Is it cheaper to build or to buy

[pshtex]

Sorry but there is little chance that the bass go over 6 pounds and even less chance it will get to 2 feet. Where have you seen an 18+ pound, 2+ foot long largemouth in a home aquarium???

An 18 pounder would be a fisherman's dream in the wild. They are extremely rare, and to say that his bass will get that big is just an uneducated guess.

Your really looking at most likely a 3-6 pound, 17-18 inch fish full grown, unless you have a potential world record bass in your tank.

there is no reason that a fish in an aquarium should be a runt of the species. they generally eat more than when in the wild and if taken care of and housed properly they should be able to become a beast of a fish like that 600lb bore that kid shot well turns out that bore was raised by that family and not a wild bore same with fish they should be able to get to their full potential if not then the keeper is doing something wrong

 

[Jon M]

I agree skip the canister go with a wet/dry sump setup...look at the DIY filter section....also heads up Use to have 2 16inch Oscars in a 140g they owned that tank couldn't keep others with them do to territory issues so plan ahead if your set on that combo your biggest issue is going to be them battling it out as they all mature and get angry...good luck love the combo I hope you can pull it off might want to think about throwing a green terror in for color to...lol

i hate to go against the grain but i've built tanks for much less. It was cost effective for me at as little as 100 gallons. Find a brand new 100 gallon, should be in the $350 range. I built my 130 for for under $300. Materials: plywood and hardwood front/sides $75, Epoxy $60 w/ shipping, Glass was $45 w/ shipping, silicone $10, misc. items-sand paper, screws, wood glue $20. It mostly depends on how you build it. Now this is just the tank, it doesnt include filter, lights, stand..

What thickness and dimensions was the sheet of glass for the front of this 130g that cost only 45$ shipped? Do you have a build thread or pics? I'd love to see such a cost efficient build.

 

[killergoth]

BUY!

 

[KLee79]

What thickness and dimensions was the sheet of glass for the front of this 130g that cost only 45$ shipped? Do you have a build thread or pics? I'd love to see such a cost efficient build.[/QUOTE]

Yea I have a thread, http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=362293

tank dimensions are 72x30x16, inside dimensions are 70.5x28.5x16. Makes it a little over 130g but I never fill it all the way. The glass dimensions are 11x67, and the 2 sides are 13x22. Glasscages.com charges $3 a square foot. They make monthly deliveries to columbus and do not charge me more than $20 for shipping. I've ordered from them many times..My epoxy is from uscomposites.com. Everything else was purchased at lowes..Want me to build you one? lol

 

[Jon M]

What thickness and dimensions was the sheet of glass for the front of this 130g that cost only 45$ shipped? Do you have a build thread or pics? I'd love to see such a cost efficient build.

Yea I have a thread, http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=362293

tank dimensions are 72x30x16, inside dimensions are 70.5x28.5x16. Makes it a little over 130g but I never fill it all the way. The glass dimensions are 11x67, and the 2 sides are 13x22. Glasscages.com charges $3 a square foot. They make monthly deliveries to columbus and do not charge me more than $20 for shipping. I've ordered from them many times..My epoxy is from uscomposites.com. Everything else was purchased at lowes..Want me to build you one? lol

Glass thickness? Hell yeah I want you to build me one! But I need 92x24x24 and just one viewing window in the front.

 

[KLee79]

Glass thickness? Hell yeah I want you to build me one! But I need 92x24x24 and just one viewing window in the front.

Its 1/4" thick. Im serious, I'll build you one. I'd like to build more to gain more experience and perfect my design. A 96x24x24 wouldnt be all that more expensive. You'd use 3/8" thickness for the front and i'd have a piece of glass 92x20 which would run you about $76. Epoxy and wood would roughly be the same..

 

[Jon M]

Its 1/4" thick. Im serious, I'll build you one. I'd like to build more to gain more experience and perfect my design. A 96x24x24 wouldnt be all that more expensive. You'd use 3/8" thickness for the front and i'd have a piece of glass 92x20 which would run you about $76. Epoxy and wood would roughly be the same..

PMed.

 

[Poloboy]

buy

 

[Slickad85]

what specific canister filter should i buy i want something that will do the job and is dirt cheap as far as filters go thanks

The fluval fx5 is a great canister filter with a relatively high pump output that will certainly get the job done. Most of them retail for about $350-$400, but i looked around and found one for $240. I bought it about 3 months ago. It has been a great addition for my 215 gallon and keeps the water crystal clear.