Thanks for the add

[Safecookie]

Hi! Steve for leicestershire, England.

I am on my 3rd tank fully automated water changes, low maintenance freshwater tank. Learned from my past mistakes and hope to help where I can. My tanks about 800L 6ftx2.5ftx3ft. I guess about a ton. Custom built by the guy I purchased from. Has a external open filter tank with return pump tk the tank needs little maintenance. I have silver sharks, red fin sharks, 3 groups of diffrent tetras, clown loaches, yoyo loaches siamese algae eaters, a molly (rescue) Cory and a large pleco.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Interesting set up you have done here. Trying to work this out how that works exactly as have not seen a set up quite like that to be fair.

Nice.
Hope you enjoy the forum and look forward to hearing more about this set up.

 

[Safecookie]

I'm a engineer hence by my 3rd tank I wanted automation. There is 2 x 8 gallon header tanks above with a automated valve on a timer. That opens dropping into the tank. There is a overflow routed to a drain outside to change the water out, then a second timer kicks a booster pump through the ro and fills the headers back up until full (can monitor the filters with tds input before and after the ro filter) . They sit for a day or so getting to room temperature and evaporation of any chlorine before the cycle goes again. It currently does this 3 times a week.

 

[Fishmanic]

Very nice tank...most people here can only dream of a setup like that. Hope you enter that tank in our November Tank of the Month contest which will feature tanks sized at 31 gallons and larger.

For October TOTM, we will feature tanks size at 17-30 gallons.

 

[Safecookie]

Very nice tank...most people here can only dream of a setup like that. Hope you enter that tank in our November Tank of the Month contest which will feature tanks sized at 31 gallons and larger.

For October TOTM, we will feature tanks size at 17-30 gallons.

Thanks I would love to enter it. I will actually tidy up the area and take proper photos!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Welcome!

 

[Slaphppy7]

Welcome to TFF, Steve...very cool setup you have there...which tetras do you have?

 

[Safecookie]

Welcome to TFF, Steve...very cool setup you have there...which tetras do you have?

Thanks. I have; some glow light (orange neons)
Small group of Black skirt (black widow) and half a dozen bleeding heart. I find they are calm and peaceful together. I might get some more of the larger types as it's a big tank a active shoal would be nice nothing too small now as the Bala sharks are bigger they may try to eat young neons.

Have you experience with tetras?

 

[Slaphppy7]

Thanks. I have; some glow light (orange neons)
Small group of Black skirt (black widow) and half a dozen bleeding heart. I find they are calm and peaceful together. I might get some more of the larger types as it's a big tank a active shoal would be nice nothing too small now as the Bala sharks are bigger they may try to eat young neons.

Have you experience with tetras?

"Have you experience with tetras?"

Plenty, they happen to be my favorite fish

The glowlights don't get very large, either...hope the sharks don't snack on them

With a tank that size, I would increase the groups of all of those tetras...the bigger the group, the more comfortable they are

 

[Safecookie]

"Have you experience with tetras?"

Plenty, they happen to be my favorite fish

The glowlights don't get very large, either...hope the sharks don't snack on them

With a tank that size, I would increase the groups of all of those tetras...the bigger the group, the more comfortable they are

That's good advice I will look at that. What would you recommend as the bigger of the tetras?

Unfortunately the biggest of my black skirts was no more today so they are down to 3 I'm not sure the cause so I'm not introducing anything straight away. Was 18months old or so I would think wasn't just age.

 

[Slaphppy7]

The BS tetras can be nippy and aggressive to one another and other fish, especially when kept in very small groups...if you wish to keep them, I would add more, when you can...or even rehome them, if possible...just keep an eye on them...the one deceased may have been picked on, for this very reason

Other larger tetras to consider, for that big tank: lemons, diamonds, Colombians, and my favorite, congos....

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Awesome setup. Really love it and had similar on much (MUCH) smaller scales.

Question though. You say you fill the header with RO water. Is it mixed back in with tap water or treated in anyway?

If not how are you dealing with the lack of water buffering capacity and PH swings? Maybe I missed something?

 

[Safecookie]

OK thanks. He (well I presume he) was by far the largest almost double the size of the other 3 and I had in the past seen them chase him a couple of times but not generally they were peaceful together. I put it down to mating aggression.

I will get some more as I do like them. I was just reading about the Congo they said the biggest but are requiring specific parameters. And the yoyos and redfin sharks (2 of each) are the most boystrois in the tank might be too much for them?

 

[Slaphppy7]

OK thanks. He (well I presume he) was by far the largest almost double the size of the other 3 and I had in the past seen them chase him a couple of times but not generally they were peaceful together. I put it down to mating aggression.

I will get some more as I do like them. I was just reading about the Congo they said the biggest but are requiring specific parameters. And the yoyos and redfin sharks (2 of each) are the most boystrois in the tank might be too much for them?

Yes, the congos my be a bit too sedate for the sharks...but the diamonds, lemons, and Colombians can hold their own, no problem...in big enough groups, of course

 

[FishHobby99]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Interesting set up you have done here. Trying to work this out how that works exactly as have not seen a set up quite like that to be fair.

Nice.
Hope you enjoy the forum and look forward to hearing more about this set up.

He makes my toilet siphon & bathtub pump look like some Neanderthals drew it on the cave wall. Very clever design!