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There really isn't anything more complicated. [Hose / pump / hose] + [water in / height difference / water out]

To clarify, I'm looking for a pump that can can be sited in the cabinet under a tank. It should draw water in through something like 16/22 hose and expell it through another 16/22 hose. The pump should be capable of moving water at a rate of 1000-1500 LPH when the outlet is 1.5m-2m above the...

I don't dispute the eficiency of in-tank circulation pumps, but it's just not what I'm looking for.

Ah ... I can see how my question was ambiguous. The filter and circulation pump will  not share pipework. It needs to be inline as all the hardware is in the cabinet, rather than I'm the tank.

Any recommendations for an external inline pump with a decent head? The tank is 200+L and has a canister filter - I just need something to boost the circulation. I doesn't need to have a massive LPH, but it does need to maintain a decent flow when pumping up around 1.5m.

When I first did my planted tank, Adakam was very much in vogue. I'm contplating a complete reacape of my 250L tank and wondering why the current thinking is on low maintenance substrates?

I'm looking for an external circulation pump that is capable of a decent flow rate with a head of about 1.7m for a 250L tank. There seem to be 1000 options, some with astronomical price tags, so any first hand recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

Vaguely accurate assumption: Algae needs certain conditions to get established - light / nutrients / flow / etc. (Obviously physical removal, spot treatments etc are beneficial, but those notwithstanding ...) Once algae has been become established, and those conditions are then significantly...

Plasterboard is good for soundproofing, though it works differently to using foam - it doesn't resonate in the way wood / fibre based boards do. A good, cheap, room sound proofing "hack" is to add a second layer of bog-standard plasterboard. Way more dB/£ than fancy products.

What you primarily need in a use like this is a sound absorber. Funky wedge surfaces (like in your second link) are about stopping reflected sound, and not significant here. Underlay is a genuinly good option and new underlay will be demonstrably better, so off-cuts are good. Assuming you have...

(For refrence, whilst sound proofing is not my job, I've speant over 25yrs working as a professional sound engineer. And I'm a cynical **** when it comes to specialist products..) There's a lot of marketing hype written into that product description. You'd get better value for money if you spoke...

I sure I'm way off the mark here but ... Half of my tank has significantly more surface agitation than the other half. When sat in front of the tank, I've noticed that there is a lot more internal reflection on the half with less agitation. I realise polarisation at the water surface and viewing...

That's what I thought. I guessed it could slow the spread of algae between plants, but I wasn't convinced it would do much else. Wash your mouth out! :D:D:D

Today an LFS recomended a UV filter for treating algae. I've not come across this suggestion before. I know it's not likely to be the whole solution, but is it legit?

I have been give some Trumpet snails today by my LFS. They are smaller than I expected, but may not be mature. What size should they be and how quickly do they take to a) get to full size, and b) start breeding?

I've recently seen several posts about using turkey basters as substrate cleaners. The size of my tank (2'6" deep & 250L) means an actual turkey baster isn't a great option, and as I'm going to be doing some re-plumbing, I was wondering about how to replicate the function. Your thoughts ...

Thanks all. @Angus Your picture is a work of art!

Thanks all. Are their any issues with leaves rotting under the substrate in you use the as anchors? Am I right to understand that cutting one stem and replanting it, you effectively get three: the replanted stem, plus two at the cut node of the first? So is it better to cut and replant above or...

That's what I thought ... but even in about 3" of Adakama, and with some light root balls, several plants made a break for freedom over the first few weeks. @Wolf6 We live in enlightened times, so I try not to judge plants on an scale aesthetic. Every plant has it's value in an equitable...

I bought some Hygrophila Polysperma a couple of months ago and it's gained height well. I'd like to have more stems across a wider ares and am wondering how to propogate it. From what I've read, it can produce root fibers part way along the stem, but mine hasn't. IIRC some stem plants can just...

I use a set of hoses and valves connected to my canister filter. The tank drains from the filter inlet in the tank through one hose, then refills via a second hose, the canister, and the spraybar. It takes about 5min to syphon off 25L and about 15min to replace that, but my filter is...

I think I paid about £300 for a cabinet to be made for my 250L tank. The cabinet is made out of worktop, with plywood cladding. I had to sand and varnish the ply myself, and I had spare doors that matched our kitchen units.

Can you be more specific about "not looking to spend a packet"?

Am I right to understand pressboard can refer to OSB, chipboard or MDF (amongst others)? In my experience, mass produced cabinets are melamine (or similar) faced chipboard. I agree that water damages such materials, but that would most likely occur at the edges of exposed boards, and the...

Looking at the pictures, how level the floor is has little to do with the bowing of the top of the stand. That is due to the strentgh of the cabinet's materials (probably chipboard, like most kitchen cabinets in the UK), the spacing of the vertical supports and the compressibility of the...

They don't seem to be a big issue for my Cherries, and I've got more than when I introduced the shrimp to the tank. I know the Assassins have eaten countless "pest snails" that have arrived on plants. I understand they'll eat snail eggs, so if you don't want MTS to be permanent, I'd say...

I suspect I've got some Assasin snails that might disagree. 🐌

Fair point - I'd not thought that bit through. Not being a CO₂ buff, I might be confusing reactors and diffusers :rolleyes: but yeah, I was thnking of something inline.

Fair enough. Certainly what I've read since has suggested air locks are a potential issue, so perhaps something like a DIY CO₂ reactor (only fed with O₂) on the output of the flow pump makes sense? As discussed elswhere, for better of for worse, all my filter media is under the tank.

I've played with Sketchup quite a bit (just for designing - not building) but am looking for an alternative. I've tried FreeCAD, and my head imploded. I loathe the hostage-ware philosophy of Fusion 360. TinkerCAD looks a bit primary-school-crayons, but I'm probably being unfair. Am currently...

Everyone can join the back of the queue on blame. The responsibility is all mine for the dimensional confusion. I hoped w/h/d would be clear enough (not least as it was consistent with x/y/z axes) but was aware of the ambiguity of the d. I wrestled with the idea of w/h/f2b but that seemed...

I keep learning new reasons why my tank is badly designed. (I designed it!) It is 110cm (w) x 75cm (h) x 30cm (d) with a cover glass about 1cm from the surface. Belatedly, I've learned this design reduces potential for gas exchange at the surface. I can see how this might reduce plant growth...

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread ... What software is everyone using to create their models?

This will do everything you need. https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-elec/9393-3m/ext-lead-4-gang-ind-sw-3m/dp/PL09524 There is no merit to spending any more money at all.

What twisted sci-fi freak named that product? 🥺 (@Corbie Apologies for the OT comment.)

I've always found Ottos to be quite robust. On one occasion I had a tank of 30+ fish die in a matter of days, and the tank then sat derelict for maybe a year, but several Ottos (and Amanos) survived. And in 10yrs I've never known them to be remotely shy.

Thanks. My tank is deep, so interesting that that may be the way to go.

Am going to be DIYing some new pipework. (It's not my first ride on this rodeo.) I've seen some interesting designs from Aquascaper and Wild Borneo. One has a skimmer incorporated. The other has holes along its full length rather than the usual more common slots at the end. Any thoughts on...

I have a similarly deep, low tech tank with algae. I hope you enjoy a challenge. 🤣😭 Others will be along with more informed opinion soon, but in the meantime, based on my challenges with a deep tank... I can't see the dimensions of your tank other than depth. Your filter is rated at 780Lph, but...

Thanks all. I thought it was unlikely, but was just trying to thnink through all possibilities.

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That's me told. 🤣🤣🤣 Ignore my suggestion. FWIW I've had two 300W EHTs in about 10yrs (the second has failed in the last few days) so in light of Ceg's insightful comment, a 300W might last longer for you.

All fascinating stuff, and mostly beyond my level of knowledge. I just asked the question as I'd like to extend the illuminated hours so I can watch my tank without promoting algae, and was hoping eg green light might tick enough boxes.

If our local premier branch of well a known aquatics-only chain is anything to go by, ⅓ of their retail price could still be nearly full whack at others in the area. (Peacock Gudgeon £20ea in one LFS, and £8 in another.) It's difficult not to consider breeding as a side hustle.

Ovwr the last few months I've had a lot more algae than I used to get. I know there are various factors I can look at but I'm trying to consider what has changed. A significant difference is that I've moved from tap water to rain water. Our tap water is off-the-test-chart hard. Literally...

I've run a 250L tank with a 300W Hydor EHT heater for years. It's similar to the JBL Protemp e300 I suspect you're looking at. I don't know if it would be up to a 380L tank in a cold house, but as the 500W is only slightly more expensive, worst case scenario, you'd probably just end up with it...

You've probably worked out running costs, but if not, this article is interesting.

I'm impressed just reading that, and that's before I've even had a chance to process the information and picture it!

I'm not a structural engineer, so don't blame me if this is wrong, but ... In the UK, houses of any age typically have the same floor construction for both ground floor and first floor. ie floor boards over joists. All the garden sheds I've had have had floors with far thinner floor boards. So...

Re question 2 - cheap tanks. Would you need "fish tanks"? Could you use plastic storage boxes? A 35L box from Really Useful Storage Boxes is about £15, and whilst it's not remotely as clear as glass, as a breading tank, do you care?

Cam you elaborate on this please?

In my ill conceived set up, the convenience of cleaning a canister vs in-tank pre-filter is not as clear cut as it might be for others. #ifIdKnownWhatIKnowNow

As a lazy aquarist, this satisfies my confirmation bias. :rolleyes:

In reviewing my filtration, I keep reading about pre-filters. I don't currently use them. As I understand it, they are basically just a piece of coarse sponge over the intake of a canister filter. I've also read quite a few recommendations about cleaning pre-filters regularly, whilst cleaning...

Possibly a bit late for this thread but here's my money saving thoughts for a 200+ litre tank stand. (This assumes you're moderately handy with DIY and have access to tools like a circular saw.) Find someone who is having a kitchen replaced and grab a free second hand worktop, and possibly a...

This may be more work than you want, but ... Cut a piece of rigid , flat plastic, the same size as the filter. Using double sided, waterproof foam pads, attach that to the glass of the tank. (The glass would probably need to be dry, and that might rule this out for you.) Use the suckers on the...

I've found that C.Wenditi is quite good at filling in the gaps around the bottom of taller plants like Amazon Swords and Anubias Barteri. Is this typical of crypts, and are there any other (non-carpet) plats that are good for similar cover?

Aphyosemion Striatum ... more easily pronounced as Stripey Killifish ... for their colours. Black Kuhlis or Ottos for their character.

Whilst I wouldn't disagree with your view of profit led business models, I can't see how that would explain recommending a different order to fill baskets.

Which concurs with what I've read. But why would JBL disagree?

I timed how long it takes me to do a water change. I've got a system in place, and valves and hoses fitted to one filter to pump water in and out. Short of fitting a higher-powered pump (which is on my Xmas list) it couldn't get much more efficient. It still takes about 1h 20min to change...

Having read various recommendations on media, I had understood that course foam media should go before ceramic bio media, which could even go last? I wasn't sure whether my filter was top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top, so I RTFM'd. The instructions clearly suggest bio-media should go first. Your...

I was interested in the clear pipes until I saw the price. 1m of clear 1/2" pipe = £10.69 3m of black from Toolstation = £1.48 For a clear 90° elbow, it's £9 For a black one from Toolstation it' £0.68 I think clear is an advantage as you can see when the spraybar is getting crudded up inside...

I got some black vinyl from a sign makers and just sprayed the glass with water. Then squeegees the bubbles out with a credit card. Nothing complicated. Over sized it to start with, then trimmed with a razor once it was on the glass.

A self sustaining population will be interesting with the current Assasin snails. I'd better go for some bigguns! 🙄🤣

I have a carefully thought out system of valves and hoses that use one of my canisters to pump in and out. It's still half a ton / 5 baths. 🤣

That's 500L of water to shift each week. I'm not saying it's not possible, it's just not trivial either.

Thanks all. Increasing water changes would be a challenge: it's a 250L tank and I aim to change 40+L every week. @ceg4048 If carbon would move "organics" to the filter, is there an easy way to remove them from the carbon? @dw1305 Do you recommend any particular snails? I have Ottos, Amanos...

At least 6 months ago I rehomed a plec for neighbour, I never got round to identifying it before I never saw it again in my tank, and assumed it hadn't survived the move. It was about 4yrs onld and 3" long. Today I'm sure I spotted it in a cavity in a lage piece of bogwood. but there may be a...

To combat a BBA problem, I'm looking at my filtration and aiming to improve flow. Having read comments from the UKAPS gurus, I'm planning to remove the ceramic tube type bio-media from one of my external filters. (The other just has sponges.) I've read that "organics" (what ever that amorphous...

Does anyone know of a sealant you can use underwater (ie when the surfaces to be joined are NOT dry) other than Gold Lable? As far as I can see, it's only available in large tubes for about £20, and I'd only need a few ml.

TLA has reminded me their main question is how much of a problem. It would be if the empty shells weren't separated out. In a moderately planted, well populated, good sized tank, would they get eaten by inverts or would their decay provide any nutrients for plants?

Not even an air atone?

I believe their intention is to cobble together some heath-robinson affair with a coke bottle and bits like an air pump that have been cluttering up the place for years. (TLA is also a complete cheap-@r$e. 🤣)

Posting for "a friend" who only wishes to be identified as The Lazy Aquarist ...😅 TLA has found an unopened bottle of brine shrimp eggs at the back of their cupboard. They're only planning of feeding them to their fish maybe once or twice a week, and not with the aim.of raising fry, and...

Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned CEC. :D

It's been in the tank for 10+ years. IIRC It's "hard" Akadama. As much as anything, I was wondering about it's ability to facilitate (... oh jeeze ... what was the phrase I kept reading at the time I chose it ...) cationic exchange (I think that was it?) or whether it becomes (I'm guessing here)...

Bump (... because I still don't know the answer. :) )

So more PAR is good for plant growth. As I can't justify a PAR meter for purchase of a single light, is there any way to find low PAR lighting? (I can build an LED dimmer far more cheaply.) Every light I've seen advertised that mentions PAR seems to be sold on the basis of being good for plant...

(I'm sure the answers to this are going to get very technical very quickly :D :D :D but here goes ...) Is there any significant correlation between leaf size and how efficient a plant is at consuming nutrients in a tank?

27 possible failure points because I have two canister filters that each have their own intakes and spray bars. Then there's a system of (4) taps and (2) T-pieces that means I can use one of the filters to pump water out of, and back into the tank through barbed & threaded hose tails. (The top...

I used to worry about leaks. I don't now. I have something like 27 possible failure points in my cabinet, with just standard barbed fittings. The only precautions I've taken are to heat the hoses in boiling water when fitting them, put 2mm cable ties around them. No jubilee clips or anything...

Are cheap, domestic/ ebay (green / RGB) IP65 LED strips relatively "intense" compared to aquarium specific LEDs. My gut says they ought to be less "intense". But I've no idea how 1hr with something like that would compare with an hour of my iQuatics T5s. (Throw in a PWM driver from something...

Is there any colour light that is less prone to helping algae? Without working things out scientifically, I'm wondering about purely green light (as I think that what's reflected from green leaves... right?) As much as anything I'm hoping to extend the time I can watch my tank without it...

I have a tank of similar depth. For the first couple of years I had a pair of circa 36" T8 tubes. By anyone's standard it was low light and low tech. But it did ok. Then I neglected the tank for a very long while. About 6 months ago I put in a pair of Juwel length T5 tubes (I cant remember the...

Just in case anyone has a similar question, I think I've come up with a cheap, simple genius solution: Put a 2L bottle of water in the freezer. Once its frozen, move the bottle to the tank. (Adjust size of bottle for your tank size.) Repeat every day or two. I'll try to remember to report back...

With the current weather, my tank is sitting at around 30°c with the heater turned off. It's not in direct sunlight. Is this likely to be a problem for the short period the British Summer lasts? (On the up side, my shrimp seem a lot more active.)

Would Khuli Loaches be a problem?

There were prey snails for a while, maybe a couple of months, but there were 20+ Assassins for a couple of years after. Over the last couple of years there have been no more than 5 or 6.

For the first couple of years of my tank, Assasin Snails would breed like rabbits. So much so I had to sell a dozen every few months. In the last few years they don't seem to breed at all. Any thoughts on what might have made the difference?

If it spreads faster than it dies off, I'll regard that as a success. 😆

That's all good to know. Should I perhaps drop the temp a couple of degrees? (Not just for the shrimp.)

I've tried and failed to grow Dwarf Hairgrass fornthe N-th time and am finally giving up hope. My tank is low to medium light but deep and no CO2. What's the smallest (least height) plant that will root in Akadama and spread well in low tech conditions?

I should add our water is rock hard!

I've bought some Cherry Shrimp (including a berried female) and the sales assistant recommended keeping them at 28°c to breed them. I usually keep my tank around 25°c, which seems about right for Platties, Khulis, Ottos, Neons, Amanos, and a Beta. Is there a temp that'll be ok for the fish and...

True, but you could just point people at the index page when folk like me ask questions.

Thanks Darrel. If you're ever want to write a book called "Everything you know about aquariums is wrong", I'll definitely be buying a copy. 🤣

Having found 6 fish and 3 shrimp in one of my canister filters, I'm planning to put sponge pre-filters on the intakes. (My pipework is DIY Acrylic.) I've always avoided these as I felt they must hold the filtrate in the tank, and reduce the amount that makes it through to the canister. Any...

Apologies for the radio silence. Current status : Tank lights off, with the glass masked where the substrate meets it, and dosing 25ml Blue Exit daily. Water tests: ph 7.3 kh = 120 gh >180 Ammonia = 0 NO2 = 0 NO3 < 20 Am going to try to come up with a way to "suck out" what I suspect is BGA...

I've read the article, thanks. So far I've followed the instructions on the Blue Exit bottle (call me old fashioned 😁) so 25ml (250L tanks, probably 220L water) once a day for 5 days. The tank was also covered for 5 days. I've lost track but I think that was a week ago. Yesterday I went back to...