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90x45x45 with DIY stand, Day 1

whinnie

whinnie

Member
Joined
14 Feb 2012
Messages
102
Hi all

This is my third attempt at a journal i gave up on the other two rather quickly as i kept wanting bigger and better and so i decided to try the DIY route as i couldnt afford £1000 for an ada 90 stand!

So it started out as this.... diy frame
img0475tr.jpg
and ended up as this.... my first decent attempt at diy on this scale and i am pretty happy.
img0480h.jpg

I have a 90x45x45 optiwhite on order from poseidons palace which will be here in a few weeks, those next few weeks will be spent purchasing all the fun stuff, substrates, filters, etc etc.

I have 2 sets of lily pipes on order from hk.

My only regret is i cant fit an eheim 2080 in the cabinet so will have to settle for something a bit smaller, i already have an eheim 2071 so was thinking of running co2 and heating via that and getting a second filter for flow, does anybody know if its possible to fit 17mm lily pipes on http://www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/a.../aquarium-external-filter-2000-l-h-9w-uv.html as the id of its pipes is 18mm.

More updates to follow 😀
 
Love the cabinet so far mate, and I see another fellow purchaser of tank from mr jez too 😉.
I think with the all pond solutions filter it would be possible to use Lilly pipes but you'd need Something to secure the hose onto the outlet incase it slips off, and I'd be worried using a jubilee clip for instance incase I cracked it. Shame you can't fit in the 2080. Amazing filter. I so regret selling mine


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
yeh i f**ked up a bit i'm literally 5 cms from fitting it but life's a bitch! i've got http://www.charterhouse-aquatics.co...reshwater-ot2-luminaire-39w-900mm-p-2630.html on order too now, just splashed out. as well as some 16/22mm clear house and jubilee clips, unless i could downsize the aps 2000 to that pipe i'll have to keep my eyes peeled for an eheim 2075 or similar instead.

My other concern is the price of substrate, i wanna use ada stuff but its so bloody expensive, and im not qutie sure how much i'd need for the tank, im thinking probably 3x9l normal and 1x9l powder for topping it. I really wish power sand and bacter etc were cheaper or came in smaller sizes!


Also i wonder if i could just use brute force to stick the 16/22 pipe onto the filter instead.
 
Hi Lee,
i thought id need loads of aquasoil for my tank (same dimensions practically), and actually only used 2 9l bags over a bag of powersand special m. I did put in a sand bed and used a small bag of amazonia powder, so id say youll prob only need 2 9l bags and one 9l powder unless your really banking it. I agree about all the powders and wish they came in smaller sizes also. I purchased a penac p and used only a few teaspoons so you more than welcome to some of that if you like... just drop me a pm if you were thinking of using that one. As for powersand i used it to try and provide the best i could afford, however maybe have a read of this first before splashing out, topic: How effective is ADA Powersand?: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=19258
I probably wont bother with it again.
Anyway, good work on the stand and happy shopping.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Ady34 said:
Hi Lee,
i thought id need loads of aquasoil for my tank (same dimensions practically), and actually only used 2 9l bags over a bag of powersand special m. I did put in a sand bed and used a small bag of amazonia powder, so id say youll prob only need 2 9l bags and one 9l powder unless your really banking it. I agree about all the powders and wish they came in smaller sizes also. I purchased a penac p and used only a few teaspoons so you more than welcome to some of that if you like... just drop me a pm if you were thinking of using that one. As for powersand i used it to try and provide the best i could afford, however maybe have a read of this first before splashing out, topic: How effective is ADA Powersand?: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=19258
I probably wont bother with it again.
Anyway, good work on the stand and happy shopping.
Cheerio,
Ady.
Click to expand...

Cheers ady that thread is extremely telling, if plantbrain doesn't recommend it then its shite :thumbdown: as i love his work, i think i'll go for 2x9l normal 1x9l powder and a sand of some description. i'd love a bit of the penac if its going spare, maybe i could buy another of the additives and swap a bit with ya? (again something i have no clue about, there's far too many additives available too).

I can't make my mind up whether to use wood and stone or just go stone only :?

Dont think i ever said by the way ady but your setup was the one that made my mrs let me expand into a larger size so thanks!
 
Ha, cool, pleased to be of use!
No prob about the penac, if your going for it ill send you some, just drop me a pm and ill get it sorted, either pick it up or cover postage costs.
Personally ill prob not bother with any of the additives again either, another thing that Tom shuns, and for the price they are it can double your already expensive substrate costs..... if i ever rescape and put a new substrate down ill try plain amazonia and see if anything changes for the worse.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Nice stand by the way. I built one exactly the same for my 90x45x45 and was well chuffed on the saving. As for ADA Aquasoil I used 2 x9litre amazonia and 1 x 9litre powder with a bag of powersand m beneath the lot. Plenty of substrate giving me 6cm at the front and about 12cm at rear corner. Having read recently the pro's/con's of PS then I wish I had saved my money but I cant really comlplain as I am very happy with my tank.
 
I had a conversation with the Mrs last night, the tank from poseidens was going to take up to 5 weeks to deliver. We are getting some rather large work done on the house in around that same time so she wants my old tank dissasembled and gone, which i cant do until the new tank is in. I was going to pay the deposit for the new tank today however spoke to TGM yesterday and they have ADA 90p's in stock which can be here Tuesday.

So.... ADA 90p will be ordered tommorow \o/ along with Aquasoil etc, think i'll give the power sand a miss. Just need to get another filter ordered tommorow and then start hardscape hunting
 
Tried every method you could possibly think of to get 16/22mm tubing to my APS 2000ef filter to no avail. Runnning a fluval alongside so I can attach heater and co2 inline to that.
Be carefull when firing up your APS for the first time as the flow was so powerfull without spraybar attached that my hardscape just got destroyed in the opposite corner to the outflow. Definately advise using the spraybar.
Cant wait to see it taking shape
 
Markmark said:
Tried every method you could possibly think of to get 16/22mm tubing to my APS 2000ef filter to no avail. Runnning a fluval alongside so I can attach heater and co2 inline to that.
Be carefull when firing up your APS for the first time as the flow was so powerfull without spraybar attached that my hardscape just got destroyed in the opposite corner to the outflow. Definately advise using the spraybar.
Cant wait to see it taking shape
Click to expand...

I really wanna run 17mm lily pipes so unless i can work out how to get them to fit i think i'll just bite the bullet and get an eheim 2075 instead, the aps filters just look like a cracking deal.
 
heat pipe in boiling water and it'll go nicely over the 18mm connectors on the 2000. failing that you could put a tap head on it from one of the smaller filters
 
hinch said:
heat pipe in boiling water and it'll go nicely over the 18mm connectors on the 2000. failing that you could put a tap head on it from one of the smaller filters
Click to expand...

never thought of that, ah well, went for an eheim 2075 in the end, i already have a 2071 and its fantastic
 
Well, the tank and aquasoil arrived today, it came early so the day started well, tank got set up on cabinet.....

img0489oef.jpg


My Lily Pipes arrived..... there was 2 sets to start with

img0490mm.jpg


half way putting the suction cups on the second pair the bloody thing smashed, 20mins later i was in a+e with a cut in my thumb down to the bone....

img0487qn.jpg


The horrific carpet is in the pub we went to after a+e by the way, not our house!

Unfortunately the lighting unit they sent me was the marine instead of freshwater, however they are sending out the right bulbs tomorrow which is great.

Tip to Carlisle tomorrow to maidenhead aquatics and lfs's there to see if i can locate any decent hardscape.

I also have the dilemma of do i stick with one set of lilys and just use the eheim 2075 or order another and risk losing a finger?
 
Erm, how much pressure were you putting on those pipes to smash it and cut to the bone matey ? Firstly, I am sorry that this happened, not least of all the frustration of breaking them. And I am glad the thumb is still attached !!! But was the glass really that flimsy or were you being a bit heavy handed with it ? I only ask because I am considering lillies myself !! I can't imagine you would settle for one set on lilys and another filter with normal piping. Kind of defeats the object of lovely glassware in the tank. But it could get expensive. One thing that has worried me is removing the tubing from the glass when it comes to cleaning.
 
Antipofish said:
Erm, how much pressure were you putting on those pipes to smash it and cut to the bone matey ? Firstly, I am sorry that this happened, not least of all the frustration of breaking them. And I am glad the thumb is still attached !!! But was the glass really that flimsy or were you being a bit heavy handed with it ? I only ask because I am considering lillies myself !! I can't imagine you would settle for one set on lilys and another filter with normal piping. Kind of defeats the object of lovely glassware in the tank. But it could get expensive. One thing that has worried me is removing the tubing from the glass when it comes to cleaning.
Click to expand...

I really wasn't putting a lot of pressure on it in my opinion, the "nubs" for the suction cups seemed overly large on a couple of the pipes, this was literally the last pipe, so i was massively pissed off, i must admit its kind of put me off them particularly with the cleaning of them etc, but i will probably stick with it as they look rather sexy. I was thinking of just dropping down to the 1 filter as opposed to 2 as to just use 1 set but i dont know if 1250lp/h will be enough flow with a co2 reactor attached. probably not is my guess. The lily pipes were from hk so probably not super build quality.

Glass cuts are super clean anyway so cutting to the bone isn't difficult to do i guess.

Best part of it all was the lack of sympathy from the mrs... "you've pissed blood all over the walls"
 
LOL, I can imagine ! She should be thanking you cos now you can claim on the house insurance to have the place redecorated, haha.

Dont forget, you dont get the flow that the filter manufacturer claims anyway, its always less. And as you say, with a reactor (esp if you have media in it) it will be significantly less. My old G6 showed a reduction of 40% of flow when I added the AM1000 reactor with its full compliment of bioballs, and still 20% reduction empty !!! If you have two filters I would get another set of lilys. There is a new sponsor on here who sells FLO lily pipes at a reasonable price 😉
 
whinnie said:
Best part of it all was the lack of sympathy from the mrs... "you've pissed blood all over the walls"
Click to expand...
:lol: ...that sounds about right.
whinnie said:
I also have the dilemma of do i stick with one set of lilys and just use the eheim 2075 or order another and risk losing a finger?
Click to expand...
Id get another set, stick with the plan. 1250lph prob wont cut it (no pun intended) with things inline and youd only end up having to add the 2nd filter and lily's on later. You could see how it goes i suppose, but personally id just bite the bullet now.
Apart from the injury, its always nice getting stuff, especially the tank. Looks good and bet you cant wait to get stuck into hardscaping etc.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
The HK lily pipes are CRAP!!! When setting up mine 2 of the nubs for the suckers broke off, luckily didnt break all the way through just where they are welded on. On the first clean one outlet broke in half where the nub broke off.
Buy cheap = buy twice.
Stick to running 2 filters if i were you, just use the standard outlets for now. As soon as APF get some more gush ones i will be swopping all mine out.
 
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