Are all tanks equal?

[MeCasa]

I promised myself I wasn't going to do this but I need more tanks. I need a larger plant quarantine tank, I think a 40 breeder looks like the right size although those tanks with the round fronts are cute I guess

Are all brands about equal or should I look for particular brands?

Thanks

 

[BBradbury]

Another Tank

I promised myself I wasn't going to do this but I need more tanks. I need a larger plant quarantine tank, I think a 40 breeder looks like the right size although those tanks with the round fronts are cute I guess

Are all brands about equal or should I look for particular brands?

Thanks

Hello Me...

I don't think you need a separate tank to keep plants. Just do a good job of rinsing them before they go into the tank. If you're like most waterkeepers, the tank will end up housing more fish and plants. The tanks with the rounded fronts are "Bowfront" tanks. They're acrylic, not glass. They're lighter, but easily scratched. I'm not a fan of them, but some are.

If you want another tank, I like the shorter 40 G Breeder or a 55 G. Lots of room to work and the fish appreciate the extra room.

B

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Everybody needs more tanks!

You have acrylic, scratches easy but it's light.
You have glass, two types really, normal and low iron. Low iron is marketed as optiwhite.

Some people use tempered or tough glass. I'd avoid this.
My favourite glass for tanks is laminated. I'm not sure you will find one anywhere.

Otherwise, any manufactured tank will use the same guidelines during construction. Thicker glass costs more, bigger tanks need more water . Almost everybody insists you are only guaranteed using an in house base unit. These often cost as much as the tank!

A tank with anything other than straight cuts on standard glass will cost more, curves, heat treatment, etc.

 

[MeCasa]

Mr. Bradbury, the word 'need' is the misnomer that keeps a lot of companies flush with our cash

I'm trying real real hard to keep all snails out of my 150, I may someday introduce specific snails but I'd like to control who I invite. Add to that my tank is 28" deep and it can be tough to work on so I try to get multiple changes ready and take the water down to 8" or so.

But the biggest reason is that when I mentioned a larger quarantine tank my 12 year old granddaughter's ears perked up and she asked if she could 'control' the new tank including varieties of fish and I casually said sure. The young lady has a helluva memory especially concerning the exact definition of 'control' and it's synonymous with boss (in her world that means advice is accepted and generally ignored without recourse)

So the word 'need' is now synonymous with "I said I'd get it now leave me alone" answered with a deadpan "WHEN?"

I was kind of asking about brands, if any specific brand seems to have better quality than another. I too like glass.

Thank you J.Mcpeak

Do you suggest a particular brand?

 

[J.Mcpeak]

No worries, thank you for the courtesy.

Er, I've never really bought a tank.

I have an aqua one I think it is, black silicone, the lid cracked and broke. Plastic gets brittle with age. I've had it 6-7 years or more but not much, it was a second hand freebie. The other manufactured tank is a 65litre Hagen. It's nice. Again it was free. I think I'm the third owner. It had no lid. Both of these tanks came with stands. Basically they are all the same, chipboard veneer, real money stands are solid wood.
One tank has plastic trim along the top the other one doesn't. Then lids are either fitted with or without lights. The stands last long enough before they start looking bashed in. They certainly lasted me long enough. The Hagen tank still sits pretty on its stand, the aqua one stand I destroyed and disposed off, it was in the way, it still functions but I didn't need it anymore.
Some people now use box steel, no experience with these as a stand, if treated it's probably better than wood.

I bought three tanks off a guy but they were DIY they are good, the rest including my first tank, I built myself out of a mix of laminated and regular glass, naturally I think they are also good! Depth is what costs money as deeper tanks need thicker sides.

What I'd look for is surface area at the top of the tank, that's the most important thing. Just pick a finish you like. Maybe one with a badge on that you like too! I like the Hagen badge it's subtle, the aqua one badge fell off.

If it holds water it's a tank, or it has tank like potential, That's my view.

 

[BillD]

Pretty much all tanks are made the same way, glass stuck together with silicone. So, what you look for when comparing brands is glass thickness and workmanship. Bow front tanks are not all acrylic. Most are glass.
If you want to get rid of snails, on new plants, try a bath of 1 tablespoon of Alum per gallon of water and soak for 1/2 to 1 hour.