Asmodeus Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Hey all, This will be a log of my first "real" aquarium build. I had a 90l tropical tank a few years ago and while it was mostly successful, it had no real design and I didn't really know what I was doing. After all the research I've done over the last year, I now know that I did a lot of stuff wrong... :dno: Anyhoo, I had a nice spot in my new lounge for a tank so have been researching on and off for the last year with the aim of setting up something nice and doing it properly. I finally bought an aquarium off Trademe which was a 200l Sunsun with hood and matching stand. The tank itself is nice with rounded front corners and is nice and high (590mm). The stand is also solidly built and fairly pleasant looking too. The whole thing is on wheels and actually well built. The bad parts about it were the inbuilt lights and inbuilt hood filter. The lights didn't have waterproof caps but were concealed behind a piece of perspex. The cheap crappy ballast in the hood had gone and so I made the decision to rip the entire lighting system out and put my own in. The hood filter was also not great and makes the hood a PITA to take on and off so I completely removed that too and got a canister. The other thing I was dead set on was a 3D background so i finally tracked down a place that would ship one of the nice Aquaterra ones here and got one that fits the tank exactly (for 159 euros...) So, on to the build. Tank: Sunsun 200l with stand and hood Canister: Sunsun 304B 2000lph with 9w UV lamp Heater: Aqua One 300w 3D background: Aqua Terra Red Canyon Rock 1000x 500mm Wavemaker: Aqua Syncro HWM 4000 (1000lph) Air Pump: Little rattly Hailea thing that came with the tank The tank Outside for a wash and a water tightness test The hood with inbuilt filter removed and 2x39w T5HO tubes with reflectors added The ballast came all hard wired to the end caps so it was a PITA to get in but I finally managed. It now sits attached to the back of the hood And the canister filter in the cupboard underneath The 3D background that I had shipped in from Malta of all places. Really nice and well built Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 This reminds me of my Project AA build, it's good fun modifying these all in one systems! Any plans for CO2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Im a big fan of tanks Ive seen online where all the plumbing and life support was hidden behind the background so that's what I did. I cut a hole in the underneath of the overhang in the top left of the back ground Seen from Underneath And from behind. I siliconed a steel mesh over it so fish can't get back there Here is the back of the background showing the water returns from the canister which stick through to the front. I've also attached the heater clips so that sits back there too. It ended up being a mistake to split the return as it dropped the pressure too much. So I've stuck a rubber bung in the bottom one and now it only comes out the top which helped I also cut the centre brace of the aquarium (naughty I know) so I could get the background in without cutting it in half. I repaired it with fixing plates. Each end has 2 plates and 4 small bolts so will hold fine Here you can see the returns coming back through the front of the background. They aren't really noticeable as they are built into a fold in the rock. I used joiners for 19mm irrigation hose as they are barbed and wont slip back through the background Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Still umming and ahhhing about CO2 atm. Will start off low tech anyway Here is the background slotted into the tank. It almost fits perfectly and all I had to do was round the corners. Wedges nice under the tank rim too so not going to need silicone and I will be able to take it out later if needed Put some weather seal along the edges and along the bottom of the background so it's nice and tight in the tank. This should stop substrate getting behind and keep the water flowing where I want it to Heres the background in the tank up on the stand Here it is from the front. Starting to take shape now I bought a couple of nice bits iof drift wood too and chucked them in for scale soaking the driftwood, washing the substrate (coffee grit from Stone and Water World) and some nice reddish rocks I found at HFF Substrate in and tank filling in the lounge. Yes I remembered to put a level on it. It got to half full and I noticed it was on a forward lean. Took some water out and put some bits of cardboard under the front wheels and got it level Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 nice progess. i like the background and plumbing setup, well done. I had one of those tanks for about 5 years and it was brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 You hear people talking about tanks bowing when the brace is removed and here it is in action. It's only a couple of mm and mainly because the brace was actually curved a bit. It can't go any further anyway as there are 8 bolts stopping it... Chucked the wood in and tried a few setups but eventually decided the big piece was too chunky with the background and all so didn't go with it in the end. Nice piece but too big Couldn't stop a slow leakin the return as the plastic screw on clamps that came with the filter just weren't up to it. Had to get some teflon tape and a proper hose clamp on the case which sorted it out Got everything plugged in and turned on and got an LED lamp for the cupboard so I can see what the hell is going on. Messed around with the substrate, rocks and wood and after drooling at loads of aquascapes on line, settled on a hardscape I like. With the background already a big feature as well as taking up real estate in the tank, I decided I didn't want any other huge features. The larger piece of wood is biggish but doesn't take up too much room The flow from the canister wasn't great in terms of getting a good current going so I chucked in a small wavemaker with a magnetic base that I can move around. It's a little 1000lph one that produces a nice amount of current The water was cloudy from stirring up the substrate, etc so I drained it, went and got a bunch of standard plants from HFF and did some planting. That was yesterday... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Which brings us to today. I've put in a couple more plants. Just want to pin some javafern to the wood and then will leave it to grow but lfs was out of java fern. Water is cloudy but I'm gonna leave it do its thing now I also dropped in an airstone behind the background to aerate the water. I added some Stresscote and that's all she wrote Now to cycle. I don't really want to kill fish so would rather do a fishless cycle. I've read you can do this with 10% ammonia solution but not sure where to get any. Have seen others say to just "chuck a prawn in your tank" and others say yet other things. I don't know anyone else with a tank atm so can't nab live bio filter from anyone. I've also bought a box of fert tabs to poke into the substrate around my plants as it is an inert grit. Bought an API master test kit too. Questions now are; What would you recommend for best cycling? Is this going to turn in to algae soup with 80w t5HO and root tabs but no CO2? How often/how much should I do water changes in this initial stage and how often should I clean out the filter given it's cloudy? Do I need to buy anything else right now? Look forward to getting this lush and healthy and I'll definitely be needing your expert advice Thanks :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 What would you recommend for best cycling? I just used cloudy ammonia from the supermarket, used seeded media ever since. Is this going to turn in to algae soup with 80w t5HO and root tabs but no CO2? It's a fairly deep tank but only time will tell. Be prepared for new tank algae (brown algae) for the first 3-6 weeks. You'll know if you need CO2 after a couple of months. How often/how much should I do water changes in this initial stage and how often should I clean out the filter given it's cloudy? I usually do weekly water changes at the start, perhaps thrice weekly if the algae is looking nasty. Do I need to buy anything else right now? A big bag of patience couldn't hurt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 What would you recommend for best cycling? I just used cloudy ammonia from the supermarket, used seeded media ever since. Is this going to turn in to algae soup with 80w t5HO and root tabs but no CO2? It's a fairly deep tank but only time will tell. Be prepared for new tank algae (brown algae) for the first 3-6 weeks. You'll know if you need CO2 after a couple of months. How often/how much should I do water changes in this initial stage and how often should I clean out the filter given it's cloudy? I usually do weekly water changes at the start, perhaps thrice weekly if the algae is looking nasty. Do I need to buy anything else right now? A big bag of patience couldn't hurt Cool, thanks Sam. I do know I must be patient. It's hard as I'm really excited about having a working (just) aquarium again :dnc1: I will look for ammonia at Countdown or PAK n Save. I heard store bought ones often had detergents and other things added so will try and find one that doesn't. I have no access to seeded media so will have to do this the long way. Will try weekly water changes for now unless algae gets rough. I'll check the state of the filter then but try not to mess around with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Cleaning the mechanical media at each water change or even monthly is fine, just leave the biological alone for a bit longer. Without fish it shouldn't get too dirty anyways. I will be following this thread very closely! Any chance you could add your location via the User Control Panel? That way local members can assist if need be 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Sure thing, I'll do that now. Just checked out your AA build thread and definitely some similarities Once I find some ammonia, do I just chuck some in to make 5ppm and then wait? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Whenever I feel like doing a fishless cycle I have just added some of the store bought bacteria seeding stuff and dropped a pinch of flake or a pellet in and let it cycle that way, once levels were fine I slowly added fish. Amazing build so far mate, well done. Any idea on what you will be stocking it with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Whenever I feel like doing a fishless cycle I have just added some of the store bought bacteria seeding stuff and dropped a pinch of flake or a pellet in and let it cycle that way, once levels were fine I slowly added fish. Amazing build so far mate, well done. Any idea on what you will be stocking it with? Thanks man! I read that the store bought bacteria stuff isn't that effective and isn't even the same archaea that set up in your filter. I figured that adding pure ammonia removed the need for the adding food and letting it rot step? Not sure which method to try... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtiskaw Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Looks great! Does coffee grit make your fish swim faster? :fshi: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Thanks man Still not sure what I will stock it with yet, that's a whole other research project. It will be a community tank of some kind I think. Would like some nice specimen fish too, Really have no idea yet but open to suggestions! I had another question, I currently have the lights on for 7 hours (4pm - 11pm). Is this about right for now to get the plants going but not encourage too much algae? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoFishing Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Awesome looking tank mate. Your hard work and careful planning looks like it will pay off big time. What fish are you going to add? Can't you add a couple of small fish to get your cycle going? With 200l how much ammonia can a few small fish produce? Wouldn't think enough to cause any harm. At least not till the filter catches up. Just my opinion, but I have no patience either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Thanks! Like I said, still unsure what fish I will have. :dunno: I could chuck in a few small mountain minnows or somethign, I'd just rather not have any fish suffer if they don't need to is all. If it;s as easy as putting a few drops of ammonia or a bit of fish food in there then I'd rather do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henward Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 wow very elegant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Li@m Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 I had another question, I currently have the lights on for 7 hours (4pm - 11pm). Is this about right for now to get the plants going but not encourage too much algae? I would reduce the lighting down to 6 hours. With those lights you might want to invest in a co2 system and ferts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 wow very elegant Thanks I would reduce the lighting down to 6 hours. With those lights you might want to invest in a co2 system and ferts. OK I'll dial it back to 6 hours for now. I have it on at those times as that is when I am home so can enjoy looking at it. So it does get some ambient light during the day but no direct sunlight (especially now it's winter). I have stuck some root tabs in around my new plants but haven't started dosing liquid ferts or anything yet. I realise I may well have to go CO2 and that's fine but I just want to get a bit of establishment first. It was mentioned earlier that I'd know for sure after a month or so whether or not it's a must so I'll see how it goes. I should be able to hide a diffuser behind my background so what's another couple hundred bucks in this game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89crwreck Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 love it! very tempted to ditch the overhead filter and add a background to my ar980t now :slfg: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 I should be able to hide a diffuser behind my background so what's another couple hundred bucks in this game? You're probably looking at around $350-$400 for a decent CO2 rig, the biggest cost these days is the cylinder. I'd definitely check out inline diffusers for super stealth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Even for a smaller tank like mine? Or does size not matter so much here? I guess bigger tanks just go through gas faster but rig remains similar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Your tank isn't on the smaller end, anything over 60L can't economically use a sodastream rig. You're looking at around $100 or so for the regulator and diffuser, bubble counter etc then another $250 for a proper sized cylinder. Sodastream would last you maybe a week on this sized tank and at $12 for 250g refill of CO2 it ends up being about $50 a month. Whereas only $30 for 7kg refill of CO2 which would last you around 7 months, the investment in a larger cylinder pays for itself fairly quickly. Hope that all makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmodeus Posted May 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Makes loads of sense Seems a lot for the tank but I guess they need to be well made. What's the cheapest place to pick one up and what size do most people go for? 7kg? I read on a brewing forum that you can pick up converted fire extinguishers for fairly good prices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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