'The Full Monty' Has Left The Building last photos

[tim]

Hope it arrived safely, looking forward to following this

 

[Edvet]

Looks like it crashed , and he's devastated................

 

[Alje]

Nah his misses saw the invoice when it was delivered and battered him

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Ooooh the suspense...nothing like a bit of drama...is there...

Sorry to keep you all waiting and wondering...It has arrived...safe and sound...later than expected but safe and sound never-the-less...and it looks absolutely brilliant even when its empty...

Problem was there was a little matter of a visit to see my new grandson...'Jake' who has the amazing ability to demand everyone's attention even though he's only three months old. So, pictures and update got second priority...

To be continued...

 

[Greenfinger2]

Hi Redstevo, Great thread Had me giggling Looking forward to the scape now

 

[Edvet]

Grats on the little attentionseeker!!

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Thanks guys...if there is one thing that makes my missus go all soft and gooey it's our grandson...me too if I'm honest.

Lot's more pics and updates to come...

 

[ADA]

Sub'd

 

[Lindy]

Fantastic journal, making me chuckle. Keep up the good work. Btw' loved the cardboard 'mock up' that was inspired.

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Thanks guys...I am sitting here on pins and needles...my wife is off tomorrow evening visiting family abroad for ten days...which gives me the time and space to get cracking...

I hope to start this on Thursday afternoonish and keep working on it until Sunday night...or when ever it is finished...

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Update from Sunday...

Well the Eheim Incpiria 400 litre aquarium was picked up from The Abyss Aquatic Warehouse in Stockport at around 11:30 ish and was delivered to my house at about 13:45 hours. My thanks to Jordan and his helpers from New Aqua who are based in Manchester. Jordan's company is a maintenance, design and installation firm for everything aquatic from ponds to aquariums. Cheers Jordan!

Also thanks to Owain, Dan, Sean, Mark and Ann Marie from the Abyss for their patience with my pestering!

Well Thursday afternoon has come and gone...just got back from Manchester Airport...





The love of my life has gone to visit her family abroad and now the work begins. I have not been wasting my time though...I've been out looking for my substrate and some wood for my hardscape...and I think I've found the mother-lode...



Surely there must be some around here...



This looks promising...how big is my tank again...?



Seriously though...there was only one place I was going to get what I was after...it was time to go and see my old mate Jim at the Green Machine in Wrexham...

Plenty to choose from here...



And here...



Here are some bits of Hornwood and rock I put to one side...



Jim even let me have a play in his sandpit...



I played around getting some rough ideas on how I was going to lay things out...



Then Jim decided he wanted to play as well...



Then I must have said something funny...



Jim eventually looking proud of his achievements in the sandpit...not...




Several hours later I piled together a few large pieces of Hornwood, about 20 kgs of rock, a large bag of ADA Powersand Special (L), several large bags of Amazonia Aqua soil, likewise of the Amazonia Powder, some Penac (W), and several bags of La Planta Sand and Sarawak sand. I probably took more than I needed to be honest, but as Jim says there is nothing worse than being in the middle of an aquascape at 2am in the morning and you run out of something...you finish up pacing about like a caged tiger waiting for the place to open again so you can go back and get it.

Jim has kindly agreed that any rock, wood or soil that is not used, he is happy to take back for a full refund...how good is that...

Any way we piled the stuff up in the middle of the room and I made my way to the till...

I can't quite remember all the details of what happened next...it was all a bit of a blur...I came over sort of all dizzy...my mind is a complete blank...never mind I'm sure it will come back to me...

Tomorrow I will begin with all the fun stuff...like putting the backing on the aquarium while I can still move it away from the wall...until then here are a few pictures of the Eheim Incpiria 400 Litre aquarium and the cabinet...

This is not just an ordinary kitchen style cabinet...this is an M&S Eheim Cabinet...it weighs a ton almost as heavy as the aquarium so it has to be reinforced with all kinds to support the weight...



The quality is superb...







A close up of the feet... two at either end and two in the centre...they measure roughly two inches square by three quarters of an inch deep...



These are the holes viewed from underneath inside the cabinet...one is for an internal water inlet pipe which I have had capped off, the other is for all the pipe work and cables to go up the dry weir so they are hidden...



Reinforced inside...



A picture of the dry weir...it measures 20 cm x 12 cm and is made of black glass, so when I put the black backing on the back of the tank it will hardly be noticeable...



Now that the aquarium is home I have taken some other photos which are better than the one above...

The dry weir looking good...



End view from dining room end...hey I can still see my tele while I'm having my dinner...



Still got the protective wrapping on the cabinet...



Top view of the smoked black glass sliding lids which glide along so smoothly...



Some goodies inside here...like the Eheim 600T Thermal filter...I am going to have this running alongside my Eheim Professional Two filter from my old setup with the Trigon...this one will be connected up to my Co2 injection system going through an inline diffuser from JBL.





It is going to be a busy few days from tomorrow...
Meanwhile here are a few photos of some of my goodies that are ready and waiting to go tomorrow...

Stuff stashed away ready to be used...

My Substrates...



Some of my rock...



Some of the Hornwood...





Some goodies inside here...



And here...



All the stuff I never threw out or sold when I sold my Trigon...



The black inlet and outlet pipes for the filters...


Well that's about it for now...more updates to come over the next few days...

One question is still bugging me...whether to use the La Planta and Sarawak sand and have an un-planted open space at the front and sides...or just go for a complete coverage of Amazonia from front to back and full width...any views welcomed...

Thanks...

Steve.

 

[Lindy]

If the glass sliders are smoked glass doesn't that reduce the amount of light that will get through?

 

[Edvet]

I guess the lights are under it

 

[Alastair]

That alorra substrate

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[Iain Sutherland]

Good day for TGM! Pretty sure you won't run out of substrate... Wowzers!

 

[REDSTEVEO]

If the glass sliders are smoked glass doesn't that reduce the amount of light that will get through?

Sorry...Yes I should have pointed that out...the smoked glass sliders are on the top. The two light units each with 2 x 54 watt T5's sit underneath...[DOUBLEPOST=1406814458][/DOUBLEPOST]

That alorra substrate

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Yes...I did go a bit over the top...but I would rather have a couple of bags over than be a few bags short at 2am in the morning...plus Jim has agreed to take any full bags back for a full refund which is nice of him...[DOUBLEPOST=1406814666][/DOUBLEPOST]Well just got back from work and the clock is ticking...between now and Sunday night I want to get the backing on the tank, get my substrate in, the rocks and wood, sand sorted...still not sure about the un-planted section at the front and sides using Sarawak and La Planta sand...any views?

Must dash lots to do...updates and photos later as I go along...

 

[Greenfinger2]

Hi Redstevo, Super set up This is going to be an epic Scape

 

[REDSTEVEO]

Thanks very much Greenfinger2...I certainly hope so...I've just been washing off the rocks and the wood and the colour change is awesome!!

I also just had a play around with the lights...gobsmackingly good...I am totally impressed with the Eheim build quality and the attention to detail...

Just having a cup of tea to steady my nerves before putting the backing on the tank...I hate that job...using JBL Fixol to get a good contact I hope it works...

 

[Ady34]

Looks like a great set up.
I personally would go with a sand foreground, will look nice crisp and clean to match that impeccable white cabinet . You'll have to keep it that way though choose whichever you feel compliments the stone best
Cheerio
Ady

 

[R.W.]

Looking great so far. Creating the hardscape is my favourite part of setting up a new tank.