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"Disaster" or a new dawn?

foxfish

foxfish

Member
Joined
11 Oct 2009
Messages
5,296
Location
Guernsey
Remember this...
plant22.jpg
Well last Saturday I noticed this....
t1.jpg
I built the tank about 12 years ago & it operated as a reef tank for about three years, since then the tank has been a freshwater plant tank. So I guesse a leak was always a possibility however definitely not welcome! :shock:
Only one choice then....
t7.jpg
:shock:
Well under the circumstances of a bank holiday weekend, live fish & a leaking tank - I had to make radical decisions.
The tank has always had a sump so I moved the live stock into the sump & simply fed the the return pipe down the overflow so as to keep the filter bacteria alive. 🙂
t6.jpg

I decided on a completely new scape but, wanted to try & introduce the C02 in a different way - from the bottom of the tank!
t2-1.jpg
I also decided to use pots in my display!
t3.jpg
I manged to get some pebbles from the beach but not enough to complete the scape however it was a very busy weekend :?
To be continued........
t5.jpg
t4.jpg
 
Ouch shame about the leak. Im liking the new look though. How is the new way working out with the co2 ?

One thing i did now know was that you could use pebbles from the beach, i live right next to the beach aswell !

Do you have to do anything to the stones before using them ?

Cheers
LP
 
Thanks - yes stones from the beach as long as they are not of a porous nature & above the normal high tide mark, they just need a rinse.
I dont really want to disturb the plants anymore than necessary just at the moment but, I hope to get a better shape as the the scape develops.
If time allows this coming weekend I will install an external pump to replace the internal koralia & collect some more smaller pebbles.
We will see if the pot idea works out, if I can successfully remove the individual pot for maintenance that will will great 😀 It also means I can swap around the planting format....
 
I love to see someone doing something original 🙂
This has a unique take on not just the hardware but the layout too.

The cobbles make the scape look like a framed picture inside the tank to me.
and easier for maintenance too.

Great work :clap:

I will be interested to hear feedback on how the flow\co2 distribution works out with this design over the coming weeks\months.
 
Very original and I enjoy the simplicity in the scape but it definatly a winner. Well done!
 
Thanks, it was a very busy few days as I was not prepared & to be honest I would of preferred black pebbles only.
The tray is actually sitting on the bottom of the tank & the perforated sheet has been cut around the tray.
The tray has large drainage holes as do the pots that fit into the tray, I hope the EI water will flow under, around & through the pots & will supply the roots with nutrients hence the inert cat litter.
Tonight will be the first time of full gas & lights so I will see if we get any pearling...
 
The pots should work ok, I used pots on my tanks previously.

Only one issue, the roots would soon migrate to other pots, and when you take one pot the rest would come out. 🙂 Crypts on pots are the worse for root mess. 🙂
 
Good point Luis, I guess cutting the excess roots away as you take the pot out is the easiest way around it.
 
UP atomizer

Had a look over the past few pages, good read and some really interesting design and equipment. The moss overflow looks really cool mate. Shame about the leak, but its turned out quite well aye 🙂 and this new design is quite smart, I like the idea of the potted plants, nice and original 🙂

Cheers for sharing
 
I really fancied a more minimalist design, possibly using only one specimen plant & single colour pebbles, perhaps it might develop this way?
I was looking at a single vase of yellow roses in an alcove the other day & thought how nice it looked - simple & neatly framed..... :?
 
Bob, the flow comes from the pump (pictured) that is situated below the tank in a 10 gallon sump.
The water flows from the pump up to the pipework under the pebbles & then overflows back to the sump, this feeds C02 enriched water to the base of the tank via an UP anatomiser fitted just in front of the pump.
The two fitting on the side are not yet connected but one will draw water into a external circulating pump (same as the sump pupm) & return water into the other fitting.
This I hope, will cause a low down circular movement within the tank & further distribute the rising C02 enriched water flow!
 
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