New Tank! :D

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Yeah your tank is definitely acrylic, they only really make these things out of glass and acrylic. I'd do just as Finwin says, get a nice piece of wood cut to size. And also put a foam mat inbetween the tank and the wood. I use yoga mats for this purpose, you can get them at 5 below for 5 bucks and cut to size.
yeahh im going to start looking for somewhere to store the water so i dont have to wait as long to cycle it again. should i put a yoga mat between the wood and tank or just the bottom side fine?
 
yeahh im going to start looking for somewhere to store the water so i dont have to wait as long to cycle it again. should i put a yoga mat between the wood and tank or just the bottom side fine?
storing the water will do nothing for your cycle, the beneficial bacteria you need lives in your filters and surfaces in the tank.
I would run the filters on another tank, with an ammonia source like some fish or rotting shrimp, to keep your cycle alive while altering the 180 setup.

The mat should go inbetween the tank and the wood, and should evenly cover the bottom of the tank. For a 180, will probably have to buy a few and piece them together. There may be a better solution than the yoga mats, I have used them for my acrylic tanks in the 50g range where I only needed to use one.
 
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storing the water will do nothing for your cycle, the beneficial bacteria you need lives in your filters and surfaces in the tank.
I would run the filters on another tank, with an ammonia source like some fish or rotting shrimp, to keep your cycle alive while altering the 180 setup.

The mat should go inbetween the tank and the wood, and should evenly cover the bottom of the tank. For a 180, will probably have to buy a few and piece them together. There may be a better solution than the yoga mats, I have used them for my acrylic tanks in the 50g range where I only needed to use one.
sweet that saves me time, i have an oscar tank i could put the filters on. Someone else mentioned on this thread to put it between the wood and stand? Also i've only heard bad things about tap water and hose water. Which for think tank i would be using house water. There is no chlorine in either. I've ran multiple test strips even right from the hose and nothing. Is there small traces that test stripes dont pick up on? Would it hurt to have it run another day? Going to pick up all the parts tomorrow
 
damn thats a set back but atleast I know now and can fix it. Sounds dumb but im just confirming.. glue it to the stand? Also i have never heard of a tank pad, could you possibly link me my best options. rather be correct then buy the wrong ones

You can bead the industrial glue on the metal frame and set the wood on it. You could probably get by without the glue but it might shift a bit during your setup...obviously once the tank is full that wouldn't be a problem.

I know some folks use plywood but I wouldn't trust it with a solid base for a big tank. Besides, it can warp and stretch over time with moisture. (And weight). A door plank is solid and level. Comes in Birch or Oak.

Marine Depot Aquarium Mats are great...level out weight perfectly for tanks. They have all standard sizes. There are other brands too I think. Easy to get online.
 
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Hold the phone here. Couple things to correct. First, what you need is a piece of 3/4” plywood that is cut to size to sit right between the tank and stand. If it’s a standard 180, then it should be about 6ft x 2ft. No glue needed, just place the plywood on the stand and the tank on the plywood. Line them up and fill the tank.

Do not use foam between the plywood and the tank. This is a common mistake and will put extra stress on the bottom seams of the tank. Our local expert of acrylic tanks, wednesday13 wednesday13 , explained the reasons why in several threads. He has a great deal of knowledge on acrylic tanks and if he says not to do it, then you should definitely listen.
 
Hold the phone here. Couple things to correct. First, what you need is a piece of 3/4” plywood that is cut to size to sit right between the tank and stand. If it’s a standard 180, then it should be about 6ft x 2ft. No glue needed, just place the plywood on the stand and the tank on the plywood. Line them up and fill the tank.

Do not use foam between the plywood and the tank. This is a common mistake and will put extra stress on the bottom seams of the tank. Our local expert of acrylic tanks, wednesday13 wednesday13 , explained the reasons why in several threads. He has a great deal of knowledge on acrylic tanks and if he says not to do it, then you should definitely listen.
thanks for your input! I fixed the issue that night and the tank is looking good!
 
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