Fish tank stand

[Curiouslygrumpycola]

I am now the proud owner of a Love Fish Panorama Tank 64 litre. I had intended to keep the tank on a chest of drawers, but now I've got it home I realise that wasn't my brightest idea

Can anyone recommend a good place to get a stand. The one that is recommended for this tank isn't stable enough for my two toddlers running around.

I'm keen to get set up and start the fish less cycle.

Oh, any start up tips gratefully received. I'm hoping to have tropical fish. A handful of neons to start with.

[EauRouge]

64 litres weighs 64kg so not massively heavy. A sturdy piece of furniture is fine, I have two similar sized tanks on Ikea expedit bookcases. If you want a stand specifically for a fish tank then try a larger aquatic store or try online. Also there are loads of second hand ones on ebay, facebook etc.

Setting up is fairly easy but takes aaaages. You'll need to do a fishless cycle. Did the tank come with a filter? HOw about a heater?

[Curiouslygrumpycola]

It has everything with it, though the online reviews suggest I will want to upgrade the filter at some point.

I have read up on the fishless cycle.

Should my tank be sitting on something as a buffer between it and the stand? I read something about polystyrene, but then lost the thread.

[EauRouge]

Yes, you need to put it on something- polystyrene sheet, carpet tile or one of those fish mats.

I just googled and the filter isn't the best, but it will do the job if you stock the tank really lightly with small fish. If you want loads of fish or if you want anything particularly messy then I would upgrade the filter. Don't bother with carbon or zeolite or any of the the other things they always try and flog you- plain sponges will do the job fine and you won't have to replace them every few weeks so it'll save you money as well.

[Curiouslygrumpycola]

Thank you for the tips. The tank is only having a few neons in it, so should be ok?

[EauRouge]

Yeah, if you're just having a little shoal of neons, say 6-10, then that filter will be fine.