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9 3/4 platform journey

Got another update... 😀

Today I’ve purchased almost everything that was still missing and some items started to arrive…


I didn’t got everything because there will be small things like buckets and hoses, etc., that I still have to buy! Nevertheless I’ve purchased the ADA aquarium (90x45x45), a TMC Signature cabinet/stand, 2 Ecotech Marine Radion ™ XR15 Freshwater Lights, a EHEIM eXperience 350, a D-D 75 Gallon RO, 10 Kg of Rocks, 25 pots of plants and some tools! 🙂

In regards to the lights I haven’t bought the TMC AquaRay GroBeam 1500 ND Ultima Tiles, as basically if I had to go with 2 lights plus 2 controllers I would end up almost paying the same and having an inferior (older) light… So my decision was made in favour of the Radion lights! :happy:

Today I’ve received:
  • All Pond Solutions 1000EF External aquarium filter
  • External Aquarium Fish Tank add on Filter 1.2L
  • 2kg CO2 cylinder
  • CO2Art Regulator Two Gauge and Solenoid Magnetic Valve
  • CO2 Tube
  • Hydor ETH External Thermal Heater 300W
  • Bubble counter
…and so I’m currently waiting the delivery of:
  • ADA aquarium (90x45x45)
  • TMC Signature cabinet/stand
  • 2 Ecotech Marine Radion ™ XR15 Freshwater Lights
  • EHEIM eXperience 350
  • 10 Kg of Rocks
  • 25 pots of plants
  • Tools (2 scissors and 1pair of tweezers)
  • Twinstar Nano 2
  • Non-return valve
  • Aquarium Hanging On External CO2 PH Monitor Glass Drop Checker
  • PH pen
  • Drop checker fluid (Bromo Blue + 4dkh water)
  • ADA NA Thermometer J-10 Clear
  • Lily pipes (in and out)
  • Jebao Auto Dosing Pump DP-4 Reef Marine Aquarium
  • Mixer Reactor CO2 Diffuser

Substrate:
  • ADA Trumaline
  • ADA Bacter 100
  • ADA Power Sand Special
  • ADA Aquasoil Amazonia
  • ADA Aquasoil Amazonia powder
  • ADA La Plata Sand

Filtering Material:
  • ADA NA Carbon 230
  • ADA Bio Rio
  • Evolution Aqua Pure



Fertilisers:
  • Magnesium Sulphate (MgSO4) – 1kg
  • Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) – 500 gr
  • Monopotassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) – 250 gr
  • TNC Trace Elements – 250 gr


Water Changes:
  • Cheap water pump
  • D-D 75 Gallon RO

Now some pics from today’s arrivals… 😎😛

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IMG_2702_1.jpg

IMG_2701_1.jpg

IMG_2697_1.jpg

IMG_2695_1.jpg

IMG_2700_1.jpg

Tomorrow probably will be more stuff arriving! 😀😛

Cheers, :thumbup:
Jose.
 
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...don't forget one of these lol

Certainly gone all-in buying absolutely everything at once. Lets just hope it all works, and that you can sort out your hardscape in under a day, or that'll be 25 sad plants!
 
...don't forget one of these lol

Certainly gone all-in buying absolutely everything at once. Lets just hope it all works, and that you can sort out your hardscape in under a day, or that'll be 25 sad plants!

Hi Rahms,

Thanks!

No I didn't forgot they just didn't had it in the shop (they had run out)... but yes I have to buy one! 🙂

In regards to the plants, yes I bought them, but the delivery will be arranged after I have everything set up, as you say I don't want 25 sad plants (potentially a week after the delivery of the other bits). 😉

Cheers
 
Hi Rahms,



In regards to the plants, yes I bought them, but the delivery will be arranged after I have everything set up, as you say I don't want 25 sad plants (potentially a week after the delivery of the other bits). 😉

Good stuff.

I was joking about the sand scraper by the way, not sure if you're running with the joke or if you actually would buy one of those 😱 its my go-to "why the hell does this exist" item! just use a debit card, tesco clubcard, piece of cardboard.... If you want to get really technical you could even tape one of those to a 30cm ruler
 
Hi Jose - I'm curious why you went for the EF external filter add on filter?

My gut reaction is that you have a lot of filtration already - so seems like overkill.

regards, Mark
 
Good stuff.

I was joking about the sand scraper by the way, not sure if you're running with the joke or if you actually would buy one of those 😱 its my go-to "why the hell does this exist" item! just use a debit card, tesco clubcard, piece of cardboard.... If you want to get really technical you could even tape one of those to a 30cm ruler

:lol::lol::lol: you have hundreds of option there! I will end up using a spoon or something else with a brush or similar... You're right, if you're doing one layout every "day" then you need one, else you don't...
 
Hi Jose - I'm curious why you went for the EF external filter add on filter?

My gut reaction is that you have a lot of filtration already - so seems like overkill.

regards, Mark

Hi Mark,

The reason is that I'm not going to run mechanical filtration in the EF filter... All the sponges will be in the add on, on the EF I aim to have mainly biological filtration.

As mentioned I'm going to run another filter... but remember that I'm running the add on, a CO2 reactor, and the heater on the EF, so the flow will be very restricted. I expect, in the end with all the restrictions, to have around 1000lts/h of flow in the aquarium... which doesn't seem exaggerated. What do you recon?

Cheers,
Jose.
 
The reason is that I'm not going to run mechanical filtration in the EF filter... All the sponges will be in the add on, on the EF I aim to have mainly biological filtration.

As mentioned I'm going to run another filter... but remember that I'm running the add on, a CO2 reactor, and the heater on the EF, so the flow will be very restricted. I expect, in the end with all the restrictions, to have around 1000lts/h of flow in the aquarium... which doesn't seem exaggerated. What do you recon?

Jose - I'd be disappointed if I had a 50% drop in flow, though maybe not surprised🙂

There is no right answer, and opinions will vary, but I just don't think you need that extra biological filtration. 2 fully loaded filters should provide more than enough of both biological and mechanical filtration and the extra filter box inline is just reducing your flow further.

The only tank I have of broadly comparable size is 90x32x45ish - which is roughly 2/3 of the volume of your tank - and in that I run a single eheim 250t with coarse and fine filter and a handful of biological media. The 3rd filter tray is empty. Probably the other extreme from your proposed setup - but it works.

regards, Mark
 
Jose - I'd be disappointed if I had a 50% drop in flow, though maybe not surprised🙂

There is no right answer, and opinions will vary, but I just don't think you need that extra biological filtration. 2 fully loaded filters should provide more than enough of both biological and mechanical filtration and the extra filter box inline is just reducing your flow further.

The only tank I have of broadly comparable size is 90x32x45ish - which is roughly 2/3 of the volume of your tank - and in that I run a single eheim 250t with coarse and fine filter and a handful of biological media. The 3rd filter tray is empty. Probably the other extreme from your proposed setup - but it works.

regards, Mark

Well as you say opinions and also ways of managing setup vary... After I set up the aquarium with the filters I will be going by what I feel its good, as you know the hardscape also influences the need of more or less flow!

I will definitely be posting the developments and we can all watch them! 🙂

Cheers,
Jose.
 
its so much fun receiving all the goodies, it's like Christmas and birthdays all in one, looking forward to seeing the tank coming together :thumbup:
Jim
True... and I just receive the pump for the water changes! 🙂 🙂 I will be posting the developments here! 🙂

Cheers,
Jose.
 
Christmas doesn't end! smile.gif biggrin.gif

During the morning some more stuff arrived... CO2 Reactor, Pump for the water changes, hose, fertilizers and PH Drop checker fluid!

IMG_2736.jpg

BTW - couldn't avoid playing a bit with the CO2 reactor propellers! biggrin.gif :lol::lol:

Cheers,
Jose.
 
Today some more stuff has arrived! Things are getting there... Peristaltic pump, Wood, PH pen, another Lily pipe and the RO tubing! 😀

IMG_2739.jpg

IMG_2743.jpg

However, despite I still have some bits arriving next week, I'll have to wait until Saturday until the aquarium is here! If everything goes accordingly to the planned I'm putting everything together by then, i.e. equipment and hardscape... Plants however will be delayed for a week, I want to make sure I like the hardscape before making it definitive! biggrin.gif wink.gif

Cheers everyone enjoy your weekend,:thumbup:
Jose.
 
I would say getting the hardscape right can take time but it is definitely worth it.

It will be much better taking time to get it right now rather than hating it later and then having to try to re-arrange everything.

Have you read George's article on this in the tutorials?

Definitely!

It is exactly because of reading George's articles that I'm going to take at least a week to set up the hardscape! 🙂 I found them great articles, in fact they've helped me already a lot in terms of imagining and drafting the hardscape, in these sense I've also used "The book of aqua design Amano", "Make your aquarium a success" from Tropica and "Aquarium plants - Experience Nature Underwater" by Dennerle...


If I'm pimping my setup the way I'm doing it, I'm definitely going to invest all the time to get the hardscape right!

By speaking of pimping my setup, just acquired a Seneye Reef with the SWS + wifi module... Found it quite interesting since measures and uploads to an online server the values around temperature, PH, NH3, Lux, PAR...

And, yes I know, it is getting pornographic... 😛
 
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