View Full Version : My Tank
Hi Folks,
It's been over a decade since I had an aquarium, and I'm finally in a position to get going again. I bought myself a tank today and as I go through my journey, I'll keep this thread ticking over with ideas, thoughts, photographs and video footage.
Hope you all enjoy!
Ok, so here are some visuals: The whole unit and the sump..
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wow..nice cube.. what u plannin for this tank? :)
Thanks shihr :)
I was pondering over a number of things from a tropical tank to a malawi tank to a marine thank, but because it's been about a decade or longer since I kept an aquarium, I think I'm going to go with tropicals just because I have decent knowledge about them and feel it's a good way to get back into the whole hobby. I'm thinking lots of time spent creating a beautiful landscape with all sorts of plants and some bogwood..
What do you reckon?
what are the dimentions of ur tank?
it seems a bit tall.. which tells me that if you want a planted tank you will need quite abit of lighting..
other than that, for a cube, i'd create a mound in the middle where i place rocks and driftwood also planting only in the middle.. this will be able to give it a nice view 360 deg.. no matter where you look at the tank :)
fish, im a very big tetra fan.. so i'd get a huge school of one species, corys and hatchet fish.. oh and maybe some dwarf chiclids to keep things interesting :) i know this fish stock list is always what i suggest but its my preference :P
Very nice!! Welcome and enjoy!! :)
shihr - Unfortunately I'm in the office, so I don't have exact dimensions with me, but I'll get them this evening and post them up. The placing of items in the center is definitely a popular choice for cube's and I'm considering it - I've even been juggling with ideas of using a stack of slate pieces in the middle, but I'm not sold quite yet.
I was was wondering about getting black gravel, black backing and then going with a very like type of rock in the center and then tetra's might look quite awesome.
So much of ideas!
WaRn00b - Thanks!
Ok, this isn't terribly interesting, but I said I'd keep the updates and photographs coming, so here's the lastest - @HenkHugo and I setting up a tank/sump via the Interwebs ;)
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5652 5653http://purevb4.tropicalaquarium.co.za/images/misc/pencil.png
http://purevb4.tropicalaquarium.co.za/images/misc/pencil.png
Yip that centre island idee for cubes are great.
There are one that looks really cool but can't remember who made it.
Google always have great ideas in the picture section :)
Something I always wanted to try was that underwater waterfall, not sure how you are about
DIY?
Then you can start high up at the back centre and work down to the corners of the tank.
Anyhoo looks like henk got you sorted.
Vis Oh ya, I've been spending a lot of time on Google Images, some incredible inspiration.
I must say, that's a pretty cool idea, I wonder if I could DIY something along these lines:
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Ref: http://www.aquatic-eden.com/2007/10/creating-waterfall-illusion-underwater.html
My DIY isn't bad and I definitely want to DIY most of the tank as I find that half the fun. The main problem will be sourcing the right plants and such, but I'm sure I'll learn which ones are best as I get back into the hobby. Because this isn't a big tank and is located in my lounge, I know that I'll need to put a great deal of time and effort into how it looks, so if it's going to take time to explore options like the underwater waterfall, then so be it! :)
oscar freak
06-12-2010, 12:49
that looks way cool
Ye!
I got some PVC Weld, so I can get started on the tubs, but I need to get some clear tubing as well for attaching the PVC pipes to the pump - that's going to be interesting, because their diameters are different, can anyone say.. make shift solution coming up!
Chris, what lights do you have in that tank - looks very marine like .. so you might have to look at what needs to be done to make is suitable for your tropical scape.
Later Ferdie
f-fish I was just on my way here to ask a question about that. I've got a HOPAR Moble: BT-206. T5 Aquarium Lamp - 72cm. Power: 14w x 2. Photograph below, but my question was that I have no idea how to secure the light, I duno if it goes on top or inside (because there is a lid)"??? It looks too big to me..
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Any advice?
Right, now onto a few other things.
I got the large out pipe and the smaller in pipe in place, just need to connect the small in pipe to the filter, need some tubing:
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The small in pipe goes really high up and needs to obviously pump water into the main tank, I'm thinking I need to get some tubing and put the tubing from the top of the in pipe into the actual main area of the tank? There is a little area in the overflow box, which is where I think the water needs to flow through before getting into the main tank though, indicated in yellow in the image, but then I need something fancy to get the water in there, which in turn flows into the main tank? I'm really confused about this area!!!
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HELP!?
Singularity
06-12-2010, 19:19
is that 32mm pvc ? can you maybe get a wider angle from the front ?
Singularity
06-12-2010, 19:33
i think the return line should go directly back to the tank, you can use silicone tubing, but using pvc would just look much neater IMO. You would just use 3 elbows and a small piece of pvc tube (elbow to the right, then over the brace,elbow down and the finally just under the water level another elbow to the right) also remeber to drill a hole just under the water line in the return pipe, this will act as a syphon break should you have a power failure. Are you going to ad an durso or anything else to help silence the overflow ?
Bottom of the overflow box has slits leading into the main tank:
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I've still got this that could be added to the top of that small PVC, but it would look kak going a ft down into the tank:
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Singularity
06-12-2010, 19:55
No that is so that you get surface skimming via overflow and water from the middel/bottom of the tank from those slits.
ah ! been searching and found this link that explains http://www.reeftank123.com/over-flows/overflow.html
---------- Post added at 20:12 ---------- Previous post was at 20:12 ----------
dont go so deep, the elbow should be covered with 5-10cm of water.
Ok, so now I know what those teeth are for, thanks :)
OK, so I have the right idea, but I must not send it so deep, should rather cut the vertical PVC..
---------- Post added at 21:12 ---------- Previous post was at 20:12 ----------
OK, I think I'm good on the piping now - FINALLY :)
Now to figure out the lights, I reckon Sam sold me a balast that's too wide :(
Singularity
06-12-2010, 20:05
it should look something like this, just under the water level (you dont need the eductor, that is just to disperse flow)
http://www.f3images.com/IMD/MD_Images/kb/plumbing_flow_accelerator.jpg
Awesome! I'm getting there! :) Thanks Singularity!
Singularity
06-12-2010, 20:13
pleasure, doing the plumbing on overflows and setting up sumps is the best part of setting up a new tank for me :p
For me, I just need to do it once and have it working, then I'll go to town with all sorts of additions to calm down the noise and so on, but I just need to basics in place :)
Thanks so much mate!
" I reckon Sam sold me a balast that's too wide" ja that seems weird .. suppose you could mount it diagonally under the middle brace ...
Later Ferdie
" I reckon Sam sold me a balast that's too wide" ja that seems weird .. suppose you could mount it diagonally under the middle brace ...
Later Ferdie
Doesn't work unfortunately. End of the story is that it's too long to fit under the hood regardless of angle, position,etc. :/
If you don't mind me asking, how much did this tank cost? Because it looks like quite a comprehensive package you got there!
Whipme - I got a massive discount on it and only paid R2,500. That included the tank, cabinet, sump, overflow box and all PVC :)
I got a massive discount on it and only paid R2,500.
Man you stole it :)
Man you stole it :)
Haha, ya, almost :D
I can't wait for the weekend, I need to sort the lights out, the balast is too wide, so I'm going to have to get one slightly thinner. And I need to get tubing to connect the return PVC to the pump, and then I still need some for the return PVC entry into main tank, and ideally a bit of a jet on the end of that. Then I need to PVC weld all the pipes to ensure no leaking, I need to get styrofoam and more plastic balls.
Lots to be done!
That's a decent price for the amount of tank you got. It does look like it's actually made for marine use though.
What are the actual dimensions?
Whipme - I have to agree, I would immediately say it's marine, but at this point in time I'm not sure that marine is the right direction for me.
These are really rough dimensions, I'm too lazy to go get a tape measure, so I'm using a pencil :P
- Height: 50cm
- Depth: 45cm
- Length: 60cm
Ja, as much as I love marine fish, it's an expensive way to go :(
With those dimensions you're looking at about 110L to 120L right?
Very expensive.
I think it's about 130 litres or so..
When calculating water volume - for ferts or whatever ... do not forget to add the volume that the sump takes. With all that plumbing and different water levels - might be an idea to actually measure the first time you fill it - even if is just to see how much needs to be replaced for WCs.
Later Ferdie
f-fish Thanks for explaining, I didn't think of including the sump, my bad. I'll measure the first time I fill it up and document it here.
I took my previous ballast that was too long back and got a different one, it's not the perfect size, but it fits inside the tank with the lid so, so progress was made. It consists of T5 tubes, 2 blue and 2 white:
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zaqwsx15
28-02-2011, 19:49
i just caught this thread
whats the latest?? :)
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