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90h as a kitchen / dining room divider

Tom Michael

Member
Joined
16 Nov 2014
Messages
271
Hi all

What do people think about using an aquarium as a divider?

I understand the challenge with aquascaping, but is it worth it?

Just having my house renovated and this is an option - really can't decide!
 
Yes, yes and yes!
Sounds awesome, but it’s definitely upping the difficulty level, so better suited to the more experienced, but I say go for it.
Which sides would be ‘open’? All , 2 or 3?
Thanks - all three, my initial thought would be an island scape, or bank up the substrate on the one side which would be against the wall
 
This is something I have in my head that I want to do down the line as well but I'd say it's pretty much double the job to make work than a regular tank

Harder to scape, I'd maybe consider the aquascaper 900 to give you extra width/depth to get a double sided scape to work (500mm vs 450mm of the 90H)

Pretty much double the maintenance since you have 2 long sides to worry about

But soo rewarding if you pull it off, have a look at @Zeus. Olympus is calling journal for a success story of a tank like this, will give you an idea if you haven't already seen it
 
I would definitely do that if i had the accommodation for it. But i also would go for an open-top Riparia / paludaria style with large emersed plants growing out (Echinodorus) and a nice pendular light above it.

An island scape with plant density concentrated from the centre

Something in this style
9e714b8ba6ffa5ae170b6d8fed4bed25.jpg


But the personal choice would be more shallow, with floaters (Lily) and create more of an indoor pond feel.

That would be IMHO a more complete divider and more complete slice of nature with the best of more worlds. :)
 
If space allows the width of the tank could be a generous width allowing a focal middle feature rock or similar to what I once saw a large tree trunk with anubis and java fern ,mosses . and floating plants.A couple of colourful shoals of barbs and Cory's would add interest as barbs move all over in numbers
 
I would definitely do that if i had the accommodation for it. But i also would go for an open-top Riparia / paludaria style with large emersed plants growing out (Echinodorus) and a nice pendular light above it.

An island scape with plant density concentrated from the centre

Something in this style
9e714b8ba6ffa5ae170b6d8fed4bed25.jpg


But the personal choice would be more shallow, with floaters (Lily) and create more of an indoor pond feel.

That would be IMHO a more complete divider and more complete slice of nature with the best of more worlds. :)

Source of that pic please zozo?
 
But i also would go for an open-top Riparia / paludaria style with large emersed plants growing out (Echinodorus) and a nice pendular light above it

I would too :D, but definitely OPEN TOP and Pendant light, makes maintenance so easy, just bear in mind when having it as room divider theirs more maintenance IMO lots more ;)

Whats your local tap water like ? will make life easier if its soft
 
I would too :D, but definitely OPEN TOP and Pendant light, makes maintenance so easy, just bear in mind when having it as room divider theirs more maintenance IMO lots more ;)

Whats your local tap water like ? will make life easier if its soft
It's hard- agree that Co2 is easier in softer water. When you say more maintenance can you specify please?
 
When you say more maintenance can you specify please?

I guess more maintenance is not specifically meant as CO² related. As a room divider, you'll have 2 or maybe 3 fronts to keep clean and maintain.

Then if you go CO² the whole tank metabolism will run multiple times faster as for example with plant growth and trimming it into shape. Then keeping multiple sides in shape is twice the amount of attention and work.

Thus overall a multiple side view tank is more things to keep in check. :)

But whit CO² and hard water i have zip experience.. I'm always been a softy.
 
It's hard- agree that Co2 is easier in softer water. When you say more maintenance can you specify please?

Depends on how hard you water is mine comes out of the tap at over 400ppm so i struggle to get enough Fe in the plants so I have to use Fe EDDHA which makes the water pink , I have also got Fe DTPA but it is broken down fast in light, with soft water you get away with just using Fe EDTA, so it depends how hard your water is and what the resting pH is of the water. My DC is nearly yellow yet the pH of the tank mid photo period is 6.9pH. It was fine at first but then the AS buffering capacity ran out and my pH increased next FE deficiency started to show in plants hence I started to use another Fe chalate.

Came home from 2 weeks hol yesterday one tank (500l) was 690ppm and the other 50l was 800ppm :eek::eek::eek: spent about six hours doing two tanks and still have filters to clean tomorrow and a bit of tidying up ...... 2- 3 hours easy

Also from reading around chatting with other members and experts hard water has lots of ions and complex reactions can/do take place which can leave you plants deficient even though you have dosed enough ferts. Most scapers esp professional use soft water or a mix of RO and tap water as it makes it easier to grow plants. going for a big tank ? then if going down the RO route more cost plus will need a holding tank/tub

Hard water also over time reduces the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of aquasoil, as the excess ions block the active sites as the water isnt soft enough for the H+ ions to displace the other ions bonding with the AS so basically your active AS becomes inert over time :banghead: so your fert regime will need to be spot on when this happens of cousre you can always dose the EI in more excess but then that increases the hardness again and more ions in the tank and ppm keeps climbing.

Having a 3 sided tank close to the wall also has an issue unless your Ambidextrous (I m not ) so when using left hand close to wall and using pinsettes reaching down in 50cm of water then another 3cm if hood is off ( 10cm if hood is fitted) is a little tricky, plus you cant bend down and reach the bottom off the tank with the pinsettes at the same time !!!!! plus bracing gets in the way if hooded all the time

3 sided tank you have all the plumbing going up one side - tricky !!! so plumbing can end up complex and takes longer to clean - day job easy for me.

Not trying to put you off, as what one man can do so can any other man, but an open top tank not too high say 40- 45cm then it needs to be wide at least 60cm and your time need to do maintenance is well cut down, before I got my Maxspect gyres it use to take 10-15 mins just to take the hood off :arghh: PITA

I get away with a hooded tank as its open top hooded - only had the lid on once after spending many hours custom fitting my four kessil 160 tuna suns to it, if you going high tech think hard about having a hooded tank. I spend many an hour with my hands in my tank and I do enjoy it most off the time but I couldn't leave it for weeks.

Choosing the right plants can help cut down the mainitance and not having a carpet will help too.

Open top tanks have lots of lily pipes you could use straight off the shelf
 
I don’t see many issues using a 90H (or 90P) as a room divider - I assume you’re wanting a tank that looks nice from 3 sides rather than a contest scape ;)

Obviously a pendant style lamp would be cleaner looking and allow easy access for maintenance
eg, Jurijs mit JS yo-yo suspension kit :p


ADG did an amazing 2 (or is it 3) sided display in a 60U (ultimate nature systems 60P analog, 60 x 36 x 36cm)

(unfortunately follow up videos seem to have been deleted - carpet grew in and middle stems were kept trimmed, I don’t recall the extra lily remaining on the 2nd short side
The hardscape only video is still online (Facebook Videos January 13))
 
Depends on how hard you water is mine comes out of the tap at over 400ppm so i struggle to get enough Fe in the plants so I have to use Fe EDDHA which makes the water pink , I have also got Fe DTPA but it is broken down fast in light, with soft water you get away with just using Fe EDTA, so it depends how hard your water is and what the resting pH is of the water. My DC is nearly yellow yet the pH of the tank mid photo period is 6.9pH. It was fine at first but then the AS buffering capacity ran out and my pH increased next FE deficiency started to show in plants hence I started to use another Fe chalate.

Came home from 2 weeks hol yesterday one tank (500l) was 690ppm and the other 50l was 800ppm :eek::eek::eek: spent about six hours doing two tanks and still have filters to clean tomorrow and a bit of tidying up ...... 2- 3 hours easy

Also from reading around chatting with other members and experts hard water has lots of ions and complex reactions can/do take place which can leave you plants deficient even though you have dosed enough ferts. Most scapers esp professional use soft water or a mix of RO and tap water as it makes it easier to grow plants. going for a big tank ? then if going down the RO route more cost plus will need a holding tank/tub

Hard water also over time reduces the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of aquasoil, as the excess ions block the active sites as the water isnt soft enough for the H+ ions to displace the other ions bonding with the AS so basically your active AS becomes inert over time :banghead: so your fert regime will need to be spot on when this happens of cousre you can always dose the EI in more excess but then that increases the hardness again and more ions in the tank and ppm keeps climbing.

Having a 3 sided tank close to the wall also has an issue unless your Ambidextrous (I m not ) so when using left hand close to wall and using pinsettes reaching down in 50cm of water then another 3cm if hood is off ( 10cm if hood is fitted) is a little tricky, plus you cant bend down and reach the bottom off the tank with the pinsettes at the same time !!!!! plus bracing gets in the way if hooded all the time

3 sided tank you have all the plumbing going up one side - tricky !!! so plumbing can end up complex and takes longer to clean - day job easy for me.

Not trying to put you off, as what one man can do so can any other man, but an open top tank not too high say 40- 45cm then it needs to be wide at least 60cm and your time need to do maintenance is well cut down, before I got my Maxspect gyres it use to take 10-15 mins just to take the hood off :arghh: PITA

I get away with a hooded tank as its open top hooded - only had the lid on once after spending many hours custom fitting my four kessil 160 tuna suns to it, if you going high tech think hard about having a hooded tank. I spend many an hour with my hands in my tank and I do enjoy it most off the time but I couldn't leave it for weeks.

Choosing the right plants can help cut down the mainitance and not having a carpet will help too.

Open top tanks have lots of lily pipes you could use straight off the shelf

Thanks for such an informative reply!
 
I don’t see many issues using a 90H (or 90P) as a room divider - I assume you’re wanting a tank that looks nice from 3 sides rather than a contest scape ;)

Obviously a pendant style lamp would be cleaner looking and allow easy access for maintenance
eg, Jurijs mit JS yo-yo suspension kit :p


ADG did an amazing 2 (or is it 3) sided display in a 60U (ultimate nature systems 60P analog, 60 x 36 x 36cm)

(unfortunately follow up videos seem to have been deleted - carpet grew in and middle stems were kept trimmed, I don’t recall the extra lily remaining on the 2nd short side
The hardscape only video is still online (Facebook Videos January 13))


Nice one M8 :thumbup: was after a better solution for mounting my Kessils being able to raise them easy would be a big PLUS :clap:
 
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