splitshot
Head cook, Bottle washer, and Peace keeper.
look at the filtration system behind it, I bet it is noisy
Bet it has the new 4 plus blower technology...
Any aquarium nuts out there (home tanks)?
- Thread starter 3jvj
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Bet it has the new 4 plus blower technology...
Bogo
FOOF
In the 4 200 gallon tanks I ran years ago I used gravel from a local stream to serve as a starter culture. Each year I'd refresh the culture. In each tank I used 2 power heads pumping from perforated pipes embedded at the bottom of a 6+ inch thick gravel bed. I used a couple siphon tubes to transfer water into a plaster bucket. In the plaster bucket I had a piece of open celled foam jambed in vertically separating it into two halves. On the other side of the foam from the siphons I had a pump to return the water to the tank. With such a large gravel bed and large area particulate filter they could go months without maintenance. Normally I'd clean 1/3rd of the under gravel each month and change 10% of the water in the process. I never had ammonia, PH or nitrite buildup problems. The tanks were very stable even when I had 15 12" koi in one of them.
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Bogo
FOOF
All 4 200 gallon tanks I had were home made. The only glass part was the front glass. The rest of the tank was 3/4" plywood braced with 2x2 or 2x4 boards. The back and sides had 2x2 brace boards and the bottom was braced with 2x4 boards. The brace boards were glued and screwed to the plywood. The sides, back and bottom were made as individual units, and then assembled, glued and screwed together to make the tank. The face was made out of 3/4" thick oak boards to form a bezel around a 2' high by 6' long 3/8" thick glass sheet. The the pieces were pinned and glued together. The inside plywood surfaces and top rim of the tank were sealed with a few coats of fiberglass resin with strips of fiberglass in the corners. The front glass was caulked in place to the back side of the bezel. The inside surface of the bezel was coated with fiberglass resin, and the visible surfaces were varnished. There were two brace bars from the front to the back to keep the top front from bowing out.
What I'd do different. I'd have used fiberglass over all the inside surfaces, as well as over the top of the rim. I'd have made the top board of the bezel taller to better hide the lights on top. I'd have made the side boards in the bezel a little wider to allow panels to be placed between tanks for hiding equipment and providing a more finished look.
As for durability. After 8 years of use including 4 moves I sold them for $500 each back in '87. No signs of wood rot or leaks.
What I'd do different. I'd have used fiberglass over all the inside surfaces, as well as over the top of the rim. I'd have made the top board of the bezel taller to better hide the lights on top. I'd have made the side boards in the bezel a little wider to allow panels to be placed between tanks for hiding equipment and providing a more finished look.
As for durability. After 8 years of use including 4 moves I sold them for $500 each back in '87. No signs of wood rot or leaks.
Here's mine
Bogo
FOOF
Ag-Bag plastic?Here's mine
Bogo
FOOF
Ah, OK, a lightweight plastic. I was wondering if it was the same or similar as what I use for storing silage. I get these 200' long by 9' diameter bags which I stuff silage into. The plastic is strong enough to bounce 1" hail stones. Also it is nearly impossible to push your finger through it.
Pretty cool, what's being farmed in the ponds there?
How about temperature regulation, figure with ambient temps usually in the 80's the black bottom would push the pond temps over 90.
How about temperature regulation, figure with ambient temps usually in the 80's the black bottom would push the pond temps over 90.
Freshwater tropicals (Swordtails Gouramis Platys etc) and some Koi, the tanks sometimes get up to low 90s for a month or two in the summer but usually stay between 70 and 80. We move allot of water around in the tanks with airlift. we found running the white side of the liner out did'nt help much ( too cold in the winter and not that much cooler in the summer)
It amazing the temp ranges that Koi can withstand.
Yeah, in the summer we run floating shade and solar fountains to keep the Koi cool
- Thread starter
- #52
This should probably go over to the pet forum.
The desolation tank got new lights today. I'm pretty happy with the results. I went with 500 million year old sand from colorado, and far newer lava rock from Arizona. I love the contrast. There is also some african lakewood in there, but I will probably replace it with petrified wood. I just needed it to jump start the bios.
I learned the hard way that taking sand and just throwing it into a tank can make life a pain. It has taken me six months to get past the breakdown of debris and get the sand clean.
My next phase will include growing plants in the back portion of the filter housing to aid in filtration, and building some low safety zones for offspring. several of the cichlids, and some of the convicts are showing signs that I'll see some action.
Current count is 20 or so fish, and they seem to be getting along fine. Four bottom feeders, and a bunch of fish that would normally decimate a tank, but I haven't lost one yet.
The desolation tank got new lights today. I'm pretty happy with the results. I went with 500 million year old sand from colorado, and far newer lava rock from Arizona. I love the contrast. There is also some african lakewood in there, but I will probably replace it with petrified wood. I just needed it to jump start the bios.
I learned the hard way that taking sand and just throwing it into a tank can make life a pain. It has taken me six months to get past the breakdown of debris and get the sand clean.
My next phase will include growing plants in the back portion of the filter housing to aid in filtration, and building some low safety zones for offspring. several of the cichlids, and some of the convicts are showing signs that I'll see some action.
Current count is 20 or so fish, and they seem to be getting along fine. Four bottom feeders, and a bunch of fish that would normally decimate a tank, but I haven't lost one yet.