rabid Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Here in chch it was 50$ from tanktest to fill a 3.5kg! Have heard there is another guy on other side of town who could be a little cheaper, but that is a pretty crazy profit margin if you guys are paying 7$ kilo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Rabid head to air liquide by mitre 10 mega out hornby way. Costs me $30 to fill my 5kg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted March 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 A little update, its been awhile. This thread was supposed to be a bit of a journal for me but I lost a few images of the tank being built ect so there is a big gap. Skip to the images to bypass the boring read Made the new tank with a new architecture ( for use of a better word ), used black silicone, tested it and got it set up. Woke up one morning to let the dog out and realized I had wet socks. Bit of a disaster but managed to patch up the tank with water still in it ( best not to ask ). About a week later the other end lost its seal, so had to take everything out and reseal the tank. Upon pulling the tank apart the silicone was too easy to take off so decided against using black again. ( probably just a bad batch/wrong silicone, but had that stuff recommended ) Rebuilt the tank using Sellys brand, as I had built so many before with it I knew it could be trusted. Most of my plants in the hospital tank died. ( Crypts melted etc etc ) So had to replant a new tank with hardly any plants and tried to get them to grow out. Brought some more and planned a new tank got it set up and found out a few days later we had to move cities due to work :an!gry Managed to sell off most of my gear to some nice people in palmy, along with my fish. Prepared all the plants for travel and found out after the movers had left with our stuff that they didn't and wouldn't deliver over the long weekend. After they got delivered with my tank I put them in a holding tank to set up the new one while I planned out what I wanted to do. With all the moving tanks I think the plants just had enough and most died. So again I had to set up a grow out tank and try and get a plan sorted. Thought of a plan of what I wanted, crypt heavy layout. Crypts melted as they do and came back really strong. After about a month of that they all melted away within about 3 days. Not happy &c:ry Anyway it gave me some time to rethink what I wanted to do. Brought a new range of plants, which still need to be added too as this grows out I will buy some plants to fit the empty spaces and as they become available. Been looking for some HYDROCOTYLE SIBTHORPIOIDES for ages, hint hint :ton: Still in its growing stage right now but here are the pics for any interested. Coming along slowly but everything seems healthy ( for now ) A big thanks too to the regular trade me sellers , plants are always healthy and in great condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Wow, looks mint as it is, well done mate on a really healthy looking tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redracer77 Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 What was the black silicon you used? I am having a tank made now with black silicon and you have me slightly concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted March 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 If you are getting it made I am sure you will be fine mate, I can't remember what it was of the top of my head. I think i threw the tube out in disgust but Ill have a look. I think this was a case of the place just wanting to sell me something. Let you know when I find out what it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 :bggrn: Looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted March 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 Cheers bro, good to see you're still around. That Anubias in there is the same stuff you gave me, Crazy to think it survived all that and is still going strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
si_sphinx Posted March 16, 2014 Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 :cophot: LOVE IT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted February 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Well, back into it again. Moved Cities yet again so fish tank went on hold and had to be broken down and emptied. Just when I felt like I was getting the hang of making plants grow for longer than a few weeks. For the 100th time, starting from scratch... Lots of words so just scroll through the pics if you're that was inclined. Glass lily pipes broke when I was cleaning them, fixable but made me want new ones. Found some stainless steel pipes overseas for a large sum of cash. Stainless matches my door handles so added to my wish list. Always prefer the DIY route so made my own. ( black tape is temporary ). They are bloody good imo, only worry is that they are heavy and I am a neanderthal when it comes to moving stuff around. Can imagine putting one through the side of the tank. Pulled apart my light fixture to find it was rusty in parts and the T5 sockets had gone brittle and fallen apart. Was either fix the parts or buy a new fixture. Determined not to sink my entire savings into this project I decided to fix what was there. The parts were some crazy Chinese design that I could only find in amounts of 100. Was easy to go for a new one. One of my biggest annoyances with the old fixture was having 4 t5's on two switches ( 2 each ) but one power cord. At around 5 watts per gallon its was a pain in the ### to work out my light cycle and keep to it. The second switch had to be flipped on and off manually. :an!gry Again I could either wire a new cord in or see whats on the market. Found these which had okay reviews and they were only $100 bucks with bulbs. But... Forgot to ask for the right bulbs to got 4 x 6500k cheap bulbs and of course forgot to look if it was 250 watts or not. By the time the guy replied to my email he said it had been sent. Pretty standard behavior from myself. Lights arrived had to buy a new plug end and then it sunk in that the ballasts were US power supply. I like to play with things I know nothing about so took the lights apart and removed the balast. Went over them to see if the parts could be replaced and found that the quality was really really average. ( $100 quad t5 light fixture, go figure :nilly: ) Well my old lights had good balasts so pulled them both apart and swapped them over. Best thing about the new fixture is the timer. Its a bit ugly and the LED's night lights are gimmicky but that timer is sweet and $100 bucks seems like a bargain. Wires in the old fixture were so bad, every wire was red. Bit of a headache but sorted. Re wired the new fixture but used old connectors which made me feel unsafe. so got new ones and ... Had to label the t5 fittings so I didn't screw it up. Light works really well, a bit dim as the old balasts are 3-4 years old but it works. no house fire yet :happy2: Not sure why I do everything the hard way but that's it for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted February 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Thanks man, will see how it all goes, hopefully this one will be up for longer than the last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 With that minimum from overseas of 100 I have asked for 4 samples, paid for them then they have shipped them :smln: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted February 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 I was told to do the same actually, but I looked at them and just thought they really weren't worth the effort. Cheap design and materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropped Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 do you want to make another set of those inlet/outlets??? they look great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted March 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 Thanks. I can, pm me your tank dimensions and will see if we can make them fit to your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted March 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 So I was hopping that this would all come together and I would be able to put all the hassles of this tank behind me but I am sure this tank is cursed. Less talk more images.. Got some stones for around $7. Got some wood from animates, that was more than I wanted to spend but looked far superior to what I had laying about. And with the money I saved on buying cheap lights I had some $ left over. I wanted to put everything I have learned so far into practice and see how far I could take it so I used one of my design cannons with the layout to see if anything matched up. Found what I think are some nice lines so went with it. Then onto my plants. The whole reason I am into this hobby. There really needs to be some sort of policing on trade me for plant names. People are using pics from the net and I am pretty sure they have no idea what thy are selling. Some though are pretty good but don't always have what you need. All of my Java fern looks dead and mangled covered in BBA. My Xmas moss is actually just Java moss. So they are all things to add to the story of the cursed aquarium. :dunno: Anyways Day one: On the Fourth Day God said lets annoy him some more, and so it was. Watching TV and a rather loud bang followed by a few smaller ones. I figured it was my wiring job but looks like it was unrelated and just the led controler, ( which wasn't even on ). Seems it's a common issue with the Odesea brand lights. So if you are a cheapo like me and they look attractive do not buy them. Spent all night wiring up an old light fitting, in hindsight it would have been much better to make my own from the start or shell out $400 for brand new ones. Was supposed to keep my hands out of this tank but can't help it. Still lots of work to do and a lot of plants to source yet, but getting there. It is what it is, lets see what else is in store for this tank. Day Seven: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 :cophot: Wow dude, love the scape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Do you ever come in to the city? I might be able to help with a few bits and pieces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanityChelle Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 I actually have a large jar of xmas moss that I don't know what to do with, that you can have if you want. It came all tangled in a a bucket of lace java fern that I bought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted March 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 :cophot: Wow dude, love the scape. Thanks man, kind of have to make do with what I have ( as does everybody else i guess ) but I think that's the best hardscape I could come up with. It's a bit rough looking ion there right now but with a bit of pruning and care It might look good. Do you ever come in to the city? I might be able to help with a few bits and pieces Not very often but i'm sure I could. I actually have a large jar of xmas moss that I don't know what to do with, that you can have if you want. Do you think it would be enough to cover what I have now on the wood? If so I would be very keen. Wood has to come out for a clean anyway, it has that white bacteria all over it which is annoying as it's supposed to be treated wood from animates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexyay Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Holy moly - gorgeous scape! !drool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 If you are coming through to SanityChelle all you would need to do is sweep off the motorway at Market Road, go past our house, and get back on at Gillies Ave then continue up towards their house. My spider wood has a few white patches on it also one very unusual looking black patch that developed. I don't know that it's treated, just imported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanityChelle Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Ah, sorry dude, someone else just bought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted March 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 all good, I would have paid for it, but no stress mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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