Help with hardware install

[Paddy]

Hiya guys.

I am posting this here because I am not sure where it belongs. I guess it is ‘hardware’ of sorts…

Anyway, as some of you are aware, I quite enjoy keeping fish. Sad I know, but everyone enjoys playing god now and then!

I have a couple of tanks and one of them, the oldest, is due for a good clean.

Now it’s a ~45litre tank which puts it on the small side of ‘reasonable’. Unfortunately it’s hexagonal in shape. Whilst looking quite pretty, it is very unpractical, and to be honest I think that the fish hate it. It is very open. I have a nice lump of tree in the bottom but the tank still has a very airy feel to it and the smaller fish don’t do very well.

Anyway, I was in bed thinking about how I could make it a bit friendlier to the fish as well as being more aesthetically pleasing.

I was thinking along the lines of creating a series of caves that vary in size.
If you picture a hexagonal tank. Got that? Now I want to use the space at the bottom and back of the tank. I could do something simple involving flower pots, but let’s face it - that would be no fun! (and it would look pants!)

My other half suggested somehow fixing plastic tubes of different sizes to a piece of slate. This sounds plausible but I don’t really have the equipment to start drilling through rock! Besides, I am not sure how fish-friendly super glue would be!

OK, I hope that this makes some sense. If anyone has any suggestions, I’d really appreciate them. I am going to attempt this either tomorrow or Saturday night.

What do you think?

[Brian R.]

Large pretty rocks that leave alot of open space would be cool. No glue would be needed. (forget the super glue)

or coral

[Paddy]

I have thought of that, but some of the fish in the tank are quite terratorial. I think they would benafit from haveing a 'cave' of some sort.. perhaps i can use large rocks around one... thanks for the idea

[Paddy]

I am also cautious that a pile of rocks could go though the side of the tank. I could fix them with silicone.... I guess i want the floor to bear the weight and not the sides.

[Brian R.]

If some are territorial, think of it as designing a Last Man Standing map for UT. You don't want places were players can camp.

If you place them correctly, most of the weight can be born by the bottom of the tank. Don't forget how strong the walls of the tank are. They have to hold considerable water pressure at the bottom of the tank. Particularly a tall narrow tank. The force exerted by the rocks would be small on the sides compared with the force exerted by the water pressure.

[ZokesPro]

You could get one of those ceramic skulls, or maybe add some plant life to liven things up.

Caves are good too, fishies love caves.

[Paddy]

hehe

Unfortunatley, the more aggressive fish just chase the smaller ones as they have no real place to hide...

I have a 1inch long puffer... All the fish went for him until they realised that he had teeth! He's King of the Hill now!

[ZokesPro]

Well, do you have any old plastic toys? G.I. Joe vehicles would make great fishy homes. (trying to think like a fishy here, hehe)

How much plant life do you have in there? Plants provide awesome home for the fishies.

[Paddy]

Well, do you have any old plastic toys? G.I. Joe vehicles would make great fishy homes

Oh dear!

[ZokesPro]

So you don't think an F-14 or a tank would make a good fishy home?

[Paddy]

hehe this is cool!

http://www.bio-elite.com/waterbridge.htm

[HomeBrewer]

Use some the clear selant they make specifically for aquariums to fix leaks at the seams. It will work fine as a glue as lons as you don't put a LOT of stress on it.

[ZokesPro]

Oh man! I'd make a maze of tunnels! Well maybe not too complexe, don't want those fishies getting lost.

[Sethos]

I once had a tank exactly like the one you described, unfortunatly every fish I put in there croaked pretty quick, by the end I think word spread among the fish community, because they were practicaly trying to jump out before they ever got in. In the end we put those that were left out of their (and our) misouries cleaned the tank for the last time and put that sucker away! Never figured out why they all died, we followed the instructions and everything

~Sethos

[KvHagedorn]

Get a Lego set and build whatever you want underwater.. Castles with multiple cave-rooms, whatever..