Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping => Gallery Showcase => Topic started by: Evolution Stu on June 16, 2016, 10:22:09 AM
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Hi Folks,
I am a new member on here, I am certainly no expert but I have previous experience from long before I used forums so a lot of what I know is probably well outdated now. Thats why I am here, to learn more.
This is a tweaked topic from another forum I use that is sadly closing down, so the timeline will be fast as its actually up and running fine now, but I thought folks may enjoy reading about the journey...
So, after well over ten years away from the hobby my 7yr old daughter recently wanted her first aquarium (She lives with her mum 20 miles away) and I took her to Maidenhead Aquatics in Blackpool, bought her an 80L setup and fell in love with the hobby again myself.
The very next day I ordered the Aqua Oak 160WR. (330Litres) I have always wanted a piece of furniture like this but could never afford it.
Unfortunately, I was dismayed to learn there is a 4-6wk waiting list!
Oh well, I figure there was no point in wasting time, I might as well crack on and order some stuff and then start a fishless cycle. I planned to have South American Cichlids again along with some Plecos and dither fish so I am doing as much overkill as I can to ensure everything is well catered for. :) I have bought as follows.
Lighting:
Ive gone LED with adjustable brightness of all colours individually, on off timer with automated sunrise / sunset and moonlighting etc along with some daft features I wont use like synthesised cloud cover and lightening displays. Its the "Current USA Sattellite Plus - Pro"
http://current-usa.com/aquarium-led-lights/satellite-led-fixtures/satellite-led-pro/ (http://current-usa.com/aquarium-led-lights/satellite-led-fixtures/satellite-led-pro/)
Filtration:
2x Fluval 406's with added Fluval Biomax and Seachem Matrix
http://www.fluvalaquatics.com/ca/product/A217-406-canister-filter/#.V0InIL44Olc (http://www.fluvalaquatics.com/ca/product/A217-406-canister-filter/#.V0InIL44Olc)
Heating:
Fluval E300
http://www.fluvalaquatics.com/ca/product/A774-e300-advanced-electronic-heater/#.V0InQL44Olc (http://www.fluvalaquatics.com/ca/product/A774-e300-advanced-electronic-heater/#.V0InQL44Olc)
Since I already had these filters....
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v156/p2026795923-4.jpg)
I decided to build them up...
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s2/v51/p1996565932-4.jpg)
And then get them running in here with some King Prawns!
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s11/v32/p1998622597-4.jpg)
Naturally, a couple of days of that and I was drained of trying to siphon water in and out of those for testing, not to mention the wifes regularly voiced concerns over the safety of the dining room chairs, so I figured what the hell, I will need a quarantine tank one day anyway, so off I went to the LFS... and came back with this bargain 50L unit!
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s5/v118/p2074400976-4.jpg)
A few hours later... Its all setup in our spare room looking like this.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s12/v175/p1947650646-4.jpg)
Water flow is a little erm, overkill!
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s6/v134/p2127700078-4.jpg)
But things are happening...
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s12/v171/p2012024350-4.jpg)
So while I wait patiently, I might as well make the quarantine tank look homely in case I ever need to use it.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s5/v117/p2012091409-4.jpg)
And then a breakthrough on Friday! I had totally forgotten my friend has a serious 6000 Gallon Koi setup with a LOT of large KOI, and he kindly offered to give me a whole bucket of mature media! What a bonus! The stuff looks like this... (A snap I took of what I had left over)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s5/v118/p2121463527-4.jpg)
So I got this bucket of media and went about carefully dropping the temperature of my tank and raising the temperature of his media over a few hours before putting them into my Fluvals. I filled a whole cartridge on each filter with it.
ONE day later...
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s12/v174/p1929669141-4.jpg)
And that was it for a few days.... I was just waiting for that magic call from MA.
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**Update**
So... I have decided I want some quality UV Sterilisation on this aquarium and after lots of research I have gone with the TMC Vecton V2 200 which is the biggest that will physically go inside the cabinet.
Because this isnt technically the right model for my system (UV's are based on flow rate) I cant put it on the Fluval 406 as the dwell time will be too low and will leave me with nothing more than a water clarifier.
So, since I want the ability to perform genuine Level 2 sterilisation I am going to hook it up to its own external Fluval 106 to ensure I never exceed its quoted max flow rate of 680LPH.
The Fluval 106 will be stocked with sponge and fine polishing media to keep the quartz clean and its fully adjustable for flow rate so I can get the dwell time perfect.
At full flow it should perform clarifying and level 1 sterilisation no bother at all based on a 25% flow rate drop through media and water head but when I get chance I will measure it all properly with the pipework all cut to size and installed at its final head height. Once done, I will adjust it to the highest flow for level two sterilisation and just leave it there.
Ive got it all installed on the 50L quarantine tank now so for smiles, do you think this qualifies as the worlds most over filtered 50 litre tank?
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v9/p2120046750-5.jpg)
I also got most of the tank internals together and spent a lot of time cleaning. I wasnt happy with the sand colours I could buy so i tested some in my quarantine tank and then opted for a mixture of two different sands which I "hope" will look just how I want.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v153/p1891600370-4.jpg)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v63/p2146391724-4.jpg)
And then my daughter and I got in some aquascaping practice!
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s6/v134/p1967257086-4.jpg)
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Second week... What have I done?
Well, ive bought a second Fluval heater for safety and some electrical sockets and such like to outfit the cabinets with, but I remembered that I am still short of any rocks or slate.
With that in mind I decided I would pop to our local quarry (4hrs round trip... lol) and obtain some last night.
Here is my wife looking around carefully for the elusive slate...
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s9/v86/p2091163745-4.jpg)
After some scrubbing in buckets I now had enough to do whatever I wanted with.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v47/p2090468115-4.jpg)
Which is proving harder than expected.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v64/p1984303290-4.jpg)
Aquascaping is a real skill, and one I don't posses. I will keep practicing!
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Finally, a decent update! Johannah from MA in Blackpool just called me... The tank has arrived. :)
She kindly stayed behidn so I could pick it up after work too. :)
I enlisted the help of my wife, daughter and a friend and soon had it up on its stand and the black background applied. I was going to leave it at that but just couldnt so I added some substrate, filled it with 200litres and gave it a good scrub down then drained and refilled it again.
I got the 2x Fluval E300's in there and some mains wiring. Ive added a switchable 6 socket rail to each cabinet so i have plenty of local power.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s6/v150/p2058056139-4.jpg)
And then I got carried away about 1am and got to installing the first filter of 3, a Fluval 106 who's sole job is to run the UV Steriliser which I also fitted and plumbed in.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s12/v170/p2006532448-5.jpg)
Then of course I just had to get the Current Satellite LED Pro Plus installed. Love this light. If it proves reliable, I just cant imagine anything better! I cant wait to play with this and program in some custom colour schemes.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s12/v183/p2033585586-4.jpg)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s12/v185/p2001829269-4.jpg)
Its VERY thin, with no heatsinks or fans. (My only worry)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v168/p2002850329-4.jpg)
And lit up in one of its standard modes, it looks lovely.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v155/p2063459279-4.jpg)
These guys havent long to wait now until they move into their new home.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v54/p2006642585-4.jpg)
So far so good... Just got to polish off a couple of race cars on the dyno so I can get home and do something more interesting! Adding the Internals. :)
I must admit, i was a little unsure how to go about moving the filters and fish across at the same time as my BB is spread across all three filters, one of which is now in this tank leaving the other two to support the bioload in the little 50 litre. I guess in an ideal world I just move both 406's across along with the fish in a short a time frame as possible. But I would like some testing time with it all running before I add livestock to it. Hmm...
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So, after work the next day we got to work installing all the tank internals and doing our first aquascaping job. I got frustrated with it and gave up... so the wife took over and I must say she has done an excellent job.
I really like what she has done with it.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s2/v60/p2051505362-4.jpg)
Im also very happy with the substrate colour we mixed up... its just the tone I wanted. I am sure we will change the layout a lot as time goes on and we will be going back to the lakes to collect more rockwork now that we have an idea what we need as Mandys not happy with the rock side of things.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s11/v32/p1985277102-4.jpg)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v154/p2010938823-4.jpg)
The little Fluval 106 has its work cut out clearing that water now, and the heaters are reporting low flow at the moment... but In the next 48hrs I will take the 2x Fluval 406s off the quarantine tank and install them too, along with the fish. Cant wait. :)
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Everythings now in and running fine - but as I expected, the hum from the three fluval external filters is driving me nuts.
In my workshop I use an anti vibration mat from Draper that sits under such things as grinders and pillar drills to damn oscillations from motors. I figured it would work well in this situation so I cut some to size and put it under the filter. 100% Improvement.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s5/v123/p2048480305-4.jpg)
But the pipes now hum where they contact the cabinet. Some pipe insulation easily sorted that. It looks rubbish, but works well.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v152/p2055316810-4.jpg)
I was also a little concerned about the tension on the weak looking UV hose tails, so to take the strain off ive fitted a few hose supports here and there.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v55/p2004167396-4.jpg)
I replicated all those fixes in the other cupboard too.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v154/p2080995901-4.jpg)
The water has cleared up well and the dining room is finished off nicely.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v54/p2000504580-4.jpg)
Most importantly, the boys are all happy. :)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v63/p1960349628-4.jpg)
My next problem is my water hardness... its not ideal at all.
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So... I have been learning all about water hardness and figuring out how best to deal with the TDS of 200+ from the tap and 300+ in the tank.
Im pretty settled on South American Cichlids and Pleco's etc so need to soften this water a little for the boys... It's the right thing to do.
And so it begins... A quick trip to Maidenhead Aquatics and I'm back home with this...
What could possibly go wrong?
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s2/v60/p1924243157-4.jpg)
Groan... Except Rubbish water pressure to go with my rubbish water. Story of my life that... I spend all day every day looking for more boost as part of my job, and now I try and plumb in a simple system at home and need to add more boost to that too!!
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s6/v142/p1937025652-4.jpg)
Booster pump now ordered. Rah!!
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**This post almost replicates one I have on here asking for help - apologies for any confusion, but I figure its a great part of this tank blog so would like to include it - its part of this journey. :) **
So... I got the RO unit hooked in and have done some testing.
While I was at it, I plumbed in a dual TDS meter to monitor TDS in and out and added a couple of taps to halt flow should I want to.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s9/v88/p1945892216-4.jpg)
My TDS into the RO unit:
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s9/v18/p1959603938-4.jpg)
My TDS out of the RO unit:
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s9/v18/p2039154944-4.jpg)
Ive installed a water butt to collect the RO and am on with planning a pumping system to end my days of carry buckets, but thats another topic.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s12/v174/p2053871535-4.jpg)
So.. On with a long night of testing...
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v21/p2062923485-4.jpg)
I tested the tap again.
PH - 7.4
KH - 107 (6d)
GH - 179 (10d)
TDS - 209
And tested my RO.
PH - 6.4
KH - 0
GH - 0
TDS - 8
My first test is 50/50 as thats the simplest option and doesnt as far as I can deduce, need me to mess about remineralising it. That mix gives me.
PH - 7.2
KH - 53.7 (3d)
GH - 125.3 (7d) (Surprised this ddnt half?)
TDS - 102
I am reading that a KH value under 4d will give me unstable PH. Not sure what to do about that. Will have to try a different mix first of all, but how close to 4 can you hover safely? I dont know. :(
Im tempted to run 100% RO and remineralise it to exactly what I want. First of all I guess I need to settle on a figure that I want. At the moment, with an unstocked tank thats proving pretty tricky, especially with all the conflcting advice out there!
Ah well... im committed now, got to look after my boys. :)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s9/v88/p2035944800-4.jpg)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s5/v123/p2096080308-4.jpg)
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Great post..... that shows a real committment to looking after your fish. The tank looks lovely in the room.
mmmm - must show MrsB, me thinks.
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Great post..... that shows a real committment to looking after your fish. The tank looks lovely in the room.
mmmm - must show MrsB, me thinks.
Thanks Colin, I appreciate that.
Over the years I had all the problems we all get, finrot, whitespot, unexplained deaths, numerous failed attempts at keeping Zebra and Gold Nugget plecs... all the joy and tears that go with it.
Now I am in a better position to do it right first time, thats what I want to do. The internet is of course a massive help, I didnt have it back then and just listened to the LFS's advice which, in many ways I am now sure was my downfall.
That said - this water hardness is a quandary I am not totally comfortable just yet. Im sure once its all sank in it will become second nature as with anything in life you put your mind to. But the advice online is so diverse its all just a little muddy right now.
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That is one seriously good looking tank. The equipment you are running is most impressive but even more impressive is your planning and building of the power outlets and routing of piping, location of filters etc...
Kudos to your missus on the aquascaping, excellent job. From comparing the depth of the tank to the length of her arms I know from my own experience (70cm tall tank) that it ain't easy getting high enough to reach down to the substrate.... So well done.
As a piece of furniture it looks stunning. I followed your link but couldn't see a price for the LED system you have. It looks maybe a bit overkill for what I need what with a cloudy/thunderstorm setting but I definitely like the sunrise/sunset and moonlight thing. I was thinking of building a custom setup but if the price is right I could consider this...
I have to second Colin as well... Where's the wine? Get that rack stocked!! :rotfl:
:cheers:
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Thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts Stu :) Lovely looking tank :)
Our Sue is pretty awesome with chemistry if you need advice.
and of course welcome :wave:
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Thank you for the vote of confidence Fiona :)
Stu - I do have a rather old degree in chemistry and my younger son spent 5 years as an analyst with what at the time was the largest water testing company in the UK, so between us we can usually answer most water chemistry questions ;D
And I agree with the previous posts, that is a seriously good looking tank.
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Hi Stu
this is all so impressive - your preparation, your gear, your setup, the tank, the pictures...
You and your family should be really proud of what you've done! And I'm a little jealous! :)
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:yikes: wow, all these kind comments. I won't quote everyone individually but instead say a big thanks to you all, it's great to know you have enjoyed my little journey to an unexpected RO hell. Lol.
The wine rack - yes, firmly in the wife's court. I'm not reminding her as I don't like the mere thought of things clanking in and out of the unit and scaring the fish! I've suggested a nice green hanging plant type thingy... Time will tell. Probably 16 bottles of rose wine I expect. Lol
Paddy - Ref the light, search eBay for "Current satellite plus Pro Led" and you will find it. Much cheaper and more compact the the TMC Illuminaire product and the American aquarists seem to rate it very highly. Certainly it's FAR exceeded my expectations. Each of the 4 colours are adjustable in brightness from 0 - 100% brightness individually so you can create any spectrum you like and save it as a memory, including the timed daylight and moonlight settings.
Can't fault it. If your ever local to Blackpool, ping me a message, your welcome to try it out while I brew up and see for yourself if it suits your plans.
Sue - I'm already draining the life from you on my HELP topic. Lol. Thanks again. :)
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As I thought, price wise... Something I just can't afford at the moment... Everything is going towards the holiday pot... If you get a chance to read my own progress thread in the Gallery showcase you'll get an idea of the stress we've been through with moving house twice in well under a year... So we thought sod it, we all need a holiday 8)
Very kind of you to stick the kettle on, if I'm ever down your nick of the woods I'll give you a shout. I have a cousin in Fleetwood... :)
It's a shame you're facing a struggle with hard water. I have to say I'd go with Sue's advice that you will have a more robust and reliable maintenance routine with the 50/50 mixing as opposed to pure RO with remineralisation... God that's a big word!
From an ongoing cost perspective as well, if you can get your mix right and stick to a rigid water change routine there's no reasonable reason you should encounter many issues... The work will get easier over time, as you already suggested ;)
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I can only echo what others have said.
That's a seriously good looking tank!
Great photos and a very informative blog. Thanks for sharing. :cheers:
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As I thought, price wise... Something I just can't afford at the moment... Everything is going towards the holiday pot... If you get a chance to read my own progress thread in the Gallery showcase you'll get an idea of the stress we've been through with moving house twice in well under a year... So we thought sod it, we all need a holiday 8)
Thanks Paddy,
Totally agree mate, get away. No point having a nervous breadown just to have pretty lights above water. All in good time. :)
I agree ref the 50/50 so ive literally just finished the first RO water change.
I will pop an update on here in a moment and then sit down wit a brew and a pot noodle to read your tale. I love a decent blog. :)
The offer is still open when your next in Fleetwood mate.
Simon, thanks, glad your enjoying it.
More coming up!
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So... I got the booster pump and fitted it, temporarily for now as I just need some RO!
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v21/p1891963507-4.jpg)
And now we have pressure. Too much pressure I think. A tad over 110PSI. I will call them tomorrow, but for now ive restricted the outlet a little to drop it to nearer 100psi.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v55/p2056250316-4.jpg)
So... its water change day and I have decided on 50% RO and 50% Tapwater. I mixed some up in the big green water butt and added a little temp gauge to get the temperature right. I will hook this in permanently at some point.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v67/p2122158944-4.jpg)
My 50/50 mix has brought me down from 223ppm to 117ppm. So far so good...
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s11/v31/p2137006436-4.jpg)
Now... todays water change will be a little different. All the time I have been building this aquarium ive had it in my head I am NOT spoending another ten years carrying buckets of water. So I have made a plan, and today will finally see if it works.
Maidenhead Aquatics sell these little water change pumps. I was going to use a pond pump until google revealed this, so I took a punt on it for £30.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v64/p1947325895-4.jpg)
I added some hoze with hozelock connectors on it. And dangled it in the tank. Its connected to my garden hose which runs right through the dining room window and out to the garden drain.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s2/v59/p2122674738-5.jpg)
In the middle I have added a hosepipe flow meter. This cool little device will show me live litres per minute.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s11/v3/p1951577241-4.jpg)
Along with a live counter showing what volume of water has flowed through it.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v9/p1905091872-5.jpg)
As you can see, at almost 5 litres per minute, it should shift my required 50 litres in ten minutes. So I sat and had a brew and watched it empty feeling very pleased with myself I must say. :)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v11/p1949245798-4.jpg)
Once it was done, i disconnected it and then added a spray head to the hose and put it back in the tank. The hose was then run right round the rear of the house and into the garage and the pump put in the water butt. Once powered up... hey presto... its pumping the RO mix straight back into the tank. :)
Its a bit slower at 3.8litres a minute... due to the length its pumping I guess.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s2/v59/p1905222127-4.jpg)
However... I reckon thats not a bad thing anyway, better to pour it back in slowly... this was proved by the fact the fish carried on as normal, totally unaware a water change was even taking place!
So... all in all, a great day. Im well pleased this water change idea works, its going to make the 100 - 150 litre a week watere change a joy instead of a chore.
And I reckon the boys will never even notice!
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s2/v60/p1907198917-4.jpg)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s5/v125/p2029550159-4.jpg)
Time for another brew... and maybe some brione shrimp for the lads!
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:yikes: I followed the URL to that last image to see it at higher resolution:
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s5/v125/p2029550159-4.jpg)
http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk
Wow!
There are some stunning shots hosted here. I'm in awe of your skills. :cheers:
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Wow, wow, wow - just been reading through this thread and thoroughly impressed throughout with the planning, forward-thinking, lengths gone to, technical aspects, equipment, and what an absolutely stunning tank and fish! Amazing. :fishy1:
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I'll echo those wows. ;D
I have an aqua oak AQ120D still sitting in the packaging in the hallway. As soon as my axolotls are in their other tanks and I can move the 200l tank & cabinet out of the corner of the room, the AQ120D will be heading in to the empty corner.
I appreciate and enjoyed your thread so far. It will help with what I am planning for the river tank, many thanks.
Awesome tank and brilliant photos. Well done. :cheers:
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Superb photos.... and I love the water change idea.
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:yikes: I followed the URL to that last image to see it at higher resolution:
Wow!
There are some stunning shots hosted here. I'm in awe of your skills. :cheers:
Thanks, I enjoy hiking and photography, did a tad over 130 peaks last year. Cant beat some time out in the hills, more so in extreme weather oddly, I really enjoy that... and my wife joins me too. :)
Ref the resolution - my site uploads various resolutions for hot linking as the originals can be up to 22mb so you probably ended up with the same res image.
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Wow, wow, wow - just been reading through this thread and thoroughly impressed throughout with the planning, forward-thinking, lengths gone to, technical aspects, equipment, and what an absolutely stunning tank and fish! Amazing. :fishy1:
Thank you. I really am trying to do it right first time, but its presented some challenges trying to do it just how I want. We are getting there though. :)
I'll echo those wows. ;D
I have an aqua oak AQ120D still sitting in the packaging in the hallway. As soon as my axolotls are in their other tanks and I can move the 200l tank & cabinet out of the corner of the room, the AQ120D will be heading in to the empty corner.
I appreciate and enjoyed your thread so far. It will help with what I am planning for the river tank, many thanks.
Awesome tank and brilliant photos. Well done. :cheers:
Enjoy the Aquaoak when you get it unpacked, its a lovely piece of kit. However - watch the lid closes properly, mine doesnt, although Johannah at MA is on the case for me. Another challenge to overcome but it's only a minor issue on an amazing cabinet. I love it.
Superb photos.... and I love the water change idea.
Thanks, I must admit I am VERY pleased that worked first time. Thats going to save a lot of weekly pain and time. :)
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what fish do you have and how many of each?
amazing tank 8) 8)
apache6467
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what fish do you have and how many of each?
amazing tank 8) 8)
apache6467
Hello,
Thank you, its looking great, very pleased with it.
I have:
2x Geophagus Tapajos Redheads
2x Geophagus Altifrons
Currently living in harmony with a school of 11x Rummy Nose Tetras.
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:yikes: I followed the URL to that last image to see it at higher resolution:
Wow!
There are some stunning shots hosted here. I'm in awe of your skills.
WOAH!! Beautiful photos, you're a man of many talents Stu!
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:yikes: I followed the URL to that last image to see it at higher resolution:
Wow!
There are some stunning shots hosted here. I'm in awe of your skills.
WOAH!! Beautiful photos, you're a man of many talents Stu!
Thank you. :)
Bit of an update, popped into my local Maidenhead Aquatics and had a long chat with the uber helpful Johannah there who is a real pleco fan, and I've come away with two rather beautiful and quite rare Plecos.
Once their 2hr acclimatisation drip is up I will try and grab some pics. Watch this space. :)
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Ohh what type of plecos.
I reccomend the whiptail catfish if you are after some cats (rineloricaria.sp)
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Ohh what type of plecos.
I reccomend the whiptail catfish if you are after some cats (rineloricaria.sp)
I will look up the whiptails as thats the kind of thing im likely to find tomorrow at Pier Aquatics.
Today i got:
1x Queen Arabesque Pleco (L260)
1x Green Phantom Pleco (L200)
They havent been in the tank long, took me 2.5 hours to drip acclimatise them to my water.
Essentially I put them in a large plastic container and then syringe in 20ml of water every 15 mins until the TDS matches that of my tank.
As soon as they were set free, as Plecos do... They dissapeared. Ive seen the Queen out in the open, but the green phantom has taken up residence upside down in some bogwood away from the cameras. Will pop a pic or two on soon.
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Oh wow - I've just looked up those and they're absolutely gorgeous. *sigh*
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I've only been to Pier Aquatics once when we were visiting my mother in St Helens, and as she now lives near us in the north east it is a bit far to go just to visit a shop :( . If we still lived in the Wigan area you'd never get me out of there.
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Managed a pretty average pic of the Queen Arabesque Pleco (L260) while she was there for 1.6 seconds.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v55/p1960226624-4.jpg)
But no joy with the Green Phantom - Hes behind this bogwood (Look between the two pieces). I dont think he will be coming to a photoshoot anytime soon.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v56/p2139047460-4.jpg)
Business as usual for the rest of them...
Hanging out with the tetras...
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v54/p2097905092-4.jpg)
And acting tough...
"Oh no... here come that pair of red headed idiots for my dinner money again. "
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v156/p2130151769-4.jpg)
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Very cool Stu, 8) 8) 8)
I'd love to see what a proper DSLR could do for pics of my own fish... I'm off to make a post in the photography thread, I'd love to see you over there once I've posted, watch this space ;)
Your images are stunning. I don't know where you get AVERAGE from...? :rotfl:
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Oh wow - I've just looked up those and they're absolutely gorgeous. *sigh*
I muttered those exact words as my hand went to my pocket to check I had my credit card. LOL
I've only been to Pier Aquatics once when we were visiting my mother in St Helens, and as she now lives near us in the north east it is a bit far to go just to visit a shop :( . If we still lived in the Wigan area you'd never get me out of there.
Ive only been the once, thanks to a member on here. I was stunned at the sheer aray of fish they had there!
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Stunning Plec and fantastic photos again. :cheers:
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Gotcha!!
The white balance is all screwed up so these colours are all a bit wrong, plus the camera was set to ISO 6400 as I had to dim the tank a lot to make the Plec's a little more active. All the same.. what a Pleco!! :)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s2/v60/p2114566678-4.jpg)
I also grabbed a couple of the queen.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s5/v123/p2087086780-4.jpg)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s9/v17/p2075331529-4.jpg)
Just need to figure out how best ensure they get fed well enough with these greedy Geo's about. Any and all advice on that topic welcome.
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Try dropping algea wafers at both sides so the plecos are fed
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Amazing photos and I love your plecs. ;D
I'm a bit attached to plecs myself at the moment. I don't know what it is about them, but I like the way they move and I just think that they are lovely looking fish.
Yours have fantastic marking/colouring.
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The usual advice is to put the plecs' food in the tank after the tank and room lights have been out for a while. That is, when it's dark and the other fish have gone to 'sleep'.
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I use both tactics to ensure my otos, gbr, and rcs all get some algae wafer, multiple pieces in favourite hang out zones for each fish and after lights out to favour shrimp and otos. They both work well.
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Really beautiful fish, I bet they were deadly expensive too.
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Thanks folks, appreciate the advice.
Sorry for the radio silence... caused as usual by the pains of self employment.
Ive been playing with my RO mixing station over the last few nights and now have a depth measure in there, a heater and a circulation pump.
So now I can accurately mix directly in there the day before WC day, pop the pump and heater on and next day I am good to pump across to the tank after a quick dose of prime. :)
Not the best pic... But it is what it is:
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s5/v116/p1913333516-4.jpg)
In terms of water, doing a smallish change every couple of days with 50/50 has brought me down to nearer target.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v156/p2021427464-4.jpg)
And fathers day saw me with £50 from my daughter to spend on whatever fish I liked... so I brought home some new guys... The Cats!
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s11/v32/p1972040904-4.jpg)
They are Corydoras Loxozonus, about 40mm long at the moment and I love them... They are so much more interesting than I expected.
I love how they occasionally group up like this and move around in unison. After some initial inspection, the Cichlids couldnt care less about them either, they even eat tablets together with the Cichlids being very careful to stay away from their sharp spines. Amusing to watch.
My LFS has some rather nice Corys im still considering too. very expensive compared to these guys. Will give it a few days as I want to monitor for an ammonia spike first.
The tapajos are doing well, and looking brighter every day...
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s12/v171/p2050212283-4.jpg)
And the Altiforns are looking happy too.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s9/v86/p1925861568-4.jpg)
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Congratulations on your new aquisitions/father's day present. They are lovely. I have some of the more common cory sp. in 3 of my tanks. They show the same behaviour as you describe, and I enjoy watching them. :)
Yet again, fantastic pictures of splendid fish. :cheers:
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Cories are real charactors.... some day, some day. *wistful sigh while looking in to the distance*
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Well @ColinB I might be able to sell you some of the offspring if and when mine spawn :afro
Love the cories @Evolution Stu :fishy1:
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Hi folks,
In terms of water quality we are now here:
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s6/v135/p2003888474-4.jpg)
Im sure the 0.25 Ammonia is a "false positive" from Seachem Prime as its always there.
As all is running well it was time to add some more fish.
I bought:
5x Small Bolivian Rams
5x Manacapuru Red Back Angel Fish
I am pleased to say they all get on great (so far) the Angels dont put up with any rubbish from the Geo's and the much larger Geo's seem to have taken to the little rams and are happy to share their caves with them. Pretty surprised, and very pleased. :)
Some pics:
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s12/v170/p1907700214-4.jpg)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s12/v171/p2134435423-4.jpg)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v62/p2106873508-4.jpg)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v62/p2117289610-4.jpg)
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Great stuff.
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Beautiful fish. :)
Also great to hear that they are all getting along so well. That's always a relief. ;D
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Great that the rams aren't being bullied!
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Thanks folks,
As the filters have been up and running over a month I figured it was a good time to get them opened up and give them a quick clean down. No scrubbing, just removing loose mulm and checking all is well as they have essentially been on two new tanks, not one and I wanted to take a look inside.
This is the Fluval 106:
Inside it has, in order of water flow:- Main Fluval Pre Sponge
- Fluval fine sponge (not in shot)
- Fluval Biomax
- Fluval polishing matt
- Seachem Matrix
- Fluval Polishing matt
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s3/v7/p1973928671-4.jpg)
My 1st Fluval 406:
Inside it has, in order of water flow:- Main Fluval Pre Sponge
- Fluval fine sponge
- Fluval Biomax
- Seachem Purigen
- Fluval Polishing matt
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v152/p2088231018-4.jpg)
My 2nd Fluval 406:No image, its essentially the same as the other one bar it has Seachem Matrix instead of Biomax, and it has no Purigen.... which brings me to the reason for posting. That Purigen has done a great job, look at the colour of it now after only a few weeks. I had some new to go in, then will have a go at recharging this with bleach ready to go back in when the new stuff fills up.
Here is Seachem Matrix, New Vs Old.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s11/v3/p1949225171-4.jpg)
Cant say that hasnt absorbed anything... great stuff!
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How's the tank now... Considered the 'Whippies' yet?
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Purigen is amazing stuff, and Bolivian Rams (like all Rams) are so beautiful.
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I've never quite understood Bolivians popularity when compared to GBRs, the GBRs just look like a smaller (an cuter in my view) and more colourful version to me... each to their own and all. :raspberries
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The main reason for buying Bolivian rams over rams is that they can cope with a wider range of water parameters. I've kept Bolivians with no problems* while rams just die within a couple of months.
*Except for when the female got gravel stuck in her throat and died, then the male pined away :( That wasn't due to the water parameters.
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I've found Bolivian Rams bred in hard water, so I'm feeling hopeful that I might be able to own some :)
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How's the tank now... Considered the 'Whippies' yet?
I have indeed considered them, but not done anything about it yet.
No major updates bar a sad one... The Altifrons took a sudden disliek to anything with fins. Complete line of sight territory and started chasing off any fish that came anywhere near them. Since I was sold them as a different smaller fish and knowing they were going to outgrow the tank, I decided they had to go. I bought an awesome little fish trap and had the greedy idiots captured within ten minutes! Off to the shop they went. :(
In terms of water chemistry, ive been doing 100litre 50/50 Tap/RO water changes every 3 days since build and a fortnight ago swopped to once weekly as it began to stabilise around the hardness I wanted.
Current figures are thus:
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s11/v30/p2054730700-5.jpg)
And you can see my TDS trend here over the past month.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v55/p2119991827-5.jpg)
Fish are all happy and growing nicely. Here are a few images from yesterday.
The bolivians randomly bite the Tapajos side. He doesnt even turn round. It was originally concerning to watch, but now its just amusing. Its always at feeding time, and one "rams" him repeatedly and he just carries on eating. When he finally raises his fins and turns, the ram shoots off at speed. LOL
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v22/p2115346517-4.jpg)
Feeding time... Everyone up!
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s2/v1/p2130350339-4.jpg)
Its taken a month but the Queen Arabeque now comes out every feeding time and eats with the rest, only shuffling off if anyone gets too close.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v168/p1927351562-4.jpg)
The Rio Curua has taken a liking to this cave I installed, which is nice as we can see her most of the time now.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s2/v51/p1884680122-4.jpg)
The Corys... well they just go about as though there are no other fish in the tank. Love these guys, they never stop moving.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v165/p2066791558-4.jpg)
Rummys and Angels... just going about their day swimming back and forth.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v67/p1925251773-4.jpg)
And the Green phantom again, a month later has started to show himself, partially at least.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s1/v21/p1939501531-4.jpg)
But when he does come out, its great to see.
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s7/v154/p2039697545-4.jpg)
And thats it from me really. I will start remineralising pure RO next as I want my KH a tad higher, but thats for later as its stable now. :)
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One of my fav lfs has just started selling an interesting selection of plecs including the green phantom, they are very pretty fish
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Awesome update as usual Stu, cheers for sharing... I did think even for your big tank, 100 litres changed every 3 days seems a tad much... I change 25% every 8 days in my 180 litre which keeps everything nice and clear looking.
Really really really want a DSLR... Come on lottery!! ;D
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Great looking tank and fab photos.
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One of my fav lfs has just started selling an interesting selection of plecs including the green phantom, they are very pretty fish
They really are. I may well get a Blue Phantom as well, but my aim at the moment is to find a reasonbly sized Frog Mouth Pleco.
Awesome update as usual Stu, cheers for sharing... I did think even for your big tank, 100 litres changed every 3 days seems a tad much... I change 25% every 8 days in my 180 litre which keeps everything nice and clear looking.
Really really really want a DSLR... Come on lottery!! ;D
It was just while everything stabilised with regards hardness, I wanted it down as smoothly as possible to where it is now.
Im a bit unsure about full RO remineralised and what kind of a shock that will cause, as of course there are a LOT of chemicals and stuff coming out of the water at that point, but if I mix with tap any more than 50% im going to drop the KH too low and cause PH instability so im kind of forced to try it and hope for the best.
Ive got a tub of JBL Aquadur and a tub of Tropic Marin. Just need to make a firm decision which brand to use and give it a go. The downside is I can no longer mix my water butt with 50% hot water to bring it up close to 27degrees. A curveball I had totally overlooked. My 300w water butt heaters going to struggle to raise that temp fast enough and may not even manage it with big overnight temp swings. Bah...
Great looking tank and fab photos.
Thanks Colin.
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OMG amazing fish. 8)
Loving the green phantom. ;D
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Jaw-droppingly fantastic photos, tank and fish.
[ Have amended title to more easily identify thread 'owner' and more accurately reflect content. Hopefully subsequent posts will automatically update with amended title.]
Moderator FCMF C:-) ]
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Thanks FCMF, appreciate the kind words and the title tweaks. :)
Ive two newcomers just out of quarantine... Just need to get the images off my card at work today while the staff load the Dyno up. Watch this space. :)
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Yeah, more pics. Looking forward to seeing them. :cheers:
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As promised. The new boys.
1x Snowball Pleco (L102)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s4/v63/p2140460176-4.jpg)
1x Leopard Frog Pleco (L134)
(http://www.stewartsandersonphotography.co.uk/img/s6/v135/p1954322552-4.jpg)
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They're certainly beauties! :)
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They are beautiful. ;D
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Wow - they're stunning.
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I am not generally a plec fan, but even I think those fish are gorgeous.
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I really like the colours in them, awesome pics as always Stu 8) 8)
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Thanks folks, I'm pleased you like the new Plecos. :)
I love plecos, but I think that's my lot for those guys now. They should be a good mix to grow on... I'm going to enjoy keeping these. All different characters. The snowball is always out and about on plants, glass wood, always somewhere to be seen.
I need to find something, smallish that I can add a few of... Must be colourful and that's always going to be active, ideally mid to upper level swimming and the tricky one... Mandy really wants something blue. Almost impossible with Tropicals. Can't find anything South American that might fit the bill.
Any ideas anyone? Not just blue... But colourful?
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I have to admit to growing into a big fan of plecos. As I have spent more time with a variety of fish in my tanks in my hard water area, I find myself drawn to some quirky aquatic housemates. I love all of my original starter fish, and if I had enough room I would have even more tanks, but they would have to be large, as I have a soft spot for plecos (especially the ones you've just introduced) and would also love a black ghost knife fish.
Oh well, I can't have everything (apparently :o :( >:( ) so during my current tank reorganisation I'll just have to see what I can do with what I have, and spend the rest of my time keeping up with what people have on here, and wandering around LFS admiring the fish. :)
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Dwarf Rainbow fish are blue.... but not S. American. The Blue Tetra is.... er.... blue and is S. Am. Those are the only two I can think of straight away.
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Must admit, I haven't looked at the dwarfs. Will have to research their requirements. I think I will have a drive over to Pier Aquatics in Wigan for some inspiration. :)
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Cardinal tetras have a lovely blue stripe, 10 ft away from the tank it's the noticeable colour, dunno why cos the red is just as vivid, probably something to do with light reflection.