Project Unknown

[FrozenShivers]

Well...since this hobby has a grip on me it's time for my third tank already (and probably the last one I can fit in my man cave). Aquarium and cabinet should arrive this week. Kit for build so far is:
Aquarium - 90x40x40 (145l) OA Aquaria custom build.
CO2 - CO2Art Kit w/inline diffuser.
Lighting - Chihiros WRGB Slim 90
Filter & Heater - Oase Biomaster Thermo 850
Plants - TBC.
Hardscape - TBC.
Controller - Nicrew temperature controller
Sand - Unipac Aquarium Silver Sand
Substrate - Tropica Plant Growth

Both my existing tanks run Twinstar B series so I was going to go with an E-series but I got a large discount with Chihiros due to a Black Friday sale so thought I'd try them out, I hope they don't disappoint. This will be my first time trying out CO2, I still need to figure out where I'll get my canisters from, Adam's Gas would mean me having to drive to Glasgow every refill which is too far away. My other tanks run Unipac Limpopo sand which is 1000 µ to 1200 µ, this is too large for my Pygmaeus and Habrosus to sift, so I've gone for Unpac's finest sand which is only 150 µ to 250 µ, my small Corydoras are my favourite fish that I own, this is also my first time using any type of planting substrate, I thought I should new things. Hardscape/plants etc are still up in the air, I'm probably going to do some sort of island composition. Stocking is also TBC but will most likely be a maximum of 4 fish species, my existing Pygmeaus/Habrosus with some Green Neon Tetra's and some sort of centrepiece fish (Gourami/Bolivian Ram/German Blue Ram/Apistogramma or something after I've researched more).

I will add pictures of things in the upcoming days 🙂

 

[Lauris]

I still need to figure out where I'll get my canisters from, Adam's Gas would mean me having to drive to Glasgow every refill which is too far away.

On this topic.. if you get x2 5-7l co2 tanks you might need to visit Glasgow only once or tops twice a year.. (considering the size of your tank) 🫣😎

 

[OllieTY]

Just get expired Co2 fire extinguishers from eBay/Facebook Marketplace. I've been paying £10 for 2kg bottles

 

[FrozenShivers]

On this topic.. if you get x2 5-7l co2 tanks you might need to visit Glasgow only once or tops twice a year.. (considering the size of your tank) 🫣😎

Just get expired Co2 fire extinguishers from eBay/Facebook Marketplace. I've been paying £10 for 2kg bottles

Thanks both! And a thank you to @Kalum for sorting me out some CO2 to get me started.

 

[FrozenShivers]

Sadly due to issue with the courier my aquarium hasn't arrived yet...won't come until week starting the 13th 🙁...guess that gives me time to try and get some hardscape!

 

[FrozenShivers]

Well after more issues with the courier, I arrived home from work yesterday and there was a random delivery sitting at the front of my house! As I was home alone I had to take the cabinet doors off to get it in and upstairs on my own, sadly I now can't get the hinge back in place as one of the screw holes on the metal bracket seems to be rounded so I'll have to contact the supplier, then I'll fit the left side door. I have started getting some of the kit installed, the Biomaster 850 is in, somehow the plug for the heater is missing a prong, so I'll need to order a new plug and wire it up. I also didn't feel comfortable with how the Chihiros mounting kit attached straight to the aquarium without any barrier between the glass and the screws so I have added some foam in-between to protect the glass. I am concerned that the light will bleed a lot onto my PC monitor so looks like I need a shade...there doesn't seem to be a 90cm version, do I have to buy 2x45cm shades?...to add to my list of issues, there's a crack in the splash cover for the WRGB Slim, I'll contact Chihiros, if that fails is there any easy way of sourcing a new one?

I'll slowly get there hah! 🙂

 

[Lauris]

I hope you will sort issues soon, but still congrats on finally getting it.

I have same Chihiros suspension kit sitting on 12mm optiw.glass.. no issues, sits on well and plastic screws fixing it does good job with no damage. With the shades I think you will need 2 sets as I haven't seen 90cm ones (only 30, 45 and 60).

 

[Kalum]

Nothing is ever striaght forward @FrozenShivers but at least you're a massive step forward even if it doesn't feel like it right now!

I've always used black electrical tape between the mounting bracket and glass just to ensure I don't scratch the glass even if unlikely

You can get perspex cut to size online for pretty cheap if you don't get any joy with chihiros, not sure on the heat side of things and if it's just normal perspex they so worth checking with someone a bit more clued up on it first

 

[FrozenShivers]

I hope you will sort issues soon, but still congrats on finally getting it.

I have same Chihiros suspension kit sitting on 12mm optiw.glass.. no issues, sits on well and plastic screws fixing it does good job with no damage. With the shades I think you will need 2 sets as I haven't seen 90cm ones (only 30, 45 and 60).

Thank you! Maybe it was just me being a bit over protective then. Ahh that makes sense, ooft, nearly £80...I'll check what my options are as that sure ain't cheap.

Nothing is ever striaght forward @FrozenShivers but at least you're a massive step forward even if it doesn't feel like it right now!

I've always used black electrical tape between the mounting bracket and glass just to ensure I don't scratch the glass even if unlikely

You can get perspex cut to size online for pretty cheap if you don't get any joy with chihiros, not sure on the heat side of things and if it's just normal perspex they so worth checking with someone a bit more clued up on it first

Haha this is very true, I knew things would go wrong, doh, why didn't I think of electrical tape that would have been easier than cutting foam out. I've contacted Chihiros so will update when they reply. Thanks 🙂

 

[FrozenShivers]

Hello all, just posting a wee update. Making progress slowly but surely, I have contacted aquarium company and they're going to send out a new hinge, Aquarium Gardens have just got back to me so I'm now in talks with them in about some hardscape. I have also just wired a new plug to the Biomaster 850 heater, and labelled all the plugs, no word back from Chihiros which doesn't surprise me sadly. I have installed my Fluval 207 for my other tank into the left side of the cabinet and now have it running on lily pipes instead of the stuff that comes with the Fluval 207 so it looks a lot nicer. I have also chucked the sand into the tank, although I'll probably end up taking some of it out as I don't need as much in I guess since I won't be planting directly into it...

 

[FrozenShivers]

Sorted out scape with help from Aquarium Gardens, should arrive today or tomorrow and then I can get glueing...wondering if I should make it an epiphyte only tank...hmmm.

 

[Kalum]

looks great mate! if you need extra stone you know where i am

you've got co2 so 100% go for stems to take advantage of this in my opinion

 

[Jorge O'Reilly]

Whoa, that got incredibly nice really fast. It does seem like a shame to divert attention from that island. How about leaf litter all around? Instead of a carpeter. That, and epiphytes.

 

[FrozenShivers]

looks great mate! if you need extra stone you know where i am

you've got co2 so 100% go for stems to take advantage of this in my opinion

Thanks mate I'll defo give you a shout if I need anymore! I know you're probably right I guess I've just not fell in love with stems yet and seem to prefer the simplicity epiphytes etc. If I were to add some stems, would Tropica Growth Substrate work capped with my fine sand in the island? Or should I use Tropica Soil instead and then maybe use dividers to stop it mixing with the sand? 🙂

Whoa, that got incredibly nice really fast. It does seem like a shame to divert attention from that island. How about leaf litter all around? Instead of a carpeter. That, and epiphytes.

Thank you! (Although I can't take the credit). I'm actually not going to do any carpeting plants as I want there to be bare sand for my Cory's to sift 🙂...I think leaf litter is a good idea though, either that and/or some small detailing stones to put around the edge.

 

[Kalum]

it's your tank and vision mate stick with what you have in your head as there's always the next rescape to try something different! But just in case you do want to:

No need to cap with sand behind the hardscape as you won't see the substrate so best leaving it soil only (it will only mix anyway and has no benefit other than visual appearance). But you would need to plan your hardscape a bit more when setting up so that you can block off the front from the back to save from the soil spilling forward onto the sand, it can easily be done by adding more sacrificial stones or net bags of lava rock etc...Basically using the hardscape as a barrier between sand and soil

There's loads of better examples on here than mine but have a look here anyway as i know where my pics are: The Island - ADA 75P - It's been a while....

 

[FrozenShivers]

it's your tank and vision mate stick with what you have in your head as there's always the next rescape to try something different! But just in case you do want to:

No need to cap with sand behind the hardscape as you won't see the substrate so best leaving it soil only (it will only mix anyway and has no benefit other than visual appearance). But you would need to plan your hardscape a bit more when setting up so that you can block off the front from the back to save from the soil spilling forward onto the sand, it can easily be done by adding more sacrificial stones or net bags of lava rock etc...Basically using the hardscape as a barrier between sand and soil

There's loads of better examples on here than mine but have a look here anyway as i know where my pics are: The Island - ADA 75P - It's been a while....

Thanks mate that's what I figured but good to know as I've only just used plain sand previously, I was going to purchase JBL Volcano Mineral and put in filter bags as a method of raising rear of my substrate to try and level up my scaping a little. I've been messing about with the scape today and this is how I have it looking so far, what do you guys think? Even if I go epiphyte only does it look ok like this or is it too flat and I should raise the rear more? Your tank is gorgeous!

 

[FrozenShivers]

Inline with everything else going wrong, my Lily pipes arrived but sadly they've sent me a spraybar, so going to get that swapped around!

 

[FrozenShivers]

Lily pipes are now here, yay! I also have some JBL Volcano Mineral, do you guys think I should prop up the scape a bit or leave it as is? Also should I rinse the Volcano Mineral?

 

[FrozenShivers]

I've added a little of the JBL Volcano Mineral to the back of the tank in some filter bags. I then tried to glue parts of the scape together using the cigarette filter & liquid glue trick that I'd seen on Youtube....sadly I couldn't get a good enough hold so it was a fail. I have now chucked all the wood in a box of water instead. This is the slowest journal known to man... 😕

 

[Myrtle]

I couldn't do the superglue and filter thing either, glad it wasn't just me! I think the gaps were too big for it to work for me, though.