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Stig of the Sump

Kezzab

Member
Joined
18 Jan 2016
Messages
1,492
Location
Carlisle
Have made a couple of posts on this under other topics, but thought I’d tidy it up and start a journal (please forgive the repetition).

The tank is a TMC 900 Signature (90x45x45) with sump. I’ve bought it second hand, it having previously been a reef tank. Total water volume will be around 230ltrs.

It’ll be run low tech with the aim to get somewhere close to the self-sustaining minimal input type thing (plus water changes!) with lots of random critters living in the tank – Asellus, worms, etc etc. It will be quite lightly stocked with something TBC depending on how the tank’s water conditions end up – possibly Scarlett Badis or Apistogramma of some sort.

The sump is a bit nerve wracking but I think will provide a lot of scope. Water will drain in through a filter sock then over a weir into the next chamber where there will be a mattenfilter with layers of foam descending from coarse to fine. That will feed the next chamber in which there will be a lot of Elodea and possibly if space allows some Riparian planting too, there’s also 2kg of alfagrog in this chamber. (The sump will be lit by on a reverse cycle to the display tank). Between the two main chambers there’s a big weir and there’ll be a rather Heath Robinson trickle filter. In the final chamber will be the return pump and floating plants, probably Salvinia.

Total tank turnover I reckon will be quite low, maybe 3-5 times per hour. Temperature will be relatively low, 20c ish. My water is very soft.

Lighting is up for debate. The tank came with a TMC Aquaray Ocean Blue tile, it has blue and white LEDS. I can switch off the blue but the white is fairly harsh. That may get swapped purely for aesthetics. I don’t intend to dose ferts unless needed.

Substrate will be two types of locally collected soil – a clay one and one from the local woods with a lot of organic material. It’ll be capped with local sand/gravel

As for plants, it’ll probably be quite crypty (soft water ones if I can work out which they are!), and other “easy” plants. Hardscape is local slate and a large willow root I found (which still needs soaked).

So far I’ve done a test run on filling the tank & sump (no disaster so far) and just about decided on the hardscape. A lot still to do.

Thanks
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It is indeed, found it on a walk along the shore of Derwent Water in the Lakes.

That's where my next hardscape is coming from :) well there or there abouts. I'm also from round that way, for my next project I’m going for a wander round the lakes to see what I can pick up. meant to do it so many times but I'm just lazy and end up buying from shops. If you use Facebook and are interested I have a group on there for planted tanks in Cumbria to swap ideas and plants. Send me a PM and I'll send you an invite. Slow going at the mo, only found four people round our way :D

Tank looks great btw, I will be looking forward to seeing it develop. That's a fine specimen of wood you found which has convinced me that's what I should be doing. Would have cost a few quid in a shop that! Water is really soft round our way with little hardness out of the tap, it's the cold Amazon :rolleyes: I haven't kept that many varieties of Crypt but the ones I have have been no problem at all. In fact some were a PITA. I totally stripped some wendt out of my shrimp tank leaving only what was left of the roots and they were back to full glory in no time. I also have Balansae in my current tank which is pushing the lid off. I found all my plants improved with about 10ppm of Magnesium sulphate after water change to make up for the lack of magnesium out the tap, I add 1 level teaspoon of epsom salts per 50ltrs . There's also quite high po4, my understanding is the water authority add it to buffer up the water.
 
Would have cost a few quid in a shop that!
That's what i told her, she rolled her eyes. Post floods there's actually a lot of stuff still lying about stuck in trees/bushes on the riverbanks. If i had the time i'd go on a wee mission.

Interesting about the Magnesium, might look into that. But for this tank my aim is minimum faffing about fiddling with water chemistry :)
 
"That's what i told her, she rolled her eyes." :D:D
I can imagine. My worry would be picking up something that leeched something nasty into the water.
I understand on keeping things simple. If certain crypts require some level of hardness Epsom salts is something you could add. My tap water comes out with a TDS of 19ppm and is immeasurable with a liquid test kit. Hopefully the no ferts goes well for you. It's something I've never tried before.
 
Bargain, I'll take two. Dragons den will definitely be interested.
 
Time is limited with two small kids, in a snatched couple of hours while they got taken to the cinema i managed to get the soil, gravel and hard scape in. Always annoying when you can't quite match how you had it before. Anyway, it is what it is, too much mess to change it much now.

The upside of using soil is its free, the downside is dragging buckets of mud into your house. The gravel is all from the shore at ullswater, managed to get different 'grades', from sand through to chunky pebble gravel. You cant tell from the pics buts its a nice mix of blue, pink and other colours. I've flooded it but its a bit murky at the mo so I'll wait before posting.

Planting is next stage, but i need some planning and a free afternoon as it will involve breaking down another tank. Could be a while...
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Nearly a week later and the water's cleared up, its still got a light tannin tinge but i quite like that. Growing some superb fungus which is nice.
I'm trying to judge whether the TMC Aquaray marine tile, running just on 4 the white leds and 1 blue, is producing sufficient light even for low tech. It's hard to tell by eye alone. I'm trying to keep costs under control, so not rushing for something new. Would welcome thoughts.

At some point I'm going to have to plant it up, but quite liking hardscape only just now. Also the wood is still a bit boyaunt so its not sitting quite right, it will end up giving more diagonal.

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