D-Tank

D-tank has been well pimped ... yes LEDs have been added. Decided to go with 10 x 5630 modules with just under 8 watt of power and around 600 - 700 lumes .. 8000k 11000k - so LED's are just under R100 plus a power supply.

First removal of the two 11 watt pll, no wonder this was so heavy ... these ballasts are sooo heavy.


Replaced the power supply with a 12 volt unit - way over rated at 3 Amps - hey all I had.



The plastic was so brittle I snapped it in half while sticking the modules down.


Ah action





Now I do not have the filter running, well have not for a few months but lets see how this goes.

Very happy with the white look.


Can always add a strip if I want to tone the cold white down a bit- left the space and leads for that.

Later Ferdie

 

hehe ... so those LED's did not make it .. heat got to them and that just did not help, not to all waterproof means nothing if you can not get the heat away from the LED.



Had 2 30cm LED strips already mounted from China Mall, decided to get d-tank going.



I think I am pushing a few limits in terms of depth of the tank and LEDs, but worth a shot. I can always just add another R35 strip if need be.

The substrate is NOY ada ... it was a not so cheap import from a few years back that is now proper mud in this tank.

Been trying a few internal pumps - get the correct combination of filtration capacity vs flow vs power consumption - either way I am replacing a 35 pump that moved volumes of water to trickle filter that was in the hood. This is now gone so I need to do something different.

First looked at some internal filter I have lying around - Resun CS-1000 - to big, same with the hydor R10, next was the Resun CS-700 - worked ok media capacity a bit limited eps since it is a 10 watt pump. Gave it a spin but it turned the tank into a whirl pool. I decided to go hunting at my LFS - Sjoe cresta only closes at 18:00 so spend some time looking at some items. Could only find 7 watt internal filters that made some sort of sense. Got two - 1 Hailea Bt-400 bit small on the filtration capacity and then spotted the Elite jet-flo 100 - nice big capacity for media (for a 7 watt internal).

Back home and removed the CS-700, batting I added really helped with trapping some dust - not not that great. For the Elite I opened the media container and replaced the carbon and stuff with some matrix. Stuffed some matrix in the sponge and now have a layer of batting between the filter sponge and the basket with the matrix. Decided to use the spray bar and avoid potential dead spots.



So currently running the Elite - hoping the extra batting will help clear the water. Might still go the Hailea Bt400 route - time will tell if the filter bother me or not.

Actually think we are ok - this is the view I mostly have of d-tank



Later Ferdie

 

Looks nice. That bolbitis needs so little light, sure it will do fine.

 

Thanks Broder - was fun doing some diy again. Yeah think you are correct about the light need for the bolbitis , might add some of my other low light plants to the mix.

rotated the spraybar to face the back of the tank .. guppies are way happier about this ;-)




Later Ferdie

 

Looks like you have enough light... is it a low tech tank?

 

Some crypts will love the mud!

 

Yeah an lower and I will not be able to call it a planted aquarium ;-)


I like the idea of crypts

Thanks has cleared, and fish are not being blown all around the tank.

So the Elite can stay.



or the small pic



still smaller




Later Ferdie

 

Very cool thread

 

Nice to see that the LED's are still working fine even if they are not waterproof.



Fish seem happy ...

I do think I have a bit of shadows in the back.



LED's still going strong.

Later Ferdie

 

good to hear your LEDS are still going strong

 

LED's still fine ... tank doing OK considering it is on a short light cycle ..




Later Ferdie

 

Love the bolbitis. Defo my favorite plant!

 

This tank has slowly been going downhill ... looked at it this morning, time to put some effort into it.

First new LED lights ... just cause we can, eyeballed it - nice and snug.



This was my first tank - ever, the plastic is getting old, hinges are done. Feeder door hinge broke etc .. but I think the glass is still OK, worth keeping it around.

Think I am going to remve most of the substrate out at some point.

Later Ferdie

 

Hmm builders are now doing these LED lights for R98 each .... think I need to replace a few more lights pronto.

Later Ferdie

 

Resurrection of D-tank, hoping to get my paws on some more grow lights in the near future. So needed a tank, well more one that can be re-purposed. D-tank has had very little success - that mud just kept going bad so now we are all clean and waiting for inspiration. Maybe a nice guppy tank ... hmmm have not done one of those in a long time.







Need some coffee after that swamp clean-out.

Later Ferdie

 

Filtration ... not sure if I want to add substrate at this stage.



But is seems like a bit of wasted space.
Hmmmm

still thinking .. and scratching in the toys box to see what else one can do.

Later Ferdie

 

back to the pump that was in the tank for the last year ... still works so why change now?

First we need to do a H2O2 dose..



that is going to need some time to clear

 

All clean and the back screen fitted - made provision for the spray bar, not sure I want to use lets see.



Wanted white to easily see algae and light throw...

Later Ferdie

 

Loooong week, but finally made the call to add some substrate, this is just what was lying around - so akadam + JBL manado + tropica plant grow. Good thing they are all +_ the same colour.

Also upgraded to the sunlit LED light 24watt and did a quick D shaped glass cover cut.



Hope to get some plants going soon.

Later Ferdie

 

And the video



Later Ferdie