re-housing red-bellies

[scottya]

Hi guys, new to this site so go easy!! Right, i currently have 3x red bellies (and a common plec) in a 25g tank and they are rapidly outgrowing it. They are about the length of my palm atm (plus the tail) and around 5 months old. The tank was only ever going to be a growing tank until they got too big. Although they seem perfectly content, healthy and happy with each others' company (apart from the occasional fin-nip which quickly regenerates), i think the time is about due for a tank upgrade. I am residing in a fairly small cottage atm with my mrs and our 2 children so i am fairly tight for space. The only real place i can fit a tank big enough (i was thinking 240L, have found a nice one in my price range), is floor-standing below my wall-mounted tv in the front room.
Anyway, apart from the obvious probs such as the old, uneven floor (which i can sort) and the kids meddling with the tank (they are 3 and 1), does anyone have trouble with condensation with a tank around this size? I dont fancy buying a new tv at 500 quid a pop should placing a tank below the tv not prove to be such a good idea. Also im planning to buy this tank within the next week, am i right in thinking a 240L will support my current stock? Oh yeh, my piranhas lose their red bellies on a fairly frequent basis and turn silver all over apart from the tail and fins, is this normal? Also are these floor standing tanks with the base unit very sturdy? I wouldnt want a 240 kg weight falling on my kids should they bump into it!! Many thanks guys, any help much appreciated

 

[Fat Homer]

Personally i would be worried about the condensation from a tank underneath the TV... also considering your in the UK weather is pretty bad, so i'm presuming you'll be running heaters in that tank almost all the time, which will probably speed up condensation which may or may not effect your TV, but the bigger question is would you want to risk it...

 

[Foster]

The fish are getting to the point that they will splash. Even covered with just a crack big enough to stick my fingers in my littlest piranha can get the carpet wet. If it is a small cottage you will have to worry about mold issues from the dampness from the fish tank. I would also worry about the kids and the water, having it under the tv means it wont be very far off the ground and neither of them would do very well in deep water if they climbed in.

Maybe I worry too much but to answer your tank size question it should work out fine for them for life.