[Immortal1]

My 10, 20, & 30 are 3" thick too. Tried the whole hose and beating them against a wall but was a PITA! So I resorted to stomping. Lol The 40 is 1" and still mashing it is the best.

Wish I could find a big ole ultrasonic cleaner to dip these in! LOL

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So, I have these boxes of grapes and.......
never mind ;-)

 

[zivvel]

Looks like what my 40ppi 1" foam water was when I rinsed mine. LOL I won't lie, all my foam is rinsed in hose water on the driveway folded in half with water running on it and me stomping it barefooted like I'm mashing grapes into wine till the gunk runs mostly clear. But I do that as I have other bio media in my sump. Which that I only "flush" in the tank water before draining the sump for a water change. Basically shake the crap outta it to get the poo off. Lol

This is the way. I wash my sponges & floss in regular tap water because I'm not concerned about maintaining the bacteria there, and tap water is much more convenient. You only need to use dechlorinated water for the K1.

 

[fftfk]

Quick update - the one-two punch seems to have worked fairly well. I have not lost any fish yet and the large amano are still in the tank. I haven't not found the small amano yet but I am fairly certain they all turned into fish food/were lost to the overflow. I cleared out the Ludwigia and replanted the ozelot swords to give them some room to spread out. The ludwigia's (while not as bad weed as the rotala indica) spreading roots were really annoying to deal with in mass and were covered in algae. Plus, they were cutting down the flow quite a bit. Some of the swords had to be trimmed due to melting/being torn up.

The good news is with everything cleared out I see both of my plecos are still doing well!

I have some more cleaning to do. Long term I think I am going to removing the dwarf sag...it is really is difficult to siphon without pulling it up.

 

[fftfk]

Added a question to the water parameters sub-forum ( Fluctuating/Steady CO2 and Algae Question

Fluctuating/Steady CO2 and Algae Question

I’ve been battling a big algae outbreak. Hopefully (fingers crossed) I’ve turned the corner on the algae. Early in process of dealing with the algae I read that fluctuating levels of CO2 were thought to be a cause of algae. I switched my CO2 from on during the lighting period only to on 24...

r.tapatalk.com

).


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[monkeyruler90]

tank is loooking goooood!!!

i'm glad the treatment work and cleaning out those sponges was probably a huge help too! awesome

yeah, I agree with removing the sag, I've never had success with it. what other changes do you have planned for the tank?

 

[fftfk]

Quick update - tank is still going well. Algae has been kept mostly at bay…I need to wipe down the glass about every two weeks to keep the tank looking clean. I added 6 Siamese algae eaters and about 30 more amano to help with keeping the tank clean. I have not removed the dwarf sag…the Siamese Algae fish seem to be acting as a lawn mower for it keeping it trimmed down.

Additionally, I added an automatic shade to keep direct sunlight off the tank. It goes down at 9:00 PM every night and back up at noon.

One final update - I’ve got a project going on in the fish room. It won’t be a quick one but someday in the near future I should have an extensive update about the filtration, etc. A tease until then…

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[jake21]

A couple of questions: What size is your sump? What return pump did you end up using? Why did you put the sump in the basement? I'm debating several different design for a 450 gallon tank I want to get next year. I do have the option of putting holes in the floor but not sure it is advantages in my situation. I'm also concern about the overflow design. My intention is to go with custom aquarium with their overflows (which seems not totally dissimilar to your overflow but i'm also debating if i want an internal overflow to pull water from the bottom of the tank for increase filtration debris - i'm also worry about the skimmer design catching smaller fishes. Last but least I want to run co2 on this tank and a bit concern about how to distribute the co2 across the entire tank relatively evenly. I see that your design has a single injection point but you are using a reactor instead of an intank diffuser so maybe that works well? I was thinking of using a series of 4 injection points in tank diffusers (co2art) but not sure which would work better. Of course either way it is going to use a lot of co2 - i guess having it in the basement would make it easier to buy a larger co2 tank.

 

[chayos00]

A couple of questions: What size is your sump? What return pump did you end up using? Why did you put the sump in the basement? I'm debating several different design for a 450 gallon tank I want to get next year. I do have the option of putting holes in the floor but not sure it is advantages in my situation. I'm also concern about the overflow design. My intention is to go with custom aquarium with their overflows (which seems not totally dissimilar to your overflow but i'm also debating if i want an internal overflow to pull water from the bottom of the tank for increase filtration debris - i'm also worry about the skimmer design catching smaller fishes. Last but least I want to run co2 on this tank and a bit concern about how to distribute the co2 across the entire tank relatively evenly. I see that your design has a single injection point but you are using a reactor instead of an intank diffuser so maybe that works well? I was thinking of using a series of 4 injection points in tank diffusers (co2art) but not sure which would work better. Of course either way it is going to use a lot of co2 - i guess having it in the basement would make it easier to buy a larger co2 tank.

First of all, those diffusers aren't very efficient, especially with a huge tank that size, that's where a reactor would be the most efficient option for you unless you want to refill 20lbs quite often. With my 125g and sump I'm up to 6months for a 20lbs tank, the kicker was the reactor and a pH controller. But if you have it as part of the tank return it will get it all over with a decent flow rate. Hope this helps some!

I would imagine a basement sump allows you the option of a LARGE sump with no size limitations. But I'm sure adds complexity to it all for a large enough pump and a large sump tank, probably more pond trough sized.

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[fftfk]

A couple of questions: What size is your sump? What return pump did you end up using? Why did you put the sump in the basement? I'm debating several different design for a 450 gallon tank I want to get next year. I do have the option of putting holes in the floor but not sure it is advantages in my situation. I'm also concern about the overflow design. My intention is to go with custom aquarium with their overflows (which seems not totally dissimilar to your overflow but i'm also debating if i want an internal overflow to pull water from the bottom of the tank for increase filtration debris - i'm also worry about the skimmer design catching smaller fishes. Last but least I want to run co2 on this tank and a bit concern about how to distribute the co2 across the entire tank relatively evenly. I see that your design has a single injection point but you are using a reactor instead of an intank diffuser so maybe that works well? I was thinking of using a series of 4 injection points in tank diffusers (co2art) but not sure which would work better. Of course either way it is going to use a lot of co2 - i guess having it in the basement would make it easier to buy a larger co2 tank.

First of all, those diffusers aren't very efficient, especially with a huge tank that size, that's where a reactor would be the most efficient option for you unless you want to refill 20lbs quite often. With my 125g and sump I'm up to 6months for a 20lbs tank, the kicker was the reactor and a pH controller. But if you have it as part of the tank return it will get it all over with a decent flow rate. Hope this helps some!

I would imagine a basement sump allows you the option of a LARGE sump with no size limitations. But I'm sure adds complexity to it all for a large enough pump and a large sump tank, probably more pond trough sized.

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My sump is a standard 65 gallon tank that made using acrylic dividers. I put everything in the basement for the following reasons:

1. This is my fourth large (100 gallons plus) tank and it is in our family/dining room. All of my previous tanks had sumps below them. I wanted as much noise of the tank as possible out of the living spaces. When the tank overflow is operating perfectly the tank is nearly silent.
2. I'm 46 with a history of back issues that will eventually need surgery. It gets old having to climb under the tank to clean/add equipment. Having the sump in the basement allows for easier cleaning/access with everything at table top height. No real need to squat down and climb under the tank anymore.
3. Other than scrubbing the glass and siphoning the detritus the majority of tank maintenance is done in the basement out of the way of my wife's view. If the cleaning/project I'm working on is taking more than 1 day (as is the current one I'm doing) I don't have to clean up and put everything away every night. I can just leave it laying out where it is.
4. As noted by Chayos...the basement gives you a lot of options with size/layout of the tank.

The only real downside of a basement pump I see is that you really need more powerful pumps to circulate the water. Pumps that can handle the head pressure of a basement sump are typically more expensive and louder. Quieter pumps that can handle head pressure (abyzz, royal exclusiv) are more expensive.

For overflow design with any sumps system (basement or under the tank) I would recommend a herbie style (2 pipes) or bean animal style (same as herbie but with an extra safety pipe) as once they are dialed in they are much quieter. This tank is a bean animal style.

The overflow surface skimmer does catch some fish (especially the smaller ones) on occasion. My previous tanks the overflows were all full height of the tank. When a fish got in there it was a huge pain getting them out. This overflow which is much shallower is much easier to net the fish in but it can still be a pain as you have to move the net around the pipes etc. I have also found that fresh water fish seem to be a lot better at getting themselves out of the overflow and back into the tank than salt water ones were.

I have never actually used diffusers before. My understanding is that they are better for smaller tanks but once you get into larger size tanks you really want to move into reactors. I use a ph controller to maintain the CO2 level so am not worried about counting bubbles etc.

 

[jake21]

Thank you. My tank will likely come from custom aquarium which uses what i believe is a N pipe herbie system with skimmer at the top. I had consider an internal overflow in one corner with the holes in the bottom to catch debris from the bottom but maybe that is not necessary. I do have the option of drilling the holes into the basement and putting the stump down there and using an abyzz pump (well option in that i can afford it) - i'm just debating if it is worth the extra complexity. I worry in part that during water changes and what have you i can't see the water level in the sump. It does seem that i could do water changes via draining water from the sump but of course then nothing from the bottom will be collected. My style of tank is heavily planted freshwater (similar to my 120). I really do like the idea of putting the stumps in the basement and have the added benefit that i can have the plumber run the pipes also i could eventually replace the custom aquarium sump with something a bit different at a later date. I have to think about this - glad i started reading this thread...

My sump is a standard 65 gallon tank that made using acrylic dividers. I put everything in the basement for the following reasons:

1. This is my fourth large (100 gallons plus) tank and it is in our family/dining room. All of my previous tanks had sumps below them. I wanted as much noise of the tank as possible out of the living spaces. When the tank overflow is operating perfectly the tank is nearly silent.
2. I'm 46 with a history of back issues that will eventually need surgery. It gets old having to climb under the tank to clean/add equipment. Having the sump in the basement allows for easier cleaning/access with everything at table top height. No real need to squat down and climb under the tank anymore.
3. Other than scrubbing the glass and siphoning the detritus the majority of tank maintenance is done in the basement out of the way of my wife's view. If the cleaning/project I'm working on is taking more than 1 day (as is the current one I'm doing) I don't have to clean up and put everything away every night. I can just leave it laying out where it is.
4. As noted by Chayos...the basement gives you a lot of options with size/layout of the tank.

The only real downside of a basement pump I see is that you really need more powerful pumps to circulate the water. Pumps that can handle the head pressure of a basement sump are typically more expensive and louder. Quieter pumps that can handle head pressure (abyzz, royal exclusiv) are more expensive.

For overflow design with any sumps system (basement or under the tank) I would recommend a herbie style (2 pipes) or bean animal style (same as herbie but with an extra safety pipe) as once they are dialed in they are much quieter. This tank is a bean animal style.

The overflow surface skimmer does catch some fish (especially the smaller ones) on occasion. My previous tanks the overflows were all full height of the tank. When a fish got in there it was a huge pain getting them out. This overflow which is much shallower is much easier to net the fish in but it can still be a pain as you have to move the net around the pipes etc. I have also found that fresh water fish seem to be a lot better at getting themselves out of the overflow and back into the tank than salt water ones were.

I have never actually used diffusers before. My understanding is that they are better for smaller tanks but once you get into larger size tanks you really want to move into reactors. I use a ph controller to maintain the CO2 level so am not worried about counting bubbles etc.

 

[jake21]

So i'm still reading this thread (on page 7 of 18) but this is the post that i wanted to respond to and perhaps it is out-dated in that angels were not pursued for this build. The thing is that beauty of angels are in the eyes of the beholder. I have a tank with lots of angels (see above post) and while currently a 'thing' i'm not a fan of redshoulder angels. I'm not even too sure why they are so popular. This is of course a visual thing. My current tank is a 120 but i am working towards a 450 which i will set up after i move next year. I'm partial to platinum and black angels though there are many exotic breeds these days (pinoy ghost has become popular as it effectively gives you a blue angelfish - though it is not my thing) and then there are golds (which you get when mixing black and platinum) and there are all sort of fancy fins (none of which interest me). So why this post - what make the redshoulder so popular as I just don't get it:

From the design and use of hardscape/plants, this tank is calling out for a South American group of fish.
For scale, I would do larger, medium, and small fish.

This would look great with this stock:

12 Pterophyllum scalare redshoulder "Rio Manucapuru"

100 Paracheirodon axelrodi (Cardinal tetras)

15 biotodoma cupidos or Bolivian Rams

20 corydoras sp.
3- L- numbered pleco sp.

Wasnt hard to find a You tube video of this combination ( of sorts).

 

[Discusluv]

So i'm still reading this thread (on page 7 of 18) but this is the post that i wanted to respond to and perhaps it is out-dated in that angels were not pursued for this build. The thing is that angels are in the eyes of the beholder. I have a tank with lots of angels (see above post) and while currently a 'thing' i'm not a fan of redshoulder angels. I'm not even too sure why they are so popular. This is of course a visual thing. My current tank is a 120 but i am working towards a 450 which i will set up after i move next year. I'm partial to platinum and black angels though there are many exotic breeds these days (pinoy ghost has become popular as it effectively gives you a blue angelfish - though it is not my thing) and then there are golds (which you get when mixing black and platinum) and there are all sort of fancy fins (none of which interest me). So why this post - what make the redshoulder so popular as I just don't get it:

Why are red shoulder angels popular? I didn't know they were. The post response was based on my own preference. Of course it may not be yours.
But, that's what makes the world go around.

 

[jake21]

I've seen them singled out in numerous places hence my comment on their popularity. Also some of the more exotic places I look at for fishes make a big deal when they have these for sale (esp wild ones).

Why are red shoulder angels popular? I didn't know they were. The post response was based on my own preference. Of course it may not be yours.
But, that's what makes the world go around.

 

[gjcarew]

So i'm still reading this thread (on page 7 of 18) but this is the post that i wanted to respond to and perhaps it is out-dated in that angels were not pursued for this build. The thing is that angels are in the eyes of the beholder. I have a tank with lots of angels (see above post) and while currently a 'thing' i'm not a fan of redshoulder angels. I'm not even too sure why they are so popular. This is of course a visual thing. My current tank is a 120 but i am working towards a 450 which i will set up after i move next year. I'm partial to platinum and black angels though there are many exotic breeds these days (pinoy ghost has become popular as it effectively gives you a blue angelfish - though it is not my thing) and then there are golds (which you get when mixing black and platinum) and there are all sort of fancy fins (none of which interest me). So why this post - what make the redshoulder so popular as I just don't get it:

It seems that there has been a trend to more wild-type or at least wild looking fish. Stuff like Rio Nanay and Rio Manucapuru pterophyllum scalare, altum angels, red spot green discus etc. look more natural in an aquascape than something like a German blue ram IMO.

 

[fftfk]

So i'm still reading this thread (on page 7 of 18) but this is the post that i wanted to respond to and perhaps it is out-dated in that angels were not pursued for this build. The thing is that beauty of angels are in the eyes of the beholder. I have a tank with lots of angels (see above post) and while currently a 'thing' i'm not a fan of redshoulder angels. I'm not even too sure why they are so popular. This is of course a visual thing. My current tank is a 120 but i am working towards a 450 which i will set up after i move next year. I'm partial to platinum and black angels though there are many exotic breeds these days (pinoy ghost has become popular as it effectively gives you a blue angelfish - though it is not my thing) and then there are golds (which you get when mixing black and platinum) and there are all sort of fancy fins (none of which interest me). So why this post - what make the redshoulder so popular as I just don't get it:

I like Angels and am thinking about moving that way. I kind of have a mismatch of fish right now but would eventually like to move to either a primary Angel or rainbow tank. I’m not sure if you’ve gotten to my post about the Rainbow fish yet but I’ve ended up with a mixed rainbow fish that has caused some issues.


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[Triport]

I have kept all sorts of color morphs in the past of angels but my preference has always been wild caught or at least wild form ones. Hoping to do a big tank of them some time eventually.