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New 300litre tank!

Jay1

Member
Joined
25 Jan 2015
Messages
142
Just picked this up was practicaly given it to me for free!
I got a 2217 brand new thrown in with five Arcadia lights T8's with tubes, two large bogwood, heater, the tank was custom (6mm glass) made never fitted into there home, and best thing the tank has never been used and dry stored into a garage for over 15 years!
4ft x 1.5ft x 2ft
Spent an hour cleaning it tonight very happy!
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Petrol money Scutter!;)
the table is only 3.8ft so there is about 2cm over hang so might need to get another work top so it fits better not sure wether to take the chance and fill it?
 
Great that, youve got one of the best filters ever made too.. I love our 2215. Don't fill it wait.
 
Okay kirk I'm scared 300 litres in the living room is not good!
Yeah I run a 2217 on the 125litre tank and have to say its rock solid.
It came with spray bar and Ehiem tubing 9-12mm suction pads and intake pipes all still in plastic!
Not sure what to do with the Arcadia stuff 5 transformers and four T8 brand new tubes?
Is there a T5 conversion kit or is the transformers still going to waste electricity?
 
Is 6mm the usual thickness for a tank this size? Mine is smaller but is 10mm thick.
 
Hey Lindy!
Sorry yeah the bottom is 14mm and the sides are 12mm I think?
I don't know why back in the 80's and 90's the custom glazers used thicker glass proberly technology has moved on today and tanks are lighter, but have same tensile strength.
Its defo circa late 80 to early 90's as my other tank has the same thickness whilst my newer tanks are defo smaller thickness.
It was heavy lifting the tank, took two of us just to lift it.
Its got a old style wooden hood which I don't like plus it weights a ton ontop.

The filter came with a big carbon bag 3 litres in the Ehiem which I've never seen before (sealed) and not sure if its too old.
I might empty it out and stick the usual media into it instead does carbon have a life date to it?
 
Hi all,
I don't know why back in the 80's and 90's the custom glazers used thicker glass
I think you are right. It was probably built in thicker 12 &14mm glass because it is a "tall" tank.

You can have thinner glass for shallow tanks, even if they are large volume.

I think if they built it now they would use 10mm glass all around.

cheers Darrel
 
Hi Jay1

wether to take the chance and fill it?
I'm maybe over-cautious but I wouldn't. My understanding is it's more important to support a tank around the edges. (I also might not know what I'm talking about this time!)
cheers phil
 
Hi Jay1


I'm maybe over-cautious but I wouldn't. My understanding is it's more important to support a tank around the edges. (I also might not know what I'm talking about this time!)
cheers phil

He'll be fine mate, get it filled Jay :D

I don't know if you've seen the Aqua medic padova tank, but that's the type of stand I was originally going to go for until I realised my base was inside the walls, unlike the "normal" construction like Jays, where the walls sit on the base instead.

As long as the pressure on the rest of the base is distributed evenly, ie polystyrene or some sort of mat, a slight overhang should be nothing to worry about.
 
Hi all, I think you are right. It was probably built in thicker 12 &14mm glass because it is a "tall" tank.

You can have thinner glass for shallow tanks, even if they are large volume.

I think if they built it now they would use 10mm glass all around.

cheers Darrel

They don't make them like they used too! I say that to my back aswell!
Hi Jay1


I'm maybe over-cautious but I wouldn't. My understanding is it's more important to support a tank around the edges. (I also might not know what I'm talking about this time!)
cheers phil

Had same issues on my other tank the over hang was really bad and worried about a sheet of glass dropping then.
He'll be fine mate, get it filled Jay :D

I don't know if you've seen the Aqua medic padova tank, but that's the type of stand I was originally going to go for until I realised my base was inside the walls, unlike the "normal" construction like Jays, where the walls sit on the base instead.

As long as the pressure on the rest of the base is distributed evenly, ie polystyrene or some sort of mat, a slight overhang should be nothing to worry about.
The side table is made from soild oak and it wobbles a little when I was cleaning the tank might need more support beams in there, but I reckon once the water is in the table won't budge.
I have a solution I still got loads of random oak floor boards about 15mm I think?
Plan is wood glue the pieces then wood fill and sand down level.
Cut to size, then paint or varnish to protect it from moisture.
The cork underlay is about 5mm think and will go under the tank might even have some foil backed underlay with plastic backing.(125cm X 22cm)

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Ditch the wood hood and put some glass sliders on it.
Good call, lucky the previous owner supplied me with this! Even have the original runners.
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The side table is made from soild oak and it wobbles a little when I was cleaning the tank might need more support beams in there, but I reckon once the water is in the table won't budge.
I have a solution I still got loads of random oak floor boards about 15mm I think?
Plan is wood glue the pieces then wood fill and sand down level.

If it wobbles a little now, it will only be worse once the tanks filled and got a bit of weight to it. I'm guessing you mean it's lateral (side to side) wobble.

If you want to keep the stand as it is and not have to mess around too much, just glue and screw a piece of MDF/ply (or the oak boards if they're long enough) behind the draws. I don't mean the entire back of the stand (if you don't want too), just the depth of the actual drawer would do it, so you wouldn't see it. This will stop the lateral movement. I'd be more worried about this than the overhang.

I'm not sure if you meant you were doing this along the back with the boards anyway, but I read it as that you were going to extend the top with the boards to make up the slight shortfall. Doing this wouldn't stop any wobble obviously but don't worry about the overhang, in your case it's more a visual thing really. Can you live with it or do you want the tank exactly the same size as the stand? If you added the boards on to the existing top to make up the length of the tank, how would you hide the difference between the two? Would this be more distracting than a few mm of tank either side? Probably.
 
I was thinking of re-enforcing the back fella, and it would look alright at the back!
TBF seeing two layers of oak boards would not look out of place as its the same wood.
The old oak floor boards can be sanded and stained to match the edging or I can use some old oak edging I still have to cover the sandwich pieces together either way you right the wobbly is priority as it would be about 350kg sitting on that table I got my wife and kid and myself to sit on the table first and it was fine there must have been at least 200kg to test it.
 
Well I thought I would start sorting out the new tank.
Bought a couple of hardwood pieces (70X50x85cm) to strengthen the side board. TBF its not designed for a 400kg tank so just a few suport pieces to make it safe.
I managed to make a nice slab oak worktop shame I had to make up the short fall of 2cm yes thats all it was.
I'll tidy up the wood soon as I have tested the tank, as this was not been filled in 20 years so was a tad worried with leaks!
All good though.
I had stuck some of the bog wood for soaking and some tannis had slowly came out within the hour so a week should do it as I'm not in a hurry to start scaping this one!
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The tank will be ready by next week for some simple decor. The tannis has flowed the last three days and decided on sticking some beach stones to see which are cool and which I won't use?
Secured the back and it doesn't wobble left ot right now :)
Got my eye on another tank :p
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Great new project.

I'd definitely strengthen up the stand, downward weight isn't so much of an issue as side ways collapse.
You need to ensure the legs are straight and level and firmly fixed to the rails.
Like said above a stretcher rail glued and screwed along the back a sides will help.

Also Does this look suspicious to any one else?

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I think your gonna need a bigger tree!
LOL!!
Great new project.

I'd definitely strengthen up the stand, downward weight isn't so much of an issue as side ways collapse.
You need to ensure the legs are straight and level and firmly fixed to the rails.
Like said above a stretcher rail glued and screwed along the back a sides will help.

Also Does this look suspicious to any one else?

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Hey buddy there is silicone on the outside of the glass and the maker was worried about that aswell I can tell by the extra silicone he has applied inside and the join. TBF after 20 years its cured its air pockets not water pockets for sure.
The long oak plank is glued behind the legs and draws its firmed it up well no more left to right motion anymore.
 
Did some work secured the glass runners with some silicon and the glass previously never fitted, fits like a glove now leaving it to cure for 48hours. Interestingly the top glass is cut on the corners to match the openings rarely see that done old skool!
Officialy its water tight and drained it out for some ideas!
This was a bit of playtime with the stuff I have.

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