# 1000+



## Yo-han (4 May 2014)

I bought a new house a few weeks ago and leaving my rental appartment on the 4th floor in a month, so finally time for a bigger tank! 

*The tank:*

Here is the thread from my current 400L tank: http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/dutch-nature-style.27848/

A few things I wanted to do different than my previous tank. First of all, I no longer wanted an open tank. I love the look, but I didn't liked the fact that I lost a few fish and am limited in the species of fish I could pick. Another thing why I want my new tank to be closed is that with such a large tank, I get too much evaporation. And third, I wanted it opti-white!

I don't like a standard hood either so the cabinet will go all the way up to the ceiling. Something like these aquaria from Oliver Knott, but no see-through:









Mine will be in a corner in front of an 195 cm wall. So will be 195 cm long. The depth is still an ongoing battle with the misses. I want at least 80 cm, but she wants it to be 60 cm as max. The height can be as much as I want, but for easy maintenance I want a max of 65 cm. I'm no small guy, but my arms can only reach so far So it probably will be 195 x 80 x 65 cm. It will be viewable from the front and left side.

I tried making some Google Sketchup renderings, which wasn't easy, but here they are:
The two door version:




Three door version:





*Filtration:*

I want a sump. I want the flexibility and want to play more with filter media (if Niko ain't replying on this one someone call an ambulance) And I would love to have the sump in the room behind the wall. This will make maintenance easier and also make the tank more silent. But off course, this means drilling some rather large holes in the wall. So maybe it will be placed in the cabinet, not sure yet.

The pump I picked as a Jebao DC 12000. I picked this one because I know people who used it for their reef tanks and it is very silent. It does 12000 L/h and is electronically adjustable. After taking the head pressure into account, it will leave me with a nice 10x flow but could be tuned down if needed.
The overflow will be a bean animal style overflow with the entire depth of the tank as an overflow, see rendering:




Sump in the room behind the aquarium:



*
Lighting:*
The lighting I'll be using will be the same from my 400L. This is a dimmable 6x54W T5HO. But this is only 120 cm  so I'll probably supplement it on the sides. Not sure how, but I was thinking about the LED floodlights. A 20W 6500K on either side will probable look good, but perhaps someone with experience with these lights can chip in

*

Rest of the equipment:*
UV and CO2 off course. Probably in a closed loop on the sump with my Aqua Medic reactor. 3-4 heaters in the sump, to prevent overheating if one breaks and to prevent under cooling if one breaks. Since working in an lfs I've seen so many tanks being destroyed by overheating or undercooling (more of a problem with reef tanks), when only one heater was used. Perhaps I setup my dosing pump again, not sure yet.*

Inside the tank:

L*ots of wood with ferns and mosses. Stems on the back and low plants in the front. Sand in front and aquasoil in the back. Separated by stones and plants. Working in an lfs, I certainly will be visiting the wholesale where we get our hardscape from!

 The fish will be the same as I have now, perhaps some bigger schools (now around 20-25 per species), and I'll add a small school (of about 12-15 fish) of one bit larger fish. Always loved denisonii's, but I've seen them grow to 15-18cm which I find a bit large for my tank, but not sure yet. Another beautifull fish would be _Dawkinsia rohani_, but these will be hard to find:




We have some beautiful altums in one of our showtanks at work as well


Anyway, you get the picture, if someone thinks he knows a better fish, please do tell.

Not sure when the tank will be setup, but as fast as possible


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## Deano3 (4 May 2014)

oh this is very interesting and will be great to see develop best of luck and keep pics coming and progress


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## Yo-han (4 May 2014)

Thanks! But this won't be up any soon. I first need to get the key, paint the house and move everything. After that I go to Malaysia for a month (perhaps find some nice Crypto's and Bucephalandra's for the tank). If there is any money left I start with the tank right away, otherwise it will go a bit slower. Either way, I'll get the tank!


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## kirk (4 May 2014)

I like your vision.I certainly prefer the white to the wood effect. I don't think I could live with all that cabinet unless it was a see through tank as a room divider. Cheers kirk.


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## Yo-han (4 May 2014)

kirk said:


> I like your vision.I certainly prefer the white to the wood effect. I don't think I could live with all that cabinet unless it was a see through tank as a room divider. Cheers kirk.



Now you sound like my girlfriend

But what do you mean with 'white to the wood effect'?


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## kirk (4 May 2014)

Nice to know your girlfriend knows what she is talking about.    white / wood effect I was on about the finish of the cabinet.     white looks fresh and if you had a big enough kitchen/dinner and plumbed in properly it would look awsome as a feature when dining.  Now the wood...... I'd say office at work as it's,dark but that's my opinion/ taste. Cheers kirk.


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## Yo-han (4 May 2014)

Aahh, like that, I was thinking about the wood inside the aquarium. But the cabinet will most probably be white indeed. Although I think a nice kind of wood would be nice as well. But white makes it look less massive, so most likely go for that. The picture were just to display the style of the aquarium


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## Mark Green (4 May 2014)

This is going to look great. The cabinet Oliver Knott has used will be a great idea and in white will make this your show piece.hey good look with the move you must be a happy man moving from rented to owning.

Looking forward to up dates in the future.....

Are you entering iaplc this year?


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## Yo-han (4 May 2014)

Not with my current tank or the new. Maybe with one on my work (lfs)


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## foxfish (4 May 2014)

If you can house the sump behind the tank then you don't want it on the floor, raise it up to tank level and avoid all the inherent problems that go with an under tank sump!


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## Yo-han (4 May 2014)

foxfish said:


> If you can house the sump behind the tank then you don't want it on the floor, raise it up to tank level and avoid all the inherent problems that go with an under tank sump!



This is the idea indeed, but thanks for the tip, in the rendering it is on the floor indeed. I want a bulkhead through the bottom of the sump as well to easily empty it. And when it is a little higher I can vacuum the bottom easier as well.

Are their any other (better off course) solutions for heating large tanks, or are 4 heaters the safest thing to do?

And anyone experience with LED floodlight? Do you think a 20W is enough to light 80x40 floor area with say 60 cm of water?


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## NC10 (5 May 2014)

Looking forward to this one, good luck and all the best with it. 

Things I can see:

Don't mess around with 2/3/4 doors etc If you're going to the levels you are with this, you want a nice clean line, no interruptions. It would be a shame to distract from the overall look because of some gaps or lines, especially as you want it white as well. The top part hiding the lights can easily be one piece and just hinged at the top. I'd also make the bottom part one piece as well. It can simply be attached using magnetic catches, hidden slots or even Velcro for example, but would keep the look of it and also allow full access underneath without doors getting in the way. It's just a case of taking it off and leaning it against the nearest wall when you're doing anything underneath.

Sump: If you set the overflow up right and pick the right option it shouldn't really be a problem regarding noise going to a sump positioned beneath the tank. Obviously there's going to be some slight background noise, but not like the Niagara falls. What room will you be connecting to? Is it really worth wasting this room for the sake of a sump? If it's the garage or utility etc then fair enough, if it's another bedroom/study/living room etc it's not worth spoiling or wasting it. Plus all the extra work involved. The pump you intend on using is also pretty err massive  What if that one pump you have running the entire system fails? You don't need the 10x flow all going through the sump. Use a smaller pump for the sump and set additional flow up by using a CLS or powerheads etc Aim for the smallest overflow pipe you can get away with as well and don't think bigger is better 

Lighting: I can't see you needing any supplemental lighting, just stagger the existing lighting that you're using.

Heating: You're only going to need two decent heaters really IMO 2x 300w eheims for example. Maybe 1 small backup in the display tank if you can hide it well enough?

Height: I'll have to agree with your better half  Obviously maintenance and planting will be a whole lot easier the smaller you go, especially because of the depth (width) as well, but going lower will also make the tank appear wider. Something I aim to do in the future, low and wide, but that's purely personal choice, you may like it high and narrow? 

Co2: You must know about increased Co2 loss using sumps, but IMO is easily overcome. The only possible way for Co2 to escape any worse than a normal tank is through the pipework. A small thin layer of water flowing through the pipes is going to have a massive gas exchange, good or bad depending on your aim, oxygen vs Co2. Going for smaller pipework lessens not only the noise, but the gas exchange as well. A smaller fuller pipe, or a bigger less fuller pipe lol You'll be having a closed top on the display tank, so having cover glass on the sump will also minimise any loss.

As I've already said, I'm liking the way you're heading with this and look forward to seeing it grow. Good luck mate


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## Yo-han (5 May 2014)

I really really appreciate you taking the time to answer this in such length!



NC10 said:


> Don't mess around with 2/3/4 doors etc



Well, if the sump ain't gonna be in there, it need to be usable space to put games or a dining set. I think a 2 meter panel isn't very practical. So I definetely go with doors on the bottom half.



NC10 said:


> The top part hiding the lights can easily be one piece and just hinged at the top.



I think this is a great suggestion. I always think too symmetrical



NC10 said:


> If you set the overflow up right and pick the right option it shouldn't really be a problem regarding noise going to a sump positioned beneath the tank.



Well, if I go for the wet/dry it will sound like the niagra falls But the main noise I was talking about was the two pumps itself. I just want it to be as silent as possible. The room behind it is indeed a utility/washing/storing room. And all space it takes there I get back underneath the aquarium. So not really a wast IMO.



NC10 said:


> Use a smaller pump for the sump and set additional flow up by using a CLS or powerheads etc



Well, I know I don't need the 10x flow in the sump and your suggestion was the original idea. But I simple want nothing in the main tank except 1 or 2 return pipes. Power outages are rare here and usually take only a few hours. In a worst case scenario I aerate the sump with a battery driven air pump, and thats it Or am I missing something?



NC10 said:


> Lighting: I can't see you needing any supplemental lighting, just stagger the existing lighting that you're using.



It is one 6 bulb hood, I can't stagger anything. I can raise it and I will, but will the sides be too dark? And if so, how many extra light do I need?



NC10 said:


> Height: I'll have to agree with your better half  Obviously maintenance and planting will be a whole lot easier the smaller you go, especially because of the depth (width) as well, but going lower will also make the tank appear wider. Something I aim to do in the future, low and wide, but that's purely personal choice, you may like it high and narrow?



I love that as well, and I'm setting up a paludarium as well, with the water part low and long. But this will be a river biotope. For this tank I love the height And the height was not the problem of my better half. It was the fact that it takes up too muc of the living room. But I won that battle, so no problem there

About the CO2, I've free CO2, so not really a problem, but will make the sump closed so I don't need to swap bottles constantly

Thank you very much again!


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## foxfish (5 May 2014)

I will draw you a diagram if I have time at home later but, if you can house the filter behind the tank there are lots of benefits apart from loosing gas down the overflow!
As long as you have easy access, some of the key issues would be ... no actual overflow box, very easy & assessable maintenance, daily removal of solids in just seconds & a silent sealed tickle tower.


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## Yo-han (5 May 2014)

foxfish said:


> I will draw you a diagram if I have time at home later but, if you can house the filter behind the tank there are lots of benefits apart from loosing gas down the overflow!
> As long as you have easy access, some of the key issues would be ... no actual overflow box, very easy & assessable maintenance, daily removal of solids in just seconds & a silent sealed tickle tower.



Now you got my attention looking forward!


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## NC10 (5 May 2014)

Yo-han said:


> I really really appreciate you taking the time to answer this in such length!



That's ok mate.It seems you've thought it all through well anyway.

If your adamant on putting 10x through the sump, I would really go with 2 smaller pumps then. It's not just power outages, what if the actual pump fails, or if you need to do maintenance on the pump? What if you can't get a spare part for a few days for some reason? You know what I'm getting at anyway. Not only is the one pump providing all your mechanical and biological filtration, but also the entire flow around the main tank as well. If this was out long term, it's not going to be very good


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## Yo-han (5 May 2014)

I was thinking of just buying two for that reason

But if just the pump fails I can keep the sump alive with a small circulation pump and have a 5000 L/u streamer to keep the main tank alive. Not really worried about it, but would be risky indeed.

With a spare 12000, would you still go for 2 X 6000 (remember they are all adjustable to about a quarter of that flow).


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## foxfish (5 May 2014)

I have just sketched this & taken a pic on my phone but it might give you an idea or two.
Basically the sump is in fact more of a reservoir so there is no co2 lose down the overflow.
The pumps will be self priming & the removable sieve catches 99% of the solids that can then be completely removed every day.
The sealed trickle tower is independent & can be kept running during water changes.
I have built many such systems from huge koi filters, reef tanks & of course my own planted tank.


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## Yo-han (6 May 2014)

Needed to look twice to get the picture. At first I thought it was only the sump you've drawn. But the right side is the sideview from the tank, am I right? But this means making a huge hole in the wall behind it to make room for the overflow. Not very practical in my case, but sure is a good design for a pond.


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## foxfish (6 May 2014)

A huge hole?
Depending on flow, you would probably need 150mm x 30mm deep slot cut in the glass rear panel.
The point is have the sump water level at the same height as the tank water level, this can be achieved with round pipe & a shallow overflow box as well.


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## Yo-han (6 May 2014)

I'm sorry, but to make it really silent the hole needs to be too big for my liking. But I'll certainly use your idea to add a waste water bulkhead in the bottom of the sump!


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## Yo-han (14 May 2014)

Quite busy preparing everything for moving, but somehow I did find time to make this schematic drawing:






I don't know whether it would make a difference, but would you use one 12000L/h pump or two 6000 L/h pump? Either way I'm ordering one extra just in case one breaks down, but why would either option be better?


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## Edvet (14 May 2014)

Why UV?
Why pH controler?


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## Yo-han (14 May 2014)

Edvet said:


> Why UV?



The UV is because I have one I once bought one, because of a green water explosion. It's almost never on right now, but I'll install it on the next tank as well, just in case! (And maybe for organics control as well...)



Edvet said:


> Why pH controler?



The pH controller is more like a safety feature after losing lots of amano shrimps two times due to 'end-of-tank-dump'. Now if the CO2 runs too hard (EOT-dump), the pH controller shut off the CO2. I also think it gives me more steady CO2 values during the day as long as my KH isn't changing. I do not use the number on the screen for adjusting or anything, but 'I feel' this way my CO2 system is the most stable and safe there is. There is a second magnet valve on the regulator on the bottle to shut off CO2 at night. So this is the way I use it right now. If the KH would fluctuate, I would set the pH a little lower. That way it runs just like a CO2 unit without pH controller (KH independent), but it still prevents an EOT-dump


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## NC10 (14 May 2014)

Yo-han said:


> The UV is because I have one I once bought one, because of a green water explosion. It's almost never on right now, but I'll install it on the next tank as well, just in case! (And maybe for organics control as well...)



I've got a UV to add to mine, mainly to kill parasites etc 

I lost a few dwarf cichlids in my old tank due to parasites, preventions better than the cure. The cure not working anyway in this case 

It needs to be run slowly though for this, and not like you'd run it for algae.

RE the pumps, I'd personally opt for 2. I know you're getting a back up, but if you're out for the day or weekend for example, the system will still be fine with no need to worry. The back up will only work when you actually notice it and install it, obviously.

I thought of something the other day as well, for my own system. I don't know how you're intending on plugging them in or wiring them up, but put each pump on a different circuit or extension. That way, if say the heater tripped or blew a fuse etc on one, the other pump would still continue to run, hopefully minimising any major catastrophes.


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## Yo-han (14 May 2014)

NC10 said:


> It needs to be run slowly though for this, and not like you'd run it for algae.



I know, it's not meant for killing diseases, I plan on quarantaining all fish this time! Learned my lessons with Camelanus! Lost a few beautiful dwarfs as well.



NC10 said:


> I don't know how you're intending on plugging them in or wiring them up, but put each pump on a different circuit or extension.



Wow, thats a great idea! I'll see whether that is possible


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## NC10 (14 May 2014)

Yo-han said:


> I know, it's not meant for killing diseases, I plan on quarantaining all fish this time! Learned my lessons with Camelanus! Lost a few beautiful dwarfs as well.



I know you know 

If you're running it anyway though, you may as well just run it slow. Unless you get green water then just turn it up.


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## Yo-han (23 May 2014)

For those interested, this is the sump design I came up with:




Filtersocks for mechanical filtration, Red-X filtermat for mechanical and biological (easy to clean) and Superbio (sintered glass) for biological. The CO2 and UV will most likely be plumbed into a bypass on one of the main pumps instead of a separate pumps like in the drawing.

Superbio:




Air will be ran at night to improve filtration and purigen will be added to polish the water.

Please comment!


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## Edvet (23 May 2014)

Hou does the water get into the filtersocks?


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## sciencefiction (23 May 2014)

Looks like an exciting project. I'll be watching with interest.


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## Yo-han (23 May 2014)

Edvet said:


> Hou does the water get into the filtersocks?



It flows over the first separator and into the socks. There is a small border at the end to prevent the water from flowing on and not passing through the socks. Off course not all the way up in case the filtersocks get clogged.

This way I can use more socks (clean them less often) and they are more easy accessible compared to using them below the overflow pipes!


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## Yo-han (23 May 2014)

sciencefiction said:


> Looks like an exciting project. I'll be watching with interest.



Thanks! I find it interesting as well. But with moving, a trip to Malaysia and everything in between, it will take a while before completed unfortunately.


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## sciencefiction (23 May 2014)

Maybe you can skip the trip to Malaysia  He, he

On a serious note I can almost imagine how much planning and work is involved. I was exhausted setting up my last tank and not looking forward to another one on such a scale. It takes months before you can sit down and relax.


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## Yo-han (23 May 2014)

sciencefiction said:


> Maybe you can skip the trip to Malaysia  He, he
> 
> On a serious note I can almost imagine how much planning and work is involved. I was exhausted setting up my last tank and not looking forward to another one on such a scale. It takes months before you can sit down and relax.



Yes it does, but I feel it is part of the process; the desire to get it and eager is all part of the fun. When I was little I always said that one day I would own a 5m tank. Putting things in perspective, this is probably going to be that tank No way I can house a bigger tank the next 20 years, so this needs to be that dream tank, but on a smaller scale 

Probably the main reason I want it to be 80cm depth is that I don't want it to be higher, and longer is impossible and I at least want 1000L. Call it stupid but it is a border that when I'm not making it that big, I'll probably regret it and always desire a bigger tank. I hope I satisfy that need now


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## sciencefiction (23 May 2014)

There will be some happy fish in there for sure.


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## Yo-han (23 May 2014)

sciencefiction said:


> There will be some happy fish in there for sure.



I sure hope so, and happy plants I know 90% of the fish that will go in there, only the odd fish are open (algae eaters for example)


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## sciencefiction (23 May 2014)

Ha, ha, same with me. If or hopefully when I get a large, large tank I won't need money to spend on fish as I already have the damn clown loaches and a common plec waiting eagerly. I want an immersed plant setup mainly with some low light ferns, anubias, crypts and grasses as submerged.  Though I've got convincing to do to use the spare bedroom for the size I want or move the sofa out of the way


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## NC10 (23 May 2014)

Sump comments 

Not sure you need 4 heaters, but I'd have them in the last chamber anyway. There's no point in them heating the water in the first chamber, when it has to go through all the media losing heat and then being pumped to the tank. Plus, just think of the first section as your dirty chamber and the water getting cleaner as it goes along. The last chamber is obviously cleaner so is were you want all your gadgets & gizmos. You could even add a small heater hidden in the display, just in case.

I think the air is just unnecessary. Even in a normal setup you wouldn't need it, but in a sumped system you definitely won't need any extra oxygen added.

I don't understand why you're using filter socks, it's just a needless expense really. It would be just as easy to layer some cheap pond media in the same chamber to serve the same purpose. If you did go with the socks, depending on what micron you went with, you wouldn't really need the second section of mechanical filtration either.

You've already said you're running the Co2 and UV off the two pumps which is also what I'd do. No need for a third. You have the Co2 sensor in the sump though, I'd put this in the tank. Who cares what's in the sump really? For the same reason, I wouldn't inject the Co2 into the sump either. Just use an inline diffuser after the pump or a diffuser in the tank itself.

I'm not saying I'm right or wrong, but I think you're over thinking/engineering things. Like the section overflowing on to the filter socks for example. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Simple is best 

The water level is way too high too, you need to be running (and planning) the sump just above half full. At least so any water left in the weir if the pumps failed, would still leave you with room to not panic and cause a flood 

Choose to do as you wish with my opinions, at least I've made you think


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## Yo-han (23 May 2014)

NC10 said:


> Sump comments
> 
> Not sure you need 4 heaters, but I'd have them in the last chamber anyway. There's no point in them heating the water in the first chamber, when it has to go through all the media losing heat and then being pumped to the tank. Plus, just think of the first section as your dirty chamber and the water getting cleaner as it goes along. The last chamber is obviously cleaner so is were you want all your gadgets & gizmos. You could even add a small heater hidden in the display, just in case.
> 
> ...



That is why I ask! please share all thoughts.

The idea of the 4 heaters is that if one 'sticks' in the on position (wouldn't be the first) it's not enough to overheat the system. And the other way around, if one breaks down, the others have spare enough to heat the system perhaps too safe, but I prefer to do it right this time! Killing all livestock to safe 5 bucks is not my idea of having a tank. Your the shepard, tend your flock accordingly!

The heaters in the first chamber is mainly because bacteria work harder in warmer water and the last chamber is more likely to run dry (not my biggest problem as turned out, but why shouldn't I place them in the first chamber?

Air is for degassing CO2 and extra oxygen for bacteria makes a huge difference in my current tank! Bacteria work harder when the pH is higher and extra oxygen will help them just as much! Why do you think Amano aerates at night? You can't talk me out of that one;P

The Red-X after the socks is of little mechanical filtration if the socks work. It's more biological and back up mechanical.

The pH probe will be in the overflow of the tank, good idea!

I calculated the extra water in the sump at about 125L. So my drawing shows a flood indeed. Need to redesign that! Thanks for the heads up!


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## NC10 (24 May 2014)

I'm guessing you're running the heaters off a controller? STC-1000 for example. This will be the thing setting the temp, so if one did stick on it wouldn't matter, power would be cut as soon as the controller reached the temp you set. You'd be running them slightly higher then the desired temp anyway, just so they didn't cut out too early.

The difference in temp between the first and last chamber and it causing issues with optimum bacteria is nothing and not worth thinking about. Which cancels my original thought out really, but it still means they're not getting covered in crap being in the last chamber.

With the sheer size of the tank and sump, you'll have more than enough bacteria to cope without extra oxygenation, but if you're not going to be talked out of it, go for it


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## Yo-han (24 May 2014)

It's not only for oxygen, it's also to degas CO2. This way the pH will rise and bacteria work 10 times better. Really, you should try it at your tank. I can see when the hose from the airpump is disconnected just by looking at my tank!


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## NC10 (24 May 2014)

Sorry, I don't understand.

How can you see the bacteria are working better just by looking at the tank?


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## Yo-han (24 May 2014)

The water is more clear. Less cloudy and less tannins. Sometimes the hose from the airpump gets loose and you'll notice within a week.


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## sciencefiction (25 May 2014)

NC10 said:


> Sorry, I don't understand.
> 
> How can you see the bacteria are working better just by looking at the tank?



No algae outbreaks for example and clear water almost as if you've used purigen.


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## Yo-han (21 Jun 2014)

I moved to my new house and placed my old tank back for now. I already bought the pumps (really silent!), LED floodlights (really bright!) and some other stuff for my new tank. The final measurements are 195x70x75, A little high for maintenance, but it will look much more impressive I guess. Time to think about the style/colors of the stand.


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## Yo-han (20 Aug 2014)

I was calculating, the overflow pipe diameter etc. I was wondering, about the return pipes. Each return pipe will get a return pump that pumps max 6000 LPH (1500 GPH). After losing some to head pressure etc. What would be the minimum/ideal pipe diameter for the return pipes?


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## NC10 (20 Aug 2014)

The return pipes will just be set by whatever pump you're using. 

Obviously smaller is going to reduce flow. Going bigger will do something to the pressure I think, I can't remember exactly without trawling through my notes, but sure you'll lose more flow vs head height or something along those lines?? 

Just stick with whatever the pump is designed for anyway 

How are you getting on with this?


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## Yo-han (21 Aug 2014)

Well, I'm still finishing the house after my recent move. I made a separate electric group for the new aquarium so far. Will install cold and hot water and a connection to the sewer next month. After that, make some holes trough the wall between the living room and filterroom. Order the frame and tank, and start building a cabinet around it will hopefully be finished before new year. No hurry, except in my head


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## foxfish (21 Aug 2014)

Yo-han said:


> I was calculating, the overflow pipe diameter etc. I was wondering, about the return pipes. Each return pipe will get a return pump that pumps max 6000 LPH (1500 GPH). After losing some to head pressure etc. What would be the minimum/ideal pipe diameter for the return pipes?


25mm


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## Yo-han (21 Aug 2014)

foxfish said:


> 25mm


And why is it ideal?


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## foxfish (21 Aug 2014)

Because your pumps are rated at 1500gph.
If you want to use hard pluming then any elbows will reduce flow, try to find bends in preference to elbows.
Certain pumps will deal with pressure far more that others, really depends on power rating & impeller design.
No conclusive answer without far more information but 25mm is pretty standard for 1500gph flow rate.


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## Yo-han (21 Aug 2014)

foxfish said:


> Because your pumps are rated at 1500gph.
> If you want to use hard pluming then any elbows will reduce flow, try to find bends in preference to elbows.
> Certain pumps will deal with pressure far more that others, really depends on power rating & impeller design.
> No conclusive answer without far more information but 25mm is pretty standard for 1500gph flow rate.


But would it hurt if I take for example a 100mm pipe (I know, the outflow of the pump is smaller so will be the bottleneck). Would it be better or would it fire backwards?


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## mr. luke (21 Aug 2014)

Dawkinsia rohani or puntius filamentosus or any other similar fish will plough through your plants


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## Yo-han (21 Aug 2014)

mr. luke said:


> Dawkinsia rohani or puntius filamentosus or any other similar fish will plough through your plants


Haha thnx for the heads up! I specially imported them at my lfs. 5 min in the tank the Hygrophila corymbosa (not generally a very eatable plant) was only a twig! So I already found out the hard way 

I did expect them (being a barb) to pick a leaf or two, but this was insane! I fed them really well with bloodworms, tossed a Lobelia in the tank 5 min after feeding, 10 min later it was gone 

So I've a few new options, but not sure which it will be:
- Moenkhausia costae
- Thayeria obliqua
- Bathyaethiops breuseghemi
- Chilodus punctatus
- Kryptopterus bicirrhis


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## dw1305 (22 Aug 2014)

Hi all, 





Yo-han said:


> Chilodus punctatus


I like these, but I've never had a tank large enough to keep a good group of them. I think I've read somewhere that the usual species kept as _C. punctatus_ is actually a closely related one, but I couldn't find the post

Larry Waybright ("Apistomaster") has kept (and bred them?), and he says they are quite effective as "green algae" eaters <http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=26270>.

cheers Darrel


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## Edvet (22 Aug 2014)

I've had those too, didn't strike me as a schooling fish, i don't remember them being a close group, just induviduals here and there.


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## Yo-han (22 Aug 2014)

I know the Kryptopterus are very tight schoolers. But was looking for a little less well known fish, something special


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## Edvet (22 Aug 2014)

All depends on what Ruinemans has


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## Yo-han (22 Aug 2014)

Not really


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## Yo-han (31 Aug 2014)

Today I picked up a sump. It's a Juwel Rio 400. I was designing the exact measurements of the compartments. I was thinking about spacing the baffles 5cm apart. Any idea whether that would be enough on a 50cm width sump with max 10.000 L/h flow? Or can I space them closer to each other? And how much cm does every baffle needs to drop?


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## Yo-han (1 Sep 2014)

Here is what I was thinking so far: 





The two main questions I've are about the spacing of the baffles. And is it possible to calculate the amount of water coming from the main tank when the return pumps stop? Because I do need to make sure it fits in the sump as well!


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## Yo-han (19 Sep 2014)

Makes you wonder to go for an open top tank again...


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## Edvet (19 Sep 2014)

Open means evaporation and jumping livestock! I have my share of both.....


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## Yo-han (19 Sep 2014)

The evaporation I don't really care about, good ventilation helps a lot. But I do mind the occasional dead shrimp or pencil fish on my floor (although  I minimized it to once every 2 months or so). Guess my paludarium 'in-the-make' needs to fill up that gap


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## sciencefiction (19 Sep 2014)

Just out of curiosity but do you fill the tanks up to the brim when you have fish or shrimp jumping? I fill them just 2-3cm below and never had anything jump out in years and years. I do remember fish jumping out when I was a kid but I kept them with no filter then. That was 25+ years ago.
It came across in another thread and I put up an opinion that seemed to sound cocky because the only fish or shrimp that ever jumped out for me was from a net or from a plastic cup I use to catch them with to move them to another tank, and they automatically try to escape. Other than that never. I probably never kept any species of fish that tend to jump maybe.


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## Yo-han (19 Sep 2014)

Yes, it usually happens when I fill the tank to high, but too much CO2 triggers shrimps to set a mass migration in motion too, even 3-4 cm below the edge is no problem!


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## pepedopolous (19 Sep 2014)

I think jumping depends on the species but I've lost (and saved a few) Amano shrimp, Odessa barbs and Vietnamese minnows. Even with a glass cover, fish can jump through the gaps, especially when excited by feeding or spooked by sudden movement or even other fish bullying them. I think Amano's open top tank trend is a curse in this respect and even if you drop the level by 3-4 cm, this is no barrier to a fast swimming fish...


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## dw1305 (20 Sep 2014)

Hi all, 
Floating plants help. I have covers on the tanks, but they aren't always close fitting. The only fish I've lost on a regular basis have been _Copella arnoldi.
_
cheers Darrel


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## parotet (20 Sep 2014)

pepedopolous said:


> I think jumping depends on the species but I've lost (and saved a few) Amano shrimp, Odessa barbs and Vietnamese minnows. Even with a glass cover, fish can jump through the gaps, especially when excited by feeding or spooked by sudden movement or even other fish bullying them. I think Amano's open top tank trend is a curse in this respect and even if you drop the level by 3-4 cm, this is no barrier to a fast swimming fish...


Absolutely agree... Open tanks are a risk in that sense. Some weeks ago I found an endler on the floor which has been happily leaving in the tank (low tech, some floating plants) for more than a year. No more males on the tank, just females, no special or new water conditions, hardscape changes, etc. so why? Who knows... It also happens to me with minnows, every two months more or less I find a jumper on the floor, in most cases the dominant male (best colored fish) probably the ones with more energy...
At the end having open tanks increase the probability of losing fish.

Jordi


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## pepedopolous (20 Sep 2014)

Yep. Glass covers may reduce jumping a bit and of course evaporation, but then they are a pain to clean and water droplets cause 'lensing' effects with LEDs so you get coloured circles of light on the substrate. As soon as I have the time I'm gonna get a mesh cover kit, so I can make a cover with smaller gaps. http://www.fastlight.co.uk/acatalog/DIY_Aquarium_Tank_Cover.html

P


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## Yo-han (1 Feb 2015)

Well, I ordered the tank and frame and am glueing baffles in the sump. It's really going to happen!!

Been thinking about the scape for months now. Here is an idea:


 

But another one is to go for a way more biotope style scape. Something like the lower photo in this picture:


 

Either way, I've a few more weeks to decide till the tank is build!


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## Yo-han (8 Mar 2015)

The frame is being build. I already started to make some layouts with the stones I bought:







Front and left side will be sand, the rest will be aquasoil. Some large pièces of wood with ferns in the middle and various stems in the back. #gettingreallyexcited

I love the big stone, who sees the same as I do?


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## ADA (8 Mar 2015)

Looking forward to this, good luck with it.


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## Lindy (8 Mar 2015)

A grumpy troll face?


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## Yo-han (8 Mar 2015)

ldcgroomer said:


> A grumpy troll face?


Haha, that's what my girlfriend saw. I saw a gorilla face. Either way, it's definitely a face!


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## BBogdan (8 Mar 2015)

Hi ,
good luck...can wait to see the hardscape. 

P.S. I saw a gorilla face too


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## banthaman.jm (9 Mar 2015)

Good luck with the build, like the grump troll faced rock...


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## Edvet (9 Mar 2015)

I prefer the bottom example


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## Dantrasy (9 Mar 2015)

Hiya. 

As your tank is very large, i think you need a very large rock feature. I'd try staking some, see how they fit together. Low rocks will get covered over in no time.


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## Yo-han (9 Mar 2015)

Dantrasy said:


> Hiya.
> 
> As your tank is very large, i think you need a very large rock feature. I'd try staking some, see how they fit together. Low rocks will get covered over in no time.


Umzz... Maybe, but in front of the stones there will only be sand (or maybe in the beginning HC), so I don't think they will be covered very fast.


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## ourmanflint (9 Mar 2015)

Hi 

You'll need to add an anti-siphon hole to your outflow drain to stop it from draining too much. Just a small hole  a few mm below the water level on the outflow pipe will do it. Then if pumps ever stop the water will stop draining when it gets to the air hole and breaks the siphon. You should be able to estimate how much space you will need to leave in sump to cover what does drain before anti siphon kicks in.


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## Yo-han (26 Mar 2015)

Will receive the frame today and the tank within 2 weeks. Only thing I'm not excited about is the fact it needs to be where my 400L tank is standing now. Looks like I need to move that one and that feels like an awful lot of work for only a few weeks...


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## Yo-han (4 Apr 2015)

I finally found some nice pieces of spiderwood. Was a 500km drive to Germany, but worth it! (and a nice opportunity to test whether my old car is still able to drive fast (no speeding limit in Germany )).




 
I also got my sump finished and filled with water. It's now pumping water from the end to the beginning, just to cycle it a little and test whether everything works the way I planned (it does!!

)


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## Edvet (5 Apr 2015)

Impressive!


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## dougstar (5 Apr 2015)

Can you post more pics of your sump


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## Yo-han (5 Apr 2015)

dougstar said:


> Can you post more pics of your sump


What do you want to see? I got a video, perhaps I can upload that here...


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## dougstar (5 Apr 2015)

Sounds great! I have a large sump on my tank and spent months looking for the right design, and have had beautiful water. Would like to see how yours compares to mine. If you are keen ill post a few pics of mine


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## Yo-han (7 May 2015)

I finally put all the pipework together but I made some serious design flaws and had some leak problems. 
For one, I couldn't stop 1 bulkhead from dripping, so I used silicon in between the glass and rubber. Fortunately, this worked! Next was the main drain pipe. It leaked on two points. It was the last pipe I glued and I was running out of glue so I hoped it was enough, turned out: NO! Bought some new glue, some new piping and corners, sawed away the old piping, glued in new and it was waterproof! So now only one problem I need to fix; I build a purigen reactor. Works great except for when the pump stops, then water flows in reverse, and all the purigen is sucked into the sump. Putting the pump back on blows all the stuff into the display tank (not hypothetically, it happened ). So I need to install an one way valve, I ordered it already but I need to fix this later on. Not a big deal because I got two pumps and the CO2 is on the other line.

When everything ran the way I wanted, it was time to empty the tank and start scaping! So here are the pictures (sorry for the reflection, it was a very bright day):

The tank with the 400L as a comparison:



With the frame above:



Lights are hanging:



Dropped in some stones:



Some wood:



Some sand and 100L soil:




Started preparing plants:



And planting:



5 minutes later:






And another 5 minutes later:



A little cloudy right after filling, but not bad:










The day after (almost clear water):




10 days later:


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## luckyjim (7 May 2015)

Looking very promising


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## oviparous (7 May 2015)

Beautiful! 
You outflow seem to have grown a lot in 10 days.


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## Edvet (7 May 2015)




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## Yo-han (7 May 2015)

oviparous said:


> Beautiful!
> You outflow seem to have grown a lot in 10 days.



Haha, must be the Brighty K! But if it keeps growing in this speed, I need to find another solution

No, the reason is that with the 32mm outflow I couldn't increase flow anymore or the Utricularia left the substrate. So I bought 32 to 50mm elbows to reduce the velocity and now I can increase flow again. They will be spray painted black, but I received different elbows than the picture showed. I expected these:


 

But received:



 

Purpose-wise it is the same, but in my case aesthetics are obviously more important.  They couldn't get the one from the picture anymore, so I found www.northernpolytunnels.co.uk which has the one from the first picture as well. I hope it's without the ring, but this time I email first!

Once I've the right ones I'll paint them black ant they're almost invisible (I hope).


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## Edvet (7 May 2015)

Wildkamp? thats where i buy PVC


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## Yo-han (7 May 2015)

Checked it, but not what I'm looking for


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## Yo-han (15 May 2015)

Utricularia is doing great in one place, 10 cm tot the left dying completely, 10cm more to the left doing great. Not sure whether the bad patches came from one cup or what, but I've had troubles getting UG started before, once it grows it does great!

Diatoms have kicked in big time, but ammonia is already a few days 0, and nitrite is almost, so I hope to add otocinclus and shrimp in this weekend!


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## Yo-han (13 Jul 2015)

Came home after my holiday and my tank looked quite good. I reduced the amount of light and some plants suffered from too little light it seems. Algaewise the stones got covered in a short form of BBA but the wood and plants look quite good so here is the latest picture:


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## NC10 (13 Jul 2015)

Looking good mate


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## Edvet (14 Jul 2015)

Dont you get dead spots under the overflow?


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## Yo-han (14 Jul 2015)

Thanks NC10!

I've been playing with the flow quite a lot Ed, and right now one outflow is aimed straight at the left glad and one straight at the front. This way 90% of the water goes down on the left, flows along the substrate and goes up on the right. I tested with liquid filter medium and it is certainly no deadspot, although flow is not very high in the back below the outflow.


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## flygja (15 Jul 2015)

That looks nice. How much of CO2 do you have to pump since you have a sump?


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## Yo-han (15 Jul 2015)

I don't know yet, still the first bottle, but I don't think I loose that much more due to the sump.

I think you spill more with a glass diffusor and no sump compared to a reactor and a sump.


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## R.W. (19 Jul 2015)

Your tank is very similar to mine and I am also running a sump with a c02 reactor, a 10lb cylinder lasts about 6 months. I am looking forward to how this tank progresses.

R.W.


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## Yo-han (19 Jul 2015)

Without a sump on my 400L a 15lb lasted 5 months. I guess I use a little more


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## R.W. (20 Jul 2015)

It all depends on how turbulent the water is in the overflow and falling to the sump. Having a good amount of gentle flow within the tank will help too. I have a maxspect gyre pump providing intermittent flow in my display.


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## Yo-han (20 Jul 2015)

Well I didn't measure yet but 2x6000l/u minus head pressure does the job. Overflow is a bean animal style overflow which minimizes turbulance. Overall I'm quite happy. Although the CO2 reactor is a little on the small side and can barely handle it and is almost entirely filled with CO2 by the end of the day. I need to see how to fix that. Perhaps use the purigen reactor as a second reactor or make/buy another one.


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## Yo-han (8 Aug 2015)

flygja said:


> That looks nice. How much of CO2 do you have to pump since you have a sump?



The 15lb bottle is now, 3,5 month later, empty. I did turned the amount up a while ago so I expect the next to last 2,5-3 months. This is with degassing all the CO2 at night. When I don't turn on the airpump at night, the pH rises only about 0,4. With airpump 1,2, which leads me to believe that not much is lost due to the overflow. If I want to save CO2 I can choose not to run an airpump but I like the extra oxygen and higher pH for my filter bacteria.


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## Yo-han (20 Aug 2015)

A small update, tank is recovering from the low CO2 during my holiday. Stones are getting cleaner and cleaner. Could be better but I'm not unhappy!

















The A. ortegai couple I took out and placed in a breeder tank.








Blurry photo but check the colors!




I replaced them with 20 A. borelli. Beautiful yellow fish, I love them already!


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## Edvet (20 Aug 2015)

A.hongsloi? and?


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## Yo-han (20 Aug 2015)

Hongsloi? Male and female borelli


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## zozo (20 Aug 2015)

Magnificent tank.


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## Edvet (20 Aug 2015)

Ah OK


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## dw1305 (20 Aug 2015)

Hi all, 





Yo-han said:


> The A. ortegai couple[/QUOTE ]They are nice, are they "Pebas" or "Papagei".
> 
> cheers Darrel


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## Yo-han (20 Aug 2015)

Papagei, at least the male. The female is a little unclear. Even Mike at apistogramma.com doesn't know: http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/threads/apistogramma-papagei-pebas.18584/


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## Yo-han (24 Sep 2015)

I feel I got the tank under control right now. Algae on the stones get less and less and is no longer growing. Plants grow like crazy! Next thing is to trim/rearrange some plants, because I feel like the focus points are gone:


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## Edvet (24 Sep 2015)

Sincy you have plenty room to work with over the tank i would try one or two small spots, to make the lighting less uniform.


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## Yo-han (24 Sep 2015)

Edvet said:


> Sincy you have plenty room to work with over the tank i would try one or two small spots, to make the lighting less uniform.


Umzz... Not a bad idea. I got two LED spots in the side of the T5 richt now and I love it when only running the LED. Thanks!


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## Yo-han (23 Dec 2015)

Small update from the tank while I'm finally finishing the cabinet.


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## Yo-han (3 Feb 2016)

Algae on the stones is dying off more and more each week. I must say, I'm very pleased. Did a big trim and cleaned the sand for the photo. I changed some plants, but the biggest improvement visually is that it looks like two islands again. Both forms of Bolbitis are growing like mad, and I'm trimming it weekly now to keep it from overgrowing my other plants.

Fish have been ill. Didn't saw anything externally on them, but I kept finding 1-2 dead fish every day. I treated them with anti bacterial meds, no results... anti worms, no results... Suddenly some looked like they had a grey layer on them (velvet disease?) so I tried anti parasites and this worked. Didn't find a single dead fish since. Turned the tank green for a good two weeks and all transparant kit in the sump changed color. Luckily the kit in my tank is black so no biggy!

Changed the lights to 100% LEDs, so let's see how that turns out! Color is perfect (custom made so must be) and I don't need 100%. So with half the power I get the same PAR. Let's see how the background plants grow back!


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## chrism (3 Feb 2016)

Oh now that's pretty!  Good work!

Sorry to hear about your losses, glad you seem to have found the problem & solution too!


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## flygja (4 Feb 2016)

Very nice! Can you tell me what is the brown crypt on the right side and in the middle? Thanks.


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## Yo-han (4 Feb 2016)

flygja said:


> Very nice! Can you tell me what is the brown crypt on the right side and in the middle? Thanks.


Bought as bullosa, but most likely a very dark wendtii or an affinis.


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## Yo-han (6 Feb 2016)

In one of my first aquaria I used to own an Aponogeton madagascariensis. Which was the best algae magnet I've ever had! Now a little more experienced I think I can keep it alive. So I bought 3 different Aponogetons:

A. boivinianus:





A. crispus? (bought longiplumilosus, any thoughts?):




A. madagascariensis var. henkelianus:




And for those of you who are more into fish than plants (can't imagine on this forum, but what the heck!) My school of Alestopetersius caudalis is showing off every morning and evening when the lights dim. It's allmost impossible to get a sharp picture of these fast fellows and they always look more grey than they look in real life (where they have a beautiful blue shine), but the colors are still awesome IMO!


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## Yo-han (6 Feb 2016)

PS. don't my simulans 'pop' under my new light!!


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## alto (6 Feb 2016)

great family photo


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## Yo-han (13 Mar 2016)

Growth seemed to slow down a little with the LED, but that has recovered!


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## Nelson (13 Mar 2016)

.


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## castle (13 Mar 2016)

Looks good!


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## zozo (13 Mar 2016)

Mooi man!! Nice crypts.. 

Nice paint job too...


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## mlgt (13 Mar 2016)

Lovely!


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## Raekz (13 Mar 2016)

Great looking tank, the hard work shows off!


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## Yo-han (13 Mar 2016)

Thanks all! It is a lot of work, but at the same time an easy tank. As long as everything goes well, all I need to do are (massive) water changes, cleaning the sand and trimming the plants from time to time. When algae start to grow, this tank is a lot of work. Right now I clean the windows once every 3-4 weeks and even than they are almost clean. IMO, this is mostly thanks to the large sump, and all future tanks I'll own will have one!


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## Chris Jackson (13 Mar 2016)

This is a beauty Yo-han! 
I find it interesting how at certain times our tanks are a more of a chore and sometimes we just can't stop ourselves fiddling and tweaking, just human nature, regardless to our position on the planet!
I also think sumps are the way ahead...


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## Martin in Holland (14 Mar 2016)

Nice forest, let me take a walk in it (get my scuba gear first)


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## Yo-han (14 Mar 2016)

I think it's a little too small to scuba dive in there. Too many wood, unless you're a very small guy perhaps. But you're welcome to try as long as you clean the back glass while you're in there


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## Yo-han (24 Mar 2016)

Made some new pictures. Removed the outflows and dropchecker:


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## alto (25 Mar 2016)

Looking amazing


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## Joe Turner (25 Mar 2016)

Absolutely stunning, amazing colour rendition with the custom LEDS! I love the stray red ludwigia stems to the left, such a gem!


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## sciencefiction (26 Mar 2016)

The tank looks amazing yo'han. Great job!


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## Greenfinger2 (26 Mar 2016)

Hi Yo Han, Just found your Journal 

 One word Exquisite


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## Tim Harrison (27 Mar 2016)

Yeah me too...don't know how I missed this. Sterling scape...


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## rebel (27 Mar 2016)

Wow the various combinations of colors are captivating!


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## LondonDragon (30 Mar 2016)

Epic tank  featured on FB Gallery again


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## Yo-han (30 Mar 2016)

LondonDragon said:


> Epic tank  featured on FB Gallery again


Thank you for that honour!


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## gilya (31 Mar 2016)

How you control the algee and the front glass so clean ? The lights doesn't make the front glass being green a little?

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk


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## Yo-han (31 Mar 2016)

I make sure plants are thriving and oxygen is always high. This in combination with sump loaded with filter medium gives me clean water and algae very little change. 
On the glass is very little light, so this needs to be cleaned very little. When algae start growing, it's usually on the rocks and the sand gets a little green. That are the moments I give the tank a little extra care (checking fertilizers, a larger water change, cleaning the filter socks extra, extra sand vacuüm etc.).


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## gilya (31 Mar 2016)

Yo-han said:


> I make sure plants are thriving and oxygen is always high. This in combination with sump loaded with filter medium gives me clean water and algae very little change.
> On the glass is very little light, so this needs to be cleaned very little. When algae start growing, it's usually on the rocks and the sand gets a little green. That are the moments I give the tank a little extra care (checking fertilizers, a larger water change, cleaning the filter socks extra, extra sand vacuüm etc.).


I have 400 litter aquarium with external filter.
What kind of media can help reducing algee and I see you using UV ....is it always connected or just for short terms. I heard the UV is killing the good bacteria 

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk


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## Yo-han (31 Mar 2016)

UV kills only free floating bacteria. Most good bacteria are attached to filter media and the substrate. So the benefits would definitely outweigh the bad IMO. I don't use one though... 

About the media, I use some purigen, but nothing special to reduce algae. Just as much bio rio as I could fit in there to break down organics.


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## gilya (11 Apr 2016)

How you control algee ?
After trimming the plants you have no more then 30% and still no algee appears .....howcome ? And the sand is also clean from greenish and algee ....please please explain ...

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk


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## Yo-han (11 Apr 2016)

I don't know what you mean by 30%. But all I do is make sure my plants grow fine. Not too much light, stable nutrient levels in the water. A rich substrate, stable CO2 and enough flow. Combine this with a large filter so you've loads of bacteria to break down fish food/feces and almost no algae grows. From time to time algae does grow a little and I check all nutrients, do an extra water change. When the sand gets too green/brown I do suck off a thin layer and replace it with new sand.


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## mikehookipa (11 Apr 2016)

This aquarium is impressive. I thought I saw the exact dimensions of the tank but I can't find it. Can you repost it?

Also what thickness is the glass?

I'm planning a tank for a new house too and your tank is just another reminder: bigger is better.


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## gilya (13 Apr 2016)

Yo-han said:


> UV kills only free floating bacteria. Most good bacteria are attached to filter media and the substrate. So the benefits would definitely outweigh the bad IMO. I don't use one though...
> 
> About the media, I use some purigen, but nothing special to reduce algae. Just as much bio rio as I could fit in there to break down organics.


I didn't get (my english is not so good)....your  UV is always connected? 

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk


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## Yo-han (13 Apr 2016)

No, I don't use UV, but you can connect it 24/7 if you like, no problem!


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## Yo-han (13 Apr 2016)

mikehookipa said:


> This aquarium is impressive. I thought I saw the exact dimensions of the tank but I can't find it. Can you repost it?
> 
> Also what thickness is the glass?
> 
> I'm planning a tank for a new house too and your tank is just another reminder: bigger is better.


Thank you! The tank is 195x80x80 (65cm water) 12 mm glass.


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## mikehookipa (13 Apr 2016)

Okay thanks. That's pretty thin glass for a tank that large!  ☺


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## Yo-han (13 Apr 2016)

mikehookipa said:


> Okay thanks. That's pretty thin glass for a tank that large!  ☺


It's not an open tank, so it has glass strips over the entire length and from front to back. So I don't expect any problems


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## Yo-han (7 Aug 2016)

A short update: I finally finished the exterior of my aquarium. The inside runs very well fortunately, because I do skip some water changes and and only clean the glass once a month at the moment. After my holiday, I'll rescape the tank to make a IAPLC tank that should be able to rank high. Looking forward to that, but for now a (very bad phone)photo of my tank in my living room:


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## Tim Harrison (7 Aug 2016)

That's amazing, just don't get tired of looking at this tank...
One day maybe...I wish


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## JackMartins (8 Aug 2016)

Amazing tank! Congratulations!


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## Yo-han (8 Aug 2016)

Thanks guys!


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## Daveslaney (16 Aug 2016)

Fantastic.


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## zozo (16 Aug 2016)

Thats very beautifuly integrated into the interiour...


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## Yo-han (16 Aug 2016)

Thank you! I'm still a big fan of open tanks, but after 4 years of an open tank and the misses complaining about the 'hospital light' (she prefers low kelvin light) in the living room in the evening, this was not really an option anymore. I really like the fact that I can have some Aphyosemion now and other jumping fish and I didn't wanted a regular flat top aquarium, so this is the result! I'll see whether I can make a better picture than the phoneshot soon...


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## Yo-han (28 Nov 2016)

Here a better quality photo:





And the last photo from this scape:





I'll rescape it in the next few weeks. I got a global idea of the hardscape, only need to think about plants. Will need a lot of moss, that is for sure, Anubias, Cryptocoryne and trident fern I'm quite sure of. Some grass like plants in the back like C. retrospiralis or balansae or Cyperus (but the last one usually doesn't do very well in my tanks). And the stems I got no idea yet, maybe Cardamine lyrata or something out of the box. 
And off course, I need time to do it (guess it will take at least 2 days).


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## Yo-han (6 Dec 2016)

Made a new thread about the rescape:

https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/my-road-to-iaplc-2017.48029/


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## chrism (6 Dec 2016)

Yo-han said:


> Made a new thread about the rescape:
> 
> https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/my-road-to-iaplc-2017.48029/



Following!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## grathod (7 Dec 2016)

Watching with interest, nicely built in the wall, stunning


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