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PCS & Stuart M. Grant - Cichlid Preservation Fund - Details here
Posted by kassysimon on 28 November 2015 - 10:41 AM
Posted by kassysimon on 15 November 2015 - 08:02 PM
Posted by kassysimon on 26 October 2015 - 10:02 PM
Posted by kassysimon on 20 October 2015 - 09:32 PM
Posted by kassysimon on 06 October 2015 - 08:35 PM
Posted by kassysimon on 23 September 2015 - 07:58 PM
Hi all.
So I got a little bored and saw all of these great journals and thought I’d get in on it too.
I had a 10x2x2 with two FX5’s running a high tech planted tank with CO2, auto dosing liquid fertilisers, auto water change and top up with PH, heating and lighting controlled via a Profilux aquarium computer.
I designed an area in the house a built to house this tank and time came to finally complete the project which meant building cabinets around the tank which sat on a metal stand in the living room so it was rather unsightly.
The tank looked like this in its prime.
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Before stripping it down and selling off the plants, fish and gravel it looked like this.
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I’ve been designing the cabinets and consulting with the cabinet maker for a few months and finally got all my requirements dialed in. The plan was for the final result to look something like this.
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The cabinets are built from Nema Board. A polymer waterproof (amongst many other things) product that can be worked like mdf. I chose this to be used in the carcasses only and then an HMRMDF for the doors and scribes.
I originally decided upon a sump as filtration but the return pump noise was of great concern seeing as the tank is in the living room so I opted to run the FX5’s again. I had Nick (aka Riggers) drill the required holes for me (which came out perfect) which I’m still using for the auto water change, auto top off and emergency overflow.
A quick render of the sump.
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I moved the fish a wished to keep into a holding tank and the build began the build.
This was the area all cleaned out.
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First the bottom cabs went in.
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Then the full heights and over heads.
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And then the carcasses were done...
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Next came the doors and vuala!
A few little touch-ups and leveling off.....
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Plumbing in the auto water change, top off and overflow came next. Room was left in the piping to allow me to integrate replacing water at water change time with conditioned water. But since I can ultimately change as much or as little water as I like at as many or few intervals I decided to leave it for now as mains pressure water has served me well in the past so far.
Here is the sump installed.
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But as mentioned the FX5's were used instead.
The plumbing for ATO and AWC with and emergency overflow.
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I ran two 300w Jager heaters in the last setup and will be doing the same again, mostly for redundancy as water changes will be small but often. I ran them in-line to keep the tank looking clean. The FX5’s run into the heater manifold and then directly into the tank.
The two FX5’s plumbing was next which was just simply running pipes into the cabinets and making room for the two inline heaters.
I’ll be using Gin Gin river sand from Wangara Soils aint Soils as a substrate with granite and possibly schist stone as decorations and hiding places.
A trip to Wangara this weekend will see me well stocked and ready to start scaping the tank.
With that said ill post another update once scaping is complete.
Posted by kassysimon on 18 September 2015 - 05:46 PM
Sounds great!.
consider them sold.
The first Africans for the 10 footer....!
Posted by kassysimon on 24 August 2015 - 07:54 PM
Posted by kassysimon on 15 August 2015 - 01:39 PM
Hi Cameron.
Ive done this on my 10x2x2.
I can help you design it if you like.
There are many ways to achieve this and it all comes down to budget and where the new water will be coming from and where the old water is going. So ill ask you a few questions, get back to us here and we can go from there.
Are you drawing water from a reservoir?
Are you filling the reservoir from mains pressure or manually with buckets or hose?
Where are you draining the old water to?
How is your sump plumbed to your tank?
Do you want an automatic top off function too?
Do you want to do this DIY style or to buy it as a system?
Answer these here for everyone else to see so they can learn and we'll get this started. Its pretty easy.
Posted by kassysimon on 11 August 2015 - 10:43 PM
Posted by kassysimon on 29 July 2015 - 09:21 PM
Posted by kassysimon on 29 July 2015 - 08:19 PM
Posted by kassysimon on 29 July 2015 - 11:10 AM
Posted by kassysimon on 26 July 2015 - 07:23 PM
Sustainability, sustainability, sustainability.
Thats why its illegal.
"But if I can get away with it, whats the big deal?" You can get away with much worst but would you try?
"But I'm only taking a few rocks". And then the next person only takes a few, and the one after that, and the one after that....
Have you ever seen Methams Beach in November? hundreds of people fishing for abalone. But image if each person had the same idea that "it wasnt too bad" to take a few abalone that are undersize, the entire reef would be decimated.
For the sake of the reef. Leave the rock were it is. Support your hobby, support the enviroment and buy some from your local marine specialist but not from Gumtree, where do you think they get it from? Sort of like a blood diamond really.
Posted by kassysimon on 15 July 2015 - 07:27 PM