# Vanish's 150G Tall DIY Underwater Island



## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Building the stand:

Frame









Floor and White Paint









Skin Test Fit









Staining









First Assembly









Moved inside









Trimmed


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## pewpewkittah (Jan 14, 2014)

REALLY AWESOME! That tank is huge .

The island really stands out against the white sand, its going to look so good once everything grows out. I really wish I had used white sand for my open area...


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

pewpewkittah said:


> REALLY AWESOME! That tank is huge .
> 
> The island really stands out against the white sand, its going to look so good once everything grows out. I really wish I had used white sand for my open area...


Thanks pewpew! Yeah, it is really big ... Maybe too big! We'll see how water changes go. I told my wife to not let me set up any more aquariums or I won't be able to keep up with maintenance.

The white sand definitely gives the effect I wanted, but we'll see how long I like it. It does show dirt very easily. I'm hoping the cory cats will keep the surface mixed up.

*Considering Malaysian Trumpet Snails, as well.* Pond snails breed but don't seem to get out of control in my tanks, maybe hard water eats their shells?


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## EndlerGame (Oct 19, 2013)

That's a really awesome setup. Great job on the build, from fixing the tank to the stand to the scape. I love it all! It will look incredible as the java fern contines to fill in on the branches.

The cories will love that sand, it will keep them up front to be easily viewed. They should do a good job of keeping it stirred up, but Malaysian Trumpets will also help mix the substrate, especially down deeper, too. I'm surprised to hear you're "considering" adding snails to your tank. Every one of my tanks has a thriving population of several kinds of snails with no help from me...I didn't know anyone managed to keep their tanks snail free!!!

Also, water changes shouldn't be too bad. With a 150 gallon tank, a 55 gallon sump, and appropriate stocking, you could get away with doing a large change every other month...I know people with big tanks who only do them quarterly. And if you've got a Python or similar system, you don't have to worry about hailing buckets.

I look forward to seeing this tank as it develops, both plant growth and the addition of fish. If I was stocking this tank, I'd love to see it with about 20 cories of various species(sterbai, trilieanatus or melini), 6 Bristlenose Plecos, 20 Emperor or Congo Tetras, and 6 Pearl Gouramis. This would be just about my dream stocking for a real "show tank".


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

EndlerGame said:


> That's a really awesome setup. Great job on the build, from fixing the tank to the stand to the scape. I love it all! It will look incredible as the java fern contines to fill in on the branches.


Thank you so much! It was a much bigger project than I expected at the beginning, and its really coming together. I originally projected having it up by mid-July. HAH! Life said NO.

Its already looking a bit better as the plants straighten out, though I have seen some algae, too. Hoping its just readjustment/was there before I planted ... Yah that's it.



EndlerGame said:


> The cories will love that sand, it will keep them up front to be easily viewed. They should do a good job of keeping it stirred up, but Malaysian Trumpets will also help mix the substrate, especially down deeper, too. I'm surprised to hear you're "considering" adding snails to your tank. Every one of my tanks has a thriving population of several kinds of snails with no help from me...I didn't know anyone managed to keep their tanks snail free!!!


I like snails. This tank has pond, ramshorn and one I don't recognize already in it. It looks like a ramshorn that's been rotated and flattened. (research indicates my bigger ones are colombian ramshorns and the smaller are small ranshorns) My other tanks all have snails but they never get out of control. I think my water corrodes their shells eventually.



EndlerGame said:


> Also, water changes shouldn't be too bad. With a 150 gallon tank, a 55 gallon sump, and appropriate stocking, you could get away with doing a large change every other month...I know people with big tanks who only do them quarterly. And if you've got a Python or similar system, you don't have to worry about hailing buckets.


Heck, I'd take monthly. On my other tanks I try to do weekly, or even bi-weekly on my planted tank with the Discus, so monthly would be easy! 



EndlerGame said:


> I look forward to seeing this tank as it develops, both plant growth and the addition of fish. If I was stocking this tank, I'd love to see it with about 20 cories of various species(sterbai, trilieanatus or melini), 6 Bristlenose Plecos, 20 Emperor or Congo Tetras, and 6 Pearl Gouramis. This would be just about my dream stocking for a real "show tank".


I'm going back and forth on the pearl gouarmis. I think the flow may be more than they want. I could reduce it but I like how it currently sweeps the crud back up and into the overflow. I keep changing my mind on how I want to stock this tank.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Well, I thought I was done with adding plants to this tank, giving it time to grow in and see how things perform, but a member of the forum is sending me some xmas moss that I plan to tie on some of the cholla.

To top it off, while looking at fish at Petsmart yesterday (I went to buy frozen bloodworms .... left without them >_> ), I looked at their sale section and found this nice 'Anubias afzelii' marked down to $2.50 ... Couldn't leave it there. I also put 5 trilineatus cories into my QT yesterday. Definitely QTing these after AquaAurora's issues recently.











I also got in contact with another forum member and I'm going to give the Malaysian Trumpet Snails a whirl. Hope I don't regret it! I doubt I will as I even like the pond snails and they've never taken over my other tanks.

Picking up a couple of BNs from a local this afternoon. The tank is cycled and the diatoms are coming in hard. Strangely I'm even getting some white growth on the wood even though they already spent a couple months in another tank prepping for this.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Your anubias looks healthy at least, no extremely deficient looking leaves, and I see roots, but better safe than sorry! Because man will you be sorry if you loose $100-$400 in anubias for not qting new/suspicious ones ugh x.x speaking of.. another of my new ones fell apart today :c
btw I think you need more java fern variates! ^.~ 
Only downside to snails and white sand is you're gonna see the poo.. did you see my 20g long after not doing a water change for a few weeks with just snails in? Black substrate was brown x.x but then I do have a [censor] load of snails... I'm tempted to confiscate my husband's dwarf puffers and put them in the 20g for 2 weeks to get fat dumb and happy, but have to wait until my recent qt fish are done and I can take the filters back fr the 20g (currently on 10g).


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Diatoms kicking in hard! I missed this phase in my last tank for some reason, probably because I ran it for a month before planting.

I have some stock in there, but I won't be getting my BN Plecos until tomorrow or wednesday as I will be getting them from a local, not a fish store.

2 Pictus Catfish (Sad story there, started with 6 in QT, lost 3 to Costia before I could stop it and one to "aggressive exploration" )
9 Trili Corydoras
6 Giant Danios (will be getting more tomorrow or wed, all LFS out of stock)

I really like the Giant Danios. I was skeptical at first recommendation, months ago while planning, but my princess immediately picked them at the store. It helped that they are very affordable. I figured it had to be! They love to school about half the time, and the other half they are zipping around all through the plants. I want to double the school, there is plenty of space for them.

Also browsed the LFS yesterday but I couldn't decide upon anything more.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Will you try to have a larger 'centerpiece' fish in this tank like the others (discus and angelfish)? Maybe pearl gourami?


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

AquaAurora said:


> Will you try to have a larger 'centerpiece' fish in this tank like the others (discus and angelfish)? Maybe pearl gourami?


Pearl Gourami was my original thought, but I have pretty strong flow in this tank and I don't think they would like that. I'm considering red rainbows, but I haven't found any locally.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

vanish said:


> Pearl Gourami was my original thought, but I have pretty strong flow in this tank and I don't think they would like that. I'm considering red rainbows, but I haven't found any locally.


 The only local rainbows I can find are 'Australian' (think its mislabeled but what else is new) and occasion turquoise, but never enough to buy a proper school :/


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

*Still trying to decide on a centerpiece fish.*

I added another 6 giant danios and more recently 4 bristlenose plecos (1 albino). Wow, they really did an amazing job on the diatoms. There is still fair amount on the plants, but the hardscape and plumbing is squeaky clean. They are also adorable.

I haven't been able to do a whole lot with this tank in the last week, as we've been preparing for Thanksgiving. I assembled the canopy as people will be sleeping in this room but its been far too cold to stain it. I still need to attach the handles/magnets (the magnets will remove that bar of light at the bottom of the door) and add some trim, but I think its going to look swell.










I took a bunch of photos of the fish this morning, but they all sucked!


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

So many plecos and a light substrate... you're gonna see a lot of poop x.x
I'd offer the suggestion of a larger fish like a datnoid (omg love them!!.. dream to have a tank that could house one someday) but I think full grown even the small specie of datnoid would eat your other fish so that's a no-go


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Scheduled for a major water change / cleanup this weekend, but since I'm FINALLY working in my office again I thought I would post a pic of "before", from my desk.

I think things are growing...


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

It's definateky a GLOWING tank! *que cathedral chior singing (that aaAAAaaAAaa holy sounding stuff)*


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Not sure why that photo was so glowy. 

We shut down our fry tank a couple of days ago and moved them fry into the bedroom. This entailed moving the residents of the 55 Gallon into other tanks. The Angels are in this tank now and they LOVE all the space. It makes them look small though.










We also found a few hitchhikers while emptying the fry tank, including a cherry shrimp and this fella:


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Most of the time the fish won't hold still long enough for a photo.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

I just pulled two lights off the bar, leaving me with only two. I put a bit of diffuser between them and the tank for spread, and while I get a bit more spotlighting than I want, the four lights were just too strong and I've got many different kinds of algae to deal with.

Going on vacation next week and when I come back I might investigate CO2 options, plus setting up the same type of auto-doser I use on my 75G.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Wow tank looks awesome!!!


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

great tank! and nice handwork with the stand and built in wood work


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

I just want to mention that this tank is a pita!  Being so tall and on a tall stand makes it really hard to work in. I use a step ladder when I am doing serious work on it and I can just barely reach the bottom.

I wish the plants looked as good as they do in my 75G but I'm not pumping excel or ferts into this one so I am not surprised. It could really use excel but it would cost a fortune on a tank this big, and CO2 is a large upfront expense at this point.



andrewss said:


> great tank! and nice handwork with the stand and built in wood work


Thanks! It was a lot of work.


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

^ Well it looks great and is a project you can be proud of


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## EmilyKale (Mar 9, 2015)

It looks amazing! The angels are very pretty, too.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Well, I've had some clown loaches in QT for a couple of weeks. Last night I moved them into tank. Between then and this morning, two of them went adventuring into the sump. :icon_roll I don't know how they managed to do it. They are both still alive. One of them was in the proper isolation chamber, but the other had managed to wiggle through the foam block. I had to pull out almost all the media to get the little bugger out because he kept finding a new place to hide!

This prompted a nearly 100 Gallon water change as it was pretty gnarly in there after moving all the media around. I'm also reconfiguring how the media is placed to once again try to kept fish that make it into the sump within the isolation chamber ( like they what is supposed to happen ).



EmilyKale said:


> It looks amazing! The angels are very pretty, too.





andrewss said:


> ^ Well it looks great and is a project you can be proud of


Thanks to you both!


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

We're currently out of town, but I'm thinking about this tank. We put the clown loaches back into QT before we left as they were showing possible signs of ich :/. Here's hoping I don't come back to a whole tank of it! We did several large water changes before we left.

This tank doesn't get as much love as it should because its in my home office, in the back basement corner of our house. I originally built it so I could have fish to watch during the work day, but I don't actually work in my office very often. I work on a laptop and find myself at the dining room counter where I can watch the backyard, or even on the back porch.

We would love to move it upstairs, but there's nowhere for us to put something that heavy in our house, and the basement is completely finished, so there is no way to reinforce anything. Also, someone might die if we tried to move it up the stairs.

------------------------------------------------------

My Laguna Max Flo 2000 GPH, at its current head height, should be pumping around 1400 gallons per hour. That's a fair bit more than your average planted tank. I have a Tee below the pipe to the spray bar with a ball valve on each side. This let's me adjust the amount of flow going into the tank, with the excess going back into the sump. The piping for redirecting into the sump isn't glued because even if it became detached, the water would still go into the sump.

I'm considering adding another Tee and valve after the sump redirect, and splitting off some of that extra flow to a set of aquaponic grow beds on a stand next to the tank. Each growbed will be ~30 Gallons. I'll light the grow beds with another light bar like I built for the tank, as I have all but the power cord already (4 bulbs/fixtures were extra from this build, too much light, and the track I picked up second hand cheap.)

I calculated it out, and each bulb, being on 12 hours a day would cost me ~$12 per year. If I use all 4 bulbs, that would be ~$48/year. Could I grow that amount of herbs, emmersed aquarium plants or houseplants in one year? I think so.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

No progress on the aquaponics idea. I'm not certain I have the room to run the pipes.

Saturday I went to wipe some algae off the glass, and next thing you know I spent 2 hours swimming in there. Pulled out all the dead leaves and algae covered bits. Cleaned a lot of black beard algae off some of the anubias. Found and attached a couple dozen baby java ferns. I also hooked up a simple dosing system like the one on my 75G. Starting it off with low amounts to see if there is any noticeable effect.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Phhhooootooooooos


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

+1 photos wanted.


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## ZeeDeveel (May 11, 2015)

Are those Celestial Pearl Danios?


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Watch the video in HD or its hard to see much of anything.








ZeeDeveel said:


> Are those Celestial Pearl Danios?


Giant Danios


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## The Dude (Feb 8, 2011)

This is really a beautiful tank. I have both of my 75 gallons so that I can see both from the treadmill. I've gotten significantly leaner since doing this!


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Wow tank is looking awesome! Love how active it is in there in the video


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

This was my first attempt at putting my GoPro in the tank. Definitely will do this again with more angles and more effort in the future. I was amazed at the results with that wide angle lens. Often I was worried about a branch completely blocking the view but it wasn't like that at all.

Edit: Went back and looked at photo from first planting. I had not realized how much the plants had grown! Its a very slow growing tank so you don't notice it in the every day looks.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Not sure where the link went in my previous post?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwvoMQaBvkw


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## esr209 (Apr 17, 2015)

look into dry ferts, especially EI dosing. It is very easy with minimal dosing required and will take care of your algae. You have dead plant foliage and lots of algae most likely due to the lack of nutrients in the aquarium. If the plants do not have anything to eat then you have water in a tank with light with low organics. Algae is bound to appear in this type of condition. if the plants are fed they will grow and the algae will stop. A water change with all the tank wiping will help you clear some of that up.Start dosing and wait for the plants to come back again.Trim all plant leaves with algae. Tank is looks pretty sweet I love the angels. 150 gallon tanks are definitely a pita to work in even when they're on a shorter stand! That stand is super high quality, nice work!


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Thought the colors in this photo were neat.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

I should probably pull out the DSLR for a decent photo.



esr209 said:


> look into dry ferts, especially EI dosing.


I added an auto-doser, same style as my 75G, aqualifter + reservoir on a 1 minute timer, a couple months ago. Algae is decreasing, but I think I need to increase my phosphate as I get bit of GSA. Other algae is pretty rare, maybe a tiny bit of BBA on the oldest anubias leaves.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

I've ordered the hole saws I need to make a glass overflow box. I have the glass already. Working with glass scares the crud out of me! Its a project I've wanted to do for a long time, but I keep putting it off because of the aforementioned fear of working with glass and the interesting complication of siliconing it to a running aquarium. I figured I'll cross hurdle #2 after defeating hurdle #1.

I want to do a better job documenting this tank, so expect more notes from this point forward.

Cory Cats in Anubias Roots.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Such a pretty tank. I love the white sand in your tank.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Its a miracle ... I have successfully cut the 4 pieces of glass for the new overflow. I still need to drill the bottom pane but I actually expect that to go more smoothly. The key was MOAR OIL.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Well, one of the hole saws I ordered is the wrong size. This is my own fault. I bought one for a 1 1/4" instead of 1 1/2" because... I don't know. That's alright, it wasn't expensive and this isn't a rush project.

I did a big cleanup and ~60% water change on Saturday. I use a cheap 600GPH rated (doubt its anywhere near there) pump to move water in and out, but it still took me several hours. Still way better than buckets! I scooped out some of the sand and ran it through a screen to remove any gravel from it. This worked but was was cumbersome. The next day I found a net in my stash with a larger hole size. My hope is that I will be able to do this right in the tank.

I cleaned up most of the lava rock mounted anubias of any old leaves with algae. The new leaves are twice the size of the old ones. The rhizomes are about 3 times longer than they were when I added them to the tank.

I tied up some of the daughter java ferns to the cholla, and managed to break one of the branches in the process. This tells me the cholla isn't holding up as well as I thought it was.

Lastly, I added 3 more clown loaches from QT, bringing my total to 7. I won't add any more fish to this tank. In fact, I'm looking to move some out as they grow. I will move the cories up to the living room once that tank is stable again. A friend has a fish trap I will try, as netting fish out of this tall tank is nigh impossible.

Photo is one of the anubias nan petite pre-cleanup. I don't know why I decided to photo that of all things during the process.


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Hey there, this one is looking good too. Hadn't seen this thread before.


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## bsantucci (Sep 30, 2013)

Great looking tank! Exactly the look I want to go for one day when the wife lets me get a second tank!


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Darn loaches always swim to me when I try to photo. You'll have to make due with a BNP.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Giant Danios NEVER hold still.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Shrimp Pellets!!!!


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

Clown loaches? How is the shark doing in that last photo? Is he the sole shark of the tank? I read up on your lighting. It is very interesting. Good to see you cut it back to 4 lights, from what I read. That puts it quite similar in intensity to my setup. However, I have some more questions. How often do those bulbs need to be replaced? Never? And what wattage were they? I was looking at PAR38 bulbs and there are LED variants available, which is neat!


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Freemananana said:


> Clown loaches? How is the shark doing in that last photo? Is he the sole shark of the tank?


Yep, I've had 4 clowns in there for about a year (originally got 6, they had ich, one didn't survive QT, another had internal parasites) and recently added 3 more. They're awesome! Like little puppy dogs. Impossible to photo unless I put food in the tank as they see me and start dancing on the glass. My current plan is to raise them to about 6 inches and then put them up for sale and start over. Might become too attached, though! The tank is big enough, but I would have to remove some of the other fish at that point.

The red-tailed shark is doing great. He's been in there about a year as well. Yes, he's the only shark. He's always brushing the leaves, keeping them free of debris for me.



Freemananana said:


> I read up on your lighting. It is very interesting. Good to see you cut it back to 4 lights, from what I read. That puts it quite similar in intensity to my setup. However, I have some more questions. How often do those bulbs need to be replaced? Never? And what wattage were they? I was looking at PAR38 bulbs and there are LED variants available, which is neat!


Two lights! I've only been running two for about a year. Any more seemed to be a recipe for algae. It could be I had a nutrient imbalance, but I haven't had any plants complaining about the light since I reduced it further, so I haven't tried upping the lights in awhile. If I can find myself an inline dimmer / work up the nerve to build one, I will go back up to 4 lights @ 75%. This solution isn't for everybody, but I put it together for nearly 1/10th the price of what I was being quoted for a strip/bank style LED setup, and its fairly easily expandable, too.

These are the bulbs I'm using: LEDwholesalers PAR38 Dimmable LED Spot Light Bulb 30 Degree Beam Angle, 26 Watt (120-watt replacement) White, 1373WH - - Amazon.com

*Bulb Type: PAR38 LED 
*Base Type: E26 Screw-In 
*Input Voltage: 120VAC, 60Hz 
*Power: 26W 
*Beam Angle: 30º Spot
*Color Temperature: White 5000-6000K
*Light Output (lumen): 1900
*CRI: 80 
*Dimmable: Yes 
*IP Rating: IP30 
*Life Expectancy: 35,000 hours ( approximately 16 years at my current lighting schedule )
*Dimensions: Width=4.75", Length=5.3" 
*Certification: UL, CE, RoHS


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

WHAT!? 2 lights! I will have to rethink it a lot then. I am glad I asked. I'll just extrapolate your lighting based on the coverage you are getting. That is so cool. Man, these seem like a really good option for a long life fixture. What do you screw them into? Regular base? I guess yours are adjustable. Something to look into/DIY! Tank is 48" wide 24" deep and 31" tall, right? 

I definitely plan on housing loaches of my own, but likely with a greater flow. They should enjoy that quite a bit. Not knocking your flow or anything, your tank is beautiful. But I was going to go with a river environment which they should be perfect for. Glad to see you enjoy them so much. I also enjoy your idea of growing them out and replacing them. That is definitely the way to go, honestly. They are good pets and I'm sure your next batch will be just as lively and you're passing on a great fish to a (hopefully) dedicated fish keeper who can keep such a monster. Speaking of the flow though, do you have any issues with dead spots in the open sand area? I noticed you are running the spray bar return up top and nothing (I may be missing it) on the bottom/lower side of the tank.

I do have a question about your red tail, he hasn't shown any aggression? I've heard they do best as a solo shark. I don't know exactly what that means. Are Rosaline sharks or bala sharks going to mix poorly? Or do they do best a solo of their species? I've read the same things about the red tails and rainbow sharks. They are beautiful fish though. Many don't keep them due to the size and that is completely understandable.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

I've made a couple adjustments to my flow over time. Firstly, I've had the flow pointed straight down for many months now. This causes the flow to go down to the bottom, across the bottom, and then sweep any debris up towards the overflow.

Most recently, I added more holes to the spray bar and increased the flow from the pump. The pump is 2000 GPH before head. I probably bleed off 1/4 of that back into the sump. There is a lot more flow in the tank than it looks like. I'll try to get some better video showing that. I definitely don't have dead spots in the sand unless a dune forms and then stuff can collect behind it (which is the effect you see in the photo above). I have a lot more trouble keeping the sand in place! This is the reason I have made the change to my spray bar. I'm trying to get as much water, or more, moving through the tank than its been, but with less direct "blasting" of the sand.

The bulbs I have screw into track lighting fixtures with an E26 socket.

The red tailed black shark sometimes chases the danios. Sometimes, they chase him a little bit, too. Usually, he's just sifting through plant leaves.

Red tailed black and Rainbow sharks are both Epalzeorhynchos sp. and that's where you get the "one per tank". "Rosaline sharks" are actually Denison Barbs and should be kept in groups. I'm not up on my Bala Shark knowledge.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I didn't realize you had it pointed downward. I usually point my upward for surface agitation. I like your theory quite a bit. Very interesting. Something I will definitely consider as I move forward.

I did read earlier that you have a sizeable pump pushing 10x water turnover, which is super impressive for a planted tank. Keeping sand in pace is one of the reasons I suspected you didn't have much flow on the bottom. Obviously I was wrong on that thought. Good job keeping up with it too. 

I see now that you mentioned the E26 socket already. Something to consider going forward also. One light does half the tank, about 2'x2', right? That's very impressive. Definitely on my list of lights to HIGHLY consider. 

I like the red tail and would love to have one in my tank. The denisons are barbs and the balas are technically minnows-ish. Hopefully the red tail will get along with balas. It is obvious that yours gets along with the loaches. I think the 'one shark' refers to their species, Epalzeorhynchos sp. So I'll definitely keep that one in mind.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Glass Drilling station and checking that everything lines up.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Took an FTS of the tank with me in it for the first time ever to try to show the scale of this tank. Yes, I still need to stain the canopy. I can't do it inside and its too cold to do it in the garage at the moment. I .... got distracted ... during the summer.


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## klcpca (Oct 14, 2011)

Hi.... LOVE your tank!! Wish I could have one that big but working on setting up a 20 gallon planted tank within the next month or so. How is your cholla wood holding up since it's been in the tank a bit over a year? I just can't find the right driftwood for my tank and really like the look of the cholla in yours. Never thought of using it since I figured it would decay too fast.....


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

Congratulations on making the monthly email thing with happenings around the site, they definitely picked a great tank this time


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## rrebello (Nov 16, 2015)

Great job!!


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## The Dude (Feb 8, 2011)

Wow man... your tank really looks awesome... as do the canopy and stand
I am seriously envious of your carpentry skill. My whole setup is store bought and the "wood" is of poor quality... one of the canopy doors somehow snapped in half in transit... It cost me over $100 for 2 16x12 doors... and it's been over a week and they still aren't here...


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

klcpca said:


> Hi.... LOVE your tank!! Wish I could have one that big but working on setting up a 20 gallon planted tank within the next month or so. How is your cholla wood holding up since it's been in the tank a bit over a year? I just can't find the right driftwood for my tank and really like the look of the cholla in yours. Never thought of using it since I figured it would decay too fast.....


I just recently found out the skinnier pieces are not holding up as well as I thought they were. I went to move one of the smallest pieces (overhanging the sand) and it essentially crumbled.

The larger pieces are doing fine. They are a different species of cholla.

I don't think I would pay for cholla. I collected mine (and had a relative collect some for me, too).

Bump:


theatermusic87 said:


> Congratulations on making the monthly email thing with happenings around the site, they definitely picked a great tank this time


Thank you! I did?! I haven't seen it! :surprise: I haven't unsubscribed from that newsletter. When was it sent?

( ah shoot, just checked my email settings and its using an outdated address! Drats! )


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Could someone forward me that newsletter? My email is correct now (or you can PM me for it). Thanks!


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

National Geographic Waterfall Oasis Tank 7 Gallon Build, The Scandinavian Look, And A Shapable Clay-Like Material - January 2016 here ya go, if you'd like it as an email you'll need to pm me with your email and i'll forward it that way


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Congrats and how fun. You are now famous!


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Thanks theatermusic87, my google fu failed!



AutumnSky said:


> Congrats and how fun. You are now famous!


Haha, not quite!

Did a major cleaning of the sump yesterday. Pretty gnarly in there. I've made some small changes in the layout of the media and such to try to ensure that all the solids are trapped by the filter floss. The water is definitely looking cleaner now! I suppose over a year is a long time to go without a good rinse out. :surprise:


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Adding a bit more cholla to the tank to give the catfish a little more territory to work with. I had a java fern become detached so I cut up the twisted rhizome to make new plants. The total length after untwisting was somewhere around 10 inches! I tied these to one of the new pieces of cholla and it covers most of the length. Pics Soon™


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

We're having a bit of a warm spell here, so last night I took down the canopy and prepped it for staining in the garage. ( Not allowed to stain in the house  ) Its been sitting up there unfinished for way too long! Put up a temp pvc stand for my plant lights. The room looks strangely very different without the canopy.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

vanish said:


> We're having a bit of a warm spell here, so last night I took down the canopy and prepped it for staining in the garage. ( Not allowed to stain in the house  ) Its been sitting up there unfinished for way too long! Put up a temp pvc stand for my plant lights. The room looks strangely very different without the canopy.


You can't tell me you've been staining the hood for 5 months! :wink2: Where's the results and update? I rather enjoy this tank.


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## dooby114 (May 11, 2016)

What type of rock is that?


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Freemananana said:


> You can't tell me you've been staining the hood for 5 months! :wink2: Where's the results and update? I rather enjoy this tank.


Nope, finished the staining! 

I recently pulled some loose java ferns out and tied them to rocks. They're just hanging out in the sandy area until I figure out what to do with them.

Some of the thinner cholla is starting to break down, as if you look closely you can see one of the rear pieces has fallen over. I've got some algae to clean up.


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Looks pretty.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

dooby114 said:


> What type of rock is that?


Totally missed this question, sorry! Its a natural lava rock. I brought some home from the Grand Mesa in Colorado.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

I am the best tank cleaner ever! Look at that sparkly clean!


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

He was holding so still there I was starting to get worried!


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Tank is still running. Haven't done much with it in the last year. Its about time for a rescape as the smaller cholla has started to break down and the island vs beach has become less defined. The plants aren't too happy with about half the java fern gone and maybe 3 crypts left. Except the anubias. Some of them were buried under sand and grew like crazy?! Not sure how they grew without light but I'll take it.

I could really use some more of the large lava rock but its a 5 hour drive to where I collected it.


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## finfan (Jun 16, 2008)

Just read through your journal, nice tank and great journal, a new FTS would be nice to see before you start the re-scape process.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

finfan said:


> Just read through your journal, nice tank and great journal, a new FTS would be nice to see before you start the re-scape process.


I will try to get one tonight before I take the next step. I do have some "new" wood that's just soaking in there. All I've done so far is flush the sump.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

What happened to the java fern? I love this tank and the look.
I'm going for something very similar in my 150. My 2 softballs of windolev didn't go far


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

The Dude1 said:


> What happened to the java fern? I love this tank and the look.
> I'm going for something very similar in my 150. My 2 softballs of windolev didn't go far


Lots of java fern still in there, but some of it doesn't look as happy as it once did. Not sure why. Probably lack of love.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

I did not see it mentioned, but I assumed that this tank has pressurized C02... is that not the case?? I have never been able to grow anything, but anubias without C02... with C02 it seems like my windolev nearly doubles in size every 3 weeks. I'm actually racing against the anticipated die off for the windolev I recently planted into my 150.
If you are not injecting C02 what are you doing to get such good growth?


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

The Dude1 said:


> If you are not injecting C02 what are you doing to get such good growth?


I am not injecting CO2, but I wouldn't exactly call it good growth. More like "not dying" 

Java fern grows like bonkers in my 90G, and I do less with that tank than any other. I don't understand that one.

Alright, keep in mind this FTS is just a "I finally grabbed a camera and took a photo." I didn't clean up the tank or anything. There's a bit of algae on the glass, some dried water drips on the glass, and the new wood just sunk and messed up things a bit. However, people wanted a FTS so here it is!


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

I really like the look of your tanks, especially the incorporation of the cholla. That makes me feel a little better about the java ferns. It always touted as an easy beginner plant, but I never had it do anything but slowly decline. It seems in my small tanks that it mainly stays put, but I also constantly add plantlets that I remove from my high tech tanks so who knows whats really happening. 
I assume given its physical characteristics that the cholla decays quicker than other woods. How long do you get out of it before its unusable?


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

The Dude1 said:


> I really like the look of your tanks, especially the incorporation of the cholla. That makes me feel a little better about the java ferns. It always touted as an easy beginner plant, but I never had it do anything but slowly decline. It seems in my small tanks that it mainly stays put, but I also constantly add plantlets that I remove from my high tech tanks so who knows whats really happening.
> I assume given its physical characteristics that the cholla decays quicker than other woods. How long do you get out of it before its unusable?


Most of the larger pieces, say 2"+ diameter, assuming they weren't sitting out in the elements too long, are holding up pretty well. They've been in the tank for over 3 years at this point. There are multiple species of cholla, and I believe some hold up better than others, but I don't know which species I have.

I collect these in southern CO and AZ. As long as they hold up for a few years, that's good enough for me. I see for most people that a single scape only runs a year or so, usually.

The fish and shrimp also really like them.


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

Wow, nice tank. Wish I had one this big! Love your stand build, too. Curious why you chose cholla wood, is there something beneficial to it having all the holes? or you just like the look.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

JJ09 said:


> Wow, nice tank. Wish I had one this big! Love your stand build, too. Curious why you chose cholla wood, is there something beneficial to it having all the holes? or you just like the look.


I chose cholla because it is readily available here for free. However, it has great surface area for bacteria, too. Its also eye catching because you rarely see aquariums using it.

I've got a major cleanup of this tank scheduled for tonight. We'll see how it goes.


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

Cool. I've gathered some wood from my yard- maple branches, not the greatest. I'd guess the cholla is easy to plant epiphytes in, can you just wedge rhizome pieces thru the gaps somehow?


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

JJ09 said:


> I'd guess the cholla is easy to plant epiphytes in, can you just wedge rhizome pieces thru the gaps somehow?


You can, though you want to leave the growing end out. If the roots make it through one of the other holes, you're golden. Its not as easy as it should be, though.

I did the major sand cleanup along with a 50% water change. I decided to remove some of the sand to give some more elevation difference between the island and the beach. Very happy with that decision. Added some more substrate to the island, though could use even more. I think over time its filtering between the rocks and "sinking".

No picture yet as its still hazy


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Some of the plants didn't stay where I put the last night, but otherwise I'm pretty happy with it. The logs on top are a bit different, but the fish LOVE them up there. They're more comfortable hanging out underneath them, and you can actually SEE some of the catfish rather than them being buried in the back.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Are the cholla wood branches floating? Or how are they suspended up there?


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

The Dude1 said:


> Are the cholla wood branches floating? Or how are they suspended up there?


Held in place with rubber coated wire.

I grabbed a quick video as I feel it illustrates the tank better.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

DW told me to get some more fish. Ok, can do. I have 3 female and 2 male bosemani rainbows in my QT tank now.

Yesterday, I built the jig to hold the glass overflow in place while siliconing. I'm going to get it in either tomorrow or Tuesday. I hope it will have been worth the trouble.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Here's the plan for this evening:

Put the sump on self circulation mode, turning off the drain pipes and spray bar.
Siphon out any detritus out of the tank.
Take one crate of media out of the sump and place it in the tank.
Bring the water level to 60%.
Add a powerhead to the tank and turn it on.
Remove the plumbing in the overflow and the plastic overflow.
Dry off the glass.
Dry fit the glass overflow.
Tape off the overflow edges.
Silicone in the glass overflow.
Remove tape.
Allow 24 hours to dry.

I'll also probably work on my overflow fish guard after that's all done.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

I love the video. Definately do more. It wouldn't load earlier today. Why are you changing the filtration system around? Did I miss something?
What kind of catfish do you have with the clown loaches?


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

The Dude1 said:


> I love the video. Definately do more. It wouldn't load earlier today. Why are you changing the filtration system around? Did I miss something?
> What kind of catfish do you have with the clown loaches?


*Filtration*: I'm not really changing that, its just temporary for me to put in the glass overflow. The overflow that's in there is made of plastic, which is fine, but there are some problems. First off, its fugly. Secondly, its held in place with pressure and a gasket rather than silicone, which works fine in normal operation, but _could_ cause a problem during a power outage. Sometimes the gasket holds fine, sometimes water starts to seep in. This means the tank could drain as far down as the main outflow rather than the top of the overflow.

*Catfish*: 1 African Featherfin, 3 Pictus, 2 Upside Down Cats

As long as today goes as planned, I should be getting some more Clown Loaches tomorrow! LFS has some in a QT tank and they finish treatment today, which means I can have them go straight in.

The tank will be overstocked when these fish are larger, but that won't be for a long time.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Alright, here we go. Water level down. Media in the tank. Powerhead on. Sump self cycling.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Got the overflow in place, and the jig works well. A slight problem though - my clamps don't fit inside the space I have to work with. Will have to figure alternate solution, though I'm not convinced I even need the clamps with how snugly this fits.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Well that was a mess! I could not fit the caulk gun inside most of the space I had to work, so I had to figure out "alternative methods" of getting the silicone in place. I'm definitely going to have a bit of cleanup to do. I really hope this works!


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Everything going smoothly so far. I sucked out about 30 gallons this morning and refilled the 30 with sump water, then filled the sump back up. All the fish look fine and the silicone continues to dry. I plan to do some cleanup at lunch and leak test after work. Debating how long to give it before total refill. Everything seems to indicate 24 hours is fine but as long as the fish aren't affected I don't see any reason I can't give it longer.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

TheDude1

You asked for more videos and about the catfish, so here's both. Nothing terribly exciting.


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

How did you embed the video? I tried the other day and couldn't for the life of me figure it out


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

theatermusic87 said:


> How did you embed the video? I tried the other day and couldn't for the life of me figure it out


I just put the url in the post. Its important to use the full youtube url and not the shortened youtu.be that youtube likes to give.

The glass overflow is in, and its great. Pics later when the lights come on.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

These are my bosemani rainbows in QT. Sold as 2 males and 3 females, but I'm starting to wonder if some females were just stressed males? ( Now thinking I should have taken more than 7 seconds of video  )

Any opinions?


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

The glass overflow is in, and it looks soooo good!

I have some acrylic I found that I'm using to build a guard out of. Its like half in there atm. 










Bump: If I was to do it again, I would use black silicone as the "clear" lights up with the LED lights, but I still like it.


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

Wow... that looks killer. That's an awesome tank. You've created tremendous depth and scale. And that new overflow looks fantastic. Well done


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

I've been unhappy with the flow distribution in the tank with the spray bar. If I point it towards the overflow, some of the waste stops right against the glass under the spray bar, on the sand. If I point it down, the waste goes over the overflow, but the sand eventually gets pushed away. I'll be experimenting with different ideas with pvc. With the amount of flow I have in this tank, there should be plenty to keep the "crud" suspended ( and thus going over the overflow ) if I can figure out a better inflow. I shouldn't need powerheads in this tank.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

About 4 months ago I found two 6ftx3ft 3/8in pieces of acrylic out at the road. They have a series of holes drilled in them about 8 inches apart, but other than that they're in perfect shape. I knew they would be useful and brought them home.

This is the second aquarium project I've built out of them. It is made of 3 interlocking pieces that fit inside the overflow. I'll try to show you how that works later. The teeth stick up about 3/4 of an inch above the overflow. There is a spacer between the toothed divider and the overflow, which means no loss of surface skimming and no water noises are made.

If any fish can somehow make it past this, I'll be amazed.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Here's what it looks like from above.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)




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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

With the water change day yesterday, today I added the 5 Bosemani Rainbows. I am concerned about Giant Danios. They're doing an awful lot of chasing of the rainbows. I'm not sure if they're establishing their new pecking order, or if I need to allow the rainbows to grow out first. The danios are about twice that size of the rainbows currently.

Perhaps @Greggz would be kind enough to weigh in?


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

vanish said:


> With the water change day yesterday, today I added the 5 Bosemani Rainbows. I am concerned about Giant Danios. They're doing an awful lot of chasing of the rainbows. I'm not sure if they're establishing their new pecking order, or if I need to allow the rainbows to grow out first. The danios are about twice that size of the rainbows currently.
> 
> Perhaps @Greggz would be kind enough to weigh in?


Hey Vanish first of all I have been checking in on your thread, and the tank is looking very good. I like the whole feel you are creating there, and like the reboot.

It's funny you asked about Danios with Rainbows. I had an experience with them once, but it was short lived.

Many, many years ago on impulse I bought some Danios and put them into my Rainbow tank. They were extremely active, and chased the Bows all over the place. These were full grown Bows. That lasted two days and I took them back. 

For me, their behavior didn't fit with the mood I was trying to create with the Rainbows. They were just too active in an otherwise very peaceful environment. 

Now could it have worked out? Maybe. I just saw right away it wasn't what I was shooting for. 

But that's just me and my taste. I know lots of people love Danios, but they weren't for me.

And I realize I didn't give it much of a chance, so maybe your experience will be different.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Greggz said:


> Hey Vanish first of all I have been checking in on your thread, and the tank is looking very good. I like the whole feel you are creating there, and like the reboot.


Thanks! Aquariums really do look much better when you give them love!  After last nights trimming and cleanup its looking even better still.

There's still some chasing going on, but it has definitely reduced throughout the day. There are times when I think the male 'bows are intentionally egging on the danios. They'll swim out where the danios hang, flash their fins at the danios, and then swim off as they get the danios attention, then they do some circles around the outflow piping until the danios get distracted by something else.

I like the giant danios in here - its not a placid environment like yours . I used to have about a dozen of them but lost half of them for various reasons and wanted to try something different rather than bumping up the school again. The Bosemani's are also blue/orange and should get to a similar size so I was hoping they might school together, while still looking different.

I just don't want this to be an expensive mistake. :surprise:


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

When the lights went off, the chasing stopped almost completely. I went down this morning and turned the mood lighting on and watched for a few minutes - no chasing. Hooray!

Now one thing bewildered me. There was one rainbow swimming in the overflow. How on earth? There's one 1/2" gap on the far side where I broke a tooth while cutting that he must have gotten through. I'll have to glue in a blocker there. He was totally ok though, just swimming there watching the others.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)




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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Well crudbuckets. I went away for the weekend and came home to only one surviving rainbow. I don't think I'm going to replace the others at this time. I think they were just too small for this tank with the full size giant danios. Oddly, they don't seem to be paying any attention to the last rainbow. That was an expensive lesson ... They sure are pretty fish, though!

In better news, the additional clown loaches have settled in and colored up again.


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

vanish said:


> Well crudbuckets. I went away for the weekend and came home to only one surviving rainbow. I don't think I'm going to replace the others at this time. I think they were just too small for this tank with the full size giant danios. Oddly, they don't seem to be paying any attention to the last rainbow. That was an expensive lesson ... They sure are pretty fish, though!
> 
> In better news, the additional clown loaches have settled in and colored up again.


I'm really sorry to hear that, and a little surprised. Were the Danios hounding them that much? Or do you think it could have been something else? Little Bows are usually pretty tough.


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

That is a tough break. The Boesemani are one of my favorites, they are stunning in a tank.

The Clowns look like they are having a grand time together!!!


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## The Dude1 (Jun 17, 2016)

I second Greggz... I can't imagine anything putting that kind of pressure on Rainbows... they are the most resilient fish I have ever kept. With the exception of the blue eyes and Celebes I don't know that I've ever lost one due to anything short of a total tank disaster in which every fish died. That's a shame. They are so gorgeous as they age. They are prettier every day.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Its possible that they just decided to explore and my oh-so-clever weir failed on fish this small, rather than them being injured before they wound up in the overflow. I could see them getting stuck in the gap and panicking. None of my other fish could possibly wind up in the overflow at this point, but they were small enough to slip through the gap.

The occupants are much more placid when I'm not standing by the tank. I'll have to try to get rig a video when I'm not in the room.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

The fish love the DIY food. However, they go so crazy for it that they've manager to push some of the hardscape around. I've got bit of a berm break on the island where the wood extends onto the sand! That's going to be "fun" to clean up!

I added a wide angle light in the middle of the bar to even out the lighting in the upper half of the water column. I'm going to try a couple wide angle LEDs up there soon. Since they light won't penetrate to the bottom, I'm not expecting algae problems like when I had more than two spotlights.

I feel like this tank is "missing something" when it comes to plants, but I haven't been able to put my finger on what. I don't want to fill in the substrate with plants as the catfish need their hiding spots. Anubias seems to do quite well, so I may pick up some more of the larger varieties.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Put in a third bulb again.

As one of my bulbs is starting to have a couple diodes die, I'm experimenting with another par38 LED bulb. This one has some red LEDs. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MCZ63VC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It has a bit of frosting on the protective glass, which I'm not sure I like. The angle is a bit wider, but actually better for me. It does not penetrate quite as deep. Looking at the bulb, my eyes say its not quite as bright (it _is_ 24 watts instead of 26 watts) but looking at the tank from my desk it looks just as bright. The spectrum difference is noticeable, but I'm not sure which I prefer.

Light is fun.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Wow, you can really see the difference in spectrum when you muck up the tank water by playing in the sump. Looks like I need to work on my mechanical filtration.


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## Williak (Jun 26, 2012)

Looking good dude, happy I checked out your aquarium! I've been considering redoing my 80 and changing it out for white sand and rocks, as opposed to the dark sand and driftwood. Indecisive as hell all the time lol

I'll keep any eye on this one!


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

Williak said:


> Looking good dude, happy I checked out your aquarium! I've been considering redoing my 80 and changing it out for white sand and rocks, as opposed to the dark sand and driftwood.


Thanks! As far as _looks_ of the substrate, this is my favorite of my three aquariums (white sand/safe-t-sorb, straight safe-t-sorb, black diamond blasting sand). I was able to keep the Safe-T-Sorb and white sand separate for a long time, but once they get mixed, oh boy what a pain. It wouldn't be so bad to sift it if the tank wasn't so tall.

One day, I want to try a shallow aquarium with white sand, white background, shadowbox lighting, dark rocks and Sterbai corydoras.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)

I rescaped this tank about 4 months ago. Right now I'm in the middle of a water change / cleaning, so it should look better in another day. Slowly building up a stock of Boesemani, Australian and Turquoise rainbows as the Giant Danios are aging out. The rainbows need to be at least 3 inches long to go in here otherwise the pictus hunt them, so I am growing them out in my 90g.

Stocking list, assuming all the rainbows make it:

6F/4M Boesemani Rainbows (6 are Lake Aytinjo strain)
7 Australian Rainbows ( not sure how to sex these )
3F/3M Turquoise Rainbows
2 Giant Danios
4 Clown Loaches
3 Pictus Catfish
2 Upside Down Catfish
1 African Featherfin

About a week ago, I swapped the DIY lightbar out for a DA FSPEC Beamswork I had when I found a replacement power supply for it on fleabay. I have to say, they fish look much better and I'm not missing the spotlighting, though I do miss the shimmer some. Downside, I can see the algae and paint spots on the back glass way better now. 😂

I have some black PVC coming to replace the unsightly inflow.

The plants survive but don't thrive in here. Mostly windelov java fern and Crypt Pontederiifolia, with a couple anubias. Curious to see how they do with the light swap.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Really glad to see you're sticking kicking with your tanks. But even more glad to see your new island-like scape with lava rock. It's great as it is but is going to be even more great once everything grows in.


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## sadchevy (Jun 15, 2013)

I really like your tank setup. I feel your pain for doing any kind of maintenance in it. I have one and It's ear deep to reach the bottom. I have a few rainbows, 2 BN, and a pair of convicts with about 16 babies in mine. They keep uprooting the 3 large anubias I have in there.


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## vanish (Apr 21, 2014)




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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

It looks beautiful!


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