nz_mitch Posted June 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 Hi everyone, Tanks looking great and it went down very well. Betta's settled in and asides from a bit of agression on his part when he first moved in, they all get along very nicely now. Thanks so much for the help! Just one last question, the bubbles from the UG filter are VERY noisy, especially at night time, can I run a pipe from the uplift tube to an airstone to reduce the noise? If so, what's the best way to do this - the airstone end is a lot smaller than the uplift tube (that is, the piping I have fits the airstone, but is too small for the uplift tube). Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 6, 2006 Report Share Posted June 6, 2006 If possible, you can drop an airline tube with a diffuser (air stone) on the end down inside the tube but if the uplift is not wide enough to do this, turn down the pump so it is pushing less bubbles through. Most pumps have a small knob to turn to get more or less air through the pump. If it does not have any way to adjust the flow of bubbles, you can get small clamps to attach to the airhose to squeeze it shut a bit to restrict the airflow and lessen the size and number of bubbles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Water's cleared now that everything's settled - I'm very pleased with my ice-cream container handiwork. Very clever solution, mitch. Did you have to eat all the icecream first? Now I've got another pressing question! How many snails is too many snails? I can quickly count 10-15 just looking around the tank and I'm guessing there'd be a lot more if I look hard. Do I need to engage in some intervening population control? They don't really bother me too much and I figure they'yre good - turning waste into harmless shell, but seeing as there's a lot of them on the glass would it be worth just plucking some out? If you don't mind the look, then just leave the snails. If they're the tiny cone-shaped ones, then they can be beneficial - they're trumpet snails and they burrow in the substrate and help aerate it. But all kinds of snails will breed very fast and you'll end up with a tank full! (forgive my inhumanity, I'll put them in the 'spare' tank!) Or... you could just squish them onto the glass and let the fish eat them? WARNING: Do NOT do this when the girlfriend is watching (unless you're prepared to get ruptured ear drums). And do NOT do it if she has started giving the snails names like "Cutie-Pie" and "Moppet" :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz_mitch Posted June 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Or... you could just squish them onto the glass and let the fish eat them? I'll sure to be careful with that... I didn't have to eat all the ice-cream either; although I would've obligingly done so if needed.. Thanks for your advice Caryl, but I'm still a little bit confused as to how to do this. The setup (if you stretch your imagination) looks like this: Wow, take another look - that's an amazing illustration! So where can I put the airstone to stop the big bubbles making such a racket? Also, that probably accurately depicts the amount of the tank the UG filter covers, is this enough? If it's not enough and there's no way of significantly reducing the noise (it's in a bedroom...)/it's not big enough, then I'm guessing a small hang on the side filter would be the best option... that'd make a fair splashing noise too wouldn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Move the air pipes around so as it is as far away from the side of the tank as possible. The sides act like a sounding board. You should be able to count the bubbles coming from the exhaust pipe. Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz_mitch Posted June 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 I can't count them because they're coming out too fast - there's no lever to adjust the flow and wouldn't pinching the pipe damage the pump? Also, if I added an airstone, then I certainly wouldn't be able to count the bubbles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 you can get these little metal thingies (i dont know the tech term) and you can attatch two airlines, and they have little sticks that you turn to adjust flow. you can just put your airline on one and open the valve on the other side to bleed a bit off if you like. ive done it before and as long as only a bit is bleeding off it doesnt make any noise (alot seems to make a hissing noise) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted June 9, 2006 Report Share Posted June 9, 2006 Wow, take another look - that's an amazing illustration! :lol: :lol: :lol: :roll: I'm guessing a small hang on the side filter would be the best option... that'd make a fair splashing noise too wouldn't it? Not necessarily. My HOB 'whisper' filter is currently being borrowed by a friend for a tank that's right by his bed. The only time he gets the waterfall noise is when the water level has dropped. When he tops it up the noise stops and he says it works really well in that situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted June 9, 2006 Report Share Posted June 9, 2006 Answer is simple Mitch.. Increase the output pipe length so that it is slightly "above" the water line.. you will halve the bubble noise if you then set the flow so that the water is just flowing gently out.. which is how UG should work.. and not surging out so that the bubbles hit the cover glass.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljtan55 Posted June 9, 2006 Report Share Posted June 9, 2006 you can get these little metal thingies (i dont know the tech term) and you can attatch two airlines, and they have little sticks that you turn to adjust flow There are also these green clamp things that work real well, just clamp em on the tube and that really reduces the bubble rate. Instead of wasting all that air you could get one of the dividers (looks like a T shaped green thingy), and divert all the air into another air stone, or another UG filter in another tank, or a clam ornament that opens and close with the bubbles heh heh personal favorite. You can get them both at any fish shop and its like 50 cents for each one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 10, 2006 Report Share Posted June 10, 2006 I haven't seen those "hose clamps" here, but that's no surprise! But, those...I don't now if I have the right name, check valves (shoot, or is that the name of the valve you put on to stop the water from flowing back, darn)??? That sit on the back of the tank and allow you to attach more than one hose can't they be used. Although, how do you know if your restricting the air too much and causing damage to your air pump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meesheelly Posted June 14, 2006 Report Share Posted June 14, 2006 I have a male siamese in with 3 platies and 4 honey gouramies and they all get along fine! I was actually thinking of getting him a girlfriend or two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jese Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 i used to have a 30L tank get neons they eazy too keep nicely coloued and cheep as chips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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