Setting up a Rubbermaid 300 gallon stock tank with underlayment and pond liner

[2bfishy2]

I’m filling it up now with water.

 

[2bfishy2]

Ok I filled it up with water and put in a Tetra Pond flat box filter filled with the sponges it came with and lava rock.

 

[phreeflow]

Wow that’s overkill but if it helps you sleep at night…

 

[2bfishy2]

I plugged in the room heater and I’m thinking of just letting the tank sit for a day and get to the same temp as my aquarium is before I add the 125 gallon sponge filter that’s in my aquarium. I figure if I add it now, the water is too cold and will kill off the bacteria that’s on the sponge filter.

 

[2bfishy2]

Wow that’s overkill but if it helps you sleep at night…

Yes I will sleep like a baby since I won’t have to worry about the tank leaking. Some of the seams were sketchy on this tank. With this pond liner I am ensured I won’t have to worry about any leaks.

 

[2bfishy2]

I plan on adding floating plants like frogbit and maybe even duckweed to help with nitrates. I figure I have to wait until the tank is cycled before I can add those? Is that right? I ordered 4 Sansi grow bulbs from Amazon and they will be delivered hopefully by Wednesday next week. I have a floor lamp that I will be screwing those into.

 

[2bfishy2]

The floor lamp takes four bulbs and I can adjust the arms at all angles

 

[2bfishy2]

Ok. My floor lamp only has 3 bulbs. Lol

 

[2bfishy2]

I added two 50 lb bags of pool filter sand.

 

[2bfishy2]

I added two fake plants to add some color