Hi all!
Thank you everyone for your compliments. We'll try to hit all the questions at once. First of all, we should mention that we live in Amman, Jordan. We moved here with our RES from the US 1.5 years ago. (They were supposed to travel in cargo, but we begged the pilot and he put them in his personal space behind the cockpit.) They're almost 3 yrs old now. Timid is 5 inches (length) and Piggy is a bit stunted at 4.
Each panel on the hexagon is 40cm wide X 45cm high, which works out to about 55gal. We fill it to about 2/3. The glass is 8mm and it all rests on a sheet of foam rather than directly on the floor.
We designed the tank ourselves and looked here in Amman for someone to build it. Five or six stores told us it was impossible, but finally we found one (the most reputable in the country, actually) who said no problem and quoted a price of $250US for the whole setup - tank/heater/filter/rock formation, and 5 yr warranty on all of it. We'd guess the price would be much higher in the States. It's been about 3 months now and there is no sign of any trouble. It seems very solid.
They seem to have enough swimming space right now - although how long that will last, we'll see. The rock formation (which looks bigger when seen through the glass and water) is hollow on the inside, with the filter/heater only taking up a small space at the bottom. So they can swim all the way through underneath -- or hang out there, which they do all the time. Still, we'll probably take out a big removable chunk of the formation soon to give them more space.
The filter is a "Resun" 1200L -- dunno if the brand is available in the US. According to the box it outputs 700L/hour. It's mechanical/biological, with foam and plastic media. We change the water gradually, skimming out a few liters and adding a few once a week or so. Whenever we notice the bottom looking mucky (not often), we siphon around all the river rocks (15-20 mins). About once a month the water starts looking yellowish and we rinse out the cartridge, which takes 5 minutes. It's really very easy maintenance and there's been no smell or buildup of any kind.
Whew, think we got everything there, but if not, ask away.
On a last note -- if anyone here knows about species other than RES, we'll be posting soon in the General Care forum about some hatchlings we acquired and have yet to identify. Luckily, though, their care is equivalent to RES.
Best,
Phil & Diya