Summer Project: Iwagumi Rapids 24x18x18" SE Asia Biotope

[CL]

Picked up some stones today. ~50 pounds (probably more) for $12. Not bad.
I've wanted a rapids-esque tank for a while now.

I could do an Asian stream biotope
http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope.htm#Southeast Asian River
a southern thailand Forest creek biotope (the one listed as "Rocky Rapids")
http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope_thai_creek.htm
or an Indian river biotope http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope.htm#Indian/Burmese

I'm ordering an MP 10 wavemaker/ powerhead this week. I've wanted one for a while now, and I'm finally paying up the large amount of money for one (considering it's a powerhead), but the wave feature is something I really want in this tank.

The water will have high oxygen levels, no CO2 injection, and minimal plants, which will most likely include crypts and some willow leaf hygro (depending on which biotope I chose)

I will be buying a 33.6 gallon rimless tank I've yet to decide on substrate, but it will most likely be a coarse beige sand (any recommendations/ links?)
The light will be a 70 watt FNI MH thats a couple of feet above the tank. I want a crisp look, with crystal clear water haha.
Here's the scape that I put together:

[F22]

i like it, its a cool idea.. are you going to be filled entirely or more of a true stream effect?

[CL]

I'll most likely have the waterline two or three inches below the rim. It's a deep tank, and I don't want to worry about water sloshing over the edge.
Oh, I forgot to mention the light. It will be a 70 watt FNI MH thats a couple of feet above the tank. I want a crisp look, with crystal clear water haha.

[F22]

siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick, thats gonna look awesome dude...

[VadimShevchuk]

How are the rocks gonna stand if your not gonna put wood blocks in the water? sit them on top of sand? Cool idea and scape so far!

[CL]

Originally Posted by VadimShevchuk

How are the rocks gonna stand if your not gonna put wood blocks in the water? sit them on top of sand? Cool idea and scape so far!

Yeah, I will take those wood risers out, and put a pile or coarse gravel in their place. Thanks guys!

[chase127]

oooohhh shiny rocks I can't wait to see that tank!

[CL]

Me too
I want to use zebra danios and/ or ghost catfish.
I could do an Asian stream biotope

http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope.htm#Southeast Asian River
Most of them have muddy water, but the stream one I posted above has clear water

Orrr, I could do a southern thailand Forest creek biotope (the one listed as "Rocky Rapids")
http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope_thai_creek.htm
or http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope.htm#Indian/Burmese River

[VincentK]

Oh man, I like the idea of a school of zebra danios and ghost catfish (glass catfish = awesome fish), can't wait to see it. Couple questions, is the powerhead going to be close to the surface to create wave effect (never heard of wavemaker before, sounds cool though) and are you going to make it blackwater?

[CL]

Originally Posted by VincentK

Oh man, I like the idea of a school of zebra danios and ghost catfish (glass catfish = awesome fish), can't wait to see it. Couple questions, is the powerhead going to be close to the surface to create wave effect (never heard of wavemaker before, sounds cool though) and are you going to make it blackwater?

I won't make it blackwater. Turns out the danios and ghost cats are from more than one type of stream. Look up videos of MP10 on youtube. Amazing piece of equipment.

[VincentK]

Originally Posted by CL

I won't make it blackwater. Turns out the danios and ghost cats are from more than one type of stream. Look up videos of MP10 on youtube. Amazing piece of equipment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vkGaGgUmnU Saw this video, this thing is awesome!!! I like the different wave functions, a shame about the price though, but I guess you pay for awesomeness.

Oh yeah, are you going to put the tippy tops of rocks peaking above the water to create the waves crashing against rock effect?

[CL]

Originally Posted by VincentK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vkGaGgUmnU Saw this video, this thing is awesome!!! I like the different wave functions, a shame about the price though, but I guess you pay for awesomeness.

Oh yeah, are you going to put the tippy tops of rocks peaking above the water to create the waves crashing against rock effect?

Plus you get 1500 GPH+ of flow lol. In a 33.6 gallon tank

I wanted the whole crashing waves effect, but I couldn't get the height I needed with the scape. The cinder blocks behind the rocks in the pics above are 17" tall. The top of the top rock is 11.5", and the tank is 18" tall. Subtract three inches to get the water- level at 15"

[legomaniac89]

This isn't gonna be another 50-pages-before-the-tank-actually-comes thread, is it? Looks like a sweet plan dude. I can't wait to see it all come together.

[hydrophyte]

Those are nice rocks.

Don't drop those rocks on your feet I think it would hurt.

[CL]

Originally Posted by legomaniac89

This isn't gonna be another 50-pages-before-the-tank-actually-comes thread, is it? Looks like a sweet plan dude. I can't wait to see it all come together.

lol, that's what I have been hoping that it won't be. I don't have to get quite as much equipment for this, and I should have the powerhead by next week, and if I can sell my mini m, I should have the tank ordered in about 2-3 weeks. hmm, maybe I should have waited longer to start this thread. Right now it's just a "help me get my ideas together- planning stages" thread.
And I was too excited to not show my rocks that I scored