Tresbling
Member
- Joined
- 15 Feb 2008
- Messages
- 49
Tank:
Ellipsoid glass bowl, approx. 50L. Acrylic cover glass with rubber flow diffuser. If you have seen my other setups you’ll notice that low tech bowls are a recurring theme! This is the biggest and best one so far... I find the continuous flow of the surface and the complete, self-contained look of the unit make bowls well worth the challenges they pose. Unlimited viewing angles are possible and the perspective changes constantly as you move around the tank. There is also a lens effect which magnifies the centre area of the aquascape and gives more of a unique, 3D appearance.
Filter:
DIY external power filter, 50LPH, coarse wool and ceramic media, 50W heater and CO2diffuser integrated (not currently used). This is made from a 2 litre airtight food box with a rubber O-ring and clips around the lid. An internal divider allows about 2/3 of the volume for filter media and the remaining 1/3 for equipment. A powerhead provides the circulation and the heater is mounted through the lid, with the glass portion immersed. There is room for a glass CO2 diffuser but it is not used at this stage. As it is situated almost a metre below the main tank water level, the additional pressure caused the lid to flex and puddles to appear on the floor, so big bulldog clips on each corner keep it sealed.
The filter outlet is just above the water level so the flow travels briefly through the air before entering the water. This is supposed to help keep O2 levels up by providing an opportunity for gas exchange before it enters the tank, and (more importantly) by providing movement at the water surface. Bowls are notorious for being difficult to oxygenate as they have so little surface area per litre of volume, which is good for keeping CO2 in, but bad for getting O2 in. Photosynthesis helps of course and my fish don’tseem to lack O2, but this is something I keep an eye on.
Light:
Daylight, plus 4.2W LED, 2700K, IKEA ‘Jansjo’. The tank is situated in front of the window, but I close the white cotton curtains on sunny days to keep it cool. The light comes in for 4 hours in the evening, and is only supplementary to the natural daylight and of course illuminates the tank for viewing.
Nutrients:
1ml Flourish Excel daily, plus 5ml Flourish and 5ml Flourish Excel after each water change (1/3 per week).
Hardscape:
Black quartz gravel and bogwood.
Flora:
Anubias nana and Taxiphyllum sp. (Peacock moss) both growing on the wood, Eleocharis acicularis/parvula (not sure which?) in the gravel. All are growing well, but the Anubias has some brown film on some of the older leaves, looks like diatoms but it won’t come off. Not sure what this is, any ideas? The only other algae I get at the moment is a tiny bit on the glass (easily removed with the magnets) and the black stringy one inside the filter tubes.
Fauna:
12 juvenile Harlequin rasboras, 8 adult Cherry shrimps plus offspring. There is alot of open swimming space around the ‘equator’ of the bowl, which you can’t really appreciate by looking at it. The fish seem to enjoy swimming laps around the outside, and they appear to be well in front of the aquascape, almost like they are floating outside the tank, which is quite surreal...
Future developments:
I’d like to get a species of lower foreground plant in there soon, to replace the hairgrass at the front and give more depth, probably HC. I know it might struggle with the light but I’ve heard of others have success with it in low-tech. A longer term plan would be to get hold of a Kessil A150 freshwater LED pendant (when they are finally available!) and turn it into a high light affair with pressurised CO2 and fussy plants. However I do enjoy the low maintenance of the current setup...
Any comments, questions, criticisms or suggestions would be welcome, particularly about my brown Anubias. Thanks!