeters of floor space. I think they are only 6mm, but have bracing along the top and bottom.


I'd consider the 60x45x45, but I do already have an 80x35x48 in 8mm that I can manage on my own. Both have approximately the same floor area, but the 45 depth would be much better. But either option would definitely mean giving up the Tang.

 

[CodyS]

Hey,

If you feel you can handle a larger tank on your own, go for it.

I would suggest an 8 or 10mm base. Whilst 6mm will do the job, if you drill for bulkheads, move it around or drop a rock on it etc you are much better off with thicker glass.

I will have to say with those juwel rio tanks, you get what you pay for. The glass on those cheap aio tanks is often scary thin.

I think the tang is out of the question yeah.

The other option is keep your current tank and pay someone to help you move it.

 

[Savage Henry]

Thanks Cody.

Moving the CADE is not an option as I could end up moving a few times in future. Just this morning there were seven Police cars out front as they were attending the building next door. So, I think I might not stay in this current place for too long. No gunshots or anything.

Hopefully after say five years I will settle somewhere and will then be able to bring the CADE along.

Maybe I'll just setup the 80cm tank and then see how I feel about it later.

Unfortunately, I have named a fish after each of my three nieces and the one named after the Yellow Tang is going to be very upset. In fact, they recently informed me that I could not sell any of the fish, especially the Yellow one as the "family" owns them, not me.

 

[CodyS]

Thanks Cody.

Moving the CADE is not an option as I could end up moving a few times in future. Just this morning there were seven Police cars out front as they were attending the building next door. So, I think I might not stay in this current place for too long. No gunshots or anything.

Hopefully after say five years I will settle somewhere and will then be able to bring the CADE along.

Maybe I'll just setup the 80cm tank and then see how I feel about it later.

Unfortunately, I have named a fish after each of my three nieces and the one named after the Yellow Tang is going to be very upset. In fact, they recently informed me that I could not sell any of the fish, especially the Yellow one as the "family" owns them, not me.

haha! Classic. Maybe buy a yellow coral goby and try and pass it off? LOL

 

[Savage Henry]

NO Coral Goby will ever replace my Yellow Tang Cody.

Anyway, after heaps of research on a new tank, on the off-chance, I found myself visiting Aquaristic yesterday and discussed things with one of my favourite saleman there. He pointed out the Fire tanks they had and I think he thought they were 8mm. I looked at the bottom and said I thought the bottom was definitely 10mm. I was actually going to visit another shop and look at the Komoda 90x45x45 in 10mm. Whatever, I had decided I'd like 8mm in 90x45x45. So, I bought it. When I got home, it's 10mm all round. But, I can lift it a couple feet off the ground (probably not over my head), so it is managable.

I am extremely happy with the size - my CADE 90x60x55 in 12 mm is impossible for me to move about myself, but I got the Fire 90x45x45 in 10mm into my apartment and all is good.

I have just filled it up with freshwater and will let it sit overnight. How long should you leave it like this to test it?

The Yellow Tang is still only 10.9cm so it can live in this tank once I've set it up properly.

I will gradually break down the CADE and put it into storage. I should be able to fit most of the live rock in there.

I am considering finding a new home for my tailess Coral Beauty. It has awesome colouration, but no tail. I often looks battered and bruised because it is fearless and rams into any crevice it can find and it always tries to get cleaned off any fish or crabs, but the crabs just nip its fins off. I have actually seen this happening.

One last comment, I have become very disillusioned with some of the online advertising being done by a small number of aquarium stores, leaving me wondering if they really have available to sell at the advertised price what some of them are offering. Just my opinion. Fortunately, the old reliable stores I visit come up with the goods they advertise.

 

[MagicJ]

When are you moving to Canberra?

I have just filled it up with freshwater and will let it sit overnight. How long should you leave it like this to test it?

I would say that 24 hours would be more than enough time - you are really just checking for water leaks that are immediately visible. I only half filled my Redsea Reefer for 30 minutes recently - with no leaks evident around that bulkheads etc I emptied it and filled with salt water.

One last comment, I have become very disillusioned with some of the online advertising being done by a small number of aquarium stores, leaving me wondering if they really have available to sell at the advertised price what some of them are offering. Just my opinion. Fortunately, the old reliable stores I visit come up with the goods they advertise.

If they can't deliver than I suspect that there reputation will be damaged and people will be all over social media letting others know of their bad experience. I recently purchased via Fish Street's Australian warehouse but after following up on the non-delivery it was obvious that it was being sent from Hong Kong - I can choose to get upset, or I can accept that this sort of thing happens sometimes and move on ...

 

[Savage Henry]

I am already in Canberra.

As I did when I moved regional about a year ago, I have set up my 80x37x48 tank with my pair of clowns. I have my hammers in there and they are thriving.

The Fire passed the leak test overnight and I'm look at moving the tank onto a coffee table I bought recently. The coffee table is solid, made out of Jarrah. Actually, the coffee table is so beautiful I'm wondering if I should risk it suffering water damage using it for the tank?

 

[Savage Henry]

I have now decommissioned this tank and have moved all the coral and fish into the 90x45x45. I'll start a new journal for this tank soon.