Dr A Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 So. It begins. Turning my entrance way (dumping ground) into a small display. I removed the rim off my old hospital tank (wish I'd done a better job - oh well). (doing a water test here) Floor Standing Lamp/Light fitting. DIY CO2 Drift wood dominated Main planting will be clumps of Windelov Java fern, a bit of anubias and one or two crypts Rest of the tank to be bare substrate, probably of black sand or grit - not bothering with a dirted setup as I don't really want heavy root feeders. Will try incorporate a bit of moss. Heater at least needs to be hidden. Ideally filter as well. Like this! Stocking: Either, 1x Fighter (Solid red etc) OR a small school of fish. Bit worried about jumping and the fact that it's essentially in a walkway. Roughly 27L (still tiny!). No bowing or deflection to note! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted July 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2013 Built this on Sunday. I'll get around to uploading some pictars asap. Need to decide on a desk lamp for my lighting too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 :spop: 1 feature fish with gusto would be good there. Robust enough for it to come and see who is looking in the tank, big enough to be spotted from a distance while passing. Little fish will probably dart away whenever someone comes near in a hallway, or hide in the plants so you have to stop to find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted July 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 http://imgur.com/a/cv3Hk Please note: 1) I can't get down my hallway as I'm trying to dry washing in there (no laundry!) 2) dodgy camera skills as per from a phone (using it's flash) 3) cabling work isn't final First time using an inert substrate, so we'll see how that goes. Needs a bit of a tidy up, but you can see the general idea. I really want to take the filter and heater OUT of the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 looks good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted July 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 I really want to move the heater and filter out of the tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 you could look at the under tank heating mats, a bit pricey atm but completely hidden, and filter see if you can buy a mini canister, and glass piping. thats as invisible as you can get. or else consider building a partition in the back to conceal the heater and a mini sump filter. other than that looking awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted July 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 HFF actually stock a heating cable (Aqua One iirc) that goes under the substrate, but it requires a external thermostat, which is another probe in tank. I'd pref the glass pipes, maybe w/ an inline heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 Running a 2213 with 13mm(?) lily pipes and a Hydor inline would work but on anything smaller than 50L might get a bit chaotic with that flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 go coldwater and you could lose the heater the plants will still live Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted July 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 I can put a normal heater into a bit of PVC with some silicone. I mean, I've already got the pump right? Find some clear plastic piping and build a DIY canister filter (ie, more PVC) with the heater in line to that. Don't have to worry about siphoning the tank as it's a closed loop, short of it leaking, I can't see what can go wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted August 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Failure this evening. Purchased a glass CO2 diffuser from tradme (lotofish), and I broke it mucking around trying to get it to work. Not a happy camper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilwis Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 just a idea to keep the filter and heater out of the tank... set up a sump/plastic container under the table (only needs to be big enough to hold every thing in it and you can put a lid on it (i would) put one of those filters that are about $20 from the pet store in the plastic container (little brother of this one http://www.trademe.co.nz/pets-animals/f ... 277873.htm ) hook up the out flow to some air hose back up to the tank to out flow into the plastic container use this idea... http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/foru ... ystem.html tho you don't have to use pvc the guys on youtube use that black irrigation hose (13mm) (about $15 would do the entire thing) and you only the out flow part. oh and put the heater inside the plastic container (tho sit it on something so you don't melt a hole in it) if your not making a little free fall with the water back into the tank you can have your air stone or however you want to aerate the water in the sump/plastic container too that would get everything out of the tank with the exception of a little bit of black pipe in the corner just a idea tho :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted August 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Yep, sounds similar to what I had in mind. 1st job is to get the DIY CO2 going first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabid Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 I bought 10 of those cheap glass co2 diffusers back from thailand and they are absolute cheese, literally every one has broken on the bend with next to no force being applied except to seat a soft silicone air hose. Poor design, the inline ones work better anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Glass gear is always a risk, I've started using in tank atomisers (plastic) and they're doing well so far. However they do require a high working pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reuben.a Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted August 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Well it was my fault the glass broke - I didn't realize they took so much pressure to actually diffuse bubbles coming out of them - evidently DIY CO2 systems still need a fair bit of pressure to force the gas through the diffusion area, I would have given my self an aneurysm had I tried to blow through it any more... I submerged the whole thing and sucked out all the air beneath the diffuser, but this essentially made a vacuum when I tried to pull off the airline hose later, I had to pull really hard and the glass snapped. I'd be keen to give it another crack though, I like the look of the glass diffusers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 I have managed to get them to work with DIY but diffusing the CO2 without pressure (i.e into a filter intake) is much safer and easier. Have you considered getting a pressurised unit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted August 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Pressurized CO2 is an option down the line, not right now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted August 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 Stocked with 5x Ember Tetras as of today. They've settled in well I think. Tank is everything I wanted it to be (low maintenance), and the fish aren't shy which is good for a walkway. Need to decide what I want to do with the rest of the stocking, I'll let these guys settle in and build up the biological filtration in the meantime though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted August 31, 2013 Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 May I suggest another 15 Embers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr A Posted August 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 Absolutely - that's pretty much what I had in mind - everything else in this tank is very mono-thematic, I think a big school of just one sort of fish would be quite cool. Perhaps a few ottos or small (panda?) cory cats to clean up any leftovers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted August 31, 2013 Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 Photos? :spop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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