The Whole Shebang

[Ric]

I hope you're not using old carpet for substrate......

A new height in interior design 

[Vale!]

I'm starting some enabling work ahead of putting the Sheba tanks on the racks. The shelves will have to be reorganised and the anchors that I put at the top to tie the racking to the wall behind it need checking (one is a bit loose). 

By far the sternest challenge will be to move the three-foot Eirmotus tank. I'd like if possible to do it without evicting the fish first ; they've only just recently become brave enough to ask if I'm about to feed them and I'd rather not break too much of that trust if I can help it. Eviction may not be a practical option, though.  If I leave (say) 20 litres of water in while moving it, I don't know whether the base will take the strain. With two helpers I might be able to slide it onto a board, though. We'll see.

Anyway, the first problem was where to put the Eirmotus tank.  It gave me the excuse I've been looking for to complete the takeover of what Mrs.V! called her 'sewing room' when the extension was first built.  The last vestige of equipment that she might use to support her claim was her sewing machine.  I found a space for it elsewhere. 

With a space cleared I bought an Ikea cupboard thing. If it had turned out not be at all suitable I would have put it somewhere else in Vale! Towers where it would have been of use. Having built it I tested it for strength. Normally I pile a load of containers full of water on top of it, more than equal to the weight of the prospective tank plus water. This time two of us stood on it and danced around a bit. It was OK - not perfect, but OK.

So this morning I've disassembled it and put it back together with No More Nails (exterior version). I don't care if it doesn't look pretty :




I'll leave it overnight and then see what the result is.  The holes in the back weren't there originally of course, by the way.

[Vale!]

I'm pleased to report that it worked : the structure is now solid, with no side-to-side movement at all (it was about three or four millimetres before). Now reassembled and awaiting further orders.

[Annie]

Love it when a plan comes together

[Vale!]

Electric sockets now installed.

I'm about to goo a couple of glass upstands to the side panels of the Eirmotus tank, to support its light unit. Then it'll be ready to move from the rack to the Ikea cupboard thing - when I feel brave enough.

I think I mentioned elsewhere that Vale! Minimus suddenly announced that he wants an aquarium. It'll have to be housed in Vale! Towers and I'll have to maintain it most of the time. We've settled on it being a species tank for Bumblebee Gobies, so I'll have to learn about brackish water.

The only place it can reasonably go is Tier 4 of the rack. It'll be a little shallower than the other tiers, so I'll get another Sheba tank made at 250mm high.

I was out and about earlier, picking up some of the last bits I need for fitting out the tanks. I popped into Maidenhead Aquatics at Dobbies and looked at their stock. There was a 'love at first sight' moment.

They were labelled as Yunannilus cruciatus ; having now read a bit, I see they keep changing their name every so often. Seriously Fish has them as something Seriously Unpronouncable. A fair few commom names, too - I like 'hovering zebra loach', so I'll go with that!

So the racking is now looking like ...

Tier 0 (top) :  Springtails etc.
Sheba 1 : Liquorice Gourami (alfredi)
Sheba 2 : Improbability Fish (Pseudomugil : Spotted Blue-Eye)
Sheba 3 : Hovering Zebra Loaches
Sheba 4 : Bumblebee Gobies.

I'd better start sorting out some of the existing glassware for rehoming, I think.

[Stephen]

Micronemacheilus Cruciatus aka Vietnamese Multi Banded Zebra Loach, Hovering Zebra Loach.
Fishbase still have them listed as Yunnanilus cruciatus.
Nice little fish that grows to about 1.6 inches (40cm 40mm).

[fr499y]

1.6 inches, 40cm? lol

[Gingerlove05]

[quote="fr499y" pid='32996' dateline='1567005338']
1.6 inches, 40cm? lol
[/quote]

Right there with you
No wonder all my fitting work was out if thats right

[Stephen]

[quote=fr499y]
1.6 inches, 40cm? lol
[/quote]

I meant 40mm 

[plankton]

https://www.loaches.com/species-index/y ... -cruciatus

Lovely little fish.