365 project - #143
Nikon D80, 18-135mm @31mm, f9, 1sec, ISO200
I'm setting up a new aquarium :)
I went and got my old 10-15gal tank from storage yesterday, but discovered it was leaking when I went to set it up. I emptied the tank and went to get a new 15gal from the pet store... but the front pane cracked when I was cleaning it last night before filling it up. I exchanged it this afternoon for a new one and finally started the setup process. Once I transferred the sand over and started up my old filter, I found it was making some pretty whack noises... and I went back out and got a new one. Between the tank, new filter, water test kit and water conditiner, I've spent about $150 on the setup so far... plus about $30 in plants. I'm running the tank for a week or so before I get any fish, allowing the water to breathe and get the chemistry right... the fact that I'm using old gravel and have plants in there should help the conditioning process along.
The water is cloudy because I use traction sand for my substrate. Though it's been rinsed, has been used in an aquarium for years and cleaned many times in that period, well, traction sand is made of all kinds of grain sizes, including silt and fine sands that never quite get washed away :P Transferring the substrate over from the old broken tank to the new one stirred a bunch of it up, that's why the water is cloudy. I'm running two filters and it should be clear in the morning. You can't quite see the set up through the murk... and really, neither can I. We'll see just how it looks when the water clears; see if my arrangement of plants and rocks is going to be pleasing and encourage the fish to swim in the open areas and feel safe :)
I've missed having fish.