4ft aquarium conversion

[James Box]

that's some nice work, Lisa! what a great way to house Heterometrus sp.
very attractive and as you say not a huge amount of maintenance.

Robert, thanks for the head's up on the danger of normal silicone. i knew it was toxic, but wasn't aware that crickets ate it and passed it on! at any rate, worth reminding us...i managed to get some aquarium safe stuff for my big imperator tank that needed repairing (i had managed to break the bottom...and then after buying a replacement for that, i accidentally put my steel-toed boot through the side as well all fixed now though.

[Craig Mackay]

That looks awesome Lisa. I have a large aquarium with some tropical fish in it. I made a decision a year or so back to stop repopulating the tank and let the fish die of old age and then I was planning to start again with some African Cichlids. Most of the fish I have have short lifespans apart from my 7.5 inch plecostomus which I was planning to sell or donate somewhere as that will still have several years left. It's gonna outgrow the tank soon anyway. The rest are all well past their best years, lol. That has inspired me to re think the future plans. Can't wait to see the finished article

[Mrs Linda Street]

you after a new lightweight plastic job? just go into any aquatics shop and they can order them in they are only a couple of quid.

It's a shame it wasn't a 36" one i have a spare one of those.

however if you still have problems getting one pm me

Thanks for that Lisa, I'll try a couple of our local aquatics, and if no luck I'll get back to you.

[Lisa Baines]

hey craig,

I had to donate my 12" gibbiceps pleco to the city zoo/farm place here in halifax because it was holding up the conversion. I have several other fish that are now upstairs in a 2.5ft tank
Went to see the pleco today and it looks great

I have two other 3ft tanks that will be converted fairly soon, some time this year anyway. one will be a desert tank and the other will be the 'in-betweeners' scorps that like a bit of humidity but not too dry or too damp. the ones i want are pretty small species so should be able to get a few compartments into a 3ft tank

must admit that this project and the other two tanks will save on plug socket space and generally make the collection look a little more organised

[Craig Mackay]

Sounds like a great project you've got going on. It's look fab when you get them all done. Keep us updated. Plecos, they get massive don't they. I'll probably see if Edinburgh Butterfly Farm want it. They've got one just now thats head is about the size of small dinner plate!! Their fish are kept in good conditions. Shame the same can't be said about their tarantulas. They have a cobalt blue on 2cm of bone dry substrate with lots of dead locusts lying around. The conditions are much the same for all their T's. They have about 30. I emailed them about it but they took no notice. Every time I go there's a few T's missing I can only assume they keep getting ill or even worse dying.

[Lisa Baines]

wow that is one big pleco!!!!

and watch this space for the next couple of conversions through the year.

Been researching substrates for burrowing desert species so I am going to try a few methods before i put the tank together. And when I do the desert tank I am going to have to wait aaaaages for the substrate to dry off. thats the only drawback of desert scorpions. setting up the enclosures properly is a pain in the bottom!

[Craig Mackay]

Yeah, they do get huge. Maybe a small dinner plate was an excited exaggeration though, lol. Probably more like a large saucer. Still massive though. It's in a tank with some of those giant catfishes. I'm Looking forward to seeing the project unfold.

[Matthew Baines]

I seen some 4 foot long plecs at the local koi carp centre nice big but very expensive fish. Was a shame we had to get rid of our he would of been worth a fortune!!!

[Craig Mackay]

Totally, did you try sell him? We bought ours at an inch for £2 and it must be worth at least ten times that now. I've seen similar sized ones in aquariums for £20-£30.

[Matthew Baines]

nobody would have him as he wasn't keen on other big fish plus he needed a pretty big fish tank. He now lives with 2 Cray fish at the place where i voluntarily look after there exotic pets

[Lisa Baines]

he ripped the soft part of the fins of my spotted synodontis and the other pleco's we had! it was a good job we had a spare tank upstairs at the time

[Ray Gabriel]

Lisa

THis would make a very good BTS article.

I sued to get lots of cracked tanks in/ near the glass skip at my local town dump, a few words witht he guys there and they would keep them aside for me, great to house scorps and spids, useless for fish (and much cheaper),

Ray

[Lisa Baines]

lol you are determined to get me to write something aren't you?

enclosure #4 has now been completed and #2 is topped up with what substrate we had left from transferring a load of tarantula's to bigger tubs.
in my rummaging about in the 'parts & accessories' box i found a great piece of bog wood that, when on it's side, makes a fantastic cave. so that has now gone in #2 enclosure and there's a very happy female h.madraspatensis in there now

going to get rest of the stuff to complete the tank on sunday, cant wait

[Ray Gabriel]

lol you are determined to get me to write something aren't you?

You have a lot of good information and ideas, and not everyone comes onto the website, ..................so when can Richard expect the first articles? LOL

Ray

[Lisa Baines]

lol i'm working on two at the moment, one of my comical scorpion experiences and tank conversion/false bottom enclosure...

should have them done sometime next week so i can add completed pics of the tank into the article