Update Tank is Now Running (was tank setup)

[Vranthis]

Just an Update the fish tank is now up and running javascript:cheesy() yay.

Hey ppl, just thought i would post some pics of my new setup hopefully it will be fully plumbed by tuesday, bar any leaks.
Any suggestions on how to put the drift wood in.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nhcradock/tank%201.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nhcradock/tank%202.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nhcradock/tank%203.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nhcradock/tank%204.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nhcradock/tank%205.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nhcradock/tank%206.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nhcradock/tank%207.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nhcradock/DCP_1155.jpg :D :D :D :D

[April]

nice tank vranthis. id just sit that driftwood in the exact way you have it sitting.
should look nice.
make sure we get pics of it with fish swimming about.

[Vranthis]

i would but that piece is about 3 feet long and 2 feet high its a struggle to get it in the tank

[O]

Great set up!

O.

[ronrca]

Looks great! I like your idea of the filter!
Do we have another glass cutter amongst us?
;D

Keep us updated! ;)

[Vranthis]

you could say that im bit of a glass cutter i work out the measurements, drive 3 blocks down the road to the glass shop, hand the measurements over and ask how much, them get them to cut it. hehehehehe.

Will post some pic tomorrow when i get the driftwood in. (what a struggle to get it in and out only just fits though the top of the tank.)

The pump in the pic is 450gph, hope the current wont be to bad in the tank.
The gravel vac is going to be a co2 reactor, hopefully have the co2 sys setup by the end of next week. The stuff in the bio tower are ceramic and one of them is equal to 1L of bioballs. The amount that is in there now used to do a reef tank.

The sump is 800mm x 300mm x 300mm and the towers are 300mm cubes.

Im a DIY person from way back. Projects to date are the light hood, stand, a couple of calcium reactors, protein skimmers for some saltwater friends,
if i can make it myself i do. The light hood cost me about $70 au. (there is 4 tubes in there, need to make another as this was on another tank and is now 2inches to big.

PS: I will gladly answer any questions on the setup.

[Smokey]

Wonderful setup ... Varnthis. A true "sigh" of a craftsman .

Seems like you have been doing this for a while.

Smokey
[ Ya just had to use sand, didn't ya. LOL.]

Ron - if your were, where would you place some 1" foam; for the mechanical filteration ????

[ronrca]

Hey, Vranthis! Your cheating! ;)

I really like your idea of the filter! ;)

Hmmm! Foam! No kidding! Instead of those brown things, my filters would be 80% filled with foam! ;)

Odwyerpw has brought up a very good point! If you are using C02 injection, any C02 will be dissapated by the towers! I would recommend using foam and shorting the distance between the spray and the top of the foam. I realize that you are have placed the C02 after the filter and before the tank. This may work and Im interested to see how well. I guess you can try it and measure the C02 levels. However I think that you will have a high bubble rate per second in order to keep the C02 levels up thus having to refill often (ime, I was refilling every 1-2 months because of surface movement. I changed my filters so I got no surface movement and now Im not refilling for at least 6 months, maybe longer).

Why use foam? For a number of reasons. One being that the C02 will not dissapate as much compared to using cermaic/bio balls. In a planted tank, it is really difficult to run a wet/dry filter because of C02 dissapation. Also, foam as a large surface area of bacteria to culture possibly more than bioballs plus good for mechanical filteration. Foam is also very cheap and easy to replace/clean. (Anything else I forgot Smokey)

Another suggestion. From the pics, it seems that your bio filter is first, then perhaps mechanical? If so, put the mechanical filtration first so you dont get the debrie collecting in the bio filter.

Is the biotower sealed? Can you assess it easily? How is it attached to the outside tank?

What I would do with this filter is put the mechanical into the bio towers (foam) and have the bio underneath!

HTH! ;)

[Vranthis]

Yeah i will have mechanical part it will be in the weir for ease of cleaning, there will also be some just before the outlet of the return side. I didnt think about the co2 diss in the bio towers will try and track down some foam to fill it up in a sense.

Will let you know about co2 levels i knew from the start that wet/drys can be bad, hopefully it wont be to bad.

The spraybars are bit of a pain to get to might look at putting a coupling in the pvc between the bulkhead in the spray bar, to make it easier to service.

[ChloroPhil]

Hey Vranthis,

Your problem's very easy to fix. Make a drip tray assembly that will sit about an inch below your spray bars and use filter floss as your prefilter. Fill your biotower as full as it will go with media and make sure your water level is above the eggcrate in the biotower and you're all set. You'll still get agitation, but it will be relatively contained and may even act as a rough CO2 reactor.

If you want to be really slick forgo the drip tray and fill your biotowers with bioballs and then seal them with silicone and you're all set. As long as the water level's up to within the biotower you won't lose CO2 from the filter. Most CO2 is lost in the overflow anyway. That can be remedied by using a tall standpipe to keep the water level high in the overflow box.

If you can do both the filter sealing and standpipe you've got a minimal CO2 loss system.

Oh, and I'd put the driftwood in the rear right corner diagonally so the right side touches the right side glass and the left is against the back wall. That will give your fish maximum cover and will give you room to put a large plant behind it to obscure the corner and some of the spraybar.

[Mick M]

Great looking setup.
If I may offer a word of advice; it looks from the pic that you are planning on using a Grundfos central heating pump for water circulating?
There are a few things maybe to conside.
First :- the impeller housing is toxic to fish.
Secondly:- the same housing is also prone to corrosion.

I have had experience of this happening before. They make great circulating pumps for gravity fed filters etc..
Conversion kits are available to replace the impeller housing and I would reccomend that you try and source one locally before you encounter problems later, also the plumbing has to be modified to accept the new piece of hardware. For your information I pay about £20 GBP for these kits (depending on which pump model you have).
Hope this helps, I learnt the hard (expensive)way years ago!!

[Vranthis]

Mick,
could you please be more specific about this conversion kit, the pump model is GRUNDFOS Type UP 20-45 N 150

Cheers

[Mick M]

I cannot find that particular model listed at present- could be only available in your country. The most popular models used here for such purposes are; UP 15/50, 15/60, 25/55 and 32/55 all by Grundfos. Maybe you could look at your suppliers catalogue and see if one of these models is available?
The problem (for us) with these circulating pumps is they are made from cast iron, so with aerated water flowing through them it contaminates the water (toxic) and causes the impeller to 'stick' thereby burning out the motor. Costly and allways at the most inconvenient times!
What sort of flow rate are you hoping for?
The replacement parts are made from polypropelene and should last a lifetime.
One other comment I would make is 'make sure the impeller shaft is positioned exactly as per the instructions otherwise the shaft will bend and -back to a new pump! The pump should be securely fixed in its final position, i.e.not free to move in any direction.
They are excellent pumps and are worth the little extra effort involved.
Regards.
Mick M.

[Vranthis]

Looking at the pump it looks to be made from stainless steel but im going to ring the australian grundfos to find out about this. this pump has been used on a reef setup for at least 1-2years with no significant corrosion there is i little on the outside but nothing on the inside.
Here is how i found it. whent to grundfos site-> online catalog-> Heating-> Domestic hot water -> looked up the model number.

Cheers

[Mick M]

I also went to the Grundfos site but alas Australia was not listed or the actual pump model you gave, strange? Sorry I couldn't help more. By the way-allthough you may well have a stainless steel model i'm pretty sure the water is still channelled through a cast iron chamber. Good luck.
Regards
Mick M.

[Vranthis]

Will get the info from the horses mouth so to speak.

If this helps the pump was made in Denmark

Type UP 20-45 N 150 No.D925
240V 1~ l1/1(A) P(W)115 n(rpm) 2700 Class F

Anyway im of to bed, Will post what i find out tomorrow.(By the time here now today)hehehehehe, damn i need some sleep
Cheerio

[Vranthis]

I rang grundfos and found out that the casing and stuff is all stainless steel there is no cast iron in it at all

So im all set.

[Smokey]

Stainless is the god of material's. Only the best for our discus.

Now, what was the original question.


smokey

[Vranthis]

Aprrently some Grundfos pump models are prone to corrosion, i think because there made from cast iron, but im not sure. When i rang grundfos and asked they said that the N in the model number means its stainless steel.

Cheers