# It's finaly here--265GAL



## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

after watching journals for about 2 years, I've moved to a bigger house which allowed me to have a bigger tank.

it's massive at 200x70x70cm which translates to 78''x27''x27"
it has a sump which is 140x50x40 (55"x20''x16")
so that puts the total system at about 1200L (317GAL)

hardware:
-the lighting is a copy of this build
-since the tank is quite huge, I'm going to build 1 or 2 cerges style reactors to dissolve the CO2.
-I will run 2 DCS7000 pumps (both at 50-70% of their power) for redundancy and to be able to adjust flow and current in the tank and the reactors.
and to control it all I'm going to use the Robo-tank which is a spin-off from the Iaqua

Livestock:
8-10 Pterophyllum scalare sp Rio Nanay-Eimekei (has been adjusted to 11 manucapuru redbacks) 
8-10 geophagus winemilleri (already have 4 and plan on sticking with the 4 of them)
all the others are still unknown 

plants: (for now)
echinodorus bleheri
echinodorus martii
echinodorus rubin
sagittaria teres
alternanthera rosaefolia

hardscape will consist of spiderwood and sand as substrate

that is about it for now, the tank is currently full of water to check for leaks and I'm waiting for my next pay-check so I can order the rest of all the parts and complete the build.


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## toybox22 (Sep 29, 2014)

Looking forward to seeing this get built up!


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

You have a lot of faith in those tiny wheels....


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Nordic said:


> You have a lot of faith in those tiny wheels....


I was thinking the same thing, and hopefully the house is on a slab.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.


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## Doogy262 (Aug 11, 2013)

Looks great,2400+ lbs. did you check the floor strength???


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## end3r.P (Aug 31, 2015)

Some people put islands in the middle of their kitchen. Seems you've chosen a lagoon instead.


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## vision (Sep 29, 2015)

don't break the glass with your fridge door 


Brevity and typos courtesy of my iPhone using Tapatalk.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Nordic said:


> You have a lot of faith in those tiny wheels....


those aren't wheels  they are adjustable foots to set the tank level 



Greggz said:


> I was thinking the same thing, and hopefully the house is on a slab.
> 
> Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.


the house is on concrete piles with reinforced concrete floors. 
as all houses in the netherlands build after 1980 



Doogy262 said:


> Looks great,2400+ lbs. did you check the floor strength???


yes i had it checked out before I bought the house 



vision said:


> don't break the glass with your fridge door
> 
> 
> Brevity and typos courtesy of my iPhone using Tapatalk.


the frame still needs to be dressed to hide the equipment, the dressing will be high enough to stop the fridge door from hitting the tank.
also I've left enough space between the tank and the fridge to open the doors fully without touching the tank


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

Still they go through very thin rods.
It is not the wheels/feet that bother me, its the leg bits.


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## Jamo33 (Feb 18, 2014)

Im excited!
This should turn out to be a very interested and awesome build me thinks!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Nordic said:


> Still they go through very thin rods.
> It is not the wheels/feet that bother me, its the leg bits.


the threads should support 400kg each, with 6 of them they come in at 2400kg which puts me at roughly 5200 pounds.

so that will be enough for me, the sump doesn't rest on the frame it's directly on the floor.


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

Ok, as long as you know the load bearing strength, then it should be in order.
I'm just a little apprehensive, my PC stand decided to loose a wheel.... so, now I'm still on the twice shy stage.


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## jovonhaln (Jul 28, 2012)

Wow looking forward to this one too!


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## Pattern8 (Dec 9, 2015)

I typically dislike any exposed sump but I think I can see where you may just be the one exception. Looking forward to seeing this progression.


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## Bobbybills (Nov 30, 2015)

Looks like a perfect location for a lobster tank if you get bored with plants and fish that you can't eat....

If not, tank looks like a natural divider between kitchen and kitchen table. Since I see the lights over the table, what was there before the tank?


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Pattern8 said:


> I typically dislike any exposed sump but I think I can see where you may just be the one exception. Looking forward to seeing this progression.


The stand still needs to be dressed  so you won't see anything of the equipment.



Bobbybills said:


> Looks like a perfect location for a lobster tank if you get bored with plants and fish that you can't eat....
> 
> If not, tank looks like a natural divider between kitchen and kitchen table. Since I see the lights over the table, what was there before the tank?


Nothing, the lamps are just ikea lamps with an industrial look to them


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## trailsnale (Dec 2, 2009)

*The stand still needs to be dressed  so you won't see anything of the equipment.*


i have a similar setup as you. i decided to keep my sump visible as i enjoy watching the filter in operation. also keeps me honest as to water levels and cleaning. seeing the entire process (from finished tank to the nuts/bolts of mech. filtration/heating/bio filtration/uv/return pumps, etc.) is kinda neat imo.
from all the tank pics here on the forum, i know i'm in the minority.:grin2:

looking forward to watching your build!


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## bsherwood (Nov 22, 2007)

You are doing what I am planning to do! I am looking forward to every single step. Please continue to share.


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## ChristopherM (Mar 10, 2016)

WOW! Can't wait to see it all set up and running.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

nothing much to update, I'm currently busy with the constructing the canopy and hoping to do some plumbing next week so I can run the pump and see how everything holds up


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Small picture of the small amount of progress.
Just finished the bars from which the heatsinks will hang. 
I plan on painting it this weekend or in the next week


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## dragam21 (Mar 23, 2014)

Nordic said:


> Still they go through very thin rods.
> It is not the wheels/feet that bother me, its the leg bits.


The legs bother me a little, but what about that fridge handle banging into the tank when they open it....I know how my kids can be. :surprise::surprise:


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

As you can read a couple of posts back the fridge will be taken care of.
As for the legs they are strong enough, also explained a couple posts back


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Also if the fridge ever becomes a problem I can change the direction of the door's rotation


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## dragam21 (Mar 23, 2014)

fietsenrex said:


> As you can read a couple of posts back the fridge will be taken care of.
> As for the legs they are strong enough, also explained a couple posts back


Sorry, did not see that :wink2:

Bump: But that is a great looking tank, can't wait to see it up and running!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Just a small update, I started building the first of the 2 lights...
Quete happy with how it looks.


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## CrazyCory (Apr 29, 2009)

fietsenrex said:


> Just a small update, I started building the first of the 2 lights...
> Quete happy with how it looks.


Now we need all the details of this build! :laugh2:


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

well, each "cluster" consists of 1 vero 18 and 2 anti disco tristar leds. 1 with UV, deep-red, royal-blue and 1 with UV, deep-red, cool-blue.

there will be 12 of these in total


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

tiny update..
just finished the 1st layer of high-gloss white after 2 layers of primer

life keeps me pretty much occupied the whole time.. hopefully I can finish painting this weekend and then finish the wiring on the lights and get them in to place *sigh*


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

1st fixture is finished.. 
Some violet don't light up.. I think I still got something wired backwards 
But damn those Vero's are brighter than the sun!! Its insane the amount of light

Now lets build the second one and start trouble shooting..


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Very cool. I love the DIY approach.

I've gotta say, you have great patience. You've had that tank sitting there for a month. 

I have no patience whatsoever. That tank would have been filled in the first ten minutes.

Keep up the good work and looking forward to seeing where this goes......eventually!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Greggz said:


> Very cool. I love the DIY approach.
> 
> I've gotta say, you have great patience. You've had that tank sitting there for a month.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I've got no patience either xD
But this is the road I've choosen and going to stick with no matter how long it takes


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Well, there is some more progress to report 
Got a big part of the plumbing build and started building the interior of the cabinet 
It's starting to look like a fish tank instead of a glass box after a month of waiting for money and parts


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## Mathman (Apr 5, 2009)

Wow, What an immense project! It's always exciting to start something in the hobby. Enjoy the process and don't rush...the setting up is as fun as an established tank. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Thank you, I cannot rush this since it will cost to much money at once 

I've been planning this project for a year and the amount of time it consumes is just insane to be honest


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## MCSLABS (Apr 19, 2016)

Man I could grow lots of algae in that tank


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

yeah me too 
I think this is the biggest leap of faith I've taken in this hobby so far.. 

all the components are proven concepts, but this set-up isn't common to say the least..


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## Savetheplants (May 24, 2016)

*Also Sprach Zarathrustra*

You should play the opening theme from 2001 Space Odyssey when you unveil it.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

*just took a day off*

well I decided to take a day off and start finishing the hardscape

it started with some kingsize eggcrate or whatever its called in english.
these are tiles used in driveways to keep all the gravel in place, it also hold the sand in my aquarium in place 









when everything was a nice fit, I took it all out and started playing with wood in the garden to make the hardscape









after that everything was fitted inside the tank and sand was applied
I've also painted the corner so I'm not looking at the fridge or wall anymore when looking at the tank.









now for some tank shots with everything flooded and cloudy
from the living room








from the kitchen








and from the only open side









and last but not least some equipment just to show off how I set up some controls









That's it for now, everything works and every joint finally holds water inside the plumbing and not all over the place.
only thing to do is to make the overflow silent since it's a hell of a noise..


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

That spot where the sunlight hits the tank, could be problematic. It is an invitation for algae.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Nordic said:


> That spot where the sunlight hits the tank, could be problematic. It is an invitation for algae.


yes I know, normally the window blinds aren't as far open as they were when I took the photo's 
and there is only direct sunlight for 15 minutes or something like that, but I was surprised there was direct sunlight there, I've taken measurements before putting the tank in place, even made a dummy mock-up to check for direct sunlight..

anyhow will see how it turns out, my other tanks have the same conditions and are free from algae


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I'm interested in more photos of that return plumbing or whatever that pipe on top was!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

it's just 32mm pvc 
well let me try to explain, each pump has its own reactor and own return pipe back in the aquarium
so I've got 2 spraybars in the tank and each is connected to its own pump, the pipe that you're looking at is just a return pipe, the very last bit just before it goes in to the spraybar.

the reason why it looks so odd is because I've used as much bends as possible instead of just using 90 degrees unions that could cut the flow


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

It's odd that the spray bar piping goes all the way to the other side of the tank. That's what interest me the most!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Freemananana said:


> It's odd that the spray bar piping goes all the way to the other side of the tank. That's what interest me the most!


That is becuase I wanted to have a spraybar over the full length of the aquarium to have sufficiënt flow without the use of powerheads


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

It is the left spraybar that has the pipe all the way over the tank


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## trailsnale (Dec 2, 2009)

enjoying your build!

are your pumps submersed in the sump, or are they external?

are they near the wall (same wall as the refrigerator)?

reason i ask, i also use a 2 pump system. mine are external and i have them plumbed into a single spraybar that runs the width of the tank. i don't have any issues w/ circulation and, like you, didn't want to use powerheads.

i do see your logic for wanting a spraybar running the length of the tank. that is probably better than my system, but i wanted minimal piping for other reasons.

always fun reading builds of larger tanks, keep up the great work!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Thank you 

The pumps are submerged, and they need to be according to factory spec 
But they are on the far Side from the fridge, between the fridge and the tank is about 2" so almost no heat radiation on the tank 

But the bigger builds are always more fun to read, anyone can slap together some factory standard equipment and call it a day... 
No offense, most tanks turn out great and are pleasing to the eye, but there is no real challenge and "project development".


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

cant wait till it's filled with fish and plants!!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Finaly got the hood on the aquarium, still need te dress it all and close the top but.. I've now got the lights running 
Only on full power and only for these pictures  still waiting for the controller and the last parts to finish all the wiring.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

got some better pictures yesterday, the other ones were rubbish 
also don't mind the fluke up there it was there to check the temps when the lights are running.. and with a closed hood they get pretty hot pretty fast..
so I''l have to suck in outside air (outside of the hood) to keep the temps lower.. so I'll be retesting that this evening and hopefully it'll work.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Got my custom-build CO2 regulator in today  
Wednesday will be another day off work so I can hopefully finish building the equipment


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

well, took another day off and worked on the power board.

got the power supply's for the lights up and running, 13 relay controlled sockets and 1 permanent powered outlet for the 12v power supply for the controller.

also got the controller working, but the power supply didn't function in the Netherlands maybe due to the frequency or maybe the voltage is out of tolerance who knows.. 
just ordered a new one, maybe I'll dig in to the old one as soon as the project is finished

I don't have any pictures of the finished power board since it's not finished 
hopefully I'll get everything finished this weekend.


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

Nou raak het interesant.

Nice work man.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

haha you nailed it, it's finally getting somewhere...


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## jaymyess (May 13, 2016)

It's always awesome to see ginormous freshwater tanks. Are you planning on adding tannins to it? IMO it's going to look great plus your stocks seem to be soft water stuff.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

nope no tannins, I want to keep it as clear as possible since it is a see through fish tank 
the tap water where I live is already pretty soft, it's only high on SiO3 since it comes straight out some sand dunes near the sea


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## jaymyess (May 13, 2016)

Ah cool. Yea tannins do reduce visibility. Your tank will still look great though without it. No doubt the Scalares will love that mansion lol.


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## gaga43 (Oct 14, 2010)

Man this is a gorgeous tank... Tank of my dreams 😍😍😍 defiantly subscribed


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

thanks, I'm working hard on it to get everything to work..


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Well got all of the lights running, turned out to be a wire break... 
Yesterday my wife transported the G. Winnemeleries from the old tank to the new tank.
CO2 is set at 1 bubble per 3 seconds, it isn't much but I'm leaving the tank for this weekend so beter safe than sorry
Here are some pics just to keep you guys entertained 
Will post better quality next week


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

well after a week of swimming and eating, my geophagus decided to lay some eggs and try to make some baby's..


















hopefully they survive and grow as big as the adults but I don't think they will.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Small update,
I got my dosingpumps running and added a drawer to the stand so I've got something easy to acces in which I can put my fishfood.

And I got 11 redbacks 

Still waiting for new driver boards to get the lights working properly


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## ScubaSteve (Jun 30, 2012)

Love the angels!


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## Minhha2006 (Oct 14, 2014)

Sub'd. That's so much tank!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Thanks, its coming along nicely at the moment

The downside of not having all the lights running is illustrated in the attachment xD
Looks like the red light district in the evening
But I think I got the driverboards in, missen a package yesterday which I need to pick up. So hopefully I can finish all the lights next week


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

I have seen your kitchen but don't see your dutch over. You are dutch right


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

yeah dutch oven is in the bedroom


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

added the most hideous thing ever.. 
got a inlet screen and attached it to a pipe so it siphons in the overflow and keeping the water level in the overflow sort of level with the level in the tank.
hopefully the CO2 stays a bit better in the tank due to the lack of falling water down the overflow and emergency drain.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

*plant, plants and some more plants *

just another update on the tank 
CO2 seems to be fine, the dropchecker did actually change from deep blue to deep green, which is an improvement, still not good enough but he it's something.
my G. winemelerie, successfully hatched some eggs yesterday when I got home, they were swimming with fry but that is nowhere to be found anymore..
think they got scared when they saw my big head in front of the fish tank and accidentally ate the fry

but now the biggest thing that has changed..
some guy a couple blocks over decided to sell his aquarium and plants etc. 
so there I was, picking up "some" plants.. well for €20 got almost my entire tank planted.
pretty happy with the result and thats why I've attached some crappy phone photo's to show the end result 

as for the lighting.. only the outer spots are lit in the photo since I'm swapping out my DIY boards for pre-fab driver boards to eliminate noise and other unwanted behavior.
and I screwed up last weekend.. I was fiddling with the sewage drain for my tank, and that caused the valve (opening and closing the drain) to come loose and drip water in to a PS..
so I got a burned PS now  fortunately I now know my fuses work and all the siphon breaks work as well


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Losing a power supply to know that your tank is safe... worth it! Glad you didn't get hurt. But I think that peace of mind should help off set the cost of the power supply.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

yup it was worth it, lesson learned..
for testing the tank etc. I already unplugged the pumps to see if my siphon breaks work properly, so now I tested it in a bit less controlled environment


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

there's an update without any pictures..

one of my G. winemilleri couples had successfully hatched their eggs.
the daddy is now swimming with a mouth full of fish, I've been lucky enough to see them swim 2 times
quite interesting to see them, as soon as the baby fish swim into the mouth of the dad he looses all color and starts showing camouflage colors and hides in the plants.
anyone who comes in his "escape route" will be pushed away 
but when the fry swims out of his mouth they stay sandwiched between the mother and father fish.

my wife gets a bit annoyed that as soon as she has reached the tank to take a look at the baby's they're already inside the mouth and the father fish has started swimming away..
shame that she doesn't have an eye for detail otherwise she would've spotted them already..


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

I was able to take some pictures of the fry yesterday when I got home 
the geophagus is a bit scared/intimidated by me and my phone, so he fled halfway the process of getting all the fry back in his mouth..
but that gave me an opportunity to take this picture 

after the picture I let them be en walked away and he directed the other half of the fry in his mouth, as you can see in the second picture he has lost all color and is showing camouflage when he has his mouth full with fry.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

So neat! I will say it looks like you could use a bit more sand in some spots.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

thanks 

the sand will remain an issue with these fish, they will just keep digging until they can dig no more.. no matter how much sand I dump in the tank they just keep digging.
so I've given up on adding more sand.. I just use a brush and sweep it back in place every now and then.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

well lets have another update with pictures 

since I'll be going away for a week, my wife has to feed the fish (for the part not done by the auto feeder)
so I've mixed some food for her to use, and for me to use when I get back.
always nice to have some food ready.









and I finally got the lights up and running 
still some minor issues with humming and flickering but that is something that is solvable and is not as bad as it was..
now for some tank shots:


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

not that much to tell actually, tank is holding up fine..
I moved the G.winemilleri fry to the shop where I bought the parents, there were a total of 12 left of the 100-200 eggs
just a quick pic of the fry that have made it









as for the angels, they have almost doubled in size since I bought them








there still 11, but I plan on "only" keeping 8 adults so we'll see if I stick to that plan and how they all grow out.

also got the stand dressed but didn't take any pictures so nothing to show for it..
I'm starting to get some algae which isn't nice..
I had some problems with the controller, when I was away for a week it crashed so it didn't do all of its dosing that week
and the week after I updated the controller and fiddled with some settings which resulted in improper dosingpump calibration.. 
so everything is back to normal now and I'll see how it holds up this week
I also bumped up the lights from 25% to 33% so that might also be the cause, but Saturday is maintenance day and I'll just check if the water still contains enough ferts to sustain that amount of light.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Time for another update, everything seems to be doing well..

This time I took out the D40 of the wive and started playing with the settings
settings were:
diaphragm + shuttertime on automatic
6MP (JPEG so compressed  )
iso 200
noise suppression off 

photo's are clickable for even bigger pictures 

couldn't pick the best pic for the front view so took the best 2 



side view


And the back side of the tank


but as always, there is a downside..
I'm starting to get algae and brown spots on the leaves.




parameters before the waterchange:
NO3:25-50
PO4:1
Fe:0,25-5
CO2:15-20PPM

that was this saturday, i already doubled the micro's and raised the CO2 to 20-40PPM 
tonight I'm going to replace the indicator fluid to exclude a possible drift on the drop-checker
I'm also thinking about raising my macro's since I'm thinking that the NO3 is only readable due to the fact that I'm feeding 2-5 times a day

last week I dosed 0.4 PPM Fe (with the CSM+B and normal macro)
now I dose weekly:
22.5 PPM NO3
2.0 PPM PO4
22.5 PPM K
0.8 PPM Fe
3.10 PPM S
0.2 PPM Mn
0.2 PPM B

If anyone has anymore hints/tips please tell me since I don't want the algae to overgrow my tank


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## jjgloster (Jan 27, 2016)

fietsenrex said:


> Small picture of the small amount of progress.
> Just finished the bars from which the heatsinks will hang.
> I plan on painting it this weekend or in the next week


Can you post an updated pic that shows your lighting system in your canopy? I have bought all the stuff for my LED lights. I have been trying to figure out how to place them in the canopy. My plan was to do something similar to yours. I just want to see how you have your heatsinks hanging. 

I built a light similar to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeV0ZpYeQ50. I have only attached the LED's to the heatsink thusfar. I'm building 2 lights that have 3 rows each. Each row is 12 inches long. 

This is what I was going for.







(The image is not to scale)


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## aja31 (May 25, 2013)

What kind of sand are you using? I like that it is more of a sandy color instead of pure white like the pool filter sand I've seen.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

jjgloster said:


> Can you post an updated pic that shows your lighting system in your canopy? I have bought all the stuff for my LED lights. I have been trying to figure out how to place them in the canopy. My plan was to do something similar to yours. I just want to see how you have your heatsinks hanging.
> 
> I built a light similar to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeV0ZpYeQ50. I have only attached the LED's to the heatsink thusfar. I'm building 2 lights that have 3 rows each. Each row is 12 inches long.
> 
> ...


I have them rotated 90 degrees, and in the center of the tank
so the light run the full length of the tank.



aja31 said:


> What kind of sand are you using? I like that it is more of a sandy color instead of pure white like the pool filter sand I've seen.


I use sand that is normally used in artificial grass. 
the sand has the same grain size as filter sand but slightly darker in color


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## HaeSuse (Aug 18, 2016)

Welp, I'm in. Keep posting. Looks awesome, man. So jealous I kinda want to fly to Holland and steal it.

Bump:


fietsenrex said:


> some guy a couple blocks over decided to sell his aquarium and plants etc. so there I was, picking up "some" plants.. well for €20 got almost my entire tank planted.



Noooooooooooooooooooooooo! This makes my head hurt, and my stomach queasy. You spent like 400 years setting this thing up, making your own lights and controllers, your own stand, and hood, customizing everything you could possibly customize. And then.... you.... bought whatever plants some random dude up the block had for sale?

Oh, man. To each his/her own, I guess, but I can't imagine doing that much work, putting that much money in, and then just taking hand-me-down plants. 

Your tank is gorgeous; I hope I don't offend. I just couldn't NOT post about it.


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## HaeSuse (Aug 18, 2016)

Is it against forum manners/etiquette to ask how much people spent on their setups? If so, forget I said anything. If not, then.... how much?


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

HaeSuse said:


> Is it against forum manners/etiquette to ask how much people spent on their setups? If so, forget I said anything. If not, then.... how much?


haha ofcourse you can ask, it's no secret, but until today I've spend a total of over €5000, that includes all hardware, hardscape, fish, fertelizers, fishfood and so on.
as for the plants, most of them were on the list of plants I wanted in my tank, the 2 spieces that weren't on the list eventually one of them would end up in the tank.
so I only got one plant that was not on my "wishlist". and it saved me almost €100 in plants..


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

time for an update..

since the last update I've been away for a week (2 times) and algae had taken over..
BBA and GDA everywhere..
so I got a UV-C sterilizer (36w JBL sterilizer) and fitted it under the tank, and boy it's massive.. but it works.
water is crystal clear, fish look healthy, and algae grows back slower
started brushing off algae from the wood and removed all affected leaves and started spot treating all remaining algae on the wood/rocks/plants with 12% H2O2 
I currently dose easycarbo to the maximum allowed dosage and keeping my ferts on the right level.

last Saturday I measured:
NO3: 25
PO4: 2
Fe: 0,1 
low iron is probably due to the UV-C breaking down the compounds keeping the micro elements suspended in the water, but so far no sign of any shortage of micro elements.


front view:

side view:

rear view:


----------



## KayakJimW (Aug 12, 2016)

Gorgeous tank man! I especially like your Geophagus. Good call with the plastic crates to minimize sand movement, they'd definitely have sections of tank cleared down to the bare glass without it. I've used similar crates to distribute weight under heavy rock structures but never thought about using it with Geo's. Looks like they're breeding again, too. It's nice to see them in such a large tank where they have lots of room.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

KayakJimW said:


> Gorgeous tank man! I especially like your Geophagus. Good call with the plastic crates to minimize sand movement, they'd definitely have sections of tank cleared down to the bare glass without it. I've used similar crates to distribute weight under heavy rock structures but never thought about using it with Geo's. Looks like they're breeding again, too. It's nice to see them in such a large tank where they have lots of room.


Thanks, the crates work like a charm 
without the crates they dig up all of my plants and my rocks and wood would start shifting all over the place, and it was a nice way to attach the hardscape to a fixed position.

but yeah this is the second time they have been successful, of the 100-200 eggs there are about 20-30 fish remaining


----------



## HaeSuse (Aug 18, 2016)

fietsenrex said:


> haha ofcourse you can ask, it's no secret, but until today I've spend a total of over €5000, that includes all hardware, hardscape, fish, fertelizers, fishfood and so on.
> as for the plants, most of them were on the list of plants I wanted in my tank, the 2 spieces that weren't on the list eventually one of them would end up in the tank.
> so I only got one plant that was not on my "wishlist". and it saved me almost €100 in plants..


So, like ~6-7K USD. That's probably around what I would've guessed. Thanks for sharing. I'm always curious what these awesome setups cost.

Any rough estimate as to how many hours you've put into setting it up? I don't mean the weekly water changes, and whatnot. But the sheer amount of time you spent wiring lights, building stands and hoods, plumbing, etc.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

HaeSuse said:


> fietsenrex said:
> 
> 
> > haha ofcourse you can ask, it's no secret, but until today I've spend a total of over ?5000, that includes all hardware, hardscape, fish, fertelizers, fishfood and so on.
> ...


Since the tank came with sump and stand I didn't spend any time on that.
But assembling all the hardware and putting it all together I think about 60-80 hours worth of work


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## HaeSuse (Aug 18, 2016)

fietsenrex said:


> Since the tank came with sump and stand I didn't spend any time on that.
> But assembling all the hardware and putting it all together I think about 60-80 hours worth of work


That's not so bad, in the grand scheme of hobbies.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

last update had been a while so it's about time I showed you where the tank is at now..

The tank is doing better now, algae starts dissapearing and plants are doing better.

Currently I'm trying to limit the turnover rate and thus flow/current in the tank to get it to a bare minimum.
Since I started lowering the flow, CO2 levels started to rise and the angels started showing deeper colouration and algae disappeared even faster.
I have successfully stopped using H2O2 when combating algae (since stopping the H2O2 it didn't come back fast enough to be an issue)
I'm still having some BBA but this is also on the retreat.

I currently feed the fish 4-6 times a day and since I got 2 L200 and 2 L128 catfish in the tank I've added cucumber as well for them to feed on.

unfortunatly I only have crappy Iphone pictures to show 

front side:

side:

back side:


both the L200 and another catfish:

one of the 2 L128:


the last 4 youngsters of the G. winemilleri 


well that's it for now, hope you guys enjoyed the view


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## IntotheWRX (May 13, 2016)

wow your living room must be so relaxing. love the huge tank size. tank is looking good!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

IntotheWRX said:


> wow your living room must be so relaxing. love the huge tank size. tank is looking good!


Thanks, the view is very relaxing indeed


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

figured it is about time I updated this thread..
with some help I got the fans to run silent and respond to PWM in accordance with my lights (more light=higher fan RPM)

time for some photo's of the tank itself:


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

I've never been a big fan of Angels, but your tank could change my mind.

Those are some beautiful specimens, and they look right at home in the beautiful serene environment you have created.

Nice work, and looks like it was worth the wait!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Thank you, they are 100% rio manucapuru angels 
Offspring of a breeding couple so they are not wild caught.


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## reefengineer92 (Dec 19, 2015)

Love the angelfish! Perhaps this is further back in the thread... but is that pool filter sand in the tank?  Best bang for the buck for sure.


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## fishman922 (Oct 26, 2016)

Subscribed! What a cool tank!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

reefengineer92 said:


> Love the angelfish! Perhaps this is further back in the thread... but is that pool filter sand in the tank?  Best bang for the buck for sure.


Thanks but it isn't poolfilter sand, it is a sand used to weigh down artificial grass 
It is a bit darker than poolfilter sand


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

fishman922 said:


> Subscribed! What a cool tank!


Thanks


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

stunning fish! and stunning plants in the tank


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

BettaBettas said:


> stunning fish! and stunning plants in the tank


Thank you


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## nyskiffie (Mar 23, 2016)

Can you post a link to the sand you used? I love the color!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Well there is no link actually..
Just went out to a landscaping company and bought the sand.
I don't think there is a dutch company that ships sand worldwide..

In the attachment is a picture of the sand


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

fietsenrex said:


> Currently I'm trying to limit the turnover rate and thus flow/current in the tank to get it to a bare minimum.
> Since I started lowering the flow, CO2 levels started to rise and the angels started showing deeper colouration and algae disappeared even faster.
> I have successfully stopped using H2O2 when combating algae (since stopping the H2O2 it didn't come back fast enough to be an issue)
> I'm still having some BBA but this is also on the retreat.


Quick question as my google-fu failed. Is there a connection between co2 and coloration of your fish? I just started diy co2 and some days my GBR has incredible color, while most of the time it's pretty bland, and I'm wondering if the co2 has anything to do with that


----------



## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

theatermusic87 said:


> fietsenrex said:
> 
> 
> > Currently I'm trying to limit the turnover rate and thus flow/current in the tank to get it to a bare minimum.
> ...


GBR? 
Sorry don't know that abbriviation..
Anyhow I think that flow/current, lighting and hiding places have a much bigger impact on fish coloration than CO2.
With inbred fish it is sometimes hard to tell but with pure bred with most of the "wild" dna still in them they show much better when they don't feel at home.
Fish need a place to hide, and generally don't like intense lighting and very strong currents (reef excluded) 
Most fish tolerate 30ppm CO2, much higher and they start to gasp for air


----------



## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

Gbr is a German blue ram. Thanks for the reply, I suppose it would make sense the stress from co2 not being fully adjusted could've caused the color to intensify


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## Willcooper (May 31, 2015)

theatermusic87 said:


> Gbr is a German blue ram. Thanks for the reply, I suppose it would make sense the stress from co2 not being fully adjusted could've caused the color to intensify




The color should come from optimizing the conditions of the tank to the inhabitant. Co2 plays a part in adjusting the ph. So if you dose co2 to put them in a more acidic range (for south American critters) and have flow and lighting and hiding spots for them they should show their best colors. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

the tank looks awesome!


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Willcooper said:


> theatermusic87 said:
> 
> 
> > Gbr is a German blue ram. Thanks for the reply, I suppose it would make sense the stress from co2 not being fully adjusted could've caused the color to intensify
> ...


I wouldn't suggest using CO2 to lower the ph, but something like oak extract would do the trick way better without the risk of suffocating your fish



monkeyruler90 said:


> the tank looks awesome!


Thank you


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## deaddack (Dec 7, 2016)

Really gorgeous tank! Would love to setup a tank big enough to keep a few angels someday.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

deaddack said:


> Really gorgeous tank! Would love to setup a tank big enough to keep a few angels someday.


Thank you 
It just takes a 100 gallon tank to house 5-7 angels properly


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## cindyo'hara (Dec 8, 2016)

Wow I love your tank and the angels are stunning, what are the other cichlids in the tank?


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

now im sure you have said an answered this but what kind of angelfish are those? koi?


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

cindyo'hara said:


> Wow I love your tank and the angels are stunning, what are the other cichlids in the tank?


Thank you.
The other cichlids are geophagus winemilleri 
Currently 4 adult and 4 youngsters


BettaBettas said:


> now im sure you have said an answered this but what kind of angelfish are those? koi?


Nope no more inbred angels for me..
These are 100% pure bred rio manucapuru


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

So 2 angels forned a pair and mated..
So I have eggs now


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

beautiful picture


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Guess my nephew is also into fishtanks


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## Stevie Irawan (Feb 7, 2017)

Aw man, I missed my school of 10 manacapuru angels. Now I only have 2 survived with other type of angels. Beautiful species here. How large is yours?


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

fietsenrex said:


> So 2 angels forned a pair and mated..
> So I have eggs now


 what type of angels are these? :nerd:


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Stevie Irawan said:


> Aw man, I missed my school of 10 manacapuru angels. Now I only have 2 survived with other type of angels. Beautiful species here. How large is yours?


About fully grown I guess.
Tip to tip they reach a bit over 20cm, they should reach about 25cm as adults



BettaBettas said:


> fietsenrex said:
> 
> 
> > So 2 angels forned a pair and mated..
> ...


Red back/red shoulder.
They are rio manucapuru angels, but some call them red back and some red shoulder.


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## DigityDog70 (Jan 20, 2017)

fietsenrex said:


> Guess my nephew is also into fishtanks


You have to keep the picture. Kodak moment for sure. (Sorry Kodak, another good American Co.).


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

DigityDog70 said:


> fietsenrex said:
> 
> 
> > Guess my nephew is also into fishtanks
> ...


Since it is on the good old interwebs it will probably be around for a while


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Well it's about time for a full tank update..
Had some issues with stalled plant growth and algea.
But I got it sorted.
A while back in all my wisdom i decided to make the dosing more efficiënt, I stuck all the hoses from the dosing unit in some pvc which was attached to one of my pumps.
So that the ferts didn't get sucked into the uv sterilizer.
That didn't work.. the side on which the ferts were added was doing fine, the other half of the tank showed no growth what so ever.
So I undid that and added some new root tabs to give everything a boost.
And well it's all turning around again 

I also decreased the turnover by 10% and now my last HN plant is growing nicely and doesn't get uprooted anymore, also the leafes stay on top of the water surface instead of getting washed away.

I put the images in the attachment 
English+dutch iPhone+TPT=a complete nightmare.


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## adive (Oct 30, 2013)

Beautiful angels. What do you feed them? How many times a day? Water change regime?

Thanks.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

adive said:


> Beautiful angels. What do you feed them? How many times a day? Water change regime?
> 
> Thanks.


3-4 times a day of which 2 automated at this moment. 
I feed them a mixture of:
Pallets
Flakes
Ground shrimp
musquito larve
Tubifex
Dapinia (I think this is how you write it)
All are dryed foods or freeze dryed.

I do about 70% weekly


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Wow this is truly a dream tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

my iphone makes real crappy pictures...


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## adive (Oct 30, 2013)

fietsenrex said:


> 3-4 times a day of which 2 automated at this moment.
> I feed them a mixture of:
> Pallets
> Flakes
> ...


Thanks for sharing. If I feed my scalare angels a staple diet of Hikari Discus Biogold and freeze dried Australian Black worms is that ok? Will it help them towards full potential growth of course assuming other parameters are good (such as good water quailty)?

Is your WC 70% once a week?

Thanks.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

adive said:


> fietsenrex said:
> 
> 
> > 3-4 times a day of which 2 automated at this moment.
> ...


Yes it is once a week.
I'm not familiair with hikari but looks like a good type of food for raising angels.

I think any high proteïne food will get your fish big


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

time for an update

just ripped out the spraybars, the view annoyed me so they got removed.
adjusted the flow a bit and I'm quite happy with the result.
no deadspots found yet so guess everything is running fine 

I did stop dosing KH2PO4 for a month but got some more hair algae so it is back in the macro solution.
last week PO4 dropped to 0,8 and NO3 got up to about 60...

enough talking time for some pictures








could choose between the 2..


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Your Angels are so damn awesome. Love the tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Opare said:


> Your Angels are so damn awesome. Love the tank.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

time for an update 
PO4 dropped out to much so I restarted dosing it again.
did turn down the macro dosing to about 66% of the the original starting point.
turned up the lights a bit (17.5% to 25%)

still no new algae, all plants start to grow more compact and faster so will see if CO2 and macro elements can keep up with the demand.

time for some full tank shots.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

My goodness those are some beautiful Angels!!

Tank is looking great. Just a very nice presentation all the way around. Good to see an update.


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## vvDO (Oct 18, 2010)

Greggz said:


> My goodness those are some beautiful Angels!!
> 
> 
> 
> Tank is looking great. Just a very nice presentation all the way around. Good to see an update.




Took the words right out of my post!

Love the angels!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Thank you 
I'll try to update some more


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Time for an update 
Dropped the back pressure on the CO2 reactors and dropped the CO2 pressure from 2,3 bar to 1,8 bar in an attempt to reduce CO2 consumption, also cut the flow rate almost in half
So far CO2 has dropped from 30ppm to 25ppm which is still sufficiënt and still no sign of increased algea growth.
Also decreased the waterchange volume from 50% weekly to 5% weekly, no increase noticable in macro elements so far so good


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

well it is about damn time I updated this thread.
nothing changed that much, plants grow, fish swim and eat so nothing to complain 

so front view:








side view:








rear view:









heavely edited so almost al my fish are present in 1 picture:









also decided to build a fluidized bed filter using a wavemaker and K1 micro.
https://youtu.be/QH-L40LDJz8
hopefully this will generate more NO3 than the static media and will allow me to cut back further on macro dosing.
but time will tell


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Absolutely gorgeous.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

The Dude1 said:


> Absolutely gorgeous.


Thanks


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## ginojo (Feb 5, 2018)

Hi Fietsenrex,

I've read that you were going to try to dim the easyLEDS with an arduino via PWM? Did you succeed? I have created a device that simulates a day-cycle, but need to dim the easy-leds.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

fietsenrex said:


> Thanks


Update PLEASE!


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## finfan (Jun 16, 2008)

Just went through your journal! What a beautiful tank and magnificent angels. Thanks for sharing. Look forward to more updates. I am glad you are keeping them long term and not breaking down every 6 months or once a year. I am about to set up a few tanks and my goal is to see how long I can keep them going.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

ginojo said:


> Hi Fietsenrex,
> 
> I've read that you were going to try to dim the easyLEDS with an arduino via PWM? Did you succeed? I have created a device that simulates a day-cycle, but need to dim the easy-leds.


I don’t use easy-leds, Just big ass bridgelux and luxeon leds driven by LDD drivers.
The only thing I used an arduino for was increasing the PWM frequency beyond gearing range in order to stop the humming produced by the cooling fans


The Dude1 said:


> fietsenrex said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks
> ...


Will try to get the DSLR in front of the tank this week

Had done a small equipment upgrade.
Fitted all my LDD drivers in an enclosure so they are protected from accidental dripping by my wet hands


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## trailsnale (Dec 2, 2009)

what is the name of the long-stemmed, lily-like, leaf at the surface, plant?

seems a great choice for an angel tank.

thanks,


----------



## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

trailsnale said:


> what is the name of the long-stemmed, lily-like, leaf at the surface, plant?
> 
> seems a great choice for an angel tank.
> 
> thanks,


Hydrocleys nymphoides


----------



## ginojo (Feb 5, 2018)

fietsenrex said:


> I don’t use easy-leds, Just big ass bridgelux and luxeon leds driven by LDD drivers.
> The only thing I used an arduino for was increasing the PWM frequency beyond gearing range in order to stop the humming produced by the cooling fans


Okay thanks. Guess I will need to figure it out on my own then  Gonna try to use an IRFB4610PBF mosfet.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

just a small update.
a month ago I inserted some (50) osmocote caps and it is starting to pay off 
plants are greener and the red plants have more intense colouration since the osmocote caps
so here are the photo's to show it of
frontview








side view








rearview


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## agrasyuk (Jan 5, 2018)

Great looking fish, great looking plants!
hope empty osmocote balls won't be of too much of nuisance down the road


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

finfan said:


> Just went through your journal! What a beautiful tank and magnificent angels. Thanks for sharing. Look forward to more updates. I am glad you are keeping them long term and not breaking down every 6 months or once a year. I am about to set up a few tanks and my goal is to see how long I can keep them going.


Missed your post, sorry about that.
But i plan on keeping this scape and fish for at least 10 years.
Maybe swap some plants or add some but nothing major.


agrasyuk said:


> Great looking fish, great looking plants!
> hope empty osmocote balls won't be of too much of nuisance down the road


How long down the road are we talking?
I use these root caps for over a year now, aside for my geophagus digging up some I never found any trace of them


----------



## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

fietsenrex said:


> But i plan on keeping this scape and fish for at least 10 years.
> Maybe swap some plants or add some but nothing major.


Boy you must have some serious will power.

I can't go 10 days without moving a few things around!:wink2:

But I don't blame you, love the layout and concept. Very, very nice.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Greggz said:


> fietsenrex said:
> 
> 
> > But i plan on keeping this scape and fish for at least 10 years.
> ...


Haha well my geophagus are making sure that the scape is not to static 
But i don’t think is has anything to do with will power or perseverance..
Just took my time setting up my scape so it is a 110% to my liking 
And that way you avoid the twitching fingers wanting to move stuff over


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

*new lens*

well got a new lens for my DSLR.
a 35mm F1.8 prime lens 
so just want to share some pictures taken with my new toy

























shame that TPT craps up the resolution... 
but the sharpness and colour depth is unrivalled compared to my standard zoom lens (18-200mm F3.5-5.6)


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## ipkiss (Aug 9, 2011)

Congrats on your new lens and still awesome tank! Low light lenses are so addictive. Makes you wonder "why did I struggle so long without it... oh right, they're costly."  

As for higher res pics, I know you lost photobucket, but usually I and others link in pics from other places like google or flickr.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

ipkiss said:


> Congrats on your new lens and still awesome tank! Low light lenses are so addictive. Makes you wonder "why did I struggle so long without it... oh right, they're costly."
> 
> As for higher res pics, I know you lost photobucket, but usually I and others link in pics from other places like google or flickr.


yeah I used photo bucket, but they changed their policy..

will dig into flickr and google, since I'm active on 2 forums


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

so evidently the osmocote root tabs work, i never had my HN flower before

























and flickr is up and running 
will build an aquarium album to organize all my photo's


----------



## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

fietsenrex said:


> shame that TPT craps up the resolution...
> but the sharpness and colour depth is unrivalled compared to my standard zoom lens (18-200mm F3.5-5.6)


It's hard to tell how large the tank is... until you see the tiny drop checker in the corner.

Thats a huge tank, and those are huge angels. Amazing!


----------



## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Haha Thanks.
It is the “maxi” size dropchecker from Dennerle, But as you said it is dwarfed by the huge tank xD


----------



## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

So apperently i solved a CO2 leak..

Swapped out the old plastic fantastic chinese bubble counters for some compression fittings and my dropchecker showed somewhat more green color


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

finally some time to post a proper update.
just bear with me.. I started late with taking these photo's, I use an old Nikon D40 with a max usable ISO of about 300..
the robo-tank was already under way dimming down to the moon phase, which is less than 1% of the daylight setting. 

front view:
DSC_0484 by wouter baars, on Flickr
side view:
DSC_0487 by wouter baars, on Flickr
rear view:
DSC_0492 by wouter baars, on Flickr

and then it got hard..
by the time I started making close-ups the dimming was almost complete and it was darker inside my house than outside.
DSC_0493 by wouter baars, on Flickr
DSC_0494 by wouter baars, on Flickr
DSC_0499 by wouter baars, on Flickr
DSC_0503 by wouter baars, on Flickr
DSC_0521 by wouter baars, on Flickr
DSC_0524 by wouter baars, on Flickr
DSC_0525 by wouter baars, on Flickr

and by the time I was done and happy with the result, I grabbed a beer and the controller finished dimming, which released light controls..
so I blasted the light to 100% power (normal daylight is 33% of total power)
front view:
DSC_0532 by wouter baars, on Flickr
side view:
DSC_0540 by wouter baars, on Flickr
rear view:
DSC_0546 by wouter baars, on Flickr

and some close-ups:
DSC_0552 by wouter baars, on Flickr
DSC_0553 by wouter baars, on Flickr
DSC_0557 by wouter baars, on Flickr

as I did the water change today the tank is still a bit cloudy unfortunately 
and some of you might spot the BBA I got in some spots...
well one of my pumps choked on some K1 mini, it escaped my movingbed filter when i was working on it due to a pump failure 
never payed much attention to is but the flow was poor so i took a peek last week, and there it was the pump was pretty filled with K1.
so now everything is cleaned, did a 1-2-punch last week and it should all be back to normal next week


----------



## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Just beautiful! I absolutely love those angels!
I have 8 geophagus myself in a 180 Gallon- g. sveni and neambi- they do a fine job of re-scaping any design I attempt to make. LOL
But, we knew what we were getting into going in- right! 
Your winemilleri, seen any breeding behaviors yet?


----------



## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Discusluv said:


> Just beautiful! I absolutely love those angels!
> I have 8 geophagus myself in a 180 Gallon- g. sveni and neambi- they do a fine job of re-scaping any design I attempt to make. LOL
> But, we knew what we were getting into going in- right!
> Your winemilleri, seen any breeding behaviors yet?


Thanks 🙂
As far as breeding goes I’ve had 2 succesfull nests which the survivors got sold, 4-6 times they hatched But got eaten by the angels
And all the other times no hatching, But they have a nest at a bi-weekly basis, both couples


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## Chris Noto (Aug 19, 2005)

Your fish and tank have matured wonderfully! The Manacapuru are my favorite of all the angelfish. Thanks for continuing to update your thread.


----------



## lazy999 (Aug 2, 2018)

I luv ur setup


----------



## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Chris Noto said:


> Your fish and tank have matured wonderfully! The Manacapuru are my favorite of all the angelfish. Thanks for continuing to update your thread.


Thank you


lazy999 said:


> I luv ur setup


Thank you


----------



## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Long overdue post here..
But the tank is now running for 4 years and I’m on the path of going low nutrient.

I finally managed to get the nitrate steady below 20 with 25% waterchange and phosphate below 1.
Still dosing micro nutrients (tenso) but those are at 50% of the estimative index dosing 🙂
Geophagus winermelerie are gone and there are 8 mikrogeophagus altispinosa that took their place


----------



## chinaboy1021 (May 30, 2003)

That's amazing. Low tech especially on a big tank has a very specific appeal. It's the beauty in the balance of nature, without the tubes, wires, the salts. The fish get the settle in without soaking in co2 all day. 

Look at those angels, huge. The water must be clean. 

This is inspirational.


----------



## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

chinaboy1021 said:


> That's amazing. Low tech especially on a big tank has a very specific appeal. It's the beauty in the balance of nature, without the tubes, wires, the salts. The fish get the settle in without soaking in co2 all day.
> 
> Look at those angels, huge. The water must be clean.
> 
> This is inspirational.


Well..
I use co2 but that is only at 20ppm so not that high.
Other than that it is not all that high-tech


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## Bettatail (Feb 12, 2009)

Those wild manacapuru angel are truly stunning, I still have 8 of the 6 years old 1st generation that I raised in my tank, look the same but no red back because I am not be able to create a heavily tanning strained water as in their natural environment, and there is no enough red pigment in their food.


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## fietsenrex (Oct 8, 2014)

Bettatail said:


> Those wild manacapuru angel are truly stunning, I still have 8 of the 6 years old 1st generation that I raised in my tank, look the same but no red back because I am not be able to create a heavily tanning strained water as in their natural environment, and there is no enough red pigment in their food.


They aren’t wild, I think they are 3rd or 4th generation from wild.
But thanks for the compliment 😉

But mine are pure bred, and my water is crystal clear.
Also I don’t feed with pigments or anything


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