flymike

Saw these on trademe last week. Can anyone tell me if these are these a species (what they say they are) or a hybrid of some kind? This is the link to the closed auction http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =684440445 Any info would be appreciated, as Ive decided to try for more pure species Thanks Mike

Im running a 980 also, did not find the water returning to the tank to noisy, more of a light gurgling/bubbling sound, But I have now cut a bunch of 1 inch long 8mm clear pvc tubes and stuffed them down in the return duckbill/spreader, this quietened it down a bit more, will put a pic up tonight if anyone's intrested

Hi Guys, I'm now running a 7" 100 micron filter sock in my sump, and at the moment am swapping the dirty one out with a cleaned one every 5-6 days, once the water level in the sock starts to raise up towards the rim. I'm a little scared to use detergents on them, so am just blasting with the hose then hand washing in clean warm water. I did notice the first time I used them I got 8 days before blocking, can I get them back to "like new" flow wise after cleaning? what are you guys doing to clean up filter socks? Thanks Mike

I did look at those, they were 200 micron. The fine mesh ones I have are 100 micron. Ill see how they go, if I have to go to the 200s I will. thanks for the input

Ok, so Iv put a bit of time/$$$ in over the weekend Im now running - No Baffles!!! - New 7" filter sock and mount suspended in the sump, & a spere sock for weekly swap outs. - New BOYU GXB5000 pump with a 25mm bypass (to bring the flow through the tank down a bit, and because I currently only have a 25mm overflow outlet in the tank), with a 25mm ball valve so the flow is adjustable, which puts the excess back on the unfiltered side of the sump - 300w element - about 6kg of bagged mixed bio noods (glass sintered and ceramic, also old and new) - and a few bio balls to make up a 6" thick bio filter that the water passes through The green tape in the center of the tank marks the level when the pump is on and off. I think eventually, I will replace the 1 large and 1 small bags of bio balls with Noodles I may even add another layer and lift the water volume. I also may build a screen for the pump, just in case anything gets loose What do you guys think? Have I missed anything??

So your saying just socks at one end and pump at the other with bagged media in between, no baffles?

This is a better pic the current setup, Water levels abit high. I relly would need to get a pump rated at 3000lph, the ehiem compact 3000+ is $250. 2x CF1200 is only $278 For what I was going to do with the new sump/tank, which is a bit longer and wider, was to use basically the same design, lengthening the first bay and mount the socks lower in the tank (to minimize the chance of overflow, lesson learnt), flow would travel down through the socks, down under a baffle, up to the drip tray, down through the bio balls, up through the ceramics, over and down past the heater ellement and on to the pump. In an ideal world, and if I had'nt been a noooobie add just wanted to get it going, I should have drilled for a 50mm outlet in the side and used existing 25mm one as an emergency overflow. I have brought the first CF1200 for this tank, which Im running along side the sump at the moment, this can be used elsewhere. OPINION TIME :slfg: Should I continue with the sump? Is sump filtration so much better than canisters? Would it warrant me spending the time and money on rebuilding? or would it be less hassle to just get a second canister and go with the 2? The unused 5000lph Boyu pump I got for the job will pump around 3800lph max up into the tank (max 13.8 tank cycles per hour), this may allow me to run a second tank of the one sump/pump in the future. This idea intrigues me a little, I do like designing and building projects I would sell this one and make a new version from the 75lx45hx38w tank. My Father in law is a glazier, so finding glass for the build is no biggie I have a 3d model drawn on sketch up, just need to work out how to save a screen shot on the mac, and ill put it up All opinions welcome as Im on the fence now over what I should do Thanks Guys

From the sh!t house via aqua 4900 pump I got for $15 :bggrn: no surprise there tough. I do have a brand new/unused boyu gxb5000 sitting there ready to go, but I will have to throttle the flow back by about 50% to allow for the 25mm overflow pipe work. Iv'e pretty much decided to ditch the sump set up. Im only newish to the whole aquarium thing, and my other tank with a CF1200 works well and is quiet. The wife has said no big tanks, but if I did a sump will be the way to go (note how I used will and not would!!). My only concern is the 5.45 (apx 1500lph) filtration cycles per hour through 2 CF1200's, but I think the use of a wave maker may help with this Im still going to set up the tank I got to re-build the sump with though, and it will go under my big tank. I think I will pump it up into the main tank with a vacuum breaker hole drilled just above the water level to minimize the back flow, and allow it to flow back through the 25mm overflow. But of course this will lower my filtration cycles per hour evan more (down to apx 3.95p/h) Thinking about that, I may have to re think this plan

Yeah I know my second idea with the pump would be much better than trying to use the canister I only chose to try to use the sump because it came with the tank and stand (got it cheep) The sump is poorly made from a tall glass tank with acrylic baffles Some pics here viewtopic.php?f=3&t=65300 Its not a large tank 120x50x50 and I don't plan on over stocking, just 2-3 of breading groups and some randoms I picked up the second tank (75lx45hx38d) cheep ($20) as the previous owners were heading over seas, was planing to rebuild a new sump set up in it. But now Im just going to use it for a small grow out/fry tank.

Hi Guys, I'm not so happy with my sump setup on one of my African cichlid tanks, after a small biblical style flood, failing pump, noisy pump & fish eating, along with other issues. I'm doing away with the whole sump idea, and shifting to 2 CF1200 canisters and a wave maker Here's my question 275l tank on a 1m high metal stand with sump on shelf below. Plan to remove sump and put in a smaller tank on the lower shelf. - Can I route the ex sump overflow in to the new lower tank and have one of the pick ups from a canister taking from this tank and pumping it up to the main tank? with out to many issues? (like a sump & pump set up, but with a second tank and canister) or - Should I set both canisters pick up and return in the main tank, then have a pump setup in the smaller tank pumping up in to the main tank and returning down below via the overflow. Hope you can understand that :slfg: Any feedback or ideas will be appreciated just trying to make the most of what I have. Thanks Mike

Thanks Guys, I did have my mind set on giraffes, but it doesn't really look like its going to work out long term. I may look into a group of jacobfreibergi, IF i can find some good fry to start with. Anyone have anything going?? Also have 2 Aurora males, maybe I should look for some females to keep them company

Ryan, I have my yellows labs in another tank, and plan on putting the dems in with them soon. So do You think I could run 4 Taiwan reefs (1m-3f) and a small group (1m-3f) of giraffes, without to many issues? other than when they size up of course. I may do what you sugested and put together a slightly smaller species only breeding tank, for when I want it.

Hi Guys, Iv recently put together a 120x50x50 tank with sump (275l total) Id like to put a few breeding groups of haps together, 1m-3/5f. Currently have 10 Taiwan Reef juveniles, will cut the group down once I know who is what. I would like to run a Giraffe cichlid group, and was thinking maybe kadango or Al. jacobfreibergi as well. As Im new to haps, was wondering if these species will l've together with minimum cross breeding? It is my understanding the females of these look pretty similar, Is this an issue? Dose the layout of rock work have an impact on territories when females look similar? I've googled the hell out of this topic and it seems individual setups get different results, some species cross all the time, wile in other tanks with same species almost never. Would love to hear how people have gotten on here? Thanks Guys.

Alright, I've split my overflow and added 2 filter socks Excuses the fence standards holding it all together :slfg: , Ill cut those down tomorrow. Will probably remove the media from around the pumps Better you recon??

Yeah you can, but you do have to remove the small bio balls, there's a mesh screen holding them up. I might have to have a think about sorting out the mechanical side of things. Baffle wise, this was how it was set up when I got it, the old owner was running discus in the tank. Ill have a think about it tonight. Thanks Guys

This is a better pic showing what I have and how its working. I'm currently using a stuffed, very loud pump to cycle the water during the day, the black hose running from right to left is for a second smaller quieter pump I'm running at night, Turning off the big loud pump and just cycling the sump on its own (tank has an internal filter in it as well)

The sponge I have is roughly 25ppi, should I sponge first then filter wool?

The filter wool is on a tray (full of holes), directly under that is filled with 20mm bio balls, then under that I've filled with 40mm bio balls and 40mm cubes of sponge. I have some sponge laying round, I could remove some of the 20mm bio balls and put a layer of 45mm sponge directly under the tray, and double the filter wool in the tray. Would just have to replace the filter wool on a regular basis I suppose. Or I just so happen to have a 20l bucket based swirl filter I built for another project sitting in the shed, I might look in to this!

Maybe if you ran pure oxygen through a defuser it may be different, I'm not sure, don't know allot about co2 or defusers The actual surface area in contact with the bubbles them selves is very small. You have to think about a running stream, and how much water disruption is happening, you have the friction along the edges and bottom slowing water on the outsides causing turbulence, and a simple rock or log in the middle will force flow up and around it, displacing water. The fish then selves cause turbulence in the water, I read an article once about the water movement caused by schooling pilchard or mackerel, each fish is only capable of putting a very small amount of energy in the water with its tail, but times that by millions and it turns out to be quite allot. (a little off track I know) The surface area of the water is related to the amount of gas exchange possible, by placing a small pump on the bottom pointing up, lightly fluming the surface (only a small disruption, not a massive turbulent mess), you increase the surface to air ratio per hour. An air-lift style pump will do the same thing (which is just an air stone type column of water directed up a tube) I have used a return pipe on the bottom directed at the surface, and had great results, you are able to see small particles being pulled in to the column of water and lifted to the top. I do understand both air stones and pumps will achieve the same thing at the end of the day, but some like the look and sound of bubbles, and some don't. I guess power consumption may come in to it as well, I think the average air pump runs on less watts than your average power head.

Air stones simply use the bubbles to lift a column of water to the surface for gas exchange, the actual bubbles do very little to "aerate" the water. A common term for using a small pump to move water to the surface is fluming, all you need is a slight disruption to the surface for it to work, you also need to remember that the warmer the water the lower the dissolved oxygen levels get. I have successfully grown tomatoes in a deep water culture (basically roots growing in a bucket of water) hydroponic system, using only fluming for aeration. The key is to keep the temps down around 18C, as the temps go up the dissolved oxygen goes down. I found a good article on a koi pond site, cant seam to find it now though From the research I've done, a waterfall type setup works best, with water cascading down in to the tank, I think the idea is that the water comes in more contact with vertical and horizontal air movement for better gas exchange

Im not sure where to fit mechanical filtration in, a filter sock maybe?? or fit something in where the overflow enters?

Hi Guys, I've recently acquired a 300l tank and stand that also came with a home built wet/dry sump. Will be an african cichlid tank (peacocks and haps) I'm new to sumps, but understand the basic filtration concept. I currently have it configured like this, Overflow runs down from tank to sump , fills a thin tall bay and overflows on to tray with holes which distribute over about 8l of 20mm bio balls (wet/dry), under this is about 200mm deep filled with 40mm bio balls and 40mm cubes of bio sponge (under water full time), then goes under a baffle through 45mm sponge up through bio noodles, over baffle, down through 45mm sponge and 3 layers of 40mm bio balls, under a baffle, past 300w heater, through some mesh (to keep media away from heater) then in to where the pump is, I have the pump surrounded with small 25mm plastic cages with a foam inside. Miles of surface area to work with I know. The sump holds about 27l of water, and all up the system is holding 275l Pumps working at 1500 lph (cycling about 5.45 times per hour) My question is, do you need an area without any media in a fresh water sump?? Thanks Mike

Yeah Ryan, Im going to thin down the blues once I know who is what, to maybe 3-4. But Ill be keen on some P.Demasoni soonish. Always have plans for bigger and better tanks, But I also have a wife, saying that I have been looking at a few big tanks on tm, the bigger ones seam to go for an alright price, guess there a bit to big for the majority. Thanks Mike

Havivg trouble getting all the fish to stand still at the same time. Any tips?? :bggrn: The 3 lamps in the tank are pretty run down. When the algae started to grow I was freaking out a bit, but I do kind of like the look, or I've forgotten how clean it looked before. Thanks Guys. Mike

I do understand what your saying mate, I've killed 2 fish I didn't want to continue with earlier on, that is the reason why I'm considering selling, as I didn't feel all that good about it really, at least then its not a complete loss to my wallet. I learned a good lesson with this buy "buy from reputable breeders if you want better specimens", Which is what I'm working towards. I cant see how throwing them on the ground is humain though? :ske: I only thought your comment was a bit rough on a new member, that's all. What a good start, annoying established members right off the bat!! Thanks Mike