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Leichardti’S 6X2X2 Bedside Display


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#41 Leichardti

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Posted 04 June 2018 - 10:27 PM

@Chris noo not dumb at all, actually a good question. Currently my lighting and Co2 system aren’t fully up and running so there is no point in putting plants in just yet. At some stage I’m going to be getting some new lights up and running and then I’ll have some deep root feeders like Vallisneria in there plus a buch of others like Bacopa and Limnophila. Just waiting until everything’s up and running properly so that I don’t end up just killing plants becauss it’s not done properly

Update
Chopped up some spare eggcrate yesterday and divided the tank - Coal Grunter and Sooty Grunter on one side and N. Ater and Sleepy Cod in the other. Sooty managed to find his way in at one point so I dumped a bunch of scoria in the way of any gaps and he stayed out. Sooty Gunter sold today so divider’s been taken out n I only have 3 fish - real shame as he was a real cool fish but I didnt want anyone else being attacked or killed.
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As you can also see I’ve gotten a bunch of MDF to clad the stand with. 4x 60x90cm sheets for the front and side and 1x 30x180cm for the side cabinet
Finished product will be something like so;
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Otherwise, here’s just an update photo:
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Edited by Leichardti, 04 June 2018 - 10:30 PM.

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#42 Leichardti

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Posted 10 June 2018 - 11:32 AM

Swapped over the lights:
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Mums tank now has my metal halide so I have her 2x MarsAqua 165w Black Boxes
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These lights have a marine spectrum with a white / red / green channel + blue channel. So currently I’m running the white channel at the dimmest setting during the day and blue during part of the night
Mums 4x2x2 marine with the Metal Halide on - Got both sides working, 2x 20,000kelvin halides
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Since these MarsAqua blackboxes are more suitable for marine (and second hand) I’ll be modifying them and cleaning them up a bit.
For starters I’m going to be replacing the LED PCB’s with SBReef’s Retrofit PCB Boards in the freshwater spectrum. These are really good for plants and will turn these MarsAqua’s into good quality plant lights for a prettt low cost.
Once that’s done I’ll be replacing the fans in them - both fans are very loud when running high so need new, silent replacements for them.
Once that’s done I’ll be mounting them to something - Yet to decide if I’ll just be hanging them from the ceiling or if I’ll mount to brackets which attach to the cabinet. Decisions, decisions
Once everything is up and running fully and nicelt I’d love to somehow computerize the lighting system - been looking at controllers such as the StormX. Would be nice to be able to control everything from the left side of the cabinet.
Anyways, thats all for today. Might be cutting the MDF to size this arvo

#43 Leichardti

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Posted 10 June 2018 - 01:03 PM

Just cut all of the MDF to size:
Have just slotted them all into place atm

Attached File  IMG_1935.JPG   139.65KB   13 downloads
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Now to just wait for a dry night to paint it all up.. doesnt seem like a common occurance atm
Really liking the way everything’s come together so far, really turning into my dream tank


Edited by Leichardti, 10 June 2018 - 01:22 PM.


#44 KurtFreitag

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Posted 18 June 2018 - 09:16 AM

Looking good.

 

I'm a little concerned that your side panels hang over the support base id hate to hear that the seal breaks.



#45 Leichardti

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 07:45 PM

Going to be attaching the side panels to the stand and sandwiching a bit of foam between that and the tank to hopefully make it a bit more safe, honestly is a bit worrying but think it should be okay..

Anyways here’s a bit of an update:
Had a small rescape of the rocks, flattened them out a little and think its looking pretty great currently.
Attached File  IMG_2073.JPG   149.6KB   7 downloads
Also got two pots of Vallisneria sp. “Narrow” for the tank from AquariumGallery. Told myself I wouldn’t get any plants until I had the Co2 sorted but I don’t need that for Vallisneria and the white spectrum of the lights should be good for them.
Two pots of Val buried with a Dino Dung ball
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As you would notice I’ve put some rocks around the Val to discourage uprooting by this whiskery fella, who happens to be having a good recovery after his attack from the Sooty.
Attached File  IMG_2076.JPG   124.39KB   7 downloads

I did a bit of a DIY with the LED's and attached them to each other by putting two screws through the air vents and bolting them together. Then hung them from my curtain rail just to get them off the cover glass. Going to be hanging them from the ceiling soon

Thats all for this update, here's some full-tank shots

Attached File  IMG_2065.JPG   101.8KB   7 downloads

Attached File  IMG_2067.JPG   96.25KB   8 downloads

 


Edited by Leichardti, 24 June 2018 - 08:09 PM.


#46 Delapool

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Posted 24 June 2018 - 08:49 PM

I like the layout - looks good to me.

#47 Leichardti

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Posted 30 June 2018 - 06:07 PM

Lights have been hung and Vallisneria seems to be doing well - Got 4 more pots of (very) thin Vallisneria from Aquotix today + an Aponogeton Crispus... invader!
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#48 malawiman85

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Posted 02 July 2018 - 04:10 PM

Wow... look at you go! You've certainly done a terrific job with this tank particularly considering some of the temperamental fish you've had... A Bullrout or two would look amazing.

#49 Leichardti

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Posted 02 July 2018 - 05:05 PM

Thanks MM, will a Snakehead Gudgeon do?

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Got a Snakehead Gudgeon yesterday.. sort of. Looking after it for a mate until it’s a bit larger and he has tanks ready for it

I want a nice big colourful one if my own now, it gets on nicelt with the other fish and I reckon they look great when larger

Might also have a Bullrout on the way.. potentially

#50 Jules

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Posted 03 July 2018 - 07:56 AM

Should get a FW Moray!



#51 malawiman85

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Posted 03 July 2018 - 09:13 AM

This tank reminds me of Millstream between Karratha and Tom Price.
Really well done. The Vallis looks good too... I spent hours snorkling in the Maitland river last month... acres of Val. Was amazing came face to face with a couple of big jacks, barra, scats, salmontails,etc. Fair to say I didn't want to leave... ever.
And yes... get a FW moray... they are terrific!!!

#52 Leichardti

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Posted 03 July 2018 - 09:25 PM

Wow MM, that sounds awesome, bet you had a great amount if fun. Must have been interesting seeing them in nature, seeing how they act freely.

Would love a FW Moray, they’re cool as but cost more than I could spend on a singular fish ☹️

Here’s some photos of the Coaly I got with the DSLR today

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lol classic Coaly

#53 Delapool

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Posted 04 July 2018 - 04:27 PM

Great patterns, lovely photos.

#54 Leichardti

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Posted 06 July 2018 - 10:56 PM

Rest in peace..
Was my favourite fish, cant believe I lost him had so many reasons to get rid of him various times but never did because of thise gorgeous colours and his personality - seemed a bit rare to have a prick Neo but he could stand up for himself when the Coal Grunter ever had a go..
Not sure if I’ll be able to find a fish like that again, balanced out the tank well with that mean attitude
RIP Mr Neo ☹️
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#55 malawiman85

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Posted 07 July 2018 - 01:43 PM

Dude that's messed up.

#56 Leichardti

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Posted 08 July 2018 - 10:08 PM

Sorted some of the Co2 out today
Got a RedSea regulator from AvidAquaria
My old broken regs solenoid with a bit of modification fits onto it perfectly
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Bottle needs a refill :(
Now I need to sort out the pH controller and a reactor
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Due to the Nautilus 2700 having such large pipes im going to be building my own Cerges style reactor our of PVC and poly, soon to come. Will them be sorting out the pipework and power under the tank, tidying up everything

Fungus..
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A few days ago the Snakehead Gudgeon brought a nasty fungus into my tank. Above photo is how bad it got on him, however it cleared up with Furan 2 and Methylene Blue.
Unfortunately this fungus, as the Snakehead Gudgeon was in the display tank, spread to my Neosilurus Ater. This is what killed it, which im rather distraught about ☹️
The fungus appeared in the morning, dosed Methylene Blue and Furan 2 as I did with the Snakehead Gudgeon however I suspect the fungus took hold faster and easier due to being a scaleless fish. He died around 8pm the night after that morning.

My tank is currently blue due to the Methylene Blue - Going to leave it that way for a while before I do a waterchange, just to try keep the other fish from getting the fungus. Im a bit scared that I’m going to have a blue tinged background and sand.. sand wont be too bad but Im gonna be pissed if my backgrounds blue

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Has diluted a bit and now has gone green

Now that I only have 2 fish in the display my tank looks rather empty.. saddening really since the Neo was the one constantly swimming around looking for food and digging around.
In simpler words I have another 35cm Neosilurus Ater lined up for when I’m sure the tanks come good and I’m trying to get two more smaller ones.. want a small group of them
No news on Bullrout
Thinking I may buy a Leichardti at some stage - how fitting - Most of the fish I have / will be getting are mid to bottom dwellers. Would be nice to have a toga cruising around the top

At the moment it looks as if the Furan and Methylene is doing its job - no more fungus and everyone seems happy
Fingers crossed it stays that way

#57 Delapool

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Posted 09 July 2018 - 07:31 AM

Be interested how reactor goes and build blog.

#58 Jules

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Posted 09 July 2018 - 07:57 AM

Yeah saratoga for sure!

 

Definitely a personal favourite.



#59 Leichardti

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Posted 09 July 2018 - 11:34 AM

Started to get some small signs of the start of some Co2 defficiency problems so getting a bit of co2 into the tank - just have the diffuser under my wavemaker, blows some fine bubbles around the tank
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Val seems pretty happy otherwise

#60 Leichardti

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Posted 10 July 2018 - 01:03 PM

Parts acquired
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