# Deep Blue 80 (goby build) - Wattage Minimalist 48x24x16"H



## PEdwards (Oct 31, 2016)

Looking good so far! I've got the same tank, but went with the rimless version. Looking forward to seeing how your Kessils compare to my Radions. How're you going to filter it?

I'll be following this build for sure.

Cheers,
Phil


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

PEdwards said:


> Looking good so far! I've got the same tank, but went with the rimless version. Looking forward to seeing how your Kessils compare to my *Radions*. *How're you going to filter it*?
> 
> I'll be following this build for sure.
> 
> ...



Phil,

We have the rimless as well.
I think its in the photography section.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/149-photography/1092378-odd-pleco-tank-driftwood-project.html

We purchased the A160 Kessils and they work great on some plants, but some plants seem to burn from a hot spot.

If I make a salad bowl shaped circular arena of plants with the A160WE, then the hot spot has to hit the bottom centerfield area.
The edges of the light's throw travels to what would be outer plants that come much closer to the top.
-they dont mind it up there.

- The Kessil A160WE works well in our 24x24x24"high cube, but i could see it used in a 30x30x24"high as well.
It depends on what plants for are used for sure.

Anyways, we're about to snag 2x Kessil A80 fanless 15watt LED for this build.
It's either 2x 40watt Kessil model A160WE on low or 2x new Kessil A80 15 watt.

*No filters used yet* on that Kessil A160WE 40watt build pleco project.
I may need something if I keep beating up my anubias.
They have some holes.
-it could be water related.

*I think your radions would destroy me with light.
How big is your tank with radions?*

I'm dealing with two 16inch high tank builds.
The other is a 24 high.

I chose Kessil due to the "look".
The out-of-the-way coffee mug shape sold me.
-thanks


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## PEdwards (Oct 31, 2016)

DC,

My tank is the 48x24x16 80 gallon Deep Blue just like yours. I encountered the "spot light hell" when doing my first aquascape. I ended up putting all the wood, anubias, and ferns in the hot spot, and we all know how well that works.  So far I can't say for sure I've encountered the hot spot burn thing. It's probably because the lights are up so high. I've been seriously considering getting the 120 degree TIR lenses to get some better spread even though they come at a PAR loss. Running at 50% now that's just a big pile of LOL. 

The second design is a bit more open with a lot more room for stems in the higher PAR spots. Right now I've got the Radions approx 24" from the water's surface and set to 50% on a 6 hr photoperiod. I only redid the tank a week ago so I can't say much at the moment, but things seem to be doing a lot better. I really should get the PAR meter out but I'm too lazy.


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

*Driftwood fuzz outbreak. *
It was bad a week after the wood went in.
Driftwood had to be pulled out and soaked with aquarium salts.
In the end, the slimy leftovers had to be scraped carefully with a few bristle brushes.

Below is the current look of the driftwood.
- room in the front for plants.
- the Kessil A160we is on low power and will be replaced by a A80 tuna sun 15 watt.
- the nitrites and nitrates have zeroed out. 
- first a guppy, then a few small plecos helped cycle the tank.


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## PEdwards (Oct 31, 2016)

Digging the look right now.


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

I will grab some better pics soon.
We're still adding plants and fish.

The plants and fish are still all alive...
-that was the main task for the month.

The *AC110* is getting an upgrade of an Ehiem Skim350 skimmer for the film on top or A *Seachem Tidal110* will replace both the AC110+Skim 350.

The Kessil A80 is just like a A160WE on low.
I think the A80 gets a bit more light out than the low A160WE.
It's so close to tell.


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

o mai God, wish I could hardscape like that @theDCpump what kind of magic tricks do you have up your sleeve when you scape? this is to good of a tank to be true!


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## longgonedaddy (Dec 9, 2012)

As always, a beautiful tank from you. I don't think I ever noticed a tank of those dimensions, either. I think I know what my next one is going to be.


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

BettaBettas said:


> o mai God, wish I could hardscape like that @theDCpump what kind of magic tricks do you have up your sleeve when you scape? this is to good of a tank to be true!



*Your silly.*
Thank you for looking though.
The 80gal. tank is still pretty empty.

Wine/beer....whatever works.

I think the other pics out there on the forum speak for themselves.
This place is loaded with great stuff.
I really like visiting this forum.





















longgonedaddy said:


> As always, a beautiful tank from you. I don't think I ever noticed a tank of those dimensions, either. I think I know what my next one is going to be.


Every tank in the room is now 24 inches front to back.

All the 18 inchers are sumps or at my apartment.

The 24 inches of landscaping is the best thing I did in my aquarium life.
A 30" or a 36" must be a dream.

I almost grabbed the 36x36x27 Deep Dimension cube with the cornerflow, but the price was way up there.
Those are $750 if we're lucky.

This 80gal was $279 locally.
The glass is not as thick as our 60rimless or 80 rimless though.


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## PEdwards (Oct 31, 2016)

Have you had any trouble getting decent full tank shots of that thing? The dimensions have been making it difficult for me to get an FTS that shows any sort of detail since I have to be back, or zoomed out, so far to get the whole thing in view.


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## Pat24601 (Mar 4, 2017)

Great ranks and stands!


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

PEdwards said:


> Have you had any trouble getting decent full tank shots of that thing? The dimensions have been making it difficult for me to get an FTS that shows any sort of detail since I have to be back, or zoomed out, so far to get the whole thing in view.


Are you asking for a front view photo of my 80 gallon, correct?
I'll see if I have something different sometime soon.
Here are some shots from this week I think.






































Farlowella stick fish (look for arrow below)
* The catfish is up top of the drift wood on the upper center of the photo.*


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## vvDO (Oct 18, 2010)

*Deep Blue 80 - The Wattage Minimalist 48x24x16&quot;H*



theDCpump said:


> Are you asking for a front view photo of my 80 gallon, correct?
> I'll see if I have something different sometime soon.
> Here are some shots from this week I think.






Fish ids please... nice pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

Tank inhabitants:

5 Bumblebee gobies.
6 Cardinal neons.
2 Male threadfin rainbows.
6 Stiphondon gobies (various).
1 Panda loach.
2 Farlowella catfish.
4 Male albino plecos.
1 L200 green phantom pleco.
1 three inch tiger striped pleco of some sort(trying to catch it).

Lots of horned nerites and assorted design (easy to spot) nerites.
6 Amano shrimp.
10+Ghost shrimp.

Wood/Flower/Bamboo shrimp of Singapore is last invert addition I believe.

The goby 30gal. before this current 80gal. standard minimalist was near completion(below).
Also the 75gal. before the current Oddball pleco 80 build:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfYc4gdqRQs


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## Nigel95 (Mar 5, 2017)

Wow that hardscape! Lovely tank


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

*I usually use Jager glass heaters in the sumps.
The standard build (non-sump) 80gal. under the TV screen needed a different approach.
A compact heater with a guard. *

*- Thanks for all the tips.*


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## longgonedaddy (Dec 9, 2012)

what do you feed the bigger one, birds? :surprise:


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

longgonedaddy said:


> what do you feed the bigger one, birds? :surprise:


Grasshoppers, crickets, Dubia blaptica cockroaches, and superworms have been offered to the tarantulas as for a feeding question answer.

There is an online fake news website that loves to make people jump.
They would answer, puppies or kittens, whichever is in sale.
In the wild, the correct answer is bugs or whichever she can get her mitts on.

Her genetic line comes from Brazil, in South America.
I have no idea if she is captive bred or if she was plucked just like our fish in our aquarium hobby.
After reading (at the library of course), I see that they are more difficult to breed than the others in that hobby.

Brazil is involvemed in some serious oxygen exchange.
These large sized tarantulas have "book lungs" that use oxygen like sheets of paper, breathing very slowly, and can survive in a stuffed up tunnel of dirt much better than we humans can.

Link
cbsnews.com[/B]/news/goliath-encounter-puppy-sized-spider-surprises-scientist-in-rainforest/]Goliath encounter: Puppy-sized spider surprises scientist in rainforest - CBS News

Be thankful they are here.
They kindly put to sleep the little bugs that may be able to harm humans down the chain.


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## longgonedaddy (Dec 9, 2012)

Thanks for the info! And I'm not squeamish of them, but just shocked at the size. I know there are some species even bigger, but the sight of seeing it in your hand is striking. 

And you're definitely on the mark with the oxygen exchange comment. Spiders the size of rodents, rodents the size of dogs, like it's some primordial forest from millions of years ago.


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## dru (Mar 9, 2013)

Your tanks are awesome


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

*spider*
*running away from computer*


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## Type (Apr 5, 2003)

theDCpump said:


> *I usually use Jager glass heaters in the sumps.
> The standard build (non-sump) 80gal. under the TV screen needed a different approach.
> A compact heater with a guard. *
> 
> *- Thanks for all the tips.*


Holy crap that thing is big. 

But back to the tank(s)....I may have missed it, but what substrate are you using in the 80 gallon Deep Blue (with the rim)?


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

Type said:


> ....I may have missed it, but what substrate are you using in the 80 gallon Deep Blue (with the rim)?


*All the tanks in the room have either Black or White National Geographic sand.*


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

I found 5 Chlamydogobius eremius gobies at a local shop this weekend.
They are likely female though.
The males are very pretty (as seen in the google image photo).

This 80 gallon is gaining speed toward a full goby theme someday.
The bumblebee gobies started it all.


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

you should post pics of every single goby you have, type I mean. Would be very very interesting to see  especially since the pics you take are great!


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

BettaBettas said:


> you should post pics of every single goby you have, type I mean. Would be very very interesting to see  especially since the pics you take are great!


*I will soon.
They are coming. *
There can ONLY be one!
You will now refer to me as GobyOneKenobi

If you build it.....
They will come.


If you build it ....
They will come.


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

We've used search engines everyday.
All we have is these two nice lists (below) to go on so far.

Our local stores are fairly half-arsing our interest in the gobies (and shrimp with some size (2-5inches).
We're practically waiving money in the air at this point looking for some connections.

Were excited and very interested in males gobies with some nice color as in the chichlid world.
Aren't we all though.


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

*(Bottom-right, 1st photo of the 4) A little Adonis pleco is moving around.*

-*The water flow collects almost all the junk towards the right rear of the tank.*


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

Gobies.


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## forrestcook (Jan 25, 2008)

Those gobies are beautiful! Do you do a lot of live foods? Any aggression since they all occupy the bottom?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

forrestcook said:


> Those gobies are beautiful! Do you do a lot of live foods? Any aggression since they all occupy the bottom?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Thanks, I came for the plants and left with gobies and plants.

*Live foods:*

Yes, I feed heavily on live foods.
Black worms, brine shrimp, and some other.
I suspect one can feed general foods for most of them, but I wouldn't run against the laws of the species too long without observation.
"_Surviving is not Thriving_", is a heck of a great tip in other hobbies as well.
- Good flow, Algae and Live foods are such a plus.
- I can see it in the behavior.

High oxygen, good flow and live food get them to behave in what I would consider a positive way.
They have not sent me an email yet, but they seem really happy.

The guys online have a special mix/paste that they smear on the glass tea-light candle glass that sinks to the bottom.



*Daphnia and brine:*

I need to order a daphnia culture and set it up with a bubbler.
O'leary has a really good video on them.
Most of the culture methods out there look like a mosquito mess, so gather the best tips from all the info out there and modify it to your liking.
I just bought my first bottle of dry *brine eggs* to hatch out in batches.

- Everybody in the tank really loves live foods.
- The Red rutilaureus, and Red annieae, and amano shrimp are usually on the pleco's *Zucchini.*
- The snails and shrimp pick away at leftovers.





*Aggression:*

Semi - aggression between The Stiphodon, Sicyopus, Rhinogobius, and unknown bumblebee males do their regular thing.
Minimal damage.

Eventually, The Desert gobies will be too much for each other.
They keep breeding anyway (free live food). I so see a small nip on a fin of the 2nd male with full color as well.
2 males. 1 suspect male. Six total.

48"x24" inch bottom. 
The gobies have a ton of caves and rock caves/homes as well.
They do use use the caves a lot and seem to like the tank.

The tank is pretty bare at night when observing later on in the night with a flashlight.
- only the plecos and shrimp are out on the 3rd shift.
- a L200 green phantom runt that grows so slow is in there too as well as a little blk/wht Adonis pleco.





















Below is what a goby tank should look like.
I believe he grows algae on the rocks in another tank.
I'm still getting a grip on the goby info.

*Video*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo4RCp1Xbm8&t=22s


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

*Last note.*
Replace all water submersed AC pumps with DC pumps(feed mode timers).
Hydro-sponges in conjunction with submersed sponges do well with a skimmer for all the heavier oils or films in the tank.
Live foods do seem to have oils that can be seen on the top.
The Seachem Tidal 110 can get turned down for feeding. 
The Tidal model 110 uses about 12 watts.

This new Aqua Medic DC pump runs about 12 watts as well.
The output will be Lock line adjustable fittings or nothing.


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

Amano shrimp, Rabbit snails breeding, pipefish, gobies and dwarf gobies.
2 Cobalt EXT canisters filters crammed with foam throughout internals and low bypass modification trick.
Tidal 110 hang-on with lots of modified foam.
Ehiem Skim350.
Titanium 300 watt heater and Inkbird controller.

Simple hard to kill plants and driftwood.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Incredible. Is that tank to the left a vivarium? I would LOVE to see more pics of both as well as the gobies. This is one of my favorite tanks on this site...


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

The Dude1 said:


> Incredible. Is that tank to the left a vivarium? I would LOVE to see more pics of both as well as the gobies. This is one of my favorite tanks on this site...


Ah!

I didn't get the notification on the thread for quotes. 
Thanks for the positive reply.

Nope not a viv.
That is a 74gal. 24x24x30 with 8 pea puffers, two red lizard whips, 3 Nannoptopoma sp. Peru - Orange Zebra Otocinclus, and 2 Stick farlowella cats.











Gobies:

*Stiphodon zosterophorum.*










*Stiphodon surrufus*. Tiny. They fit on a quarter.




















*Stiphodon cf. rutilaureus.* Fast and pretty.










*Stiphodon annieae.*




















*Sicyopus exallisquamulus.*










*Sicyopus discordipinnis.* 









*Stiphodon ornatus.*










*Stiphodon percnopterygionus*











Stiphodon semoni, 
Stiphodon atropurpureus, 
Stiphodon elegans, and some more too.
Glass goby, Bumblebee goby, and a ton of rabbit snails, chopstick snails and other weirdos.


3 different species of freshwater pipefish as well.

*Long Nose Freshwater Pipefish - Microphis brachyurus aculeatus "Cameroon".
Rainbow pipe - Microphis deocata.
Dwarf - Doryichthys martensii.*


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

Pea puffers, amano shrimp, gobies, pipefish, rabbit snails, stickfish, red lizard cats, a motorized skylight shade, and the internet on the wall.


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## Fishly (Jan 8, 2010)

This is so cool.

Could you give us a front view of the goby tank?


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## JeremyDMeyer76 (Sep 7, 2018)

DC, your 80 gallon is amazing! I have an 80 with the same dimensions but rimless. You have me seriously thinking I put way too much light above mine.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Just read the whole thread.

Very cool and interesting tanks. 

Unique presentations that create a very relaxed tranquil vibe.

I like them. Very well done.


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

Fishly said:


> This is so cool.
> 
> Could you give us a front view of the goby tank?


Hi,

Thanks.
Oh, try to use the quote tool for the forum. 
I'd never even know someone asked a question without coming back to each thread to see.

I think there is a decent amount of history here on this goby tank thread.
Below is a pic from a few months ago.

Two Kessil A80 is all you need. They are on the lowest settings.
The twinkle from them is spectacular.

As for plants, most of the people here hate Kessil, but I don't get too deep into the planted tanks as much as most here on the forum.
Anubias, Anubias nana, driftwood in the background, and Crypt wendtii is all you need for a decent green tank with Kessil A80 lights.
Most planted tank people shun simple tanks like this, but the noobs that come into the room seem to sit and stare like zombies.
The zombie stare is when you know you did something right.

*April, 2018.*










*MORE pics
OCT. 18, 2018.*



















*PIPEFISH (top view).*


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

This year I sold off a lot of old equipment and dove into the largest 2 models of canisters from Eheim (2262 and 2217).
The Goby build now only has two Eheim 2217 canisters and an Eheim 350skimmer for some film clearing.

For the inside of the 2217 canisters, I trust using layers of good foam sponge (similar to a sump) in the setups.
Most of the foam I like to use has developed a giant body of biological slime with some minor mechanical filtering depending on the last layers of the foam in the canister.
The porosity or ppi that works well looks like the blue color Seachem/Tidal series hang-on filter foam that comes with the Tidal series filters in the box.

I noticed the Eheim 2217 replacement foam discs (box with set of 2 foam discs) are tighter in porosity that what comes from the Eheim 2217 canister filter complete system.
The factory foam in the canister is seen on the left in the photo.
The much tighter replacement Eheim 2217 foam (the 2pk) is on the right.
- I'm not sure on why this is, but it seems to work with the half/half idea.


The 2217 canister now gets half and half.
Half the open pore blue foam with the other half of the tighter pore foam in the last part.
Seven (7) blue discs fit in a 2217 model canister.
Six (6) blue foam discs with two (2) white poly filters with fit just perfect for a water polish too.

Weekly water changes flush out just about any particles in the water.

The tank looks nice.
TrippLite makes a great power strip for the pumps and gadgets on the tank.


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## theDCpump (Jul 22, 2016)

We just hit the mark for zero ferts, not even potassium anymore... 
'just add fish turds and country well water before it gets to the softner.

I have not seen this point of NON FERT usage yet.
Usually we do potassium for yellowing here and there. 
I get to toot the NO FERTZ horn.roud: :fish: :fish: :fish: 


Two Eheim 2217 spraybars from 2 canisters on right.
Nothing but Blue Eheim factory foam discs running top to bottom for canister media (no rock bio media, none).
Ehiem 350 skimmer under centerbrace in shadows keeps the film down.

Gobies everywhere, old amano shrimp still alive, and freshwater pipefish still alive.
-nature in a glass.


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