# High tech125g in the office



## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

hello everyone I am fairly new to the world of aquariums, i got my first tank in September of last year and started my first twenty gallon planted tank not to long ago. My dad had done saltwater aquariums when he was younger and just recently decided to take up his old hobby. so he asked me to help him design a 125g tank for his office. at first i was like "holy crap thats awesome i get to set up an amazing tank!" and then reality hit i didn't know that much about planted tanks. i mean sure i have my 20 gallon but it isn't really high tech. so i spent the past month learning everything i can about planted aquariums. once i had enough information i ordered the equipment and its finally starting to arrive!x 

so heres what i got 

1x 125g all glass tank
1x 29g all glass tank (for water changes and quarantine) 
2x eheim 2217 classic canister filters 
2x 36" current USA sundial lights (4 10000k and 4 freshwater bulbs)
1x 18w coralife UV sterilizer
1x Milwaukee regulator 5lbs Co2 tank 
1x diy co2 diffuser 
150lbs charcoal soil master select
2x 250 watt heaters

the tank heaters lights and stand arrived today so hopefully i can start plumbing the tank tomorrow. Updates soon!


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## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

can't wait for the pics.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

heres a couple of pics. sorry about the quality its from my phone.


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## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

i really like the black stand. are you going to make the backround black or just leave it with the wall colour?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

its going to be black i think.


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## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

You think? jj. so do you know what your going to do about stocking or for plants (assuming your putting plants in there)?


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## 20 20 (Feb 7, 2008)

What size/type sump are you going to be using?


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## nate_mcnasty (Mar 11, 2008)

dang thats a good camera for a phone


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

the tank that i am using for a sump is 29 gallons but it is only used for holding water for water for auto water change. its kinda hard to explain how it works (my dad came up with the idea) i now about the water change part is that it uses sprinkler values. all have to ask my dad about how the auto water changer works. (i let him deal with that part because i am terrible at plumbing)

yeah i am almost positive the tank will be painted black. my dad wanted the theme to be "the edge of the amazon" probably lots of drift wood and rocks. for plants im going to put some fast growing things in so that the tank doesn't look to bare. for fish not really sure yet either. suggestions are always welcome though.


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## 20 20 (Feb 7, 2008)

Painting the back black would look great, especially with that stand. I'd like to get some more info on the auto-water-change system you are talking about, and how it would work with the built in overflows.


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## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

so is this your office or your dads? or is your dad just helping you?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

yeah I'll ask him how the water changer works, we'll be plumbing it pretty soon so i should have some pics of how it works in the near future.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

my dads office im just helping him (i wish it was my office though it freaking rocks!)


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## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

I guess your a big help because you know how it works and an idea of what it needs. i think it will look great once everythings in!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Looking great!

What other decisions have you made so far regarding equipment?

I just did tons of research on S.Am plants and livestock for my current project, so here's just a few sites you might want to check out:

www.PlantGeek.com has a pretty good plantfinder you can select by region

http://www.freshwateraquariumplants.com/amazonbiotope/amazon.html

http://www.aquaticplantresources.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18975

www.FishBase.org great site for very reliable fish info


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## fishscale (May 29, 2007)

nate_mcnasty said:


> dang thats a good camera for a phone


I was gonna say...that's comparable to my point and shoot.

Sweet tank, though. Make some drawings, then post them here. I doodle tanks all day.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

change the wall color 
well... at least get a black background


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

What a cool project to play with. Big tank with sump and all the works will be cool to work with. I would like to see how your auto h2o changer works out.
Please keep us updated with more pictures as this progresses.
You did good with SMS correlation with your S.American Bio tope.
Im currently in the works with a large Gatun Lake bio.


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

Since you admit to being new to planted aquariums let me play devil's advocate here. First off 8x96w PC over a 125 is a hugh amount of light for a non-reef tank. I've run my 125 with 4x96w and my plant growth was limited only by my hard water...and this was with all four lights running for only half the photoperiod. Even if you run only half your lights you'll still be in a high light mode so be prepared to be very diligent with your fert and CO2 dosing because you won't have much wiggle room.

Other things I'd suggest is upping the CO2 tank to a 20# one if it'll fit in the stand. You're going to need to inject a lot of CO2 to keep up with that light level and a 5# tank will last you a couple of months at most.

Next is automating your fert dosing with dosing peristalic dosing pumps on timers. This way you can have pre-mixed macro and micro solutions that get daily dosed with no intervention on your part except to keep the solution bottles filled.

Finally, how often will you be able to get in there to trim plants back. I know everyone gets enamoured by the pictures of the stunning display tanks posted in contests, but understand that for the majority of those tanks they look that good for maybe one week a month. They then get into the overgrown phase followed by the pruned back phase.

A 125g tank seems large, but fill it with stem plants with your proposed lighting and pruning suddenly becomes a 3-4x a week chore. I was pruning back stems 2x a week under half your light.

Here's a pic of my tank back when I was into stem plants...









The stems on the left side (Rotala rotundifolia, Pogostamon stellata, Ludwigia brevipes) needed to be trimmed at least 2x a week to keep them from cascading at the water surface. And remember, stem plants have a limited number of times that they can be topped before the root base fails and needs to be pulled and replaced.

Keep doing your research and good luck!


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

Oops. I take back my comments on the lights. I just realized that they're 8x39w HO T5, not PC. :icon_redf 

If that's the case then use only four lamp for the full photo period then add the other four for 3-4 hour mid-day burst. This will get you good coloration from your stem plants without outrageous growth rates.

My recomendation for larger CO2 tank and dosing pumps still stand, particularly if your ability to tend the tank will be limited in any way.


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## NeonShrimp (Mar 9, 2006)

Best wishes on the new tank and hope t turns out the way you and your dad want it to. Thanks for sharing with us, can't wait to follow the progress!


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

bharada said:


> Oops. I take back my comments on the lights. I just realized that they're 8x39w HO T5, not PC. :icon_redf
> 
> If that's the case then use only four lamp for the full photo period then add the other four for 3-4 hour mid-day burst. This will get you good coloration from your stem plants without outrageous growth rates.
> 
> My recomendation for larger CO2 tank and dosing pumps still stand, particularly if your ability to tend the tank will be limited in any way.


thanks for the comments i realize that this is going to take alot of work and am prepared to handle the maintenance that comes with a big tank. i would love to put a larger co2 tank in the cabinet but they are all to tall so i will have to make do with a 5lb tank.

also the background will be black and the red is not through out the whole office, it is just a accent wall the others are light yellow. 

right now i am just waiting for the filters and CO2 tank to arrive so i can start plumbing the tank, big als is a little slow when it comes to shipping but they should arrive in the next couple of days.


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## tropicalfish (Mar 29, 2007)

lauraleellbp said:


> Looking great!
> 
> 
> 
> www.PlantGeek.com has a pretty good plantfinder you can select by region


Correction:

http://www.plantgeek.*net*/


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

oops, thanks! :thumbsup:


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

well the two filters arrived last night, they are alot bigger then i had expected. i have a 2213 on my 20 gallon and 2217 is at least double the size so hopefully i wont have to worry that much about filtration. also the co2 system arrived and i spent last night assembling it. ill most likely go to home depot tonight and get some piping for the reactor. so i should have some picks of that soon. 

some bad news though. i have been called out of town for a week so i wont be able to really start this tank until i get back. but at least that gives me some more time to design the aquascape and think about what fish to stock. 

oh yeah my dad has been designing the tank in google sketch up so ill have some awesome 3D picks of the tank up soon.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

I knew this would be cool!


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## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

WOW, I am envious! I am looking forward to following this thread..


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Can't wait to see the mockups- have a good trip!


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

so I've been pretty busy lately but i still made time to get some inspiration for this tank. 










this is one of my favorite big tanks. the part that i would try to take from this tank is the way that it creates depth. the drift wood that creeps out into the sand and the way the the wood rapes around the rocks seems very natural and pleasing to the eye. 











i choose to show this tank because i believe it is a good example of a sloped scape. sense i am try to create the edge of the amazon river a slop. is a must. this slope is really nice because the actual substrate doesn't slope only the plants. i think that makes it seem more natural. 












I've been watching this tank develop for awhile now and i have to say it is on of my favorites plus it is a 125g. the plant growth is astounding and nothing seems overly planed out which to me makes the tank look like someone dug up a cube of river and stuck it in a tank


for my tank i really want to create the feeling of standing on the edge of the amazon river. to do this i will use a slope because rivers slope down naturally so that only makes sense. i want to use long scraggly pieces of wood that come down into the tank to try and recreate tree roots and limbs that have grown out into the water. also round river rocks will be used in and around the wood to make the scape feel older. 

when walk in the door to the office i would like people to look over and see down the enter length of the scape so it should probably slope from left to right with the taller plants and wood on the left. i was going to us amazon swords to cover the overflow boxes because the ones they sell at the LFS are like already 15" tall.

i know this seems like a bunch of random gibberish and it probably doesn't make much sense but it helps me get my ideas straitened out so thanks for reading and sorry if i wasted your time it wasn't my intention. 

also i was trying to think of a stocking list and came up with this 

at least 20 rummy nose tetras
4 Double Full Red Cockatoo Cichlids


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Is that last tank Jessie's tank from APC?

Apistogramma cacatuoides would be a great choice with a bunch of Rummies; why not go more than 20, though? You've got room for quite a nice school, and the more you have the more they will school together  

Think about your tank in "layers;" Bottom dwellers (Apistos, catfish), middle (schooling fish like rummies and other tetras), upper (I LOVE hatchetfish- one of the most gorgous S.Am. topwater fish, just need securely covered tanks!)


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## rasetsu (Oct 11, 2007)

School of 20 tetras of any kind would look small in a 125. Double it to 40 at least.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

sorry that there haven't been any updates lately. the scetch up drawings are coming along nicely, i will post them soon. 

quick question though, does any one no were to find soil master select in portland oregon ive been looking all around but can only find turface, which would work fine but i really would like the dark color of SMS.


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## bharada (Mar 5, 2004)

Gray Turface Pro League is pretty much identical in appearance to gray SMS. But since both SMS and Turface Pro League are primarily used as a soil amender for baseball infields there's not a lot of demand for the gray versions in the groundskeeping world.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Finally getting started!*

Wow its been a really crazy couple of months for me so i had to put the tank on the back burner, but it gave me alot of time to decide what i wanted to do with the tank. So now that things have slowed down i figured it was time to get this thing going again. 

i went to home depot last night and bought i ton of plumbing supplies. (by the way self check out sucks when you have hundreds of small plumbing parts.)










so that's most of the gear. of course the lights are on the tank.

last night was just supposed to be a shopping trip but my dad and i got a little carried away and started to set up the plumbing for the two canisters.

here's what we did.









the filter inputs are hanging from a self that we mounted on the top of the cabinet.









the two filter intake pipes connect into one piece of 1 1/4" PVC pipe using a tee coupler.









then it connects into one of the overflows on the bottom of the tank. we put a valve on the PVC pipe just in case something went terribly wrong.









so that's what we did. tonight we will hopefully complete the filter outputs. but that is a little bit more tricky because we have to build a co2 reactor and figure out the placement of the reactor and UV sterilizer.

we are still also waiting on the plumber so we can get some water in the tank. he has to make a drain line for the tank and a fill line for the tank. (auto water change) i would do this myself but this tank is i a public building so the plumber will have to do it. 

more updates soon!


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

oh i almost forgot the back of the tank will be painted black does anyone have any suggestions for which paint would work best on glass. i was just going to use kyrlon matte black spray paint what do you think?


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## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

Looks great. I was wondering where you went. it looks like good progress. And everybody suggests krylon paint. so i think it will be good.


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Looking forward to when it gets planted 

I like how you used the overflow to feed the eheims. Innovative xD


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I was just wondering what the status was on this project yesterday... thanks for the update!

Black krylon is aquarium-safe- in that it can go INSIDE the aquarium. Doesnt matter so much what paint you use for the background, since it stays outside the water, as long as it's a paint that will adhere to glass.

You might want to consider Krylon for spray-painting your filter intakes and outputs, however. IDK why on earth Rena, Eheim, and the like always go with colors other than black (well, I guess Rena's makes sense in SW tanks, even though SW tanks don't usually employ canister filters... OK I'm totally chasing rabbits here LOL)

Anyways, great job!

What lighting and substrate did you finally choose?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

We decided on the Coralife Sundial t50 but replaced the Antic Blue bulbs with fresh water bulbs. Only seen them on my 20 gallon a bit overkill but the moonlight LED's looked pretty cool. 

Substrate will be Turface MVP but still have to select a color. Since we hope to get it from Wilco dark tan is probaly all we'll get.

Some may wonder why the delay, too much travel and distractions. Did take the time to do some planning in Google Sketchup. Included some pics here but you can download all the components and this drawing in 3D at this link;

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=4f65a5dac95f7391210df42eb421510f

Intended to figure all the plumbing out ahead of time but decided with the delay to start building and draw later. Still hope to layout initial planting in Sketchup. We'll see.... enjoy the pics.









Tank from a distance









Closeup of Overflow and Lights









Equipment area with 29 gallon water storage tank for auto water change setup









Fish-eye view!

Hope to make more progress soon.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

great sketch. i like the overflow system!


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

I agree with laura, use Krylon Fusion! I painted my background and inlet with 
it and i can barely see it.


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

Your Google Sketchup skills are superb!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Guess you won't need krylon paint at all- I wasn't thinking about your overflows.

The sketch looks to me like your intake is pretty high up in the tank- seems like that would miss a lot of the sediment that will fall to the bottom inside the overflow. I would think this would make maintenance inside those things an issue?

Also, I think you'll need the outflows inside the main body of the tank to help with water circulation, or am I missing something from the design?

I think the tan Turface actually looks pretty nice, I've seen it a few times, looks very natural. You'll need to keep a close eye on your gH and kH in the tank though, b/c I hear it tends to lower those for quite a while. You also may want to check out some methods other people have used to rinse it first- I've heard some reports of rinsing being successful and helping keep down the dust, others say that it turned to mush and made matters worse... So just something to keep in mind. A good rinse followed by letting the substrate completely dry out before adding it to the tank makes a BIG difference when using Fluorite, so that may also work with Turface, being a similar fired clay substance.


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## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

LL those type over flows have inputs at the top, middle and bottom of the fixture.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I'm talking about the intake to his filtration, not the overflows- looks to me like it's only able to come in through the tip of the Durso?


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> I'm talking about the intake to his filtration, not the overflows- looks to me like it's only able to come in through the tip of the Durso?


 Input is just another word for intake.:icon_wink


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## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

lauraleellbp said:


> I'm talking about the intake to his filtration, not the overflows- looks to me like it's only able to come in through the tip of the Durso?


Which is AFTER the over flows. There are three intakes on those overflows, top, middle and bottom.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

You own some Google Sketchup!!!

I have trouble making a three dimensional square

Nice looking setup!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

You guys are totally missing what I'm getting at.

Debris falls to the bottom. The only intake to the Eheims appears to be close to the surface of the water. I'm not sure that the debris that comes into the lower portion of the overflow compartment will end up moving _*up*_ into the Durso- which could lead to detritus buildup in the bottom of the overflow compartments. Seems like they would be a bear to keep clean.

Does that make more sense?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> Guess you won't need krylon paint at all- I wasn't thinking about your overflows.
> 
> The sketch looks to me like your intake is pretty high up in the tank- seems like that would miss a lot of the sediment that will fall to the bottom inside the overflow. I would think this would make maintenance inside those things an issue?
> 
> Also, I think you'll need the outflows inside the main body of the tank to help with water circulation, or am I missing something from the design?


The sketch is not actually 100% accurate on the placement of all the intakes. We weren't really sure what we were going to do with all the extra bulkheads at the time, so we just drew everything exactly as it came.

The intake to the filters is adjustable so it could be set at various heights with a range of about 6 inches. We will place the intake for the Eheims (left side) lower than the overflow (right side) for the water change system which will control water level.

We are using the spraybars that came with the filters for the outflow so we get some good circulation in the tank rather then use the bulkheads. We thought that this would make things a little more simple and would also provide better water movement. One of the bulkhead inflows will be used to pump water in from the storage tank as part of the water change system.



> Which is AFTER the over flows. There are three intakes on those overflows, top, middle and bottom.


I also thought that there were three intakes on the overflow but there are actully only two. It seems that Aqueon tanks that are 18" high have two, and those that are 24" have three. This tank as slits in the overflow bulkhead about 4" from the bottom and slits at the top. It's important to note that the bulkhead has a inner wall which forces all the water entering on the bottom slits to travel to the top before entering the intake area. I think that is why the intake is near the top in this configuration.

I hope that clears up a couple of questions. now lets get onto the updates. Last night we decided that we didn't have nearly enough supplies so we made another trip back to the Home Depot here's what we got.










Last night's main task was two complete the filtration system. Which ment hooking up the outtakes for the two Ehiems, building a C02 reactor and hooking up the UV steralizer. Early that day my dad started to work on the auto water change system by setting up part of the drain line. I'm still not really sure how the water change sytem works but I will have him explain it later.










The plumbers also came and took a chunk out of the wall to run the pipes down to the drain lines. The're coming back today to put the pipes in.










Now onto the filter outtakes as I said earlier we decided to use the spraybars and save the bulkheads for the water change system. This turned out to be a little bit of a challenge because we didnt have enough of the smaller hose so we had to change to a larger size hose. The small green hose is for the outflow from the canisters.










One of the filters lines runs to the UV steralizer and the other runs to the CO2 reactor which we also built last night. (Still have to tap for the airhose.)



















One of the really nice things about this set up is that we can disconect one filter (to clean it) and still leave the other one running. heres a pic of the back of the tank showing were the outtakes enter the tank. 










OK we got alittle carried away last night and decided that we should also paint the tank.










It looks so awesome now that it is black. So that's all we got done. More updates soon.


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## mott (Nov 23, 2006)

That tray underneath is a great idea! Kudos...


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## tropicalfish (Mar 29, 2007)

I really like that plumbing.
5 star vote. :thumbsup:


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## stargate_geek (Mar 31, 2008)

This will be a cool tank *subscribed*


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## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

I am following this build. Nice work.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

You guys did an awesome plumbing job- it looks clean and quite elegant! 

Next you'll start getting into my favorite part... all the work that goes inside the tank... :smile: I love living through other ppls' journals!


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## rekles75 (Feb 25, 2008)

THis is really looking like a great project, I will be following along. 

SUBSCRIBED


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Update on Overflows*

I updated my post from this morning. Here is a more accurate description of the overflows.



lauraleellbp said:


> Guess you won't need krylon paint at all- I wasn't thinking about your overflows.
> 
> The sketch looks to me like your intake is pretty high up in the tank- seems like that would miss a lot of the sediment that will fall to the bottom inside the overflow. I would think this would make maintenance inside those things an issue?
> 
> Also, I think you'll need the outflows inside the main body of the tank to help with water circulation, or am I missing something from the design?


The sketch is not actually 100% accurate on the placement of all the intakes. We weren't really sure what we were going to do with all the extra bulkheads at the time, so we just drew everything exactly as it came.

The intake to the filters is adjustable so it could be set at various heights with a range of about 6 inches. We will place the intake for the Eheims (left side) lower than the overflow (right side) for the water change system which will control water level.

We are using the spraybars that came with the filters for the outflow so we get some good circulation in the tank rather then use the bulkheads. We thought that this would make things a little more simple and would also provide better water movement. One of the bulkhead inflows will be used to pump water in from the storage tank as part of the water change system.



> Which is AFTER the over flows. There are three intakes on those overflows, top, middle and bottom.


I also thought that there were three intakes on the overflow but there are actully only two. It seems that Aqueon tanks that are 18" high have two, and those that are 24" have three. This tank as slits in the overflow bulkhead about 4" from the bottom and slits at the top. It's important to note that the bulkhead has a inner wall which forces all the water entering on the bottom slits to travel to the top before entering the intake area. I think that is why the intake is near the top in this configuration.

Hope this helps.


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## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

On the previous post with pictures, in the seventh picture (second from bottom) is that your mom behind the aquarium? jj. It looks amazing even without the water. I will be viewing into this thread often.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Infrastructure Updates*

Today the professionals finished making the required modifications to the building to support the tank. Unfortunately we have commercial building codes to comply with. These changes got a bit more complex than the orginal plan. Here's an overview.

*Support for Auto Water Change System

*The office that this tank sits in is just above a janitorial closet with water and a mop sink. So the plan was to take a simple flex water line up through the floor for a supply similar to a ice maker line. Turns out the County required a back flow device with an emergency dump to ensure the tank could not contaminate the potable water. Never mind my pleas that the water line would never be connected to the tank. 

The plan for a drain line was to bring a 2" ABS line through the floor across the ceiling, down the wall and into the mop sink. Turns out the County required the line to be vented and because it will be open in the sink it needed to be vented all the way through the roof. Could not tie into an existing vent. Bummer. 

Here are some of the pictures of the finished plumbing to support the tank.










The end result, this is the 4" drain which ties to the sink and the 3/4" cold water line that will feed the water change system. This is behind the right side of the tank.










Same as viewed from above.










Hole cut in ceiling above drop panels to allow for plumbing of water line and P-trap for new drain line.










View of the janitor closet with new supply and drain. You can see the line tap off supply to hot water heater, travels through the back flow device and up the wall. The black ABS is the drain line from the tank overflow. 










This baby just looks expensive, doesn't it? This is the back flow device required the funnel looking device on the bottom is the dump. Each time there is a change in water pressure this dumps creating an air gap between the two springs. Similar to anti-siphon hole in the overflow.

So that's the plumbing, I'll provide a detailed description of the water change system once we get a little further.

Next post, changes to support electrical needs.

DAD


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## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

Gottobe said:


> I also thought that there were three intakes on the overflow but there are actully only two. It seems that Aqueon tanks that are 18" high have two, and those that are 24" have three. This tank as slits in the overflow bulkhead about 4" from the bottom and slits at the top. It's important to note that the bulkhead has a inner wall which forces all the water entering on the bottom slits to travel to the top before entering the intake area. I think that is why the intake is near the top in this configuration.


Interesting. I have never seen the ones with only two. Makes sense.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Wow you guys are really jumping through some serious hoops to make this up to Code! That's some serious dedication... this is going to be an _*incredible*_ tank!!


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## rekles75 (Feb 25, 2008)

I hope you own the building. LOL

This is a neat setup, watch the county though they can sometimes make you do things that are not needed more likely when different inspectors come out. IMO


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Some Wiring Required*

With all the work and $$$ that are going into this tank we didn't want to risk a power outage shutting down our equipment with the potential loss of fish. This building is equipped with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and I wanted the Eheims and heaters to use this power source.

This was actually pretty easy, just needed my electrician to extend an outlet to behind the tank.










The new orange outlet is connected to the UPS. We'll install a power strip in the cabinet to serve the pumps and heaters. A second plug strip will use standard power to run balance of equipment.

What makes this power uniterrupitible? Here's a primer...

The building is an independent telephone company, that provides telephone, cable TV and Internet services. As such we have a pretty custom power system. The orange plug connects to...










On the left you see a bank of rectifiers (white equipment) which take commercial power and convert it to 48 volts DC. This rectified 48 volts DC feeds a bank of batteries. On the right you see a bank of inverters (gray equipment) which takes the 48 VDC from the batteries and converts it back to AC to be delivered to the orange plug.










This is one of four stacks of batteries, each stack has 18 cells. This system is a bit different than a standard UPS because the power flows through the batteries 100% of the time instead of on failure. Very clean power is the result.










Finally the entire system is backed up with a propane powered generator that is wired to an automatic transfer switch. The generator is supplied by a 1000 gallon propane tank. So if the power fails the generator will kick in and likely run for 4 to 5 days, then if it were to run out of gas (shame on us) or fail we get about 2 days out of the batteries.

What's the point, I guess you shouldn't here us sobbing about a windstorm that caused a power outage.


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## stargate_geek (Mar 31, 2008)

Nice


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

As far as high tech go's. You have everybody beat, hands down.
That tank will run forever! That would be a cool place to hand out and chill in the AC when the big storms hit. Truly Boss.....


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

wow I've been a little busy lately so i really haven't had that much time to work on the tank but i did get some stuff done. 

first we found a 29 gallon tank on craigslist of 20 dollars this will be used as a water holding tank for the auto water change, so the water has time to heat up and the chlorine can be removed. 









then we went and found some rocks we also went and found some wood. has anyone ever used alder in an aquarium before? here is a pic of a hardscape we kinda liked. 

















oh and i was thinking that this tank could use alittle more ciriculation does anyone no of a good powerhead?


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## stargate_geek (Mar 31, 2008)

*sighs* I miss the left coast, we don't have alder here! In Kodiak (Alaska) we had two species of trees... Alders and Spruce (and whatever people planted in their yards...)

Anyways, cool looking wood


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## NATURE AQUARIUM (Dec 16, 2007)

How are things coming on the new tank?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Progress Update*

Finally was able to get another good nights work on the tank. The good news is that the plumbing is complete. All the pipes and hoses required for the filtration and water change system are installed, glued and labeled. The photos that follow should give you a good idea of what is going on. Since you can’t see where each pipe / hose begins or ends I’ve labeled the photos according to the legend below. Forgive me, it’s long but there is a lot of stuff going on under this tank is a very confined amount of space. I am pretty pleased with the amount of storage that remains and the layout in general. Enjoy the photos.


*Photo Legend*

a.) Fresh Water from Holding Tank​b.) Tank Water to Eheim 1 and 2​c.) Fresh water to Holding Tank​d.) Inflow for Eheim 1​e.) Inflow for Eheim 2​f.) Outflow from Eheim 1 to UV Sterilizer​g.) Outflow from Eheim 2 to C02 Reactor​h.) Overflow from Tank to Waste​i.) Fresh H2O from Building Supply​j.) UV Sterilizer to Side Spraybar in Tank​k.) CO2 Reactor to Rear Spraybar in Tank​l.) 29 Gallon Holding Tank​m.) UV Sterilizer​n.) CO2 Reactor​*First of course I needed more materials. Someone should suggest that I save my $$’s for fish!*

*







*

*View under tank on the left side above water change holding tank.*











*View under tank on the right side above Eheim filters.*











*View from rear on the right side of tank showing filter lines.*











*View from front of left side showing water change holding tank, little giant pump, and utility hose (on a quick connect) for spring cleaning.* 











*View from front of right side showing Eheim filters and CO2 system.*











So that’s it for now. I will move on to wiring, including low-voltage controls for the water change system. Be patient, I’m going on vacation next week.


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

Everything looks really nice; tight and clean! In response to your question about good powerheads, I might suggest this: 
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~powerheads_pumps_icecap_ecotech_marine_vortech_propeller.html
You deserve it, and that beauty of a tank does as well. There's a wireless upgrade as well, in case you're interested, as well as another, smaller model slated for release this summer.


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

Your setup is amazing!!! 

I'm going to try to setup the auto water change just like you did. I have and idea how to do it, but I have some questions.

Is this a water pump? and what model it is?









I have an empty 40g tank that I can use for it. But I don't know which water pump should i get.

Please keep posting pictures of your setups, I'm learning a lot!

Good look and thanks!


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## zachxbass (Jul 6, 2008)

this is amazing.... i can only imagine the cost for this thing... 
Can't wait to see some hardscaping.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Zip ties! Brilliant! Sturdy and easily removable, with no drilling.









Nice looking hardware.


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

all i can say is wow. this is an amazing tank and it doesn't even have water in it yet. also could we get some better looks and info at the automatic water changer?


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## iceterran (Jan 4, 2008)

inspiring project =) A+ on plumbing


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

Sorry for the delay in responding, I've been on vacation. The only progress on the tank has been sinking wood. That is I've had my selected wood tied below the surface of a lake for two weeks, still floats but not as much. 

Anyway to answer the question the pump is a Little Giant 500203 a small 170 gph submersible found at http://www.lgpc.com/Product/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=1189. 

I do intend to post a detailed description of the water change system once it's completed and working. But for now if you look at this picture you can see some of the other components. 









In the tank you can see the tank and the line labled (a) back to the tank, just below the letter (a) you can see a backflow preventer. At the letter (c) there is a sprinkler control valve that will open to fill the holding tank back up. What you can't see is the sprinkler control valve, or the pump start relay that makes each function. Also not yet installed are float valves that will prevent the pump from completly draining the tank and prevent the tank from overflowing. More later I promise.


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## SeaSerpant (Feb 20, 2008)

Is the wood to big to boil because if you can boil it, it will sink and release most of the colouration.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

The wood is bigger than my pot. I really can't work the tank right now due to other obligations so I thought a good long soak would be the best use of this down time.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

If it's still floating by the time you're ready for it, running it through a few dishwasher cycles with no chemicals is another option.


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## Green Leaf Aquariums (Feb 26, 2007)

How is this tank coming along?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*First Fill!*

It has been awhile since I posted an update to our progress. The week before last I was finally able to take a first pass at the hardscape and fill the tank. Here is a look at the tank the morning after its first fill.











I know it has a lot of rocks, but I like rocks. I hope that the planting will tone that down as I have left plenty of area to plant around the rocks. Beside I needed most of them to weight down my wood which still has some buoyancy despite a month underwater. 

*So how did the construction phase work out?*

I arguably make a better designer than a plumber. I had several leaks in my plumbing to address right off. My reactor leaked a bit where I tapped the CO2 line, I had an immense leak at the input to the UV sterilizer, and minor leaks elsewhere. After installing the O-rings on the sterilizer, oops, and tightening a few hose clams and fittings and we were leak free!

*Some bugs to work out.*

After the first night I came into the office to find both Ehiems had lost their prime. I observed the water level behind the overflow containing the input to both filters below the input opening. Ouch! The water level in the other overflow, part of the water change system was even lower. Double Ouch!

After refilling the tank and a little observation, I discovered that the riser tube provided with the tank was designed to telescope to different levels. Unfortunately the joint used to telescope was not exactly watertight allowing a slow leak to occur in my water change outflow. A quick fix of that leak and the tank is pretty solid.

This incident did point out one weakness in my design. Reef tanks are very susceptible to water level, if the water get below the overflow weir the overflow runs dry and your done. No wonder the reefers are obsessed with auto fill schemes. The good news is my auto water change system doubles as an auto fill system.

*Auto water change system.*

One part of the initial design that has proven to work quite well is the auto water change system. I got the system built with the sprinkler controller, float valves, pumps, pump start relays and water valves. It looks like this.











I am thrilled how this has worked out. At 8:15 am each morning the sprinkler controller activates circuit 1 for 5 minutes. This sends 24 volts DC through the lower limit float valve to the control side of a pump start relay which closes the load side 110 volts AC, starting up the Little Giant pump. The pump pushes 14 gallons up into the tank using the supply opening of the tank’s built in overflow. Simultaneously 14 gallons flow out the tank from the opposite overflow to the drain line into the janitor sink one floor below. The sprinkler controller then activates circuit 2 for 5 minutes. This sends 24 volts DC through the upper limit float valve to a standard sprinkler valve. This causes water from the building supply to flow into the 29 gallon lower tank restoring the water level for this cycle to be repeated the next day. The system ensures a consistent water level and a 10% fresh water change each day. It works flawlessly! Yahoo!

*Next steps and comments please!*

I would like to begin to plant the tank this week. I have some ideas for plants but want to stop in to my local shop to see what they currently have in stock. Fortunately they are generally well stocked for planted tanks. Please feel free to make suggestions of your favorites or any plant recommendations or adjustment that you wish.

That’s it for now.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

wow! tis gonna be great!


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Planting Plan*

A visit to my favorite shops to review plant availability and I think I have settled on an initial planting plan. I have vision of what this may look like once mature provided the selected plants grow and I trim appropriately. Mostly likely the plants will grow, I’ll trim and the planting will morph, but it’s a place to start. Here’s the what and where for this 125 gallon tank. 





*







*

Echinodorus bleheri “Amazon Sword” (2) 
Echinodorus sp. “Ozelot Sword” (3)
Anubias barteri (1) 
Anubias congensis (1)
Hermianthus micranthemia “Baby Tears” (3)
Potamogeton perfoliatus (3)
Limnophila Aromatica (3)
Cryptocoryne lutea (1)
Cryptocoryne wendtii “Red” (1)
Ludwigia repens (2)
Ludwigia ovalis (2)
Hygrophila salicifolia “Long Form” (3)
Hydrocotyle Leucocephala (1)
Blyxa japonica (3)


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## rountreesj (Jun 12, 2007)

hmmm...the only problem I see(really just criticism) is that the hadscape is unproportional...meaning...it makes the tank look smaller than it is. If you were to use smaller rocks and more small pieces of driftwood, it would appear bigger than it is instead of smaller than it really is...just my opinion...


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## ccLansman (Jan 30, 2007)

I have to agree, the larger the rocks the smaller the tank, on my 60 i removed a large rock and inserted a smaller one with a piece of wood across it, looks much better. The auto water change system is fantastic. How did you go about designing the thing? Prior experience or just went out and found a timer and worked it out in your head? Also not sure if you have started any cycling yet but i would get a bottle of good bacteria and get that going, or throw a few cheapy bait fish in to get things going. From the looks of the pic you have a good understanding of "Plant heavily and early." With a tank being as large as it is you may find yourself wanting to upgrade to a 10lbs or bigger co2 tank. In my 60 a 5lbs last little over a month. Make sure to read up on dosing routines for the plants as it will be crucial from the start . Good luck with the tank, im eager to see more pics!


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Planted!*

It's Alive!


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

ccLansman said:


> I have to agree, the larger the rocks the smaller the tank, on my 60 i removed a large rock and inserted a smaller one with a piece of wood across it, looks much better. The auto water change system is fantastic. How did you go about designing the thing? Prior experience or just went out and found a timer and worked it out in your head? Also not sure if you have started any cycling yet but i would get a bottle of good bacteria and get that going, or throw a few cheapy bait fish in to get things going. From the looks of the pic you have a good understanding of "Plant heavily and early." With a tank being as large as it is you may find yourself wanting to upgrade to a 10lbs or bigger co2 tank. In my 60 a 5lbs last little over a month. Make sure to read up on dosing routines for the plants as it will be crucial from the start . Good luck with the tank, im eager to see more pics!


I kind of made up the final design of the water change system but it is based on many other ideas I read on this and other forums. It's kind of the best from some ideas reguarding sumps and auto top off systems. Sprinkler timer was just an idea I had as to how to control.

I was thinking of starting this with a small school of inexpensive tetras or perhap shrimp. I have not heard of the "bottle of good bacteria" method how does that work? Is there a thread on this forum that explain?


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## stargate_geek (Mar 31, 2008)

Looking awesome!!!!


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Snails! *

Four days after introducing plants and I have plucked 4 snails out of my brand new tank. I thought I did this right with a bit of bleach dip but must have either made solution too weak or didn't apply long enough. I have just started to cycle the tank with Seachem and there are no fish. Any suggestions? I have read a few posts that recommend just picking them out and hope for the best and some suggest potassium promagate, at least as a better dip. Can I just treat the whole tank now with potassium promagate while it cycles and be rid of the littl' buggers before fish?


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## MikeS (Apr 27, 2008)

What are your stocking plans? Clown loaches will eliminate any snails from the tank. I actually have a snail breeding tank to I can feed them to my puffer and loaches, seeing they usually do not survive for even 5 minutes once dropped in the 210, no matter where I put them.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Snails *

Found 2 more today about half a centimeter and 4 microscopic sized. Here is a picture of one of them. What am I dealing with? Looks like the Pond snail (Physa sp.)?


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## MikeS (Apr 27, 2008)

Looks like a pod snail to me too.


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## rasbora (Sep 1, 2006)

I put two dwarf puffers in my 80 gal and they relentlessly destroyed the snail population. They're cheap and won't really bother other fish their same size or bigger. I used to have clown loaches, but they loved to eat new leaves and uproot plants.


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## sick lid (Jan 13, 2008)

Botia dario or botia striata will solve your snailey woes while leaving your plants intact.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

MikeS said:


> What are your stocking plans? Clown loaches will eliminate any snails from the tank. I actually have a snail breeding tank to I can feed them to my puffer and loaches, seeing they usually do not survive for even 5 minutes once dropped in the 210, no matter where I put them.


Do you still have (3) Loaches in your tank as identified in your profile. Do you think (3) would be a good number for a 125g? I love Clown Loaches but assumed they may raise havoc with plants as they scrounge for food. Apperently that is not the case. They always seemed to be good citizens in non planted tanks I've had in the past, they just were big eaters. Guess that's what I'm looking for.


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## MikeS (Apr 27, 2008)

Yes, still have them. They have been good with the plants. They do dig their nose in the substrate (snail hunting), but the only time I have a plant dislodged is right after replanting. After the first week, if not a couple days, nothing. The only plants were dwarf sag and vals. 

Yes, 3 is fine. They like to school, and mine will actually school with my TB's too. Mine have never been aggressive, even when I had only one. 

The only thing that drives me nuts is when they sleep. I always think they are dead.


Here are mine 2 minutes ago with the TB's


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## flanders (May 3, 2008)

I second the botia striata. But how about botia sidthmunki (sp?). I have found both these species to be good snail hunters, and have really interesting behaviors, especially in schools 6+. These guys don't get as big as clowns either, who also appreciate being in large schools.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I'd definitely vote for incorporating loaches in your stocking plans.

Potassium permanganate in a big tank would be a big MESS- that stuff stains permanently. I've never used it in a fish tank but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it would stain the silicone.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

its been awhile sense i have posted an update on the tank so here it goes the tank has finished cycling a i am starting to slowly ad some fish to the tank right now the ocupents are

12 black neon tetras 
2 Striata Botia Loachs
9 Harlequin Rasboras
3 Schwartz coryadoras 

of course more fish will be put in later i would like a school of 24 black neon tetras and 24 rasboras havent really decided on anything else yet but i still love rummy nose tetras. 

now that the CO2 system is locked in the plant growth is though the roof. i have all ready trimmed the amazon swords and the Hydrocotyle Leucocephala is reached the top of the tank. right now i am just using a basic fertilizer and some iron which i got from the pet store. i will start using the estimation index once that runs out. i also put some root tabs under the plants to try and jump start things. 

i should have some pictures up soon.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Do you have a QT tank setup for stocking?


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## Pioneer (Sep 21, 2008)

I am planning to hook up a Eheim 2217 to each overflow of my reef ready tank. Do regular fittings fit the Eheim hoses?


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## Tex Gal (Mar 28, 2008)

I was hoping to see some pxs. I guess I'll have to wait...


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

Pioneer said:


> I am planning to hook up a Eheim 2217 to each overflow of my reef ready tank. Do regular fittings fit the Eheim hoses?


yes regular fittings will work for ehiem hoses, though it was a bit tight. i put the hose into some really hot water before i tried squeezing them on it seemed to work fine though.

pic updates soon!


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## Pioneer (Sep 21, 2008)

Gottobe said:


> yes regular fittings will work for ehiem hoses, though it was a bit tight. i put the hose into some really hot water before i tried squeezing them on it seemed to work fine though.
> 
> pic updates soon!


Thank you!


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Photo Update*

I was finally able to get a couple of pictures to share. Added a few more enhabitants as well. Current residents include

*Existing*

12 black neon tetras 
2 Striata Botia Loachs
9 Harlequin Rasboras
3 Schwartz coryadoras 

*New *

3 Roseline Sharks (Crossocheilus denisoni)
10 Rummy Nose Tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri)
8 Black Phantom Tetra (Megalamphodus megalopterus)

Here is the photo update.





































As reported eariler I seem to have the water balanced and CO2 levels pretty stable. All the plants are growing well with the possible exception of the Blyxa japonica which seems to have died back a bit. I saw a couple of posts that made it seem that it's not uncommon for this to occur, that the plants will get shorter, with the orginal leaves decomposing while plants roots establish. Once established I hope they will takes off. The only other plant I have some concerns about are my Ludwigia repens, they get kind of rooty and look a bit unkept. Someone suggested laying them over and burying them so they train across the back of the tank, that once a good root system is established in the substrait the won't root as bad in the water column. Any advice on these two plants?

Bottomline, pretty happy with the way things are growing.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

This tank is going to look soooo fantastic...

I do think the hardscape could use a bit of tweaking, though. There's no well-placed focal point. I LOVE that big driftwood over on the right, but I think it needs to be repositioned just a bit to have more impact. Check out the "Golden Rule" on www.Aquatic-Eden.com.


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## rasetsu (Oct 11, 2007)

I really like everything about your tank. Great selection of fish too.


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## Alasse (Jul 23, 2008)

That tank is just awesome!


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## harmonyacre (Nov 24, 2007)

Wow, nice tank. 
Can't wait to see what yu do with it.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

this is turning out amazing! i hope my tank turns out half as good.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Growing Algea Problem*

I have had my 125 gallon tank planted for about 2 months and things were initially going pretty well. The plants were growing pretty good originally but seem to taper off after about a month. I placed some more plant tabs near the swords and I made some changes in the length of time that I was running my lights and now have better plant growth but also a fair amount of algae. I dose with Flourish twice a week in the recommended amounts, and with my double drop checker and pretty confident in my CO2 levels. I would like to figure out what to do because, I can clean off the algae on the glass but its different story on the plants. Can anyone make a recommendation that would help limit algae growth on my plants?

Here is a more detailed description. I have (2) 36” Current Sundial Lights (w/ 4 10,000K plus 4 fresh water bulbs). Each bulb is 39 watts so that’s 312 watts or 2.5 watts per gallon. Originally, I ran the fresh water bulbs about 11 hours and kicked in the 10,000k bulbs for an 8 hour run. That resulted in a somewhat stunted plant growth. So I added 2 hours to the fresh water bulbs and now have a bit of an algae problem brewing. I also have an 18 watt Coralife UV Sterilizer inserted on one of the Eheim outflows, which I run for about 8 hours every few days.


Below are pictures of the algae growth I am experiencing.


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## rasetsu (Oct 11, 2007)

Stock some ottos and they should help.


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

The tank looks great. that DW on the right is HUGE:thumbsup:

I agree that some algae is normal especially when the tank is set up. I would add a dozen or two ottos and or some bushy nose plecos.

-Andrew


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## brohawk (May 19, 2008)

So you're now keeping your lights on for 13 hours a day? That'd be your problem right there.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Are you dosing anything besides just Flourish (I assume Flourish Comprehensive)? Comp. really is just trace, and you probably need to also dose some Macros with your lighting and CO2.

Check out www.RexGrigg.com and www.GreenLeafAquariums.com for some dosing recommendations and dry fert packages.


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## Basilisk (Mar 1, 2004)

Bravo! You're the man, truly high tech. Great look, both layout and outline.

Rubberlip plecos are great for cleaning anubias, especially when green-spot is the problem.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> Are you dosing anything besides just Flourish (I assume Flourish Comprehensive)? Comp. really is just trace, and you probably need to also dose some Macros with your lighting and CO2.
> 
> Check out www.RexGrigg.com and www.GreenLeafAquariums.com for some dosing recommendations and dry fert packages.


Yes it is Flourish Comprehensive. My son just purchased a complete package of dry fert from Green Leaf and has been trying to talk me into next step in dosing. Guess I'll have to listen to him.

Nobody has recommended time on lights, just that perhaps I am running them too long. Orginally I tried about 12 hours any recommendations? Is there a handy dandy chart?


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Generally you start lower on lighting and get higher over time if possible.

Most people will start at 8-10 hours when the tank is newly set up and once stable you can bring it up to 12 or whatever you wish.

It may be wise to listen to your son.

-Andrew


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## MikeP_123 (Aug 31, 2008)

I heard some where that around 7-8hrs of light is good to start with. I was doing around 10 and when I kicked it down to 7-8 I surprisingly got more growth! You could give it a try

P.S. that would be 7-8 of full light. IDK about half lighting and such....


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## ste_hughes (Oct 9, 2008)

love it


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Since you're having algae issues, I'd try backing the lighting down to 8 hours with only 4 bulbs, with a 4-hour "burst" with all 8 bulbs.

Or, if you want the bulbs on during "prime" viewing hours, you could try a divided photoperiod- on in the morning, off during the day while everyone is at work/school/whatever, on again at night (seems to have become known as the "Siesta" method ).


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## aquaman3000 (Oct 21, 2006)

Great journal! With regards to the algae issues, my advice is as follows. As suggested by others, you likely should limit the photoperiod to around 8 hours to begin with until the tank is balanced and algae free. Next, you are going to be required to dose the aquarium properly if you wish to avoid algae. Your dosing scheme is not up to par when using 2.5 watts per gallon and CO2, and algae will take advantage of that. Lastly, assuming you get a handle on the preceding issues, it often takes a quite a while before a tank and plants break in. I have seen tanks that battle algae for months, then suddenly are easy to manage and algae free with no changes made. Looks good so far.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Latest Pics*

Thanks for all the great tips on the algae, I am acting on them and will report the results. Thought I better post a few pictures on how the tank is growing so here you go.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

what brand lights are those?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

fishman9809 said:


> what brand lights are those?


They are 36” Current Sundial Lights (w/ 4 10,000K plus 4 fresh water bulbs). You can find them at:

http://www.current-usa.com/sundial_t5ho


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

very, VERY nice lights :thumbsup:


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Any update?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Update With Pictures*

It’s been about a month and about time to provide an update. In the past month I have been struggling a bit with Green Spot Algae. After a bit if advice seeking on the Algae forum I’ve converted to the Estimative Index Fertilization Method and have been trimming out the affect foliage as the plant grow back. With the use of the double drop checker I believe I have the CO2 dialed. In order to maximize the impact of the fertilizers I have reduced the day my auto water change system operates to Mon, Wed, Fri. Finally, I have adjusted my photo period to about eight hours using four bulbs and two hours running the high output bulbs. Still have to tweak but the tank seems to be much closer to a workable balance now.

After watching my tank’s residents these past few months it seemed my fish selection was missing something. After much soul searching I decided to commit to a small school of Koi Angel Fish. This was indeed a long term commitment, but after seeing them in the tank I think I made the right choice. 

*You can see from this picture that the plants are indeed growing. The tank needed a bit of a haircut. These pictures are right after the trim.*

*







*


*And From Above*

*







*


*Some of the new residents.*











*And the Roselines*

*







*

*The Pennywort just grows and grows.*










*The Koi Angels seem to work.*


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Looks fantastic!

I really like this tank. Really natural.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*A Little Advice Please*

So, I been using dry ferts for about three weeks and my plants seem to be slowly dying off. I have been struggling with a little algea but thought that adjusting light, CO2 and ferts would take care of the problem. Now however I seem to really retarded plant growth, it can really be seen in the Ludgwigia and the Hemiantbus. There is a lot of debris in the tank generally brown particles that get stired up and settle like dust on everything. Any suggestions?


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## coolnick (Oct 28, 2006)

If you are dosing per the EI instructions you need to keep in mind that the most important part of those instructions is the 50% water change. 25% twice a week or 10% 5 times a week is definitely not equal to one 50% change per week. Your setup is currently not able to do a 50% water change so you might want to cut your dosing in half and see how that works out.

Another thing I see nobody mentioned yet is an interrupted photoperiod. Often times a nice 2 hour break from all lights in the middle of the day can have a drastic effect on algae growth. I have heard it explained that the plants can jump right into action as soon as the lights come on, whereas the algae takes a little longer to ramp up to full speed. All I know is it works for me. I run my lights from 8 am to 1 pm, then off from 1 pm til 3 pm, then back on from 3 pm to 8 pm.

Awesome tank by the way.


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

I've been changing so many parameters I'm not sure what does what at this point. I think that I'll try cutting the ferts back because that is when I knotice the change in plant growth. Then after a week or so I'll experiment with the photo period. Here are some pics of the muck, there a little small but I think you can get a sense of the brown "dusting".


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Sounds like brown (diatomacious) algae. It's pretty common in new setups. 

Otocinclus catfish will typically do a pretty good job eating it, and IME controlling the lighting (especially any indirect lighting that may be making its way into the tank) usually works for me.

I'd just clean the glass (paper towels work well) and wipe down the leaves with your fingers (or a paintbrush would work) just before water changes to help manually remove as much as possible.


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## coolnick (Oct 28, 2006)

I second the Otto recommendation. You can never have too many and they do a great job on big leaves without munching a hole in them like some fancy plecos will. If it were me I would have 50 of them in there (based on my completely random calculations I have 4 in a 10 gal, your tank is 12.5 times larger so 4*12.5=50 lol).


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Update 125G High Tech in Office*

The tank seems to be settling in to its own these days. We’ve worked through a few issues such as GSA and Brown Diatoms, and most recently a bit of Black Staghorn algae. I’ve lost some of my high light plants falling victim to the shade of the Pennywort. But after adjustments in my photo period, jiggering my CO2 timer, balancing my fertilizer dosing and the addition of 12 Otto’s things are looking up. 

Recently, I added a Hydor Koralia 1200 Gph power head to the tank. As the plants grew my water flow decreased and I was having problems with dead spots. Plant debris was collecting in areas and I was continuing to get occasional blooms of Brown Diatoms. Wow! What a difference a decent flow makes, less algae issues, happier plants, and a nice clean bright appearance. I wish I’d added one months ago. 

So here are a couple of recent photos. Really happy with the tank these days hope that continues…


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

The tank has come a long way! Very well done and good to hear about the powehead.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Agreed, and the tank looks awesme, keep up the progress!


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

Great journal and I have to say that's top notch plumbing with some innovative ideas that make it very clean looking.roud:

Thanks for sharing.


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

This is a stunning tank, I love the roselines


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## Pinto (Jan 23, 2009)

Your setup is awesome!!!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Fantastic payoff! :thumbsup:


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

*Added Tank Web Cam*

Its been quite awhile since I've posted an update on the tank. Been battling Black Hair Algae and the algae has been winning. Tried boosting CO2, harvesting infected plants and a Azoo product called Brush Algae Remover. At times it seems like I'm making headway but I can't seem to completely solve the problem.

On a happy note I have created a 24/7 tank cam from an old Sony laptop that the screen went out on, a Logitech USB webcam, and Ustream. Here's a link, take a look.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/planted-tank-cam


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## yikesjason (Jul 2, 2008)

Wow, it has been a while, I was wondering if you would ever be back. It looks like the cam is down right now though. I am sure there are better algae experts who can help you more, but I have had success with H2O2 and excel on the bba.


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

A lot of times the cause of BBA is from insufficient water flow. Have you noticed if the algae is only occurring in areas where the flow is less than it is in other areas?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

Tank cam should be back up now. Sometimes the Adobe Flash Live Encoder hiccups. I haven't quite figured that out yet.

My BBA seems to grow on certian surfaces, my overflows, rocks, wood, and slow growing plants. Yes it's worse in low flow areas and gets worse when I let the tank get overgrown, which lowers the water flow. I've read CO2 levels are critical wiht BBA as well but have been having trouble with my regulator. I think I'll hop on a specific fourm to see if I can get help with that. I can keep the CO2 up enough to keep my drop checker green, by I find the BBA is less happy with a little higher CO2. My needle valve just would open up enough to get there these days?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

What about a FTS? :smile:


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## jmhart (Mar 14, 2008)

Really great setup. You took your time, I can appreciate that. 


I'm setting up a 120g right now, and I have a question about your filtration. Using the dursos, do you feel like you're pulling as much flow through the overflow as you'd like? How do you like that arrangement? Would you change anything if you were doing it over again?


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## 2.slowduo (Nov 29, 2009)

the live vid feed is great!!

sweet tank


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## Ariel301 (Sep 7, 2009)

Very nice tank! I like the arrangement of the wood and the combination of wood and rocks.


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## DavidZ (Nov 17, 2009)

WOW WOW WOW!
Nice job
Who is in the engineering business?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> What about a FTS? :smile:


Dumb question but what is an FTS?


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## Gottobe (Jan 14, 2008)

jmhart said:


> Really great setup. You took your time, I can appreciate that.
> 
> 
> I'm setting up a 120g right now, and I have a question about your filtration. Using the dursos, do you feel like you're pulling as much flow through the overflow as you'd like? How do you like that arrangement? Would you change anything if you were doing it over again?


That is an interesting question. I orginally used this style of tank to be able to set up my auto water change idea. I needed to have a stand pipe to allow the displaced water to drain out. This system has worked very well and I get a 10% daily water change without intervention. The only change in that system I'm about to make is to put a small powerhead in the lower holding tank to help prevent a little brown algea problem that developes over the course of a month or so. 

I believe that I get adequate flow in the tank because that is developed by the spray bar side of the filtering system. I have two eHeims linked together on one input and do not think that has been a problem. The one serious flaw in this setup is that is requires some sort of auto water change or auto fill system. That is because with a little evaporation (2-3 days worth) the water level will drop below inner wall of the wier and the eHeims pull the water out of the duros and lose prime. That virtually shuts down all filtration. It's not a problem with my daily water change but it is something one would definatly want to consider in setting up a tank using overflows. 

As far as getting good flow in the tank I had loads of problems with debris hanging out in certain areas of the tank on my orginal set up. I added a large powerhead to the tank and pretty much solved that. I have recently come to the conclusion that the tank is happier if I keep it trimmed up a too much vegatation restrict the water flow and that causes problems.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Beautiful tank.

Only constructive criticism is to lose the fake plants by the tank and get some proper plants. There's no shortage of light or water close by!


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## Stingray (Jul 1, 2009)

Fts is: Full Tank Shot


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