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  1. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Found that with this set up being very top heavy (total approx 80kg without water and the marble weighing a lot) it had a slight side to side wobble. This is partly due to the small footprint and height but even so it would get worse when filled up. Just in case anyone else goes down the...
  2. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    ha, no I've had enough of making stuff, should have just bought a tank last year and been done with it!
  3. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Got a few hours to myself today. So I’ve more or less completed the tank setup, the light fitting is the last thing to do. I guess I’m nearly at the normal starting point. I started to loose patience a little bit with the wiring and plumbing, I was going to make it all tidy and hidden but...
  4. Dogtemple

    Lowtech Nanos - The Mossy Spider & More

    this looks great, really inspiring stuff here. the growth is so good it's kinda putting me off high tech ideas!
  5. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Did a little bit of arranging last night and got the vertical bits of wood in a bit of a curve and the horizontal piece reaching out to the front just sort of hovers over the bottom of the tank. Happy with this so will be tying it up and siliconing it to make it one tangle of wood. Should...
  6. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks guys, I am not seeking to have rare species that are hard to keep so I'm happy with ferns and mosses, I just want a really healthy lush looking tank with one species of fish and RCS. so moss and fern are great as I love the look of these plants. my tank is 50cmx50cmx31cm. I think thats...
  7. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    cool that sounds good. ill likely go with something like that. I was going to use rotala as a background plant but didn't have much else planned beyond this. it was going to be a discovery and trying all different sorts of things. that will come later down the line now. I just need to think...
  8. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks thats some good advice. I would like to use a little bit of CO2, just as I bought all the stuff and designed it with CO2 in mind. surely using a bit of CO2 will help...? I am also thinking that in the future, if I just do sand and a choice selection of moss and java fern to start...
  9. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    These are my options on hardscape. I’m thinking of tying moss to the branches, have some Christmas moss around the base and a big bushy lump of trident java fern in the middle with ada la plata sand on the base. Option one from the front. And looking down Option two (which I think I...
  10. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks, I have the eagerness I'm just strapped for time and circumstances are rapidly changing. but its ok I think about it quiet a lot, so not lost my mojo. with the scape I have always wanted it to be lush with added CO2 to help things along but yet be relatively minimal. I was going to use...
  11. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    As part of the rushing I got it all pieced together last night, 1am on a school night. There is a slight problem with hoses not fitting the heater, but I have a way around this. Have some sketchy old iphone images This is far from finished but it’s very close. I need to muck around...
  12. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Hopefully this shows how it’s assembled better than my ramblings in the last post.
  13. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    aarrrgh!!! long time no update... things have taken a bit of a turn and this has had to go on the back burner, I wanted this done by now so am scraping it together. so this bit is the co2 reactor, as done by foxfish on here. so I bought a 20" water filter canister thing.. bought a...
  14. Dogtemple

    Cautionary Tales from an Idiot

    I like your approach, quite refreshing and probably will be of use to people for years to come. like the bible
  15. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Today I have been mostly eating acorns. This is the control panel for the inlet and outlet pipes. They’re powered off a car battery which will be kept topped up with a solar charger. Having this bit separate from the mains means it should have an element of being more dependable...
  16. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Yeah totally, if you can then why not. Always end up exactly with what you want and a standard you’re happy with. I can’t justify paying anyone to do a job anymore when it’s usually quicker to do it yourself and sadly it’s usually done to a better standard than when trusted to a pro. That...
  17. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    couple of years ago I built this sideboard. its made with IKEA's finest marble look kitchen work top and mdf black wood laminate-esque doors. the stand is sort of matching this, although I am using actual materials rather than the make believe stuff that comes from Neverneverland or where...
  18. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    This is mildly momentous, it’s all back home and peeling the protective film off the platform bit to reveal a shiny bit of clear plastic was the first job. I got a free fire extinguisher off the guy at work who does the fire extinguisher servicing. Then found 4x polished aluminium...
  19. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Some scape shopping today
  20. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks! hopefully will have the rest of it back home later in the week
  21. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    The panels are done, couple coats of varnish and they feel smooth and surprisingly hard like glass, which is nice. Also an extra appearance for Tim Harrison
  22. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks thats great to hear! a large part of putting it up on here is to try and keep the momentum going. I don't post very much of what happens with the build as theres lots of making tools in order to make other things, having to work things out, redo it, try again type processes so it takes...
  23. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Ha well spotted! I think that record came with a poster. When I’m home after the weekend I’ll dig it out and take a photo for you.
  24. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks, I have considered painting it but its adding more into the mix, my aim is to have minimum amount of everything on show in the hope that it blends in. the tube in the middle is stainless steel, so I could either paint it or more likely, I will polish it. the other option is to paint...
  25. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Varnished all the panels up, I’ll take it all home next week after work when dried fully. Also did this, another drop checker to improve on the first I made. The first drop checker I made is on the right, it’s a bit too small. Made it twice as long to allow for a bubble to form in the...
  26. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Managed to grab another hour or so after work. Painting with a blow torch today. This is the front panel. A coat of satin varnish and it’s pretty much done. Might need another coat. Quite happy with how it turned out. Just need to do the two side panels now.
  27. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    A kitchen done this way would be something to see! You could reuse the existing doors if needing to do your kitchen on a budget. Thanks for checking it out, it’s all starting to come together now. When I have all the electrics hooked up I will try sort out a video to show it all working
  28. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks, I appreciate the feedback! i'll be going with the knot showing look I think. if this wood wasn't pine the crackle look would probably have come out better.
  29. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    A touch more done today. Drilled the hole and fitted the outflow pipe. There’s nothing more to do on the stand, thank god. Except the aesthetic finish. From the start I always intended to do what’s called “shou sugi ban” to the wood. Shou Sugi Ban is a technique used for centuries by...
  30. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Finished off the little jamming problem with the orange rollers earlier today. The bottom two rollers guide the pipe left and right where as the top two guide the whole little fixing that the rollers bolt to. The fixing that holds the rollers is just a 10mm bit of polycarbonate with a...
  31. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    You should see the state of my carpentry on this thing. It’s not great. DIY in its most amateur sense.
  32. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Got quite a big bit done today, cutting the slot in the side panel. It required figuring out where it needed to go and routering an angle to the inner side. This was to allow the pipe to swing and not hit the edges. I have been putting it off as it’s a new panel of wood and could have...
  33. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Ok so today I got the door sorted and got all the panels to line up with equal panel gaps all round. The door solution has worked out pretty well and I’m rather happy with it. It was a bit of a bugger to line up but got there in the end. I had to put a brace on the top edge of the front...
  34. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Still been doing things with this but nothing much to post. It’s been a bit slow as other projects and life has got in the way and a fair amount of time has been spent scratching my head and trying to overcome some oversights. This is where I’m at currently, finishing off the stand, which is...
  35. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Small bit of progress after work today. The last post showed how a bit of wire will be attaching to a luminaire. The bit I did today is to attach the other end of the wire. The wire will be feeding through a thin stainless tube. The wire I’m using is stainless steel gear cable for a bike...
  36. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    I got a little time in to do another little job today. I have this Lumini asta pendant lamp that I will be using for this tank. It will be suspended by a cable. The original fitting would require the cable to be tied or gripped with an Allen key type jobby and introduces another “thing”. In...
  37. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    I’ve not posted much on here lately just as I’ve been doing small and not very interesting things like working out the routing of the pipework and making brackets etc. Since this is a bit more relatable though I thought I would post a bit about the hardscape. I’ve been scratching all the tiny...
  38. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Did a bit of foraging, my workshop is based on a small holding farm and all the heating is done by burning wood. So there’s stacks of logs everywhere. Just so happened that someone had split a load of ivy clad wood and left the ivy behind. Pretty lucky, found exactly what I wanted straight...
  39. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks for the input, the pipes furring up, I hope being stainless it will minimise that to an extent. even so, they are easily removed from the bar holders, it's just a grub screw on each holder and it slides off. I was thinking either running an outer of a bike brake cable down there with...
  40. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thats awesome, what kind of motorbike bits have you been making? I'm in to motorbikes too, amongst other things
  41. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    So.... another update. All the up and down metal work with rails thing I did a few months ago and had to stop as I was being feeble about the cold, finally got finished today. And it was the part I was being most mysterious about. The up and down aspect is to raise the outflow pipe at night...
  42. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Couple of internal shrimp screens made for Courtneybst and ready to be sent off. And after they were done I finished a bigger and more elusive part of this little project...
  43. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    yeah I can make you some, if you give me the dimensions you need I could knock up a couple today if you like.
  44. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Thanks, I use slip rolls to roll it in to a tube but that only rolls it down so far, as this is a very tight tube, so the rest I rolled by hand. It would have been difficult to get it in to a clean tube without the rollers to do the majority of the work tbh.
  45. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Done a little more today, I want to keep some cherry shrimp in this tank and will need a way of keeping them from getting sucked in to the filter. A bit of foam is not an option as it’s too ugly and intrusive, same for a mesh guard on the outside. So I’ve made a mesh guard for inside the...
  46. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    It is interference fit so will be solvent welded, should be optically clear joins. The widest part is the same diameter as the inflow pipe so it won’t get sucked up, it will butt up against it. I don’t do this for a living, I’m just creatively minded and design stuff a lot. I work a boring...
  47. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Actually here it is pressed together. I’m pretty sure this will work.
  48. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    yeah they were turned on a metal lathe, hence them being a bit yellow as they got a bit oily, it should be clear acrylic, I just need to give the bits a clean. I need to get some acrylic solvent but it will all be put together and if it works, I will show it complete. if not ill have to go...
  49. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Knocked these up today, they need cleaning up before assembling. It’s the plug for the inflow.
  50. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thats a good idea, I have access to a lathe and may need to go that route. I'm keen to reduce things though so incorporating bits in to the cap is hopefully going to achieve that
  51. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks, used a specific ridgid half inch stainless tube bender for this. off the top of my head the radius is 3cm. you need the correct tools to bend this stuff with no kinks, it is very hard tubing and only gets harder the more you work it. you may get away with a cheaper bender but I'm...
  52. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Slots now cut, 6 in total about 2/3 of the way round the tube, which is plenty. After a bit of maths and measuring and with some bends, I now have a pair of 316 stainless inflow and out flow pipes. Still need to do bends at the other end of the tubes where they enter the stand, trim the...
  53. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    A little more done today. Each of those slots took aaaaages, if I went too fast the disc would wear down and the slots wouldn’t be even. So had to go real slow. Like 25mins per cut slow. It worked though. All the slots are exactly the same.
  54. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    The tank is now finished and as minimal as can be.
  55. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Got back to the workshop today, one of the things I’ve been trying but failing with is making clean slots in the tubing for the outflow pipe. Drilling just didn’t work, angle grinder did the job but it was messy. What i have found to work is this, I managed to make some clamps for the tube and...
  56. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    After much cleaning of silicone with razor blades and pins to get every last scrap off, got silicone back on it 99.9% bubble free. Was worth redoing.
  57. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks, you're right. it would have got on my nerves and I could have done better. now is the time to sort these things so just got to get on with it and strip it out and redo. I'm aiming for a really high level of build quality here, so making do isn't really going to cut it.
  58. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    The front pane isn’t good enough so it’s getting redone.
  59. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    The tank is all complete and sealed up, but I’m not happy with the finish on the front panel. It could be better. It is sound and tidy but looking up close there are some tiny bubbles in the silicone. I don’t really want to compromise on the finish of this tank so I’m going to pull the front...
  60. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Slow progress as promised. Nearly done this tank though. One more side to seal and clean the edges up.
  61. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Last pane and it’s starting to take shape now. Pleased with the dimensions, looks just as I hoped. When looked front on it appears to have a good depth from front to back and gives an appearance of being relatively shallow.
  62. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    got another update on the tank build aspect, on its own thread. made a mistake... go check it out if you want to see where I went wrong
  63. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

  64. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    The second pane is in
  65. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    little bit of an update, got the tank build on the go. I stripped down my original tank to make it 9cm shorter, it took ages to clean off all the old silicone from the glass. getting the worst of it off was no trouble it was the traces of silicone left behind that sucked up the hours...
  66. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    just an update on this, not got much done to be honest, I've done quite a few little niggly jobs that needed doing this week but nothing substantial. my workshop is unheated and flipping freezing at the moment, it's practically impossible to do anything, it's so cold my hands barely move. I'm...
  67. Dogtemple

    Flat Earth society...

    thats quite an improvement, was that just due to the pump change? was just thinking, the longer the tube and the bigger the bubbles from the pump, that should also drag more water up. theres probably a difference to be had with the width of the tube as well. if you hang the air pump from an...
  68. Dogtemple

    Flat Earth society...

    could you have the water collect in a bottle from the outlet. however much you catch in 10sec multiply by 6 then again by 60 to get LPH?
  69. Dogtemple

    Flat Earth society...

    that looks cool, I presume the velocity of the air bubbles pulls the water through and out the pipe to create a bit of flow?
  70. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    they probably do that to keep the unions happy...
  71. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thats an idea yeah, you could do that with a third pipe or valve at the end of the pipe I suppose, but as you say it would introduce more stuff instead of reduce it. I'm trying to reduce everything down to the bare minimum visually and make it as functional as possible at the same time. thats...
  72. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Give that man a prize! Yes, that is exactly it. Well part of it. As part of not wanting to have equipment in the tank, I didn’t want to have an air stone so the other option is to move the outlet pipe up to agitate the water. I can’t honestly say I would remember to do this everyday and I’m...
  73. Dogtemple

    Episode 3: A new scape

    Hey thanks for the shout out. I’m glad to have been one of the ones to ‘inspire’ you to give it a go. Aside from flooding your house and killing a load of innocent little fish, I guess there’s not much that can go wrong in having a play about. Makes sense to raise your lights though, if you...
  74. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Getting close. I have a design for the lighting, which will be a departure from normal aquarium light fixtures, it will essentially just be a light at the end of the day but will be different. There’s three sets of timers there and a bunch of relays. One is a clock timer with a relay switch...
  75. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Thanks for the tips. I may still do holes if slots don’t work out. Was thinking that laser cutting would probably get the best finish and might be the way forward if the other ideas don’t work out. Done a little more this evening. Those two actuators need to be controlled by something, so...
  76. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Some more done. This part is nearly finished. I will explain it all when this part's completed. Might even put a video up if I can find a blank vhs for my camcorder. You may notice there are some strips on the platform. That’s the Ikea chopping board. The fixture I’ve welded up is painted...
  77. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    I have a jig made up to do slots. I was going to do holes but 316 stainless is not easy to drill through and get a nice consistent finish. Probably next week I will have the slots done. I have a nice little bit designed to go with the outflow. Also yet to do, it’s just another one of the many...
  78. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    The only hardware on display will be the inlet/outlet pipes. They’re 316 stainless and quite possibly the hardest bits of pipework on the planet to work with. Due to stainless being nearly impossible to bend cleanly, I had to get the right tool for the job. Since I’ve made nearly everything...
  79. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    This is where I’m up to now. The white thing is a bit of 10mm polycarbonate, now with a bunch of slots. Next job is to cut up an Ikea chopping board on the bandsaw. Ikea chopping boards, like most chopping boards, are made from polyethylene. Polyethylene is one of the lowest friction plastics...
  80. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    So what the hell is it!?!? Well it’s a fixture that moves up and down on an actuator and the fixture holds another actuator. It has a purpose obviously... can you guess what it is yet? These next few photos might explain it before this bit is finished...
  81. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    I’ve managed to get quite a bit done this week, been nipping over to my workshop after work and grabbing an hour or two. Finished the fixture which was just a few cut up bits of galvanised angle iron and nyloc nuts welded together. Despite my first post saying everything has to look good and...
  82. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    I’m pretty tall so I’m ok for teaching the bottom. It’s more for co2 and fertiliser purposes...
  83. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Good idea and the actuators can move a huge amount of weight, so that could be done. Although this is for something else, those two rails couldn’t hold the whole of the tank.
  84. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Close, it’s a linear actuator. I have two to go on. One is 50mm the other is 100mm
  85. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Another minor update that won’t make much sense but it has a couple clues as to what this might be about
  86. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    It is indeed. This is the other side. Did a bit more work to it last night but nothing worth taking a photo for. Just a load of measuring, cutting, welding, fitting up, taking apart, measuring, cutting, welding, fitting up, taking apart, scratch head, etc etc
  87. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Got a few hours work in on this earlier today. Just a couple of photos which will make absolutely no sense to anyone but this will be quite a big part of the tank design and something which should solve a problem. It will all make sense when I get a few more bits together. This idea developed...
  88. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    ok thanks for the advice. the height is 31cm but the length and width will be 50cm. I would have thought they would be ok as they're so small. just had a quick look on seriously fish and they said the following about dwarf cory Aquarium Size You could keep quite a large group of these in a...
  89. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    thanks for the comments. I haven't fully planned the scape or stocking as such yet, I have an idea of what I want. it will be pretty standard, plants with some branchy wood extending out of the tank. ill be having easier plants, java trident and Christmas moss will be in there and some...
  90. Dogtemple

    Everything DIY build

    Hi I've not been on here in years and it is kind of a continuation from my very first post about 9 years ago - https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/diy-optiwhite-tank-build.18651/#post-189892 In the heady days of 2011 I made an optiwhite aquarium but never used it, largely down to cost of doing...
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