• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

bazz's 300 liter aqua one, and some other bits and bobs!

bazz

Member
Joined
24 Jan 2009
Messages
765
Location
Lincoln
3554151477_dae45b31b9.jpg


i picked this up last saturday, the day before a trip to tgm to see george farmers aquascape demonstration. i've been working on setting up a 180 liter corner aquarium, but i never was particularly happy with hideous georgian (not farmer) style cabinet and trim, plus i wanted a few extra liters. it cost he same as the trigon 350 and fluval venezia 350 which i know are better quality, but i just fell for the minimalism of this discontinued tank.
i've kept planted tanks for 20 years now (apart from a few brief periods when it has been impossible due to circumstances), but have always been a dennerle devotee, but please don't hold that against me.
i have also fairly recently reset-up a tropica aquacube and a set up a new 30 liter dennerle nano cube, during which, while studying the internet, i came across this forum that has now changed my outlook, and caused me to re-write my history books!

3554404701_aa30085fa5.jpg


3554404709_95f1115b32_b.jpg


as you can see the aquacube has developed bga over the last week or so, but i'm ready to re-fit this weekend with a different substrate other than plain sand. in the nano cube, the hc and p helferi are recovering from what i'm (and people on this forum) pretty certain was no3 deficiency.
as you will probably also have noticed, i'm not an aquascaper (the only artistic streak i have in me is of the liquid refreshment variety), so there really isn't much point in telling me "left a bit, 66% etc...." i just love aquatic plants and underwater gardening!

right back to the task in hand......

tgm 17.05.09

3554479811_1b65b37f03.jpg


and back home another 230 quid lighter!

3554479813_7bd8ab209c.jpg


just testing as to whether i bought enough substate or not!

3554479819_7bbd20b000.jpg

3554479825_afd8e72aac.jpg


santa's been!

3554479829_4cde34c8fd.jpg

3554479837_7c2cc73e80.jpg


the first modification (butchery) to the hood, get rid of that crappy built in wet and dry filter!

3555327996_5a7e33106d.jpg


loading the ammo!

3555328000_18a102985c.jpg

3555328004_415a707244.jpg


second mod to the hood, get rid of the equally as crappy t8's!

3555328008_ce7e93bd69_b.jpg


next installment after the weekend!!!
 
This looks to be a nice journal. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do in terms of aquascaping with a corner tank so keep us posted!
 
this was the last larger tank i had up and running, i just got it to fill a niche and utilise the equipment that i had accumulated from an aborted 42"x24"x30"h project (i moved into a small 1 bed flat 2 days before i was going to fill and plant it, 500 liters of ro water was ready in vats).

just after a bit of a trim!
3570686111_d7ac065889.jpg


ready for the next pruning session!
3570686173_229313a66f.jpg


the one that got away!
3570686183_c50626d129.jpg


3570686195_b30cac7099.jpg


i can hear you all laughing :lol:
3570686201_dbe9416eb5.jpg


and on we go.....

the tetratec plumbing goes in, this will only be temporary to sort out flow issues etc.., and an external reactor is on the horizon. although i've done lots of research, i'm still unsure which one to get and will be asking for advice/experience in the very near future!
3571559146_a7fbdd5406.jpg


1 twin and 2 single t5 contollers + external heater!
3571559154_a5bdd300f3.jpg


2 legacies from dennerle, i still think they make fantastic tubes, and those co-proof suckers sure know how to suck + jbl reflectors!
3571559160_745d823325.jpg


complete removal of the old lighting!
3571559164_5b20e4b379.jpg


and retrofit the t5's!
3571559172_0f72e8e6aa.jpg


a view from below, and addition of the regulation black conford paper!
3571559174_0c628a0a4a.jpg


3570822461_cf1c4b575b.jpg


3570822475_59d1c0c207_b.jpg


i will be planting either this coming weekend or if not definitely the weekend after, although to begin with it will just be fast growing stems which will be slowly replaced over time with favourites and specimens.
cya later!
 
very nice dude, looking forward to the continuing journal.

he's right about the soaking of the wood! ;0)
mine had a substrate filled, cut off stocking holding it in situ for a good few weeks! :oops:

are you using the duo mat heating controller and ph sensor in this set up too?
 
SteveUK said:
Ace Bazz! Looks like you'll be busy this weekend :D I'd get the redmoor soaking ASAP :) Are you going to use any more wood?

hi steve, the piece on the left has been siliconed to the bottom of the tank, i was sure it wouldn't have been very sturdy even when soaked and the bit on the right is in soak. with regards to adding more, i don't know if i do right or wrong but nothing hardly stays the same over time, will pick more bits of wood and stone etc when i see something i like!
 
baron von bubba said:
are you using the duo mat heating controller and ph sensor in this set up too?

alright baron! no i won't be using any heating cables or a ph controller, i want to steer well clear of dennerle and do things completely different this time around, use the technology, that i've learnt from all you lads and lasses here on this forum.
having said that it would be more than plain stupid not to use the cylinder, pressure reducer and magnetic solenoid that i already have of theirs, later!
 
all gassed up!
3599092974_be848caa7d.jpg


got the chemicals!
3599092984_bbae702a85_b.jpg


elastic banded a tiny bit of "windelov" that a friend gave from his tank, to a stone in my nano and the japonica's wouldn't leave it alone for a couple hours
3599092996_80ace7030e.jpg


well, i fitted the last piece of the jigsaw this morning (a piece of tube connecting the external heater to the filter outlet), so that left just a couple more things to do. start the ro unit, i'm going to use 2/3 ro and 1/3 tap. i tested my tap water last week :twisted: gh19/kh11 and figured, roughly 1/3 of these values would be good, as i do like amazonian fish and plants (but i also love pogostamon stellata, helferi and microsorum "windelov).
i've always been the same, i read, read and read and then go and do something totally irrational. as much as i have read how good ada as amazonia is, i end up trying to be different and buy africana just to try something different. i've since read on the net, a lot of the big wigs don't rate this very highly, on top of that i also purchased a bag of the powder, which i have since learnt, does not want to be more than 25mm thick, oh well its in now!
lunchtime, i set off touring the lfs's of lincoln to buy fast growing stem plants and couldn't find any, discouraged i even ate some humble pie and went into pets at home :oops: , and the aquarium section was closed down for refurb. next stop bridgeford ma, picked up a couple of stems but not what i was really after. ma at crowland, a few more stems that i wasn't after, but a couple that i was. scoured three counties, i might move to wrexham :lol: !
anyway, i'm off to bed, i'll be up very early in the morning planting, and the tank should be full by tomorrow night, permeate allowing!

ready for the off
3599093004_f73c6ed6b2.jpg


you don't get much for 40 quid these days!
3599093012_864af705ba.jpg


just got to set the timers up!
3599127268_20274de97e_b.jpg


night night!
 
excellent journal, Bazz.
You might not be able to aquascape but the most important aspect of planted tanks is learning to grow them, pruning techniques, ferts etc and get no algae. After you have mastered that which it looks like you have you can then move onto the aquascaping part.
Good luck with this one, and nice Aquacube too ;)

Thanks
 
Great journal so far - do keep it picture-heavy, so we can see what you're up to. Good to see the deck and all that vinyl, too! Do I spy some ten inch singles in there? Mmmm, nice!
 
impressive setup baz, very good engineering in the hood to fit all those new lights. Dont think i could live with curved tank though as they make my eyes go really boggy when you change angle looking at them. It fits really well in that corners though
 
Hi baz,loving the journal,I'm impressed with the diy,good luck with the planting tomorrow don't foreget the pics,regards john.
 
the plate's pearling!
3601931360_2f3cc188c7.jpg


i'm amazed how clear it is, some of the powder floated then dumped on the sand at the front, never mind, i'm off to put the next hundred liters in!
3601931364_fec189569a_b.jpg
 
Bazz,loving the journal! I love these corner tanks myself and one day will have one. Might have to ask you to come and engineer the lights though.... :lol:
 
ok, sorry for the delayed update, i did one the other night and my pc froze midway through, (i need a new one, and camera!)
but anyway here was later that sunday evening (7th) after the next 100 liters of ro water had been put in!
3647675597_bb9f66e756.jpg


i'd bought two stems of blyxa, which i had temporarily planted in the nano to bring them on less than a month previously. after i pulled them up i had 4 plants for this aquarium and 4 left over to put back in the nano, my this stuff is rampant. when i pulled them i was taken aback at the length of the roots, after such a short time and in so little substrate!
3647675729_6e12486d81.jpg


this was taken on the tuesday (9th) after everything was booted up and had settled down a little. the cabomba, millfoil and four stems of stellata (submersed form from nano) were already starting to grow, whilst all the other plants had stood up!
3647675745_32031ba05f.jpg


this was taken on thursday (11th) (sorry about the lighting, just 2 plant lamps on),and it was at this point that...
a- i wished i hadn't put the sand in = will be taken out soon
b- i wished i hadn't put the africana powder in = probably taken out soon
c- i wished i had just used amazonia soil = tempted to uproot everything and change the substrate
d- there was a dark triangle at the upper rear of the tank = purchase an arcpod and fit into the old filter box
e- although the flow as better than i had expected (1 spraybar angled slight up for surface agitation and 1 angle slightly down) it appeared to be coming down the front of the glass, but the same water just constantly swirling around = purchase a koralia 1!
3647675747_c3d3f87d00.jpg


last tuesday (16th). i've already started to get rid of a few of the stems and replace them with what i ultimately want. koralia and arcpod in place now. after well over a week there is still absolutely no sign of the ammonia rising, i think the plants must utilising all the available ammonia (thoughts on this anyone?), i hope it doesn't come back to haunt me in the near future as i've now added 6 otocinclus!
3647675753_a1ee6081c9.jpg


these last 3 were just taken tonight on my phone camera!
3648509614_42de9ba040.jpg


3648509618_ceabb869c8.jpg


and finally for tonight 1 with just the arcpod on, btw, i had to change the tube in it to very warm white, the purple one that came with it hardly lit anything up at all!
3648509622_d610d72042.jpg


today i ordered 4 different echinodous species and 1 cryptocorne wendtii 'mi oya', so hopefully towards the end of the week, the rear half and the centre will be denuded of a lot more stems, i'm also in the market for another piece of wood for the back.
incidently, i don't know how people are working out w.p.g. with t5's, would one of you mathematicians be so nice as to enlighten me please? 3 x 39w +1 x 24w = 141w above 300 liters, cheers and thanx!
later, bazz!
 
looks really good.
one thing, like my tank your foreground is missing :lol:
have you thought about some small crypts (parva?) or p.helferi or maybe even staurogyne? It will hopefully make the transition easier.
 
Hey Bazz

Looking well! I really like the arcpod's twilight look. Are you going to use that with timers?

What do you not like about the sand? Personally I like it, think you just need some more foreground plants. I understand that might be dear, as proportionally, you have lot of foreground for the size of tank.

I'd highly recomend staurogyne and crypt parva. Both are fairly easy to grow and they really complement each other.

Dave
 
Back
Top