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Silicone applied will initially cure quite quickly but it takes longer to get to full strength and cure fully. If the tank builder has put a sticker on saying leave until 29th March then leave it until at least then. If you only leave it for a day or so then the tank may fail when filled.

'Gas' isn't a common term. Usually threaded fittings are BSP sizes.

Good work Alastair. Nice idea with the reducing elbows.

That should work fine. As long as you introduce the CO2 ahead of the reactor and then make sure the water enters the reactor at the top and enters at the bottom it should work fine. The only thing that might cause you issues is the smaller bubbles will float further down the reactor compared...

That should be fine but the longer and wider the better in most ways. Get female glue socket to threaded female fitting and then you need a threaded reducer fitting. Can't remember if these are the same questions you asked me by PM but doesn't hurt to say again!!!

I have it in my koi filter as air pipe with holes drilled in it. Fish have been fine for the past few years with it and plenty of other people have used it too.

Go with a bigger one with the two clear containers below with a separate fine filter and carbon filter. The only real cost of RO, apart from the water used, is the replacement filters every 6 months or so. Also a really small RO unit will be very, very slow in producing water, a larger unit is...

Let us know how you get on. The way I suggested might not work. Your current set up seems to be working in the same way as an air uplift though so as the liquid level in the container drops the head will increase reducing the flow rate.

I love the idea but as the level of fert drops in the container then surely the amount being lifted out by the air is going to reduce as the head increases? As it's an air tight container couldn't you have just pumped air in the top and used the higher pressure to squeeze the liquid out of the...

I'm using about 25 sheets on my new pond so a bit for the tank won't be too bad! I'll only need about £15 worth! The black fitting are different from any I've seen in online chandlery shops so far but I'll look again - as they'll be the only fittings on show I want them to be as unobtrusive...

Cheers for the info. I'm still not sure whether I like the idea of a wooden tank in my living room but as this is the only way I can afford an open topped tank I'm very, very tempted! Here are the current plans; First the view from the front; This is the end view of the alcove and tank...

Cheers mate (sorry, can't see your name in any of your posts), I've costed up the wood and am seriously thinking about this. I'll need two (2.44 x 1.22) pieces of 18mm Exterior grade plywood, 10, 1.8m lengths of 50mm square timber, plus the oak for the visible fronts, the fibreglass and epoxy...

Thanks for the info. Considering this carefully now! The woodwork and glassing is fine, but I'm a little unsure about the retaining flange for the glass. How large does that need to be and will solid oak be ok as that is the plan for the cabinet finish? Also the glass - does it need to be...

Need more details of tank construction then, if you don't mind? How do I make it robust enough that the tank doesn't flex and how do I form the frame to sit the front glass in? Have a mate who's an ace fibreglasser, I'd just need to make the frame for him to work to. I'm not going for the...

The dimensions of the space is 92"(2.35m) long, 68" (1.73m) high by 37" (0.94m) wide. The sloping section is to the right hand side as you look at it. There's a short vertical section 20" (50cm) high on the right and a section of flat ceiling 36" (92cm) long on the left hand side. The rest of...

Was toying with the idea of a fibreglass back and sides as I will never be able to look through the sides. The only reason I've currently discounted it is that I'm probably not going to be in this house a huge amount of time and figured I can either re-use or sell an all-glass one but not sure...

More details would be good and non-return flapper valves will be used if I switch to a sump!

Both holes will be in the side, the inlet to the filter probably about 10-15cm off the bottom, the return from the filter up near the top, probably roughly the same distance from the top of the tank. Then if I go down the sump route later I can just clean the tank down, add a square sump around...

Thanks for the reply. Definitely planning to have holes for the pipework but thinking I might not be able to run a weir and will just have to have holes in the tank side for the inlet and outlet. Will put them both in the rear right corner as I've found previously that this filter really belts...

Hi everyone, I'm looking at a new tank for my new house. I have a great space under the stairs in my living room that will let me fit in a 5ft long, 2.5ft wide by 2ft tall tank! A friend's going to custom-make me a cabinet for underneath and at the side of the tank and the plan is to have the...

You say the GH went down to 22dKH? KH and GH are different things! GH is the general hardness which measures the calcium and magnesium ions in the water and KH is the carbonate hardness which measures those ions. Assuming you meant 22dGH then that's still very hard so no need to worry. It...

It shouldn't... But if you don't test the water for the first week or two while you're doing this how will you know? Water supply through the taps can change and as you're adding new water to top up evaporation as well as change the water it is just worth playing it safe and testing the water...

Don't forget to keep track of your water parameters after you've set it up. I'd check KH, GH and pH at least every day for a while to check you don't alter the water chemistry too much.

The carbon block will get rid of the chlorine in the water so just running it through the prefilter and carbon will deal with anything in the tap water like that.

Bear in mind your tank water might be higher than your tap water - I'd check that first before deciding whether you want to use RO. If you want to reduce the hardness then the best idea IMHO is to add a percentage of RO water and a percentage of the waste as a constant trickle. For instance if...

Ro isn't bad - I use it for all my tanks - it's just that it isn't necessary for most tanks and water supplies either. I use it for all my tanks (even a Tanganyikan one) but all my waste water goes into my koi pond so I don't waste any water. Unless your water is liquid concrete then the vast...

If you continually monitor it then this would be fine and could replace your weekly water changes. Just bear in mind that a constant trickle adding 50% does not have the same dilution effect as a single 50% water change. How are you going to remove the excess water? If it's via some kind of...

Didn't think you were mate, no worries! I am just annoyed with myself that it all ground to a halt! I will get them done at some point. Was hoping to get on with them this half term but I've got so much work to do I don't think I'll get the chance. Maybe Easter!

I know Paulo. I'm really sorry to you and the others who asked for one. I can build the reactor body no problem at all, it's the inlets for CO2 and outlets for bleeding that are causing the issues still. The best solution I can think of at the moment involves adding a shepherds crook piece of...

If you go with acrylic pipe then you won't be able to join it to PVC fittings so it will restrict your choice of fittings. As long as you inject the CO2 into an area of fast flow then I don't think you need to break the bubbles up. In my design the flow does this so there's no fine atomiser...

The valve was bleeding from the valve itself, not where it was attached so silicone wouldn't have solved the problem. Apart from attaching something like what you linked I still can't find a suitably reliable, cheap enough alternative but when I get time I will sort it out. I just don't have...

Pond pumps tend to be in a different league to those sold for tanks based on their rating! I often think some of the flow rates quoted for tank equipment are incredibly optomistic. Good pond pumps really churn the water out; sequence pumps especially are excellent - you will certainly have...

I was thinking you might need to change the stocking for trout or maybe some sailfish with that amount of flow! :lol: Try making a spray bar out of the 1.5" pipe with some large holes or slots. I have 1.5" spray bars over my shower filter in my quarantine system. With 12,000lph through them...

In sequence 10,000 are you talking about the dry mounted pond pumps? If so you need to up the pipe diameter. They do not like pumping against high resistence and prefer as few bends and 2" pipework! I have 2 sequence pumps running my 3,500 gallon pond and use 1.5" pipe then linking up to 63mm...

I've got one of these for my RO water, (Listed halfway down this page, http://www.smithsofthedean.co.uk/New%20Barrels.htm) It's only 100l though but being slimline, easy to fit into the garage and fitted with a hose pour tap and an automatic shut off kit it gives me RO water with no hassle...

I wouldn't have a system like this that has lots of connections in it - it's too complicated IMO. I would have two separate loops; one with the filtration systems and one that just has the CO2 unit on it. This way there won't be any issue with turning the CO2 side off overnight and there won't...

Ok, that's not a problem. Just have your waste water pump on a timer like you planned pumping the water to waste and then have your new water coming from your RO unit using an automatic top-up system in the sump (assuming you're using a sump?). I'd make it a lot simpler though by doing the...

That all seems a bit complicated! Why not just run the water from the RO unit into a sump straight from the RO unit with an automatic shut-off kit? You can even use some of the waste water, controlled by a tap to just a trickle, to give you the mix ratio you want. With the auto shut off kit...

I agree with Stu; that is far too quick for a bottle to empty even running 24/7. You have a leak and need to check all the joints with a mix of washing up liquid and water. It will bubble where you have a leak. As to the pH controller you really don't need them IMO. If you want to use it...

A ring of silicone sealant works well too Clark if you want to make sure it doesn't slip or leak. :D

You could just get some suckers to fix it to the tank, though they do have a habit of coming off at the most inconvenient time! TA Aquaculture do a range of suckers at the bottom of this page that might offer a solution.

Having an over-large heater will mean the heater will heat the tank up more quickly but, as long as the thermostat doesn't get stuck it won't boil the tank. It will mean it cycles on and off more though. If you're worried then you could fit another thermostat on the cable set a couple of...

The trickiest bit will be finding the water-tight union used at the top. It might be easier to find one to grip the cord and be waterproof like the waterproof cable connectors and have the heater totally inside the pipe. The other fittings I'd use PVC for and you can get a huge range of those...

Some water butts are made from rather low-grade recycled plastic that are said to release compounds into the water. I'd be wary of using them for RO water.

Cheers Paulo. It may be a while I'm afraid - things are total chaos here.

The mail is undeliverable. Is that company still trading?

This is what I was going to use but I've been told that they aren't importing these into the country any more! Will e-mail that company, thanks.

Still trying to find a suitable alternative for the bleed valve and CO2 injection. Think I have an option but I'm so busy until November I have no time to sort it. I will try and give some more details later tonight once I've done my work if I have time.

There are a few safe pond paints for coating the cement in koi ponds but I think the problem you might have is getting them to stay adhered to the stainless steel. They will cover it fine but it will probably peel off over time. I reckon you might be best just to put a good layer of moss on...

Don't use a gravel tidy. Plant roots will root through it and when you remove large plants you may pull it up or at least cause more disturbance. I think you may be best using the Eco-complete for the substrate in the majority of the tank and just have the decorative gravel in the front...

Rocks don't really weigh much more than the water so the actual weight of them isn't really an issue. It's the point load of a rock resting on three or more points in the tank that can cause problems. So adding something to spread the weight out is a good idea, but I'm not sure I'd use...

As others have said, I think you'll find the difference in price between those two is the difference between a standard, braced aquarium and a braceless one with thicker glass. If you can't afford the braceless option then there are some ways of hiding it, such as having a pelmet (such as those...

The outlet is the right size for 12mm hose which you can then simply push a standard spray bar into. No need to DIY at all.

Two more days at school and it'll be all systems go I promise.

I got mine from RO man but they don't seem to list it any more as a complete kit. It looks the same as the one in the Ebay link above. A small float valve sits in the barrel and the shut off valve is plumber into the pipework. Dead easy to fit and worth every penny. The only thing I'd change...

I have a 100l slimline water butt fitted with an automatic top-up valve that shuts the RO unit off once it's full. I was always flooding the garage before! I have a full-bore tap at the bottom to allow the water out rapidly to fill 25l water containers to move the water to the tanks. Dead...

Start here and the other articles in the tutorial section. Once you've had a good read of those then come back if anything's unclear.

Very slow going at the moment. My supplier of tees and valves has fallen through and as it's my class's SATs tests in a week I haven't got much time to sort it at the moment. I'm thinking of possibly DIYing a tee with an airline connector and bleed valve all in one that will sit above the...

I think it might be the best bet for you if you sorted out some kind of water change system. This is a lot easier than it sounds and could save you loads of effort regardless of what amount you change! All you would need to do on your tank is to install a tee piece on the return pipes of one...

If you wanted something a bit easier to uncouple and fancier you could always invest in these, http://www.lbsgardenwarehouse.co.uk/rec ... PRDR-HF62/ and even have a tap too, http://www.lbsgardenwarehouse.co.uk/rec ... PRDR-HF59/ In fact you could even get a male thread and female thread tap...

I might well do some more if I can get these done! It's not stress thank to everyone being so understanding about the delays but it is time-consuming. BTW all of you waiting I am waiting on the tees and new bleed valves but will have them done by the end of the Easter holiday.

Yep! And small valves that don't leak!

I ordered parts from various places. Pipe and fittings were from Hendersons Plastic, Pisces Engineering with hosetails and threaded fittings from LBS Garden warehouse. I ordered the tee fittings from TA Aquaculture.

I couldn't find a glue that would give a guaranteed waterproof bond between acrylic and PVC so can't recommend you use this.

Bacteria will grow anywhere. No in fact that's wrong; they'll grow everywhere! You can't stop them. I think this whole thing about RO water being 'too pure' for things to live in it is rubbish anyway! Koi mud ponds in Japan have a TDS of only 30ppm and I've done water changes with pure RO...

Sounds like a bacterial film. Bacteria will grow anywhere and they won't cause any problems.

I'm afraid I haven't had a moment for the past 2 weeks to do anything. I've got a huge amount on at the moment. I'm still hoping to get them done soon, but I need to have an afternoon to sort things out first.

The Koralias aren't wave-makers in themselves; they are circulation (or flow) pumps. Wave-makers produce an oscillating current pattern either by switching pumps on and off or redirecting current in some way (e.g. into a box which then empties rapidly at regular intervals). Circulation pumps...

If it's just a strip around the tank then I wouldn't have thought it'd have much effect on the tank. IT's still your own choice to remove it though!!! :shock:

Has it got a plastic bar running across the tank about halfway along the tank? I'm just wondering whether you're talking about the surround rather than a cross-brace?

A few people people on here have removed braces from their Juwel tanks and not had any problems but you do so at your own risk!!!

IMHO that's a rubbish way to get the CO2 into the water. What you end up with is one large bubble flowing up against the water and slowly dissolving. Much better to get it mixed up with the water as it enters the reactor. Is there anyway you could maybe use an airstone on the CO2 feed to get...

Yeah you could Tom, but I have to say that, in my experience, it just doesn't need it! The water coming in vertically dissolves/diffuses the gas at the top brilliantly as it comes through the any air bubble and drags it back in. I never got a gas build up in normal use, only a small amount...

The best thing to do is to cut the hose so it's a short as possible (leaving a bit of slack for movements and cleaning) so that there's less bends and areas that can kink and you have fairly stright runs to the filter and back.

Does the CO2 bubble straight into the reactor? If so maybe you could try injecting the CO2 into the flow of the water before it reaches the reactor as it will have already started to mix then and might do a better job?

I didn't catch the spam and am slightly worried!!! :shock: :lol: Definitely no purses here, no! :lol: As to the Aquamas reactor Aeropars I'm not too sure with that as I believe it's a much shorter reactor than the ones I'm making. Maybe you will need the mesh to help slow the flow more...

Cheers all of you. Good to know you're not all sitting there fuming with the delays! I'll get them right and get them done soon, but better right and a couple of weeks late than rushed out and leaking!

Thanks guys. That's much appreciated. I will get them to you ASAP.

Cheers Ray. I want to get them done and sent off now as the delays are starting to get on my nerves, never mind the guys waiting for them! I'm sorry to all of you. There's a slight 'fizz' when a bubble goes in; almost like someone a bit out of breath but very very quietly. I have to get...

Well major hitch number... Oh I've lost count and getting rather frustrated now! The nice metal airline valves leak. The new ones are a slightly different design to the old one on my reactor and that dripped for a few days then stopped so I assumed it was due to the age of the valve. Looking...

These have cost roughly £25 plus whatever postage cost to get them to people. However you can only obtain clear PVC pipe in 5m lengths AFAIK. Thanks everyone for the feedback on the media guys - all empty then so far.

Having problems posting this at the moment but will persist!!!! At the moment I have tried this reactor both with and without bioballs in the reactor and made some observations. The first thing to bear in mind is that I have been testing this reactor with 12mm fittings, not 16mm. This means...

Can you not make it to East Bridgford next Sunday to see Mark's scape? If not we'll sort something out to save posting it I'm sure. I wasn't going to and there's probably not much point. The only thing I can suggest is that they are ran in a bucket at first just in case, but the amount of...

Which sized hosetails did you use? I've found the 16mm ones are perfect for 12mm Ehiem tubing without a jubilee clip and the 20mm ones a great fit for the 16mm Ehiem tubing. However Jubilee clips will certainly give an extra level of security that's for sure.

If I do make a second batch I'll be able to make them any length you want! Just let me get the first batch out of the way first! :lol:

If you were to solvent weld the Polypropylene threaded fittings into the PVC you would never get them apart. By siliconing them they can still be removed if you need to get access or switch the size of the hosetails. Also solvent weld is really best joining PVC to PVC rather than different...

Well I finally had time (in amongst sorting out leaking pipes in the garage!) to get the production line started today! The first stage is sealing the threaded fittings with silicone. Once that's dried tomorrow I will drill the holes for the airline/bleed valves and glue those in with silicone...

From LBs Horticulture. They're barbed LDPE fittings. http://www.lbsgardenwarehouse.co.uk/category.asp?cid=OXQQZN7FFG67RA0KV7GHB3RAHJ6HCE1O&cat_id=BARBFIT Just remember you need the 16mm fittings for 12mm inside diameter tubing and 20mm for the 16mm inside diameter tubing.

Not yet. It's still got the bioballs in. I think the mesh may gather too much rubbish!

There might be if 10 people want them. It won't be worth me doing any more and having spare pipe! I think I'll have to see how this batch go first as I'm still checking their operation before commiting to anything though.

I've got a small tank on an IKEA shelving unit and that's fine. I'm hoping to add an 80cm long tank split into 4 smaller units on it too and I'm sure it will be fine with some extra shelf brackets to support the shelf.

It's an Ehiem 2128 so rated for 600lph. With the 12mm pipe fittings and media in the filter it will be less than this obviously. It's now running with no media inside with about 1.5bps of CO2 being injected.

Here's the reactor plumbed in, not bled and totally empty of water; After switching on the water immediately starts mixing in and the bubbles mix together. This is literally less than a minute after switching on the filter; After 15 minutes the water level is rising; After about 30...

Right; testing part 2 continues today! All the fittings have now arrived apart from the tees to inject the CO2! They are on the way but the problems with the supplier are still causing a bit of a delay! Tim is keeping me informed of progress. If they don't come then I've got a couple of...

I'd be a bit worried with the cuttings/emersed plants drying out too much with an open front! Stick a pair of sliding doors on it (and a cover glass) and you'd be able to have a lot more control of the humidity in there.

I don't understand your approach to this Cyberelic. I'm locking this thread as it's only purpose seems to be to have a go at someone. If you want to discuss it further then PM me or Dan directly please.

He he!!! Glad you get it mate!!! It's quite hypnotising to watch (or maybe I should just get out more - it's been a long weekend doing far too much work for school tomorrow!) I'm going to try the netting material at some point stuffed either at the top (to break the flow up and the bubbles...

Still waiting on those. The supplier has let down my source a few times; he's had orders but they haven't been included. He's working on it for me.

Just been experimenting again. I have the BPS at about 2bps which was a little less than I needed to get 30ppm on this tank with a diffuser (IME reactors are much more efficient so I'm keeping a very close eye on the fish). There are a couple of micro bubbles coming out of the filter outlet...

Cheers guys. I don't think it needs to be that big at all after running it. I reckon 40cm pipe for high bubble rates and 30cm would do for standard ones. But too long can't hurt as you can then really ramp the bubble rate up if you need to! I reckon I could run a constant stream of CO2 into...