Refurbishing A 780 Litre (171 (uk) Gallons Or 206 (us) Gallon Tank

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

I have been away on vacation but i will get this pictures out in the next week as i have a funeral to go to tonight.

I have made half of the lighting hood and added some cory's but they all tried to comit suiside yesterday as i left a little hole in my filter system and they got through.

The slid down the tube and endid up in my filter wool. when i found them the next morning i managed to save all 9 of them as the water was flowing over their gills..
Lucky...

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

OK so the inside of the tank is done and half of my lighting i now also done. I am waiting on the other lights to arrive.

So what i have done in the last two week was to add some plants ans add 19 cory's Zwartzi and 10 angel fish (young)

so here are the latest pictures of the tank

THe first picture is the laft side of the aquarium. In the background i have planted the larger plants that will grow tall .
i have also placed some bogwood here as well.

middle of the tank

right side of the tank

and finally the full length version

But as you see i havent finished the lighting hood so that is next to be done

 

[SkiFletch]

Wow awesome, looks like you've been busy . Tank looks great so far, keep up the good work

What are your final fish stocking plans like?

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

Wow awesome, looks like you've been busy . Tank looks great so far, keep up the good work

What are your final fish stocking plans like?

Well I have gone for these fish.

colisa lalia x 14
nannostomus trifasciatus x 30
carnegiella STRIGATA x 30
pterophyllum scalare x 10
Corydoris Schwartzi x 20
Atyopsis moluccensis x 10
Hyphessobrycon flammeus x 30
Botia kubotai x 10

 

[Neal]

That's a hell of a lot of corys, I bet they have fun roaming the tank, I bet they have big meetings and stuff when your not looking. 'The Battle of the tank mates', I can just imagine it.

Neal

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

That's a hell of a lot of corys, I bet they have fun roaming the tank, I bet they have big meetings and stuff when your not looking. 'The Battle of the tank mates', I can just imagine it.

Neal

yea its cool they all travel in a gang patroling the tank.. and they are a bit of a gang warfare type of fish. they just push their way through the angel fish.. its quite funny. I will have to wait until the angels become larger then i dont think they will accept it any longer.

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

well i think the amount of silicone i used in the tank is getting me back. i have started to get a coating of brown algae...

crap...

does any one know how long this will last??

 

[SkiFletch]

What surfaces is it coating?

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

What surfaces is it coating?

its covering the cement background and little bit of the gravel. but that is it. it hasnt hit the plants, bog wood or stones

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

ok so I have done the first test of the aquarium since the aquarium was setup with plants and fish. so here are the results.

Temp = 26.8
KH (Carbonate hardness) =3
pH (Acidity) = 6.8 - 7.1
GH (Total hardness) = 3
NH4 (Ammonium) =0
NO2 (Nitrite) = 0
NO3 (Nitrate) = 0
PO4 (Phosphate = 0,5
fe Iron = 0
CO2 = 25

I dont think im to with all the 0's

 

[SkiFletch]

ok so I have done the first test of the aquarium since the aquarium was setup with plants and fish. so here are the results.

Temp = 26.8
KH (Carbonate hardness) =3
pH (Acidity) = 6.8 - 7.1
GH (Total hardness) = 3
NH4 (Ammonium) =0
NO2 (Nitrite) = 0
NO3 (Nitrate) = 0
PO4 (Phosphate = 0,5
fe Iron = 0
CO2 = 25

I dont think im to with all the 0's

Thats some interesting chemistry there. Very low KH and GH but then again you're using mostly RO so I shouldn't be too surprised. Are you adding CO2 at all? If not, doing so with such low hardness measurements will be difficult to keep your pH stable. The trace of phosphate may be why you have some algae bloomming (algae loves PO4) but I'd be a little cautious about that reading... With so many other plants in the tank its hard to believe that there are enough phospates around to still create a reading (I'd expect them to be used up quickly). Wish I could offer more input but as for your algae problem the planted tank guys are whom you'll want to go see for help

 

[McMurray]

WOW great tank fossy.

I have read your posts and I have several questions for you.

1. What is the mix of lamps you are using?

2. Are you finding the under gravel filteration working for you in this situation. if so can you tell me in detail how you worked out the water thru put withthe DIY holes you dirlled. e.g You say your filter attached to it is 750l per hour what was your formula for working out the hole size to suction??

3. i see the gravel you got from a builders. what effects are you getting from that?

4. You say that you have made the background with two types cement. but then you say that tile cement was better. why is that??

5. with the RO system is it going into the tank all at once? and how fast is it going into the tank?

6. With the Cement what type of water fluctuation are you getting? Is the ro system helping.

7. I read that you are all so using peat in the water. where have you put this I cant see it in the tank?

8. What is the total weight of the tank now? have you had to streingthen your floor??

9. You say you have brown algae? is this caused by your background?

10. how have you insulated the tank form lose of heat?

11. I see you are going to get the large tank. How is it going and you say you will use the same bio filter? How will this work and will this not cause problems in your other tank?


I really look forward to your answers and im glad your on this forum as i am a bit of DIY guy my self. All the other forums i have been on dont have experiance like you so i think i have found a mentor. lol

 

[ajbettle]

cool

one question:

i didnt know you put the aquarium backing on the side of the tank?

love your pics havent a clue what your stocking it with appart from schwartz corys as i dont know scientific names!! i have schwartz corys and there gr8 little charachters!!

well done on your tank!!