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The Lazy Asian Biotope

D7DAECAB-A815-4855-A9FB-CCDB20D49819.jpeg Hello! Remember me...

Quick update... my work life has changed a lot and I’m abroad weeks on end so tanks are in longterm slow mode with water changes only about 3 weekly. Fortunately this suits the Lazy Asian quite well. It’s now full low tech with no CO2 due to my vintange regulator finally dying, but still I got 2 years from one 2kg cylinder so clearly the tank didn’t need much CO2... This is the beauty of old set ups, stable and resilient....
 
Remember?.. :thumbup: Knowing the history of this awsome setup, it's still one of my all time unforgetable favorites.
 
A few other notes:

The Maxpect Gyre, which is central to the function of this tank, has had some issues. Left on constant single direction mode then bits of leaf etc. get trapped and cause noise and occasionally jamming. Set to alternate flow mode then it works very well and self clears of dedbris mostly. However there are rubber/plastic fittings on the impellers where they connent to the motor and theses have worn out repeatedly so that the impellers stop to rotating. I’ve used up the spares that came with it and am now fashioning a bodge solution with some cycle handle bar tape that seems to be holding.

Really it needs a lot of new spares.... but then it has been working constantly for over two years.
 
Hi Chris

Missed this journal with being a newbie on the block as you was doing it 🙁
Great tank :thumbup: Have been looking into the Maxspect Gyre myself for my 5x2x2 tank and having read your post I think the Gyre is just what my setup would benefit from.

Cheers Zeus
 
Great idea!

I've now replaced worn parts in mine with newer upgraded versions and it running quieter and very happily I also have the mesh "socks" they make put over the impellers and this, combined with the alternating flow setting, stops the balansae leaves and other debris getting sucked in.
 
Chris Jackson said:
I also have the mesh "socks" they make put over the impellers and this, combined with the alternating flow setting, stops the balansae leaves and other debris getting sucked in
Click to expand...

Quite like the look of the mesh socks over the foam guards myself too. Plus was thinking alternating output too for shrimp getting caught in the suction in mesh.

I take it you have the XF130/XF230 ? One of the concerns I have for my 3 sided room divider tank is back flow either side of the 10inch Gyre pump and the 12in or 14in models may be better suited on a lower pump setting. I have asked Maxspect about this and got reply today "The pumps can be controlled at a minimum of 10% power if you want it to be fairly quiet I would suggest the XF250 run onlow power. " Which didn't really answer the question 🙄

Think it's a case of not I'm I getting one it's which one will I get😉
 
I have the XF130 model...the ultimate would be 2 side by side right? There's always going to be weird flow in a sealed system like a tank but with having the pump off centre in my tank the water still seems swirl in a pretty stable manner.

I've never felt I wanted the more powerful XF230 one but, ideally and with a 2x2x5, I'd aim for 2 XF130 side by side on one controller if finances permitted.... Always the big if!
 
The XF130 and XF230 are the same pump just different controlors, or maybe typo you meant XF250 😉

Chris Jackson said:
I'd aim for 2 XF130 side by side on one controlle
Click to expand...

Was thinking same this morning XF230 X2 should fit very well side by side :thumbup:
 
Zeus. said:
The XF130 and XF230 are the same pump just different controlors, or maybe typo you meant XF250 😉



Was thinking same this morning XF230 X2 should fit very well side by side :thumbup:
Click to expand...

That sounds great, yes, I was thinking the XF250...

I hope you make a journal here of how it all goes..
 
B8D27D1F-0ACD-4706-89D4-E61304A8D0A3.jpeg
Hello!
4 years on and it’s still ticking along with minimal maintenance. I’m still working abroad a lot so maintenance is left mostly to my long suffering wife who does a 20% weekly water change via a hose pipe and feeds the now dwindling number of inhabitants daily. I do occasional trims and filter cleans as an when time permits.

CO2 is 1 bps into the inlet tube of one of the canister filters from 07:30 to 15:00. Lighting is 4 very very old 54w T5’s, 2 on 09:00 to 21:00 the other 2 also on 15:00 to 18:00. My wife virtually never remembers to add any ferts (I use an all in one home brew recipe from James’ Planted Tank) Maxpect gyre still working well on alternating flow mode
Got to love an easy care crypt tank! The substrate must be 15+ years old now. It does have a substrate heater cable as which may or may not make a difference but it clearly doesn’t hurt.
I removed huge clumps of Riccia today, high light intensity is certainly not essential for Riccia.
 
Chris Jackson said:
I removed huge clumps of Riccia today, high light intensity is certainly not essential for Riccia
Click to expand...

Gets in my carpet and is a constant PITA. I find the lower light levels does produce a darker Riccia which sinks in water unlike the brighter/Lighter Riccia which higher light produces which floats in the tank. So the darker Riccia gets gets everywhere 😡
 
Hi chris

Oh man this scape it still going on. Wow i remember this when you first started a few years ago. Back then i just got in the hobby, it was one of yours scape that gave me a ideas the one with 4 or 5 rock layout. Thank by the way

Your current layout your wife done a great job looking after it. I can see you got some heavy rooted plant in there lots of crypts. Look so natural and green. Good job man

Cheers
Ryan
 
Zeus. said:
Gets in my carpet and is a constant PITA. I find the lower light levels does produce a darker Riccia which sinks in water unlike the brighter/Lighter Riccia which higher light produces which floats in the tank. So the darker Riccia gets gets everywhere 😡
Click to expand...
Oh yes... any kind of moss trimmings love a carpet. Twas a total PITA in my old 600mm tank..something the size of your huge beauty! Oh my.... I’m too lazy for that
 
Hello! In case anyone was wondering, yes, this long term crypt tank is still happily providing calm enjoyment to us and the inhabitants some 6 years since planting. Which means the substrate is now at least 20 years old! How did that pass so quickly…. The 2 x T5 tubes are seriously old as well.
Don't be fooled people, aquatic gardening can be easy and low maintenance if that suits…😊

7C9ECE30-74A1-4B61-BA4D-6969F332218F.jpeg
 
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