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New House = New Office = New Aquarium - 2/25 update [56k Warning]

11K views 51 replies 27 participants last post by  mscichlid 
#1 · (Edited)
Been off the site since I changed out my 29g Halogen-lit setup for a 55g. I just never fell in love with the 55 gallon the way I did with the 29. I switched from the halogen pendants to a fancy t5 setup that sat on top of the tank. They were so bright that DIY CO2 didn't cut it anymore and it never became something I was proud of. There were a bunch of other things I was unhappy with, but all that is behind me.

Time to start new!

For my new office, I have decided on a 75g rimless tank (sill in transit at this time). A local dealer has helped me greatly to make sure I have everything I want and within my budget.

Here is what i have to start with.

Tank - 75g Rimless (more info after it comes in)

Stand - Custom built by local dealer (they did a wonderful job)

Lighting - Fishneedit 150W MH Pendants

Substrate - aquariumplants.com Black Diamond

Co2 - 10lb tank from local brew supply and aquariumplants.com Electronic Regulator

Filtration - JBJ Reaction 4-Stage Canister Filter + UV EFU-45

Misc - Ferts and glass diffuser from aquariumplants.com

Current Photo





2/26 Latest Video -http://www.youtube.com/user/hcmitchellr#p/a/u/0/fQAo4U8IiOk
 
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#2 ·
Lighting

I wanted incandescent lighting again as well as well as lighting that was suspended over the tank. After a few days searching, I came across fishneedit.com and their low-priced halides.

They are a great value. The are light enough to hang from wall shelving.



There are 2 problems. First, the hanging brackets were not straight and make it difficult to level the lights and the do not come with any shades to cut down on light spill.

I was able to compensate for the brackets and I was able to create shades using about $30 in materials. (I can go into more detail if anyone cares, but the pics will pretty much tell the story)






Now things are looking better.

 
#9 ·
I will be transplanting 10 Cardinals and a Feather-Fin Catfish that is still in my 55 gallon tank at my old house. I am still looking for that "right piece" of driftwood to start my scape. I am sure I will transplant some of my plants from the old tank, but I am also considering having aquariumplants.com help me with a custom scape.
 
#6 ·
I decided to take a blind leap on the filter. I can find little info on the JBJ Reaction 4-Stage Canister Filter. I was intrigued by its addition of a UV lamp and wanted to see how well it works.




After getting my hands on this thing, I can say it looks a like a dandy canister filter. This thing is huge.




Provided that the pump is worth a hoot (still not tested), this looks like a solid canister filter. However, I have serious doubts about its UV sterilization capabilities. It seems the lamp is too small and the flow will be too fast to do much of anything....we shall see.
 
#12 ·
They have been tank mates for almost 3 years now. The Cardinals are 3-5 years old and started out in my first planted tank. The cat is at least 4 years old and came from a relatives tank. He is around 6.5" and the cardinals are 1.5" - 2".

I havent had any problems with him except when I brought home a Bichir who wanted to be sociable. He couldn't learn to stay our of the cats stump and had to go back to the store.

...of course...there are those stories of cardinals\neons that start going missing after years in the same community so I wont say it will never happen.

However, for now I have to keep him because he keeps my wife content. She doesn't understand why I insist on keeping "tiny fish".
 
#11 ·
Very clean setup, especially considering the addition of a rimless tank :) A word of warning for the halides though; you'll likely want them hanging quite a distance above the water's surface. I have a 70w fishneedit fixture and found the sweet spot to be at 16" with pressurized co2 (non-stock bulb). Of course, your mileage may vary :)
 
#13 · (Edited)
Aquarium finally arrived!!!

It took a while, but my LFS owner picked the thank up for me today!

It is a beautiful tank, not quite AGA quality, but the best option available to me.




The aquariumplants.com substrate looked better than I thought it would. I never opened the buckets till today and was very pleased with its appearance (hope its performance is equal).

If you ever decide to go this route, take their suggestion on the website and rinse this stuff first. I drilled small pin-holes in the smaller bucket and used it as a strainer. This is the dustiest stuff I have ever ran into. Seriously, if you are pouring this stuff into anything dry, hold your breath because you will choke on the cloud.

However, as dusty as it was, it cleans up a lot faster than any other substrate I have tried to rinse.

I also added a layer of pure laterite on the bottom. I had it on hand..so why not.






Tomorrow I will pick up my python hose from my old house and fill it with water. I will also need to trim the intake.
 
#14 ·


Disappointment and Frustration

No plants other than some clippings I brought from my old house and some Wisteria I threw in to have something green. I know it will grow fast and can be easily removed if\when I get my plants.

I had to bring over my fish because they were being neglected. No losses in the move, but I hate having them in a near-bare tank.

Nothing is coming easy with this setup. With only a few exceptions, everything I have ordered has been Late, Lost or in Limbo. My plants are in Limbo.

Dreams of a green Christmas...shattered.
 
#16 ·
Really sorry to hear about the plants... Things like that suck. On the other hand, it is christmas time! Look at your beautful tank and all that nice equipment! Seriously, I can't wait till you get some plants and such in that thing cuz it is awesome!
Merry Chistmas!
Jake
 
#19 ·
Flow is very low for the filters size. Circulation is almost non-existant on the other half of the tank...and thats with no plants blocking it.

I assume its intentional because of the UV sterilizer built into the filter. It would be pointless with anything higher (though it may still be pointless because the UV bulb has to be small).

Getting some Green Water pretty early for this setup, but I am sure it hitched a ride from the old tank. Water Changes are keeping it in check, but I can tell the UV filter would not be able to handle it on its own.


I am going to add a circulation pump, but its stuck on a truck somewhere as well.
 
#20 ·
Woke this morning to something I have never seen in my tanks in 26 years of keeping aquariums...hair algae!

My guess is ammonia, but I haven't tested for ammonia for years and I don't have a test kit. The fish load, while not huge, is more than what I am comfortable with for the age of the tank.

GH readings are alarming as they are off the chart. Very strange as my water is extremely soft from tap. KH is where I expect it to be. Could it be the substrate or fert tablets?

I usually have to add calcium chloride to my water, but I am going to try some baking soda.

I went out and bought some more Wisteria along with money wart and micro swords. Nothing I want to keep in my tank, but I need something to compete with the algae and help with the fish load.

Some good news.My circulation pump came in and got installed with the help of my assistant...



Its a lot larger than what I expected at about the size of a baseball. I placed it in the opposite side of the tank and directed it to the center. Turned it on and debris started lifting from the substrate like someone just switched off the gravity. No fish or plants were blown out of the tank, so its a keeper.

 
#23 ·
If you can get get some more plants in the mean time, do it ASAP. It will help stabilize things. I've set-up 3 tanks recently and none of them have had a spec of algae in them, but I absolutely stuffed them to the brim with plants including red root floaters. Also, that is a lot of light for newly set-up tank. How long is your photo period? I would keep in under under 8 and even lower at first. Also, I would use as much CO2 as the fish can stand and do plenty of water changes.
 
#27 ·
Water Flow - Yeah, 2 of these filters would not be enough for a planted tank. They would be barley good enough for a bare tank. However, the circulation pump I just put in is perfect. (Edit- This is for circulation only. As far as filtration, I believe the one filter is more than enough).

Stocking - I had no choice but to bring my fish over. By my schedule, they would have a new, fully planted, tank to move into. However, one thing would be late and then the next order would be late and it snowballed from there.

They were in a tank across town and I had to make a call. Leave them where they would be neglected and die or old-style cycle the new tank the best I could and hope for the best.

Plants - Everything in the tank is temporary. I love wisteria, but I did not put so much in this project to have a tank full of it. I have a full aquascape waiting in a sellers database. I don't have anywhere to put the temporary plants afterwards so I am trying to keep ho much I buy to a minimum. If my supplier cant get it together by the end of next week, I will seek business elsewhere.

Shades - The materials all came from Home Depot (or it might have been Lowes). You can get a good idea of how I made them by the photos in my first post. However, I have to recommend you get the diamond bits instead of the carbide and borrow a drill press if you don't have one. And buy 3-4 panes of glass if your not use to working with glass (like me). I used 4 panes of glass which is 3 more than what I needed if I hadn't broken any.

1. I measured and cut the glass in 4 equal parts.

2. Separate your hinges (make sure you buy the ones with a removable pin). Use one to make a drill guide like the wooden one in my photo. This might not be as important if your using a drill press, but it can't hurt (keep reading).

3. Drill your holes....slowly and keep the drill bit wet. This is where I kept breaking the glass. I was using a hand drill and carbide bits...Ill never try that combo again. Let the bit get half-way through and then flip the pane and start drilling from the other side.

4. I painted one side of the glass with Krylon grey primer. It was the closest color to the metal of the lights and doesn't bounce the light right back out.

5. Screw your hinge-halves to the panes. The lights have a groove in them that the hinge halves slide into perfectly. Ill add a picture if you need.
 
#29 ·
Not a great pic, but you can see how the hinge halves slide into the fixture.



With the right bits and a drill press, I don't think they would be that hard. Even doing it the way I did, painting them took the longest time (not including drying time).

Light still shoots out the sides. I haven't thought of a way to shade the sides off without drilling into the fixture. My hope is that the terrestrial plants in the side planters will grow out and help shade the light.
 
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