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Taking a sump. Back in five minutes...

Hey @Jayefc1

Just busy as can be at the moment so avoiding distractions. Here’s the tank tonight, it’s due a trim this weekend when I get the chance as had two weeks without maintenance. You’ll have to forgive how overgrown it is but still not giving any hassle, just keeps trucking:

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Yes they do @Wookii you simply unscrew the unions and those sections slide out. Allows the lid to be removed or for the whole box to be lifted out for maintenance (every three months).



The water level is below the sponges deliberately, this is controlled by a) how many holes you drill for the trickle plate and b) the size of holes you drill. 1mm-1.5mm holes are plenty big enough and with enough of them flow through will be more rapid than you would expect. Water doesn’t really get a chance to build up in the box.

Water falls down onto the sponge and the noise is suppressed as there is no water breaking/bubbles bursting to create noise. Just hold a saturated sponge under a running tap to experience this, exactly the same inside the filter box.

The holes drilled into the bottom of the box also trickle gently onto the K1 media underneath. The system is silent. You would have to open the cabinet door and put your head close to the sump to hear water movement. It was a priority of the design as it is located in the living room.

Thats great stuff thanks Geoff, makes a lot of sense.

So do the sponges in the trickle box not act as pre-filters, given 4 weekly cleaning - is that done more via the black sponges in the overflow? How often do you have to clean them?

Do they also prevent any stray shrimp getting into your trickle box also?
 
So do the sponges in the trickle box not act as pre-filters, given 4 weekly cleaning - is that done more via the black sponges in the overflow? How often do you have to clean them?

The sponges in the overflow box catch large debris like leaves. These I’ll clean whenever, one minute job. The overflow box has shrimp living in there permanently. Occasionally I lock off the flow so they can make their way back through the overflow box if they wish, but they seem content letting food come to them.

Some make it through to below in the filter/trickle box in the sump and breed in there very successfully. Never more than a dozen though that are youn’uns that slip the net so to speak, grow to maturity and get put in the display with their offspring during quarterly sump maintenance.

The sponges in the filter box in the sump don’t get that dirty - ever. Quite surprised by it actually. There’s a coarse on top, medium in the middle and fine ppi foam against the drip plate. They’re useful as they suppress noise from falling water, disperse water evenly to the drip plate and control organic waste size before travelling through the drip plate holes. This stops the drip plate holes from clogging up and makes maintenance periods longer.

You predominately get scum building up in the sump over the months at the lowest part of the sump of course, against the bottom glass as the bacteria in the sponges work it down to fine waste, then gravity let’s it settle there. Just siphon it out when you can (again - every three months for this setup). Sumps offer stability.

The K1 is my primary media for surface area, so literally wash all sponges in tap water as and when and don’t worry about it.
 
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Reading more and planning on my own sump, your idea with the sponges in a sealed container looks real good especially that it is quiet as you say..

It’s fun. Start with the problems and find the simplest solution. Limiting your budget helps, forces effective thinking within the remit of the resources. Looking forward to seeing your solutions ;)
 
Just for a bit of perspective this is 4 x Kessil A160’s @ 100% through 2ft depth versus two ONF Flat One’s @ 35% through 1ft:

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Fully aware I’m being an utter child but it’s still making me giggle. Can’t even get a clear shot.

As for growth:

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When everything that got planted 48 hours ago is as tight growing as the H’ra in the foreground (that went in a week ago) can see this being a lot of fun.

Is there a build thread on the large tank, right hand side of photo? Thanks.
 
Still ain’t trimmed :lol:

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Think this is an ideal time to let my six year old son loose with the scissors for more practice. No matter how short he goes it still won’t be enough.
 
PVC plumbing. Now... I can confidently say welding PVC plumbing together in your shed, by torch light, in a respirator mask, at 3am, not only raises a few eyebrows from the neighbours.

But if you do it whilst drinking beer it invariably leads to some mistakes:

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For those in the know you’re already laughing :lol:

For those that don’t, those nut thingy me jiggies are meant to be on the pipe before you weld the ends on.

Always a good idea to buy extra’s with PVC if you’re a plonker

Turns out every mistake is just a solution waiting to be repurposed. A means of watering the vegetables from the roots:

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Ethan’s trim not too shabby for a six year old on a set of steps:

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Transitioning this tank back to full rock hard tap water over the next two weeks. RO is stealing the enjoyment of caring for this setup so opting for an easier maintenance regime.
 
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Another trim and back on full tap water which has brought much happiness. Green Neons also seem happier too despite their absence in the photo (kids running around).

Growth has slowed with the change in water parameters back towards hard water. The tank is healthy enough though so see no reason to go back to RO for now.

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Yeah sorry @Jayefc1 gone all FarmVille lately :lol:

Monitoring the Co2 situation before starting up the AS1200. I think the comp tank idea has well and truly been shot to hell.

If supply becomes dependable on gas then will likely plant the AS1200 out using plants from the AS600 and the 10l shrimp tank that is comprised of specimens from the old 4ft tank. Still got Frodo stone and manzanita to scape with from the last setup. It would be a ‘have a go hero’ startup as it would be lean planting to begin with. But, worthy of a journal post or two.

Hope you and yours are keeping well.
 
gone all FarmVille lately :lol:
Nothing wrong with that John boy.
Monitoring the Co2 situation before starting up the AS1200.
Where do you get your co2 from mate
I think the comp tank idea has well and truly been shot to hell.
Yeah with social distancing cant really scape with Dolores lol how are her tanks coming along
If supply becomes dependable on gas then will likely plant the AS1200 out using plants from the AS600 and the 10l shrimp tank that is comprised of specimens from the old 4ft tank
That would be tight for a 1200
Hope you and yours are keeping well.
We are all good jemma is still at work so been home with ollie for 5 weeks now love him to bits but I've never had 5 weeks of work so struggling with the boredom a little lol
 
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