Options needed : Starting from scratch

Good evening everyone.

As mentioned in my "welcome" thread I had a few setups both tropical and salt water a few years back... okay okay like 15 years ago

I'm playing around with the idea to start up a tropical setup focusing on plants and small little schooling fish and shrimps...

We have quite a few petshops in the area, have not checked all of them but looking at this one currently and need your opinion please:

https://www.petworld.co.za/shop-online/aquarium-cabinet-sump-100cm-white-270l-6009681001003

Yes yes, I know it's expensive but I want a setup with a sump and the tank should be "wraped" in a cabinet. I know from previous experience that the "off the shelve" tanks usually do not come with addiquite lighting for a planted setup so would propably invest in a better "clip on" type light like this:

https://jungleaquatics.com/products...l-plant-tank-led-light?variant=39897373769782

As mentioned I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.

 

Exciting times... No comment on the tank selection. Just on the use of a sump with a planted setup. If you are going to use pressurized co2 in a sump setup then co2 will be rapidly dispersed through the sump. You can mitigate this by making the drain pipe empty into the sump below the water level. Similarly the return should be below the water in the display tank. Having the return below the water will create a back siphon when the pump stops which could flood the sump. A small hole drilled into the top of the return helps to break the siphon.
Good luck.

 

Why no comment on the tank selection...?? Sounds like you have an opinion

Ran C02 on a setup back in the day, killed allot of fish trying to tune it in Will follow your advise if I go that route, but thinking I'll keep it simple this time around (famous last words).

Thank you for the feedback, much appreciated.

 

Welcome back to the hobby, what I can recommend is that you invest look at good lighting, Zetlight is the way to go if your budget allows, but you get cheaper options out there.

I have one 1 Marine Space LED and a cheap Chinese R300 LED, if I only run one of the lights I get really bad plant growth, if I run both I get fantastic growth, on the left hand corned you can see the Pearl weed and on top the cheap Chinese light running on the 2 ft. I did do a DIY C02, but i stopped as it made everything grow faster than i can keep up. Also look for an aqua soil to use instead of gravel.

And getting a good timer for lighting is essential, plants love routine and if it goes on and off same time every day you will see some plants folding up before dark and some catfish getting active just before lights out

https://www.robofactory.co.za/smart-switches/20-sonoff-basic-r2-smart-switch.html

Heater wise I can recommend the Jager heaters, I have one in my tank as well as a heater in Canister filter(Not Great)

@Nirvashen can probably give you better advice as hes a better planter than i am



This is the same corner a few weeks ago since I got the light, cutting plants every 2 weeks now

 

nah no opinion at all. It's a matter of personal taste meeting functionality to create the environment for the fish and plants. I'll say, avoid the Chinese curved corner tanks since there's been many problems with them cracking, at the curve.

 

Thank you for the reply and the awesome photo's oupoot!!

Will looking into the "smart light switch" thank you.

Can remember from years back if your light spectrum is not correct you grow more algae than plant, so will make sure to get the correct light for the job

Reason for me wanting a sump is to hide away any extra equipment like the heater etc.

 

Sure thank you Dolphin.

Do you perhaps know of a place down here in Cape Town that will build me a custom tank with sump and cabinet? I know Northen Aquatics build tanks, but not sure about a cabinet though, will give them a call...

 

Just my 2 cents regarding the sonoff switch - only get it if you are comfortable cutting wires and reconnecting and have some idea of what you're doing (like more knowledge than just changing standard plugs).
I've destroyed lights trying to connect them to this switch. The one that did work, the switch worked well (aside from the fact that every time there's a power outage - often in SA these days - you have to remember to open the app to switch the light back on again when the power comes back on), but the other light basic blew up because the cord/plug that came with the switch wasn't compatible, and the other just didn't work at all, which just left me with a cut cord on a brand new light (which is now taped back together with the original plug so i could still use the light).

 

Send me your whatsapp number on pm and I will send you details of someone down there.

 

I had the same power with the light going onn after is scheduled time, they put in a setting what to do after power failure where you can tell it what to do and also i added a few extra off cycles based on load shedding schedule to make sure it goes of if for some reason if goes on again afterwards. I found the app joining of the device more difficult than the wiring on my side

Yes agreed, the sump is the best thing for the job to hide everything away, I miss my big tank and its sump...

There is a few threads about algea control on the forum as well, some very interesting reads, I just cant find the links now

 

There are other options such as a "smart light". Google is your friend there.