34 replies to this topic

[burnsy]

I have been keeping cichlids for around two years now. I got myself a bowfront blue planet setup from my lfs and filled it with Maingano and yellow labs. I was advised that this setup would require aditional filtration but thought it would be ok. I had fairly good sucess up till recently when i began loosing them all one by one. I put this down to lack of maintainence as I was spending more and more time out of town for work and my setup needed weekly water changes. Turns out I should have listend to someone that knew better than me. Ahh well we live and learn.

 

Rather than blow money on adding filters to my small tank I decided I wanted bigger with better filtration. I picked up a second hand 6x1.5x2 from a local guy in Kalgoorlie. I probably payed a bit too much for it but thats just the Kalgoorlie tax thats added to everything here. It had no stand which suited me as I wanted to build one anyway. It has curved corners which I quite like aswell but the filter and light in the lid were no good. 

 

Anyway heres my vision. I want to run a sump for this setup but as it will be in my lounge I want it to be as quiet as possible. I am going to use a bean animal (silent and safe) style overflow. I picked up a 3 foot tank to use as a sump. I want to run a large section of the sump filled with K1 moving bed media as I have read very good things about this media type. I will use a Eheim Compact+ 5000 as a return pump. The return will go to the bottem of the tank where it will split off into jets. This will hopefully lift all the waste from the bottem up to the overflow. For lighting I am going to go with a D I Y LED setup from www.aquastyleonline.com. They do a fully programable kitset with sunrise and sunset which is pretty cool. I am going to make a DIY background from foam covered in coloured grout then sprayed with pond sealant. I want to use sand for the substrate as I like the look more than gravel.

 

I have been at this for around 4 months so far and progress is slow due to my long work hours and time away. But thats why I call it a project . Anyway the progress so far . . . . .

 

Tank with bulkheads layed out ready to drill. Got a cheap dimond tipped holesaw and the bulkheads off ebay. I watched a few youtube videos and then bit the bullet and started drilling. Turned out pretty well.

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Holes drilled and bulkheads installed.

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Front view of bulkhead.

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The start of the "Bean Animal" plumbing.

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The stand so far. I think I will add more virtical support before adding the ply to the sides and back

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The return "jets". I heated the 15mm PVC then squashed it to get the shape.

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The overflow box freshly siliconed

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So thats it so far.

Please leave me some comments/tips/advice

 

Cheers

Rich

 

P.S This is my first post so sorry in advance if Ive done anything wrong.

[Redevilz]

Welcome to Perth Cichlids Society!

Looks great, going to look awesome when it has some fish inside!

Any ideas of what fish you are going to put in it?

Cheers and goodluck

[burnsy]

I would realy like to keep Tropheus but i have read they are best not kept in a busy place like my lounge and are quite hard to care for.

I quite like Haplochromis obliquidens, Nimbochromis Venustus and Pseudotropheus Acei but am still a few months away from starting to stock.

Any suggestions??

[Redevilz]

Electric yellows, demasoni, hongi, crimson tide, venustus, red empress, firebird peacock, dragon blood peacock, orange shoulder peacock, red forest jewels, silver dollars are all possible choices.

Cheers

[Poncho]

Don't be put off by those tropheus comments. A little harder to keep than stock standard cichlids but worth it. Do your research and give it a go if they're the fish you really like.

A few good tropheus keepers on here to learn from - dazzabozza and cicolid for starters

[kassysimon]

Don't be put off by those tropheus comments. A little harder to keep than stock standard cichlids but worth it. Do your research and give it a go if they're the fish you really like.

A few good tropheus keepers on here to learn from - dazzabozza and cicolid for starters

I was thinking of Tropheus too but i didnt realise they were any harder to care for.

 

Whats different about them and has to be done that makes them a little more challenging?

 

Thanks

[burnsy]

Thanks for the tips. Ive got 9 more days on site then im home. Cant wait to do a bit more on the tank. Next step is to fit the overflow box to the tank and do a bit more on the stand. I think i will add some more virtical support (to be sure, to be sure) and add the base for the sump to sit on. Then i can do some more plumbing. Any one got advice on pumps??

[Bowdy]

If your keeping fresh water why bother with the overflow box ? Just attach strainers to the bulkheads. So much easier.

[kassysimon]

If your keeping fresh water why bother with the overflow box ? Just attach strainers to the bulkheads. So much easier.

Overflow boxes are usually configured so that they can handle a significant head of water OVER the bulkhead and this allows a good flow of water through the bulkhead. When a tank is drilled on the back pane near the top of the tank, a sufficient head of water is not possible and the flow rate through the bulkhead is limited. Attempting to use a faster sump return pump can result in the tank overflowing.

The filter that comes with the bulkhead works to stop fish from been sucked into the piping, however, it also reduces the flow through the bulkhead and this results in an even greater head of water over the bulkhead, reducing surface skimming even more and also reducing the total flow rate.

 

Go with the overflow box mate. FAR more better than just bulkheads.

[Bowdy]

For reference please don't quite the post directly above as its pointless and against The guidelines. .

Fish can't get caught in plumbing when using strainers on bulkheads. I don't agree with what your saying I have seen a ton of fresh water sumped tank af which 99.9% don't use an overflow box. Plus the water level can always be adjusted using taps. My personal opinion is installing an overflow box in a fresh tank is pointless but each to there own. Good luck with it mate.

[kassysimon]

 

The filter that comes with the bulkhead works to stop fish from been sucked into the piping,

 

 

Fish can't get caught in plumbing when using strainers on bulkheads. 

 

Exactly what i was saying.......but since you misunderstood my post with regards to fish and strainers i think i can safety assume that you dont understand physics, fluid mechanics and fluid dynamics or since we are taking about water specifically in terrestrial flow, hydrodynamics, so i wont bother explaining static pressure, dynamic pressure or any of the Navier/Stokes equations. But these are the reasons for overflow boxes being better than bulkheads. 

 

Either way, it seems Burnsy has already got himself an overflow and is heading down the right track.

 

Maybe Burnsy is himself already familiar with Navier and Stokes? 

 

Burnsy....?

[burnsy]

I cant say Im too familliar with Navier or stokes but I have done alot of reading and planning for this setup.

The main reason for the overflow is so I can use the bean animal style piping as I want the to get the quietest setup possable..

An overflow will also keep the water level constant in the DT no matter what.

Also surface skimming of the water is the best way to remove organics and waste from the water, It will provide far better results than just a bulkhead with strainer.

I also wanted to make this setup capeable to be used as a reef tank in the future if i choose to go that way in the hobby.

[kassysimon]

Your theory is sound.

[Bowdy]

So what your saying is everyone using the bulkhead instead of an overflow is doing it wrong hmmmmmm nice theory.

And just because I misread your post its very naive of you to assume I don't understand physics. You enjoy your academic bubble you live in. Happy fish keeping.

[Kleinz]

Pfft. Don't let the negative people put you off. It's gonna be great.

 

I'm sitting here wiring up some lighting with CREE LEDs as seen in your link, but nothing compared to your project....

[burnsy]

Kleinz what sort of led setup are you doing? Where did you get them from?

 

Rich

[burnsy]

Bowdy,

Theres not realy a right or wrong way to set up your tank drains, As long as you have assurances for power outages and pump failiers. Im personaly going with the overflow as its the best option for what im trying to achive. The overflow only cost $40 in glass so its an inexpencive addition if wanted.

[Bowdy]

I never said there was I right or wrong way. I was just questioning someone comments that's all. Nothing negative about your set up.

[knock]

ignorance can sometimes be confused with negativity

[Bowdy]

You would be the king of that shandy pants.