How this happened: months ago, someone at fish club offered me a free tank stand that fits 33L or 55, and I took it. Been sitting in my basement. Since then, I'd been on the lookout for an empty 55 gallon- I didn't want someone's complete setup because my plan is to just move all the equipment, plants etc from my 45 into a 55 . . . and then one finally came up! Even with a black backdrop already on it. Pleased.
Did a 24-hour leak test outside.
It held up fine. I emptied it today (watered the garden and all my shrubs). Now it's sitting inside again on the stand, waiting for the next step. Switching tanks out again is a big job I know from past experience. But I'm wanting to do it. For her sake-
I continue to feel bad for my angel. Most of her fins are healing but the anal fin is really truncated right now.
I went up to the tank with a tape measure to make sure the new one will fit in the space- and when I lifted my arms just above, Miss Beautiful freaked out, crashed into the corner. Hadn't seen that in a long time. I am starting to think she really was traumatized when young. And the tetras I got to help her feel calmer- I'm starting to think I've deluded myself. They're probably biting her fins, causing the damage. I should get rid of them and find her some other kind of companions.
I wanted to have a 55 to give her more space- an extra foot to utilize horizontally, although not as much height- and also so that it's easier to work in. I'm tired of having to stand on a stool and use tools to reach into the back or very bottom of the tank.
It will just be an entire day of work to tear this one all down and set the new one up. I'm both dreading it and excited about it at the same time.
I tested the 45 tank water today, just to be sure it wasn't poor water quality. Zero ammonia, zero nitrite, nitrates between 10-20ppm. So that seems okay.
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