Nicks 4X2X2

[Nick16]

Evening all, time to get the ball rolling on my new journal for a new custom made 4x2x2 tank. It holds 450L of water The cabinet is home made and is going to have to take over 1/2 a ton of weight.
The journal is going to be a slow one as i still have a lot of work to do, before the tank is even ready to fill...

On with the basics

Aquarium: 48x24x24 standard tank from aquariums ltd.
Cabinet: Home made by my dad
Lighting: 4x54w Arcadia T5 Luminaire (only 2 will be used for the majority of the time, with a 4 tube mid-day burst)
Filtration: Tetratec EX1200 x2
Heating: 2x Hydor ETH 300w
Substrate:100kgs of Eco complete and osmocote for the NPK
Carbon Source: Via 2kg FE, into an external diffuser linked to one of the Ex1200's
Additives: TPN+
Hardscape: Redmoor root
Plants: (TBC) Eleocharis acicularis, blyxa japonica, Pogostemon Stellata (Eusteralis). (perhaps the odd lily bulb or aponogeton)
Fish/Inverts: a community set up. Keyholes, gold barbs, harlequins, SAE's, Rainbows

Some images to aid your reading

The tank (obviously the cabinet needs finishing and painting, and ignore the random things like manky blanket!)
The conservatory is still being built so i have no leccy atm

with the cabinet being about 85cm tall and 60cm for the tank, there is no way i can get my hands to the bottom comfortably (plus im only 17), so i will need a step stool

My stash of FE's ready and waiting (got 5 of 'em for about £30)

Now, onto my plans for the scape, i want this to be largely a scape without hardscape so very plant based so im planning a three blyxa mounds in a sea of hairgrass scape. (sounds like a food dish ) There will be a thin layer of stems at the back. Im going for a simple scape here, its complicated enough though!

Note: was thinking of adding crypts but i havent yet and i might see how the scape turns out first before fine tuning. Also the redmoor i think will be placed behind the largest blyxa island but reaching over or through etc. (i have little notes like 'hardscape?' to remind myself )

for now i hope that is all.
as said this is a 'slow burner'

as always comments and criticisms welcome.

 

[Nick16]

is the planted section of this forum totally dead?

apart from the 'ukaps crew' ................

 

[Truck]

It is mate, It appears that all of the 'key members' have migrated to aquascaping world and UKAPS.

This sounds like a nice build, have you thought about getting some 5kg CO2 extinguishers?

I like the sound of this scape, a little red moor will look good IMO, have you thought about dosing dry salts? TPN+ will cost you an arm and a leg!

 

[AdAndrews]

migrated mainly

 

[Nick16]

i do have a stash or dry salts but i gave up on them last time.
i couldnt get the mix right of micro and macro and i just thought TPN will do me fine

yeah it seems this area is now v.quiet. i guess everyone finds the planted world too expensive!

i thought about using 5kg but i got 5 x 2kg filled and ready for about £30 so i just got them. I would end up paying that for 1 5kg.

 

[BigFairy]

im reading it


I've got a similar lighting set up on my 5 foot, and also have a complex lighting schedule. ie, today, only a 4 hour burst of full light, and same tommorow and the next day, following by 1 day of full light, and one day of half alternating. Repeat cycle weekly.

 

[Nick16]

im reading it


I've got a similar lighting set up on my 5 foot, and also have a complex lighting schedule. ie, today, only a 4 hour burst of full light, and same tommorow and the next day, following by 1 day of full light, and one day of half alternating. Repeat cycle weekly.

im sure thats one of the worst things you con do, after about 6-8 hours of light, plants dont use any more as they close up. so you are wasting electricity and only helping algae if you are using co2 overnight as well.

the best thing to do is stick to a standard 6-7 hour photoperiod of two lights and then have a 2 hour burst with all four.
i have planned the tank now, took a whiteboard marker to the base of the tank to design it.

 

[RadaR]

I agree that that is a very inefficient, pointless lighting schedule.
As Nick has said, the plants don't need more than 8 hours a day.
Algae is also one of the most adaptive organisms on the planet therefore they would love the fact that the lighting is all over the place. The plants wouldn't though, it would be difficult for them to quickly change/adapt to the sudden change in light and other processes.

 

[Nick16]

right an update for you guys. i have been busy priming the MDF, then priming the whole cabinet and then putting the first layer of paint on.
note: i have removed the top of the cabinet and its upside down, back to front sitting slanty on the top where it is drying.. (so any unpainted wood you see will not be seen when its fixed down)

also note there are no door handles as these have been temporarily removed.
plus its sitting on MDF at the front so i can paint some of the legs. - i havent finished painting yet but heres what i have done so far.

oh and the light isnt great for the photo's - its dark so i have used a small halogen light.

as usual lemme know what'ya think.

 

[listykoi]

right an update for you guys. i have been busy priming the MDF, then priming the whole cabinet and then putting the first layer of paint on.
note: i have removed the top of the cabinet and its upside down, back to front sitting slanty on the top where it is drying.. (so any unpainted wood you see will not be seen when its fixed down)

also note there are no door handles as these have been temporarily removed.
plus its sitting on MDF at the front so i can paint some of the legs. - i havent finished painting yet but heres what i have done so far.

oh and the light isnt great for the photo's - its dark so i have used a small halogen light.

as usual lemme know what'ya think.

Nice cabinet that.

 

[Nick16]

thanks, since then (1 coat of paint) its now had its second, and i will be doing its third and probably final one in the next week or 2. hopefully then, i can fix the top down, wack on the dorr handels and try to get the tank behind the upstand! when it weighs about 80KG when its empty its not easy. plus the size of the thing makes man handeling difficult.

im looking to find some more unusual rainbow fish, but im struggling.

 

[Nick16]

a quick teaser shot.

Hairgrass spreading

 

[Truck]

Looking mint, any more pics on UKAPS? if so I'll take a peek

 

[Nick16]

sorry mate, its all being kept on the low low. ive got some pond plants in there at the moment to use some of the ammonia and nitrites.
im going to do a test this w/e along with a decent size water change, and if all is fine, the pond bunches will go, and i will take some more pics.

should i give the hairgrass anothet trim, or wait for it to fill in more, thats the question.

some fish are in now.

 

[lljdma06]

Looking mint, any more pics on UKAPS? if so I'll take a peek

No need to be sneaky. I am a member of UKAPS as well, though I do not post because I do not have the time.

sorry mate, its all being kept on the low low. ive got some pond plants in there at the moment to use some of the ammonia and nitrites.
im going to do a test this w/e along with a decent size water change, and if all is fine, the pond bunches will go, and i will take some more pics.

should i give the hairgrass anothet trim, or wait for it to fill in more, thats the question.

some fish are in now.

What did you end up finding for this tank for livestock? The hairgrass looks great! Continue to update this thread regularly. I enjoy reading now that I have more time to devote to this section.