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
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