Got a new BIG tank for my little guy

[Becky08]

Ok so i just got a 75 gallon tank for $50 bucks! Had to grab that quick! Im in no hurry to get him in the cage cuz the one he has now is fine...hes only 11 inches. So my question is lighting...I looked at the lights for the uvb at lowes...now does it have to be a t8 or something?? I'm confused about it... Im going to put tile or slate down not sure yet...Should i put the pieces together or just lay them in there? The old cage had a snake in it and has a really nice piece of drift wood in it so im going to clean it good and keep it in there. Should i clean it with bleach? Then put it in the oven? and the cage too...bleach or what do u guys recomend? Ill prob have more questions... i just wanna get somethings ready awhile so i dont have to do it all at once. Thanks a lot!

 

[Evergreen]

Nice find, congrats!

I'd clean the glass cage itself with watered down ammonia since that's probably going to kill everything that could be in there for sure. I'm sure bleach would work too though as that's pretty nasty stuff! I'm sure you already know just make sure to rinse it out and let it air out for awhile

For the tile some people grout it in and some just lay it in there loose. It really just comes down to personal preference but if you like to change things around then permanent flooring may not be your best bet.

I'm 99% sure that the reptisun uv bulbs are t8 so yes, that's what kind of fixture you will need if that's the bulb you have. Took me forever to figure out what this means but basically it's just how thick the bulb is!

As for the driftwood I'd defiantly give it a good soak in probably bleach which is what I've heard is used a lot for cleaning driftwood then if it fits in your oven you could probably do that too, probably after it's air dried though. Not sure what happens to bleach under extreme heat but wouldn't want to test it in my oven :silent:

 

[Becky08]

OK thanks for the quick response! im excited to set everything up!!! I'm not sure what i'm going to do but i got a few ideas! I just might lay the tile down....just in case i would want to change it! Good thinking! Someone told me if you clean something with bleach like rocks and stuff to clean with bleach and put it in the oven to kill the rest of the bleach. That tank was HEAVY just got it out of the car! HOLLY COW! Better get to my cleaning! Oh this should be fun! Thanks again!!!!!!!

 

[Becky08]

Oh another question!!! What to use to mount the light inside the cage...Velrco or double stick tape im asuming...i have my light on the top screen right now cuz its a hood one...I cut the screen and have it laying on top...cuz its not a high cage. Oh and light fixture....what is the biggest size you can get? the tank is 48 inches...will i be able to find one that big? the longest one i found at lowes was 36 inches...thanks!

 

[Evergreen]

You can use velcro or hooks to hang it, I used velcro since we had a few big rolls lying around and I thought it had a little cleaner look since you can't see it. On the Viv Pics Only thread I see a bunch of people have use the hooks and those look nice too, probably just another matter of personal preference.

Not sure on what size uv to have for that size of tank. I just read somewhere that it should reach 3/4 of the tank but I have a 24" in a 48" tank so I also might have to remodel a bit if that's accurate!

Look at the UV bulb you have now. Those little numbers on one end will tell you how long it is and what kind it is (t8 or t10 etc). I've seen florescent fixtures over 5 feet but those were for garages or something so as far as finding something slim and compact you'll probably have to stick with a 24" or 36". You'll want something plastic if you plan on using velcro because the nicer metal ones can get a little heavy to basic velcro to hold!

Good luck and I can't wait to see pictures! Those glass aquariums get very heavy very fast, I can't imagine how much they'd weigh filled with water and fish rock decorations...

 

[Becky08]

The reptisun bulb i have now is only 18 inches! I think ill do velcro and get the 36 inch fixture thats my best bet. The fixture is only 30 bucks and not in no hurry so ill buy stuff little by little. Thanks again...im sure there will be more questions soon! Thanks!!