A monster journal...My 190g wild discus biotope!

[jcardona1]

Well after several weeks on this tank it is finally finished!!! I picked this tank up at the end of January and have been working on it nonstop. I put a lot of thought and planning into this one. In fact, this is my most intense tank build yet. Lots of DIY work, made the setup of my old 400g seem like a breeze. This tank will be home mainly to my wild discus. I went for a biotope-ish setup, even though I have a few fish that aren’t truly native to where the discus are from. Enough of that, on to the details!

TANK/STAND
The tank measures 60x30x24, is made from ½” glass all around and holds roughly 190 gallons of water. I bought the tank used from Charlie @ The Fish Tank Factory in SoCal. The previous owner cracked the bottom pane, which was repaired by Charlie’s builder. The customer never came back for the tank, so I ended up getting a really good deal on it. It just involved a very long drive to pick it up!

The stand is DIY, about 33” tall. This is the second stand I've built. I hate working with wood, I don't enjoy it all and only do it out of necessity. The stand is extremely overbuilt, but it's the easiest way I've found to build a stand. It’s framed out of regular 2x4s, then skinned in whiteboard since it's light and cheap. Because I'm only painting it, I didn't need to go with some high quality wood.

The stand has side access doors along with the two front doors. The doors were built out of birch plywood panels, with a simple trim. It's not perfect, but came out decent, and I'm learning! Maybe one day I can build a stain-worthy stand. But for now, I think this will look just fine in my living room. Final color was gloss leather brown.

I also made an open top canopy out of whiteboard. It’s just a simple box frame as I only needed something to hide the black plastic trim and finish up the top.

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PLUMBING/FILTRATION
This is one area where I spent a lot of time, especially doing research. This was a bare tank with no overflow boxes and no holes, so I was starting with a blank canvas. I’ve ran the Herbie setup before and I loved it. My main requirement was that this tank be dead silent as it was going in my living room. The filtration also had to be clean and simple. I’m not a fan of messy wet/dry filters. Those that have seen my sumps before know what I’m talking about http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif

After doing lots of research on reefcentral.com, I decided to go with the Beananimal overflow system. It involved a little more work since it uses 3 drain lines, but after running both the Herbie and the Beananimal, I’m convinced the Beananimal is better, safer, and quieter. It’s quieter because it uses two downward facing elbows, unlike the Herbie which uses two vertical open standpipes. The downward facing elbows make it so the system runs silent with no air bubbles in the lines at all. But because the elbows are facing down, you get air trapped inside at start-up. This is where the 3rd line comes in. When you start up the pump, the water level quickly rises past the two drain lines and starts flowing down the emergency drain. After a few minutes, the system purges the air out of the two main lines and the water level drops down, resuming its normal operation.

So with a plan in mind, I set out to drill the holes. I have never drilled glass before, so this was a learning experience. I bought a cheap diamond glass bit on eBay and practiced on a spare 20g tank. It was really easy actually. There’s plenty of videos on YouTube that show the steps involved. I ended up drilling five 1.75” holes for 1” bulkheads.

The Beananimal is built out of 1.5” piping. In fact, the entire system is built exactly like Beananimal original design as seen here: http://www.beananimal.com/projects/s...ow-system.aspx (http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx). The bulkheads are 1" with 1.25” elbows and strainers in the overflow box. Overflow box is DIY as well, using three pieces of ¼” glass.

The main drain is the one at the far right. The drain runs submerged and handles the bulk of the flow. Because it’s submerged, it runs as a full siphon, which can handle a lot more flow than a line that has air trapped in it. To restrict the flow and to control the noise, I’m using a 1.5” brass gate valve. I was using the ball valve at first, but it’s much easier to fine tune the flow with a gate valve. You’ll also notice that I have a small valve up top. For some reason, the air bubbled that traps inside this line during startup would not purge. I think it may be that my drain lines are submerged too far past the water level in the sump. I haven’t researched this yet, so I just added a small valve up top where I could release the trapped air. Without this, I was having water go down my emergency line indefinitely. As soon as I purge out the air, it goes back to normal.
The middle line is the open channel standpipe. This one basically operates like a Durso pipe, with a vented hole up top. The vent hole has tubing that extends below the rim of the tank. In the event of an emergency and a rising water level, the open channel standpipe will convert to a full siphon like the one on the right as soon as the vent tube becomes submerged under water. When it turns into a full siphon, it can handle a lot more flow than it could as a Durso, and can aid in quickly moving water down to the sump. Under normal operation, this pipe is flowing a small amount of spillover; whatever the main drain can’t handle. Because it’s a small amount of water, the water clings to the inside walls of the pipe, thereby not making any noise. If it begins to flow too much, then air gets trapped with the water, and you get the classic gurgling sound that overflows are known for!

The last pipe on the left is the emergency drain, and simply consists of an upturned elbow. As I mentioned above, this pipe sees water each the pump restarts, until the system purges the air out.

The main drain and open channel drain both flow into one filter sock in the sump. I’m currently using a 25 micron 7x16” filter sock.

The sump itself is made from an old 40g glass tank. This is quite possibly the cheapest, easiest, and most efficient sump you can build! You don’t need any drip trays, dividers, or baffles. All thanks to the media of choice. I have about 30-40lbs of porous ceramic media, which works much better than bio balls or pot scrubbers. Because this media is used fully submerged, it makes the sump very easy to build.

I’m using two return pumps for this setup: Quiet One 4000 (1017gph) and 4000 HH (980gph). These return back to the tank via two 1” return lines. I have a ball valve on each to be able to reduce the flow as needed; wild discus are particularly picky about not having strong currents in the tank. The returns on the inside consist of 45* elbows that I can rotate to adjust the surface current, or aim down if I wish. The return lines also have 1.5” swing-type check valves to stop the flow back to the sump, since they are several inches below the water surface.

Heating consists of a Rancho ECT1-R temperature controller and a 1000w titanium rod. I hate using regular aquarium heaters. They are so inaccurate and unreliable. This setup truly is ‘set it and forget it!

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LIGHTING
Lighting is one that deserves it’s very own section, since I went into total crackhead mode here http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif I did a lot of think and a lot of research before finally pulling the trigger. I know for certain that I did not want to run fluorescent lighting. I was tired of the “flat” look it gives the tank. It’s very unnatural, and I don’t like how every square inch of the tank is lit up evenly. I also knew I wanted the shimmer effect, so it was either metal halides or LED. Metal halides were completely out of the question, since I don’t like the idea of making the electric company rich! So, LEDs it was! I was almost set on running 4-6x 10w LED floodlamps you see more and more folks using these days. In the end, I decided to go DIY to give me more flexibility. These floodlamps are made in China, so you can’t really know how long they’ll last, or whether you’ll be able to buy replacements in the future. But the main reason for going DIY was color choice. ‘Cool white’ LEDs are ugly in my opinion. They wash out the color of fish too much. The warm whites are very yellow. If I chose the floodlamps, I wouldn’t be able to mix up the colors to get a nice mixture.

The light bar itself I made out of 1” metal conduit, which I bent into shape using a manual pipe bender. The light fixture is a big and heavy piece of aluminum heatsink, measuring 7x36”. I also attached a splash shield made from ¼” acrylic. The shield really isn’t needed, but it finishes off the fixture nicely, makes it look more legit.

The LEDs are Cree XP-Gs. They cost a little more than other brands, but the quality and reputation is well worth the extra cost. The fixture uses 12 neutral white LEDs (4000k) and 12 warm white LEDs (3000k). They are arranged in two rows of 12, alternating each color in the two rows. LEDs were soldered up using 20ga solid core wire, wired in series and in 4 strings of 6 LEDs each. More on this below.

The brains behind the operation is what really makes this light special! My initial plan was to drive the LEDs using pre-wired Buckpucks with a dimmer switch. But after talking to my good buddy Aaron (member: o2surplus on monsterfishkeepers), he convinced me to go with a custom driver and a microcontroller. The driver was built entirely by Aaron, so I take no credit here. In fact, if it weren’t for him constantly answering my noob questions, I probably wouldn’t have been able to go the DIY route. If you’re interested in a driver setup like mine, shoot him a pm, he may be able to build one for you http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

The LEDs are driven by four ON Semiconductor CAT4101 constant-current drivers. Each CAT4101 is controlling a string of 6 LEDs. 4 drivers running 6 LEDs, total of 24 of LEDs. Each driver controls an individual color; drivers 1 and 3 control the warm whites, drivers 2 and 4 control the neutral whites. The current to the LEDs is controlled by soldering an external resistor to one of the CAT4101’s pins. In this case, a 549ohm resistor was used for each CAT4101 to drive the LEDs at 1000mA, or 1a. The XP-Gs can handle up to 1500mA, so this is well within their safe operating range. For those who want to understand more on the CAT4101, you can find the technical specs here: http://www.onsemi.com/pub_link/Collateral/CAT4101-D.PDF
For dimming and on/off control, the CAT4101 relies on an external pulse width modulation signal (PWM). That is where the Arduino Duemilanove microcontroller comes in. To keep the microcontroller in sync with the on/off cycles, and in case the power is disconnected, the Arduino is connected to a DS1307 Real Time Clock with battery backup. The code I uploaded to the Arduino is set up to run sunrise-to-sunset lighting. The lights slowly fade on in the morning, and slowly fade out at night. Each LED string is fully adjustable for start time, photoperiod length, and brightness. This allows me to dim or brighten up the warm and neutral whites to get the color mixture I like. All I need to do is hook up the Arduino to my laptop and quickly edit the code. How freaking cool is that?!?!?

This ‘magic black box’ that Aaron built me is really a work of art. The board is so neat and tidy. All the terminals and connections on the board are labeled. Everything is taken care of; the 24v power source hookup, the 5v power to run the CAT4101s, 12v power for the Arduino and fan connections, and the pins for the 5v PWM signal to the Arduino. He even included a power indicator light and an override switch to turn the LEDs on at any time, bypassing the Arduino. Only thing I needed to do was purchase the microcontroller and Real Time Clock and hook those up. So easy, a caveman can do it!

And last but not least, the power supply. Everything is powered by a 24v, 6.5a, 150w power supply.

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The project box, showing USB connection for microcontroller and LED hooksups
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Other side of project box: 24v power hookup, LED indicator light and override switch
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Custom PCB: screw terminals on top row are connections for the 4 LED channels. Middle row you'll see the four CAT4101 drivers. Bottom left terminal is 24v power supply connections. Bottom middle terminal is 12v power supply for microcontroller and ground connections. Bottom right terminal is for the PWM signals from microcontroller, and for manual override.
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This shows the 24v power hookup and override switch
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The Arduino Duemilanove microcontroller (on inside lid of project box)
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The Arduino with the Real Time Clock module attached
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Driver PCB and Arduino connected
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Warm white Cree XP-G
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This is a good photo showing the true-life colors of the neutral whites and warm whites
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24v 6.5a power supply
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DECOR
Decor for this tank is pretty simple, since I was going for a South American biotope look. I wanted a nice 3D background, but I didn’t want to lose several inches in depth. So I settled for the thin pieces that are tiled on. I ended up going with the Aqua Terra Slimline Mesa Rock background. Those you know backgrounds, know that Aqua Terra is really the best there is. When you see one in person, you’ll know why. To finish up the look, I also covered the overflow box with the background tiles.

The substrate is a mixture of sand and gravel. Sand is 12# mesh Monterey Beach Sand. The gravel mixed in with the sand is ‘Klondike Brown’ gravel. Both the sand and gravel were purchased from a local rock yard.

Driftwood is Manzanita, collected locally in the northern California area. I placed the driftwood vertically in the tank to give it the look of tree roots growing into the water.

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WATER CHANGER
To make my life easier with the constant water changes needed, I decided to set up as semi-automatic water changing system. Since the tank was in my living room, it was a little difficult to set up a 24/7 drip system, because I couldn’t take advantage of gravity to drain the excess water from the sump. To do so would have required a system with float switches, reservoirs, solenoids, etc. I didn’t want to deal with the extra cost, so I chose a super simple setup.

The main part of the system is the 55g aging barrel. The water is fed from my washer’s cold water supply line. It passes through a chlorine/chloramine filter, pressure regulator and then goes to the aging barrel. The water level in the barrel is maintained automatically with a float valve. I chose to use a barrel to heat and age the water for degassing purposes.

The 55g barrel is in a coat closet, and contains a small submersible pump to supply fresh water to the tank. There is another submersible pump in my sump; this is used to drain the tank for the daily water changes. The drain and refill pumps are controlled by a wireless remote control (this one to be exact (http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-31188-Outdoor-Wireless-Control/dp/B0020ML776/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1301645706&sr=8-2)). To actually perform a water change, this is what I do:
- Turn off main pumps and heater, let extra water flow down to sump.
- Turn on the drain pump in my sump via the remote control. This drains to a nearby bar sink.
- Once the sump is empty, turn on the refill pump via the remote control. This supplies aged/heated water from the 55g barrel.
- Once the sump is full, turn on the system.
And that’s it! After that, the 55g barrel gets refilled with treated water from the float valve, ready for the next day’s water change. With this setup, I can change 30-35g per day, depending on how much water I keep in the sump. And I can do it in a matter of minutes while sitting on the couch, thanks to the wireless remote!

Cold water feed from washer hookup. Feeds to aging barrel (not shown)
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Drain pump that drains to nearby sink
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Drain pump
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Spigot that refills the sump from the aging barrel, with a Y-valve for adding water to other tanks
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In a few months I plan on going to a fully-automatic system, whereby the drain pump comes on at set intervals throughout the day using a timer, draining only a few gallons at a time. The sump will then be refilled using an automatic top-off controller, commonly used in reef tanks. I spent too much on this tank already, so I saved some money by not buying the top-off controller right now. I will soon though http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif


FULL TANK SHOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, that was a long write-up. I think that covers most of it. On to the full tank shots! I will update this thread regularly with new pictures. The tank is a bare fish-wise right now, but I plan on having 15-20 wild discus in the near future. Stay tuned! Any questions, feel free to ask. Enjoy!

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[prolude006]

Simply put WOW!

If u dont mind im gonna copy u! =)

Super simple layout, nice discus, great background!
Keep more pics coming and any other details u can , love it!


David

[jcardona1]

Thanks David, don't mind at all! I'll keep updating this thread regularly. Hopefully next time I'll have more fish, since right now it's looking pretty bare :)

[Discus-n00b]

Jose you put my tank to shame! :D WOW! You've got me thinking about tinkering with my setup more, in the lighting area and that background. Really really considering a background like that now. Love that light fixture ;) I notice you don't use lenses for your LEDs, do you ever notice any real bright light spill in your eyes coming from the fixture when looking at the tank? Unless I have the lenses on I get blinded when approaching the tank in the gap between the splash shield and heatsink. Experience that with yours? I think I want to tweak my whole light system and add in some more of the cool whites, they really give that nice touch of blue to the striations on the fish. I might just remake the fixture LOL

[Vee]

Amazing setup. Love the fish too!

[greengreen84]

simply love it well done :D

[two utes]

All your thought and planing sure did pay off. A real credit to you. Please keep us updated.

[hedut]

beautiful tank:) and love it

[ZX10R]

That is one awesome amazing looking tank and yes you put in a ton of work on that thing. GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!

[Cuchulainn]

Your tank is a league of its own. Nice attention to detail Jose- tank turned out beautifully!

[saltydog]

Very nice. are you running dual Di filters in your canisters for stripping chloramines etc. and if so how long ar you finding they last before having to change them without using a membrane and a flow restrictor. The reason i ask is i tried this one time and the DI cartridge was spent in a matter of days.

[CajunAg]

Wow, jcardona1, awesome job! I know a lot of pre-planning, experimentation, time and effort went into that setup, and the results are stunning. I can't wait to see it full of wilds :thumbsup:

[dadecountyalan]

WOW






thats all i could say

[vernon_24]

wow
wow
wow
really man...what a tank..!!!
i wish too get one like this but man the work thats gone into it ...!!!!

can u come and set it up for me ???? ;):p
lol

man awesome job on this ..!!!

[Herbicidal]

I'm running out of adjectives! So I'll use icons instead: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Second Hand Pat]

Nice Jose...just one thing...need more fish. Super good job on this build. I will need to crawl through your first post when I have more time.

[rave 2468]

very nice set up, simply amazing.

[target]

That is an awesome set up! Thanks for sharing.

[CORVETTE70]

Simply out standing, one of the nicest i've seen, i might have to save up money for a flight and have you come up here and help me build one like this...lol

[2wheelsx2]

I really like the water change setup and was planning on something similar in the future in my basement. Now you just gave me all the technical info to do it. Thanks for posting so much detail. Tank and fish are awesome. Can't wait to see what you'll add to it.

[jarret8x]

Awesome setup you did a great job. Love the water change setup.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[laborelch]

love your setup!


nice, nice, nice!

[MKD]

very nice and neath. I wish i have that ability to do all that, very talented.

[Dave B]

Jose, no wonder you haven't been around much. You were busy! I wish I had been that dedicated to my tank. I had it well before yours and I'm about 25% of the way through setup.

It looks awesome. I really like the lighting. I can follow all the rest, but the Arduino stuff totally flew over my head.

Two questions:

How'd you secure the vertical pieces into place? Particularly that one very straight one on the right. (Edit: Ah, I see, it's part of a tripod-like piece. Looks like a lot of self-supporting stuff then?)

Your pressure regulator is after the filter? Isn't that backwards?

As many people here will tell you, the water aging system probably ends up being better for discus than a straight drip (not that there's anything wrong with a straight drip)...


My only gripe might be that it seems that those LEDs seem to de-emphasize a lot of the red/orange of the wilds. But that comes from a guy with bulbs that brings them out unnaturally. I just like orange, I guess... (I should just keep goldfish and save myself thousands of dollars!)

Love the shadows and natural look in this one though:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5183/5593765507_c793faeeb0_b.jpg

[Vee]

I really like the blue fish with the red striations. What are they?

[baarda]

love it.

[jcardona1]

Jose you put my tank to shame! :D WOW! You've got me thinking about tinkering with my setup more, in the lighting area and that background. Really really considering a background like that now. Love that light fixture ;) I notice you don't use lenses for your LEDs, do you ever notice any real bright light spill in your eyes coming from the fixture when looking at the tank? Unless I have the lenses on I get blinded when approaching the tank in the gap between the splash shield and heatsink. Experience that with yours? I think I want to tweak my whole light system and add in some more of the cool whites, they really give that nice touch of blue to the striations on the fish. I might just remake the fixture LOL

Thanks! Yes, you're right. You definitely get a lot of light spillover w/o lenses. Since I didn't use that many LEDs, I didn't want to use lenses, since I would create a very focused beam. I may have to build a "shade" of sorts to avoid being blinded as you look at the tank!


Amazing setup. Love the fish too!

Thanks, appreciate it!


simply love it well done :D

Thanks, appreciate it!


All your thought and planing sure did pay off. A real credit to you. Please keep us updated.

Thanks, I sure will :)


beautiful tank:) and love it

Thanks!


That is one awesome amazing looking tank and yes you put in a ton of work on that thing. GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!

Thanks, appreciate it!


Your tank is a league of its own. Nice attention to detail Jose- tank turned out beautifully!

Thank you much :)


Very nice. are you running dual Di filters in your canisters for stripping chloramines etc. and if so how long ar you finding they last before having to change them without using a membrane and a flow restrictor. The reason i ask is i tried this one time and the DI cartridge was spent in a matter of days.

Thanks! No, I'm using granular activated carbon in both canisters. Those get rid of chlorine and chloramines. The carbon last for a really long time. I have a buddy who's had the same cartridges for nearly a year and they're still working good. I anticipate getting 8+ months if doing 35g per day. I have a chlorine/chloramine test kit I can use to verify if they're still doing they're job.


Wow, jcardona1, awesome job! I know a lot of pre-planning, experimentation, time and effort went into that setup, and the results are stunning. I can't wait to see it full of wilds :thumbsup:

Thanks, appreciate it!


WOW






thats all i could say

Ha thanks!


wow
wow
wow
really man...what a tank..!!!
i wish too get one like this but man the work thats gone into it ...!!!!

can u come and set it up for me ???? ;):p
lol

man awesome job on this ..!!!

Haha thanks! You covering my travel expenses? :D


I'm running out of adjectives! So I'll use icons instead: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Thanks Herb!

[Vee]

Could you describe the fish in the tank? What are they and where from?

[jcardona1]

Nice Jose...just one thing...need more fish. Super good job on this build. I will need to crawl through your first post when I have more time.

Thanks Pat! Yeah as soon as I sell my old rimless tank I'm getting more fish. Spent too much on the tank, and have none leftover for the fish ha!


very nice set up, simply amazing.

Thanks!


That is an awesome set up! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks!


Simply out standing, one of the nicest i've seen, i might have to save up money for a flight and have you come up here and help me build one like this...lol

LOL thanks! :)


I really like the water change setup and was planning on something similar in the future in my basement. Now you just gave me all the technical info to do it. Thanks for posting so much detail. Tank and fish are awesome. Can't wait to see what you'll add to it.

Thanks, glad you found it helpful :)


Awesome setup you did a great job. Love the water change setup.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

Thanks!


love your setup!


nice, nice, nice!

Thanks!


very nice and neath. I wish i have that ability to do all that, very talented.

Thank you!


Jose, no wonder you haven't been around much. You were busy! I wish I had been that dedicated to my tank. I had it well before yours and I'm about 25% of the way through setup.

It looks awesome. I really like the lighting. I can follow all the rest, but the Arduino stuff totally flew over my head.

Two questions:

How'd you secure the vertical pieces into place? Particularly that one very straight one on the right. (Edit: Ah, I see, it's part of a tripod-like piece. Looks like a lot of self-supporting stuff then?)

Your pressure regulator is after the filter? Isn't that backwards?

As many people here will tell you, the water aging system probably ends up being better for discus than a straight drip (not that there's anything wrong with a straight drip)...


My only gripe might be that it seems that those LEDs seem to de-emphasize a lot of the red/orange of the wilds. But that comes from a guy with bulbs that brings them out unnaturally. I just like orange, I guess... (I should just keep goldfish and save myself thousands of dollars!)

Love the shadows and natural look in this one though:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5183/5593765507_c793faeeb0_b.jpg

Thanks Dave, yeah I've been super busy getting this tank ready. As to your questions,

most of the pieces are self-supporting. There were three larger stumps though that were still floating, so I secured them with a 12x12" tile. Just drilled a hole in the tile, and screwed them down.

The pressure regulator really isn't needed IMO. I had it rigged that way from a previous setup when I was using drip emitters. Those need a low PSI. But the filter will work fine, as long as it's flowing less than 15gpm (and that's to remove chloramines, which I don't have in my tapwater). I can close off the valve feeding the filter to get a really slow flow rate. Also, the float valve I use flows a max of 19gpm, with an operating range of 0-100psi. So the whole system keeps its self in check really.

And you're right about the LEDs. They definitely do change the color of the fish. One thing about LEDs is that they don't have that nice color spectrum of a fluorescent bulb. I think I heard that it was due to the phosphors that fluorescent bulbs have, but I don't know enough about that...


I really like the blue fish with the red striations. What are they?

Thanks, I believe the one you're referring to is actually one my little captive discus, a Turquoise...


love it.

Thanks!

[Stussi613]

I agree with everyone else. Wow. I thought my tank was nice until I saw this one...

[invinci]

wow..amazing!!
whole setup is awesome..:thumbsup:
very nice biotope and great looking wilds :)..
simply love your Idea!! its great;)

[vernon_24]

hahahaha
jose if i do that i won't have any money for the tank ....lol..!
ur pics of the aquarium are just amazing their my desktop wallpaperz..!!!

awesome job man..!!

[saltydog]

thanks for the input on the granulated carbon filters. what is the thing on the right of those in the pic with the filters?

[jcardona1]

Could you describe the fish in the tank? What are they and where from?

The wilds are Manacapura Gipsy blues and Japura Greens. They came from John/Snookn (vendor here). I also have two captive turqs.



wow..amazing!!
whole setup is awesome..:thumbsup:
very nice biotope and great looking wilds :)..
simply love your Idea!! its great;)

Thank you!


hahahaha
jose if i do that i won't have any money for the tank ....lol..!
ur pics of the aquarium are just amazing their my desktop wallpaperz..!!!

awesome job man..!!

Haha thanks! I got lucky since the tank was so cheap. Picked it up for $275. Otherwise, this would have been a very expensive project! The light was actually the most expensive part of the setup. Got about $450 into it.


thanks for the input on the granulated carbon filters. what is the thing on the right of those in the pic with the filters?

That is a sediment filter followed by a pressure regulator. Not really needed for this setup, since the water is simply feeding straight into the barrel. This chloramine filter setup was used on my previous tank for a 24/7 drip system using drip emitters. Those need a lower psi and the water has to be free of debris or they'll clog, hence the sediment filter and pressure regulator. I just threw it on since I had it all rigged up already.

[2wheelsx2]

The wilds are Manacapura Gipsy blues and Japura Greens. They came from John/Snookn (vendor here). I also have two captive turqs.


Very nice fish as usual from Snookn21. No concerns with mixing the wilds with domestics?

[wannafish]

Great tank setup. Great accomplishment of techniques and skill. This setup
is an inspiration to me. I know there is a simple answer, but can you tell
me a little about your overflow box. Why is it a small box design. I know
most of the installed ones are long from top to bottom. Does it have something
to do with noise, or is it a stronger syphon?

Jeff

[jcardona1]

Very nice fish as usual from Snookn21. No concerns with mixing the wilds with domestics?

Thanks! Not that I'm aware of. They've been together for several months now, and get along just fine. I didn't know they couldn't (or shouldn't) be mixed.


Great tank setup. Great accomplishment of techniques and skill. This setup
is an inspiration to me. I know there is a simple answer, but can you tell
me a little about your overflow box. Why is it a small box design. I know
most of the installed ones are long from top to bottom. Does it have something
to do with noise, or is it a stronger syphon?

Jeff

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for the feedback. The main reason for going with a short horizontal overflow is space and efficiency. Vertical overflows are a huge waste of space. There really is no need to have a long overflow box, unless you're dead set on having bulkheads at the bottom of the tank. Also, by having a short horizontal overflow box, you can make it longer and not lose much tank space like you would with a vertical box. By making it longer, you have more physical area for surface skimming, which makes for a more efficient overflow box. These horizontal overflows have become very popular on reef tanks. They commonly go by the name of "Calfo" overflow, or coast-to-coast overflow, named after the guy that came up with the design. Saltwater setups have a lot of proteins that need to be skimmed, so a big long overflow box is idea. This would be a huge waste of space with the vertical design, so the short horizontal box is much better. But for freshwater, we don't need a huge long box, that's why I made a smaller version.

This is what you see on a lot of reef tanks these days:

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/1600/ResizeofDSC08910.jpg

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks! Not that I'm aware of. They've been together for several months now, and get along just fine. I didn't know they couldn't (or shouldn't) be mixed.

I don't personally have any experience, as I jumped into discus directly with wilds. But it's here on Simply that I read many people saying that Wilds and Domestics carry different bacteria loads and types and may cause problems. I'm glad to see yours working out though, as I'd like to try it some time.

[crazycracker]

Amazing Set Up - Congrats!

[jcardona1]

Very stoked! Just received my new group of wilds about an hour ago. I purchased three large Alenquer semi-royal Blues from John/Snookn. These guys are beautiful! John had them labeled as blues but he said lately they've been looking very red. Who knows, but they do look very nice. Here's some pics in their QT tank which will be home for the next 4-6 weeks. I'll be watching them closely to see if I need to give them a de-worming.

On to some terrible quality photos

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7706.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7702.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7714.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7708.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7715.jpg

[2wheelsx2]

They sure look great. Congrats. Can't wait to see them out of quarantine and into the tank.

[The_Finglonger]

nice setup!

[Discus-n00b]

Love that fish in the second bucket shot.

[jcardona1]

Got the RO/DI system hooked up. Thanks again to www.thefilterguys.biz (http://www.thefilterguys.biz/). Second time I've ordered from them. Their products and service are top notch! I picked up the 5 stage Ocean Reef +1 unit, and hooked it up to the chloramine filter I bought from them some time ago. So I'm essentially running a 7 stage RO/DI unit http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Hookup was a breeze. The unit started producing pure water in no time, with no leaks at all. Here's a quick rundown of all that is going on for those that are new to RO/DI units (this is my first one as well).

*in order of water flow*
1. GAC Chloramine cartridge (granular activated carbon)
2. GAC Chloramine cartridge (granular activated carbon)
3. 5 micron poly sediment filter
4. 5 Micron Matrikx NSF rated CTO/2 Workhorse carbon block
5. 0.6 Micron Matrikx NSF rated chlorine guzzler carbon block
6. Dow Filmtec 75gpd RO membrane
7. DI cartridge w/ refillable resin

*misc*
8. Pressure gauge for water going into RO membrane
9. Inline dual TDS meter (measures straight tapwater and water before RO membrane)
10. Inline dual TDS meter (measures water after RO membrane, and after DI filter)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5303/5636899244_3b59b533d4_o.jpg

Waste water is going into my laundry drain. Maybe in the near future I can figure out a better use for it so I'm not wasting so much water.

And here's some photos of the TDS meters in action:

Tapwater straight from the faucet
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5108/5636899242_963db08d49_b.jpg

After passing through the RO membrane
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5144/5636899230_14b3c478d6_b.jpg

And after the last stage, the DI filter. Purest water you can get. 0ppm TDS!!! http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/headbang2.gif
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5225/5636899236_0564d088e4_b.jpg

To re-mineralize the RO/DI water with essential minerals I'll be using Kent's R/O Right and Discus Essentials. I'll add this after each water change, for the amount of water changed.

http://www.kentmarine.com/assets/002/20851_400wh.png

http://www.kentmarine.com/assets/001/20769_400wh.png

[2wheelsx2]

Wow...very impressive water setup. I'll have to look into the filterguys when I set up a new tank in the basement.

[The_Finglonger]

I recommend the filterguys, their customer service is excellent! and fast shipping too!


Wow...very impressive water setup. I'll have to look into the filterguys when I set up a new tank in the basement.

[jcardona1]

They sure look great. Congrats. Can't wait to see them out of quarantine and into the tank.

Thanks, the wait is going to kill me!!


nice setup!

Thanks Sean!


Love that fish in the second bucket shot.

Thanks Matt! I really like that guy too. Very tall body shape.


Wow...very impressive water setup. I'll have to look into the filterguys when I set up a new tank in the basement.

Thanks. Yeah these guys are great. They will sit with you on the phone and go over every single one of your questions. They'll tell you exactly what you need and what you shouldn't spend your money on. :)

[Xavier]

dude your system is so complex and well thought out..I love it! Setting the system up imo is one of the funnest parts of having fish

[Steven Turitz]

Hi Jose
I subscribe to a lot of threads on SimplyDiscus, YOURS MAY BE MY FAVORITE !!!!!
Of all the threads I'm subscribed to I always go to yours first and look for new posts from you.
I love that you take the time to give detailed and lengthy explanations and descriptions that are simple and easy to follow and understand and accompany them with pictures.
I have extracted so much valuable information and picked up many ideas from your thread and subsequent posts.
Thank you for sharing your journey in a concise and informative manner, documenting it in a way that the less experienced (like myself) can comprehend and follow, not in a pretentious and condescending way assuming that everyone in the Community is as advanced and Discus savvy and skilled as obviously you are.
Please keep the posts (and the pictures) coming.
Thanks
Steve Turitz

[jcardona1]

dude your system is so complex and well thought out..I love it! Setting the system up imo is one of the funnest parts of having fish

Thanks! Yeah, gotta say I agree with you. I just love setting up tanks and doing the plumbing. I'd do it fulltime if I could :)


Hi Jose
I subscribe to a lot of threads on SimplyDiscus, YOURS MAY BE MY FAVORITE !!!!!
Of all the threads I'm subscribed to I always go to yours first and look for new posts from you.
I love that you take the time to give detailed and lengthy explanations and descriptions that are simple and easy to follow and understand and accompany them with pictures.
I have extracted so much valuable information and picked up many ideas from your thread and subsequent posts.
Thank you for sharing your journey in a concise and informative manner, documenting it in a way that the less experienced (like myself) can comprehend and follow, not in a pretentious and condescending way assuming that everyone in the Community is as advanced and Discus savvy and skilled as obviously you are.
Please keep the posts (and the pictures) coming.
Thanks
Steve Turitz

Thanks Steve, appreciate the kind words. I think some folks forget that they too started at some point in time with no knowledge at all. And you see that on all sorts of forums for different hobbies, not just fish. I've been keeping fish for years, but I'm fairly new to discus, and still have a lot to learn about them. I've learned a lot from fish forums, so I try to give back by helping others as well :)

[jcardona1]

The group of Alenquers in their quarantine tank were quite spunky this morning, so I snapped a few pics before work. I actually gave these guys a water change using RO/DI water last night, so the GH/TDS is even lower in this tank than my main tank...

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7731.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7732.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7729_1.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7733.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7744.jpg

[dadecountyalan]

jose if you dnt mind me asking how much did you pay for these fish?

[jcardona1]

Not at all, these were $125 each. You'll see them in Snookn's late March stocklist thread. They are the ones at the very top I believe.

[BobB]

Holy Smoke and other words I will not type!

[northtexaswildbettas]

WOW! Awesome job!

[Steven Turitz]

Hi Jose
Thank you for responding to my post.

I have read your thread extensively and the BeanAnimal site you referred to (link attached below).

http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx

I notice that the standpipes are in different positions.
Your standpipes from left to right are: Emergency, Open Channel, Main/Full Siphon.
BeanAnimal's standpipes from left to right are: Emergency, Main/Full Siphon, Open Channel.

Was there a reason behind the standpipe re-position ?

Also this overflow on your 190 gallon tank is capable of 2000 GPH.
"This setup, with the 1" bulkheads and 1.5" down plumbing will easily handle 2000 GPH silently"
That's a 10x plus turnover.
What is the ideal turnover rate for a 190 gallon Discus tank (I thought it was 3-4 times per hour). Am I wrong ?
I was also under the impression that Discus don't like strong water current/flow. Am I wrong ?

I believe that there is alot that I can learn from you.............. Thank You

Thanks
Steve

[Second Hand Pat]

Jose, they are settling in very nicely.

[Elyse]

Absolutely amazing setup Jose!
I have a simple question; how is the water aerated? I know with the typical sump setup you don’t need an air pump because the water trickles over un-submerged bio-media. With your quieter setup, do you also not need an air pump?

[Herbicidal]

Great to see the new guys looking so good! I know it's hard to wait out the QT period, but it will be worth it! A-n-t-i-c-p-a-t-i-o-n! And sweet set up on the RO/DI 'station'. :thumbsup:

[jimg]

Nice job with everything Jose! One thing about the ro system though as far as I know gac will not remove the ammonia from the chloromines, it only removes the chlorine.

[jcardona1]

Holy Smoke and other words I will not type!

Thanks!


WOW! Awesome job!

Thanks!


Hi Jose
Thank you for responding to my post.

I have read your thread extensively and the BeanAnimal site you referred to (link attached below).

http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx

I notice that the standpipes are in different positions.
Your standpipes from left to right are: Emergency, Open Channel, Main/Full Siphon.
BeanAnimal's standpipes from left to right are: Emergency, Main/Full Siphon, Open Channel.

Was there a reason behind the standpipe re-position ?

Also this overflow on your 190 gallon tank is capable of 2000 GPH.
"This setup, with the 1" bulkheads and 1.5" down plumbing will easily handle 2000 GPH silently"
That's a 10x plus turnover.
What is the ideal turnover rate for a 190 gallon Discus tank (I thought it was 3-4 times per hour). Am I wrong ?
I was also under the impression that Discus don't like strong water current/flow. Am I wrong ?

I believe that there is alot that I can learn from you.............. Thank You

Thanks
Steve

Thanks Steve, glad to help! With my Beananimal, I changed around the setup simply to make the pipes easier to reach behind the tank. My overflow is on the left side, when facing the tank. The main siphon is closest to the edge since this is the one I'm always adjusting, so I wanted to be able to reach this valve from behind the tank easily. Only reason really :)

As for the flow rates, it's all subjective I say. As it was, I had my returned aimed at the surface and there was no strong currents in the tank. I've actually throttled the returns back a bit, so I'm actually doing less than 2000gph. 3-4x seems really low to me. Most of my tanks are at 7-8x, my little 57g was actually at about 20x with a 1000gph pump! It all depends on how you set up your returns. You can make a ton of flow seem hardly noticeable, as is this case right now with this 190g.


Jose, they are settling in very nicely.

Thanks Pat, they look even better today! All three of them are completely solid, with no mood bars showing almost all day :)


Absolutely amazing setup Jose!
I have a simple question; how is the water aerated? I know with the typical sump setup you don’t need an air pump because the water trickles over un-submerged bio-media. With your quieter setup, do you also not need an air pump?

Thanks Elyse! Any amount of surface agitation will provide gas exchange at the water's surface. With two returns pointed at the surface pushing close to 1000gph each, it provides me with more agitation than I'll ever need. I've yet to see any fish gasping at the surface, even with warm temps of 84-85.


Great to see the new guys looking so good! I know it's hard to wait out the QT period, but it will be worth it! A-n-t-i-c-p-a-t-i-o-n! And sweet set up on the RO/DI 'station'. :thumbsup:

Thanks Herb! Still need to come on down for an in-person look :)


Nice job with everything Jose! One thing about the ro system though as far as I know gac will not remove the ammonia from the chloromines, it only removes the chlorine.

Thanks Jim. Yup, I've read that about GAC filters as well. However, my water doesn't have chloramines, chlorine only. I added the chloramine filters just in case they decide to add it one day. I've also read that the amount of ammonia produced is very small, and any well-established filter should be able to handle it with no problems.

[jcardona1]

Ok, ordered a TDS meter so that I can keep track of my parameters now that I'm using RO/DI water. I ended up ordering the Hanna Primo meter on eBay for less than $20 shipped. Very neat little unit, works like a charm. I tested the GH and TDS as follows:
Tapwater
TDS: 109ppm
GH: 80ppm, 4.48 dH

RO waste water
TDS: 132ppm
GH: 100ppm, 5.6 dH

RO/DI pure water
TDS: 1ppm (taken from water in barrel)
GH: < 20ppm, 1.12 dH (1 drop to change color)

190g tank
TDS: 313ppm
GH: 100ppm, 5.6 dH

30g quarantine tank w/ Alenquers
TDS: 87ppm
GH: 40ppm, 2.24 dH

In summary, I was surprised that RO waste water was actually higher in TDS and GH than tap water. I guess there's a higher concentration of solids is in the waste water. Also of note, is that my 30g QT tank has the most ideal water. I've done 3-4 10g water changes on this tank using pure RO/DI water. This would be the ideal readings I'd like to have on the 190g. It will be a couple weeks before I can get this low on the 190g.

BUT, the 190g has come down in GH a lot!! Before I started using RO/DI water, my GH was at 220ppm / 12.3 dH. Huge difference!!! I wish I could have gotten an initial TDS reading before I started adding pure water.

[Ken]

Absolutely amazing setup Jose!
I picked up a used BF 175g with corners overflows,
Still trying to figure out the best way to setup a sump
Anything you would do different
Thanks
Ken

[jcardona1]

Absolutely amazing setup Jose!
I picked up a used BF 175g with corners overflows,
Still trying to figure out the best way to setup a sump
Anything you would do different
Thanks
Ken

Thanks Ken! So far, I'm really loving how everything is set up and to be honest, I can't think of anything I'd change....yet :)

[Steven Turitz]

As for the flow rates, it's all subjective I say. As it was, I had my returned aimed at the surface and there was no strong currents in the tank. I've actually throttled the returns back a bit, so I'm actually doing less than 2000gph. 3-4x seems really low to me. Most of my tanks are at 7-8x, my little 57g was actually at about 20x with a 1000gph pump! It all depends on how you set up your returns. You can make a ton of flow seem hardly noticeable, as is this case right now with this 190g.






Hi Jose
As always thank you for responding and sharing your knowledge, experience and your Discus journey with us.
Well, I thought I had at least the turnover variable in order. I guess not.
Is it all really just about how you set up your returns.?
I am a huge believer in “overkill”, and in my mind, “more is better”. I would imagine that water quality would be better at 7-8x, even 10x, up to 20x, than at the 3-4x that I had mentioned in one of my earlier posts, but I always thought that I couldn’t achieve those higher tank turnover rates without a significant increase in current which I know Discus don’t like.
Is my thinking wrong and flawed in principle ?
Is the 57 gallon with the 1000 gph pump (@ 20x) on a Discus tank ?
On the 190 gallon at 2000 gph (@ 10x) with the returns aimed at the surface, is all the current at the surface of the tank (at the top) and not in the middle and lower sections of the tank where the Discus would be more comfortable, and tend to congregate and shoal.

The "40-50 pounds of porous ceramic media", is that Eheim filter material ?
If not who manufactures it and what is it called ?

Thanks
Steve

[jcardona1]

Hi Jose
As always thank you for responding and sharing your knowledge, experience and your Discus journey with us.
Well, I thought I had at least the turnover variable in order. I guess not.
Is it all really just about how you set up your returns.?
I am a huge believer in “overkill”, and in my mind, “more is better”. I would imagine that water quality would be better at 7-8x, even 10x, up to 20x, than at the 3-4x that I had mentioned in one of my earlier posts, but I always thought that I couldn’t achieve those higher tank turnover rates without a significant increase in current which I know Discus don’t like.
Is my thinking wrong and flawed in principle ?
Is the 57 gallon with the 1000 gph pump (@ 20x) on a Discus tank ?
On the 190 gallon at 2000 gph (@ 10x) with the returns aimed at the surface, is all the current at the surface of the tank (at the top) and not in the middle and lower sections of the tank where the Discus would be more comfortable, and tend to congregate and shoal.

The "40-50 pounds of porous ceramic media", is that Eheim filter material ?
If not who manufactures it and what is it called ?

Thanks
Steve

Not a problem! I like to overdo things as well, helps me sleep better at night :) And yes, I kept my wild discus in that 57g, and they were always fine. In this 190g, I have two returns, both of which are aimed towards the surface. So there really is no strong current in the tank. Only time will tell how this works out with the buildup of debris in dead spots, but so far, this tank has been running for several weeks and there is no buildup anywhere. I haven't touched the substrate since the tank has been setup, just doing my daily 40g water changes. I did a nitrate test the other day, and my readings were about 5ppm, same as they come out of the tap. This in my opinion is a good indicator of how clean the tank is, since excess build up of waste in the substrate would cause your nitrates to go up.

As for the ceramic rings, yes, they are similar to that, but they are the generic versions. Not sure who exactly made them, since they came with my previous 400g setup. But, there is a vendor that sells these in bulk for good prices. He's actually the same vendor that built this 190g tank. Great guy to deal with if you're in the market for a lot of ceramic media. Here's his thread:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=382025

[jcardona1]

My tank, featured at The Aquatic Gazette http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

http://theaquaticgazette.com/2011/04...cus-biotope-1/ (http://theaquaticgazette.com/2011/04/28/jcardona1s-wild-discus-biotope-1/)

[jcardona1]

Just a small update on my LED light fixture. I was having a few issues with the first driver board and they weren't dimming and turning off correctly. I think I may have fried the drivers when I first hooked them up to the power supply, since the voltage was turned up. Anyway, Aaron was kind enough to send me a new driver board. This one was even better than the first. The layout is identical, but this one is mounted to a nice little heatsink and fan to keep things cool http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

While I was changing things out, I switched everything to a bigger project box because the PCB would not fit due to the heatsink/fan. So, I also decided to mount the project box underneath my stand; it was sitting on top of the light fixture before. This will make it easier to work on, and also easier to hook up to my laptop when I want to change the lighting program.

The only hard part was routing the wires back up to the light fixture. I only had to run the 4 negative wires from each driver, since this is what controls the PWM signal, and one positive wire to power all the strings. The LEDs are controlled independently by the CAT4101s, so there's no issues with using one positive cable to power them all up.

I actually did all this a few weeks ago, but just now got around to taking pictures. Nothing beats sitting on the couch and watching the simulated sunrise and sunset from the LEDs http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5309/5668115152_758f7254dc_b.jpg (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5309/5668115152_758f7254dc_b.jpg)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5667544949_652823fc94_b.jpg (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5667544949_652823fc94_b.jpg)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5668117560_7733074719_b.jpg (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/5668117560_7733074719_b.jpg)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5667547709_29069147c4_b.jpg (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5667547709_29069147c4_b.jpg)

[Steven Turitz]

Hi Jose
I too am a fan of "OVERKILL" and system redundancy as you are, "I like to overdo things as well".
My mind is like a flowchart flowing upward, sort of a pyramid, and at the very top is 'PERFECT' (at least what in my mind I consider perfect). I find comfort in that even if it is not the general consensus. That is why I ask a boatload of questions and research everything to extremes (so I can get to that comfort level believing that my decision is perfect and the best for me).

In the BeanAnimal (Calfo Coast-to-Coast Overflow) you have 1 1/2" piping (three) out of the tank and 1" return lines (two)back into the tank. All have ball valves so that you can adjust flow rates. The flow is 2000 gph.

So in the theory can you throttle back the ball valves on the 1 1/2" pipes out of the tank to make that 1000 gph (instead of full open at 2000 gph) and then obviousy throttle back the ball valves on the two 1" return lines back to the tank accordingly to make that turnover 5x per hour.
Are there inline gauges that could be installed to measure gph flow on the 1 1/2" out piping and the 1" return piping to definitively measure the flow rates (and determine the turnover rate) ?

Thanks
Steve

[jcardona1]

Took the time to get some nice photos of the tank! You'll notice I added 3 angels and a group of lemon tetras to the tank. The angels are the poor-man's version of the majestic Altum angels...maybe one day. A few discus are missing from the 190g since they didn't seem too happy. I think some internal bugs may have returned, so they're currently being treated in separate tank. All part of the game.


click for larger version

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5181/5682209547_57d8b33504_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5108/5682777148_d07bd7889b_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5065/5682777880_851b1e8c25_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5026/5682211411_8e144d1481_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5061/5682212171_18c8e8c8cc_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5682212889_b903a9ff39_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5682213691_19a0a6d276_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5682781366_963f5c73c2_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/5682215091_ee0f1ab371_b.jpg



And some new photos of the Alenquers in their QT tank. These guys are really looking amazing. They rarely show their mood/stress bars, meaning they must really be happy http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7830.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7831.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l55/jcardona1/DSC_7848.jpg

[jcardona1]

Hi Jose
I too am a fan of "OVERKILL" and system redundancy as you are, "I like to overdo things as well".
My mind is like a flowchart flowing upward, sort of a pyramid, and at the very top is 'PERFECT' (at least what in my mind I consider perfect). I find comfort in that even if it is not the general consensus. That is why I ask a boatload of questions and research everything to extremes (so I can get to that comfort level believing that my decision is perfect and the best for me).

In the BeanAnimal (Calfo Coast-to-Coast Overflow) you have 1 1/2" piping (three) out of the tank and 1" return lines (two)back into the tank. All have ball valves so that you can adjust flow rates. The flow is 2000 gph.

So in the theory can you throttle back the ball valves on the 1 1/2" pipes out of the tank to make that 1000 gph (instead of full open at 2000 gph) and then obviousy throttle back the ball valves on the two 1" return lines back to the tank accordingly to make that turnover 5x per hour.
Are there inline gauges that could be installed to measure gph flow on the 1 1/2" out piping and the 1" return piping to definitively measure the flow rates (and determine the turnover rate) ?

Thanks
Steve

Definitely! I spent a lot of time researching before I did any actual work on this tank. I didn't want to regret something later and wish I had done it differently.

As to your question, yes, but you have it backwards. The flow is throttled by the valve on the return lines, not the drain lines. By closing off the valve on the return lines, the pumps effectively push less water. Then, you close off the valve a little more on the Beananimal's main line. This is done to match the drain's capacity with the actual amount of water being pushed by the pumps. Does that make sense?

As for inline gauges, yes, you can buy these. They're called inline flow meters, and they can get very expensive. Here's some of the cheapest I've seen: http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/1287/Clamp-On%20Water%20Flow%20Meters

And here's some others http://search.aquaticeco.com/index?D=flow+meter&Nty=1&N=0&Dk=0&Ntt=flow+meter

[2wheelsx2]

Your tank makes me want to go plantless with spot LEDs sooooo badly. Looks awesome! Can't wait to see all of them in there. So far, the the only I have an objection to is the rainbowfish. Doesn't seem to fit, but then that's my personal preference.

[BobB]

Wow, Nature couldn't do it much better then you. That is a 15 maybe more!

[Second Hand Pat]

Your 190 looks awesome. I didn't see any bars on the one wilds in the 190. The alenquer's good great. Everything is coming together for you.

[ewok]

cool! what kind of substrate are you using? how are the angels and discus doing? they are a domestic strain, right?
are you worried about the bugs that supposedly transmit from angels to discus?

[jcardona1]

Your tank makes me want to go plantless with spot LEDs sooooo badly. Looks awesome! Can't wait to see all of them in there. So far, the the only I have an objection to is the rainbowfish. Doesn't seem to fit, but then that's my personal preference.

Thanks! Yeah, I didn't really want them in there and they stick out like a sore thumb. But I had nowhere else to put them while setting up the tank, so I just tossed them in. No way I can catch them now, so they're staying!


Wow, Nature couldn't do it much better then you. That is a 15 maybe more!

Ha thanks :)


Your 190 looks awesome. I didn't see any bars on the one wilds in the 190. The alenquer's good great. Everything is coming together for you.

Thanks Pat, yeah the guys in the 190g have really settled down.


cool! what kind of substrate are you using? how are the angels and discus doing? they are a domestic strain, right?
are you worried about the bugs that supposedly transmit from angels to discus?

Thanks. Substrate is explained in the first post, it's purchased locally. And yeah, those are domestic angels. So far so good, we'll see how it works out.

[jcardona1]

Alenquers are in the 190g! They were in QT for just shy of 4 weeks. They were doing great, so I decided it was time to toss them in. They're settling in nicely and have started exploring the tank as a group. They ate the same day too http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5727272176_e13df76619_b.jpg (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5727272176_e13df76619_b.jpg)

[2wheelsx2]

That is one amazing shot and those are some great fish. Great job with the fish and the tank. I won't mention the photography part since everyone else is all over that! :D

[jcardona1]

^ Thanks! The Alenquers had lost all their bars in the QT, so I can't wait till they settle in and the bars fade out again :)

[Second Hand Pat]

Jose, they look super. Glad the RO is really working for you. Looks like I will be joining the RO ranks shortly.

[jcardona1]

Thanks Pat, can't wait to see your guys in some nice RO water :)

[jcardona1]

My first real video shot with my Nikon D90. Video quality is pretty bad as my tank is dimly lit. I'm also still learning how to nail the manual focus, can be pretty tricky! The video is 720p but I don't know why it only gives you the option to go up to 420p

If anything, at least turn up the volume and enjoy the cool song :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdoHFD-32wg

[Second Hand Pat]

Thanks Pat, can't wait to see your guys in some nice RO water :)

Soon Jose...soon. Great video BTW.

[BobB]

Do you add anything to your RO Water.

[Herbicidal]

Do you add anything to your RO Water.The fish! :p Sorry, couldn't resist! :)

[jcardona1]

Soon Jose...soon. Great video BTW.

Thanks Pat!

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[jcardona1]

Do you add anything to your RO Water.

I use Kent RO Right at each water change. I also add Kent Discus Essentials occasionally.

Herb - you read my mind ;)

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[Ken]

Great project, very inspiring

How do the discus act around the wood branches,
do they hang out in them or stay out in front of them

On keeping discus in a mixed tank,
I have read that Discus may have a hard time feeding with more active feeders
From Your video it looks like they are doing fine feeding with other fish around,
Do you see any feeding issues having a mixed tank
Thanks

[jcardona1]

Great project, very inspiring

How do the discus act around the wood branches,
do they hang out in them or stay out in front of them

On keeping discus in a mixed tank,
I have read that Discus may have a hard time feeding with more active feeders
From Your video it looks like they are doing fine feeding with other fish around,
Do you see any feeding issues having a mixed tank
Thanks

Thanks Ken! I'd say the discus love the branches. Seems to make them feel more secure compared to when I had them in a bare QT tank. They are constantly swimming in and out of the wood, and flock to the worm feeder as soon as I approach the tank. If anything, the other guys have trouble eating since the discus are such pigs! I usually have to throw food outside of the feeder for the smaller guys, and sinking pellets for the cories and shrimp.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[2wheelsx2]

That's an awesome video. I have that same problem with my D5000. Video is 720p but it'll only show 420p.

[cyberhog05]

I think you cut to many cost and didnt really plan out what you were doing. I guess its ok for somebody who really doesnt do well with fish. I wish you the best........On the other hand the hand that speaks the truth......Kakow! Fantastic job man! Very very very well done! I like all your tanks I have seen and this is no exception! You are now receiving a forum post top gun high five!

[jcardona1]

Wasn't too happy with my first video, so I made another attempt. This one came out a lot better IMO. Still got a lot to learn about video editing, but I'm getting there. Enjoy!

*Watch it in HD, and turn up the volume *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UckghOmPoCk&feature=youtube_gdata

[Hsunami]

just simply beautiful bro. Love your tank.

[Herbicidal]

Nice Jose! Those new guys have settled in very well, I see. I'm one of the lucky few that has seen his setup and those Discus in person. What is hard to tell in pictures and in video is that the largest one he has is like the size of a freak'n dinner plate! :noway: Mine look downright puny in comparison. Oh well, just need to feed mine more often and not look at his! :p

[Melissa]

All I can say is WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW.........

[fattubwhale]

Truly Inspiring.... This is what drives a Newbie like myself to get more educated in the hobby of raising discus at the next level! A++ on the step by step tutorial!!!

[WildDiscusSD]

Very inspiring build. Awesome setup. The LED's are trick.

[jcardona1]

Just a few new pics ;)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5784367289_0b1a6dfd1e_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3027/5784922564_166434cab3_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2279/5784368517_62a643fd0f_b.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

Beautiful Jose. The RO seems to be working for you. I bet those Alenquer's will continue to develop more red.

[jcardona1]

Beautiful Jose. The RO seems to be working for you. I bet those Alenquer's will continue to develop more red.

Thanks Pat, these guys are doing great. Super active and they all swarm to the worm feeder as soon as I approach the tank. I hope they continue to develop their color. The Alenquers are looking great considering I've had them since 4/19/11 :)

[Discus-n00b]

Wow they look REALLY good. I wish I had constant access to an RO unit, just no where to put a storage bin so its just tap water for me right now!

[jcardona1]

Found a pleasant surprise today while doing a water change. No wonder these two angels have been so aggressive towards other fish! Let's see if any of them actually survive. It was hard to get good pics since there was driftwood all over, and couldn't get good lighting over them. Enjoy!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3439/5795502760_2577736a38_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2520/5795505318_47fd910160_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/5794945863_79496ae8f3_b.jpg

[Discus-n00b]

Great pictures, saw this update on Plantedtank. Love the wild-type angels, the best kind IMO. ;)

[jcardona1]

Thanks Matt! Excited to see these guys breed. They were so small when I first got them and have been growing so fast. I would have never known they were mature already :)

[FischAutoTechGarten]

One of your Alenquer's has 14 bars? A snakeskin?

[calihawker]

Really awesome pictures Jose!

Steve

[jcardona1]

Thanks guys! Unfortunately all the fry were gone by Sunday morning :( There were too fish for the angels to fend off and the roselines were picking them up very quickly. Maybe next time I'll try to remove the fry, but I really don't want to be raising any baby fish right now!

[Gohans_Onna]

Any more new pics? Amazing tank btw!

[BobB]

Jose, What filtration would you recommend for a 90G tank. Where did you get ceramic pellets?

[Dieselfool]

Just beautiful Jose.

[jcardona1]

One of your Alenquer's has 14 bars? A snakeskin?

It does lol? Which one?


Any more new pics? Amazing tank btw!

Thanks! No new pictures yet, but I think I'm about due for some updated pics :)


Jose, What filtration would you recommend for a 90G tank. Where did you get ceramic pellets?

I'm partial to sumps, so that would be my recommendation. The ceramic media came with a tank I bought a while back. There's a vendor on monsterfishkeepers.com that sells this media in bulk. He goes by the name of The Fish tank Factory.


Just beautiful Jose.

Thanks!

[Dieselfool]

I'm partial to sumps, so that would be my recommendation. The ceramic media came with a tank I bought a while back. There's a vendor on monsterfishkeepers.com that sells this media in bulk. He goes by the name of The Fish tank Factory.



Thanks![/QUOTE]

I bought a box of these rings from this guy. Exelent service. Great price too. Saved more than 50% over my LFS. My box was either 20 or 25lbs. It was enough to fill two FX5s, and a 2217.

[jcardona1]

Here's some long overdue updated pics. Enjoy!

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5940959133_0cbc9647af_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5940959377_f41d68f5a4_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5941519018_321e9d335f_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6150/5941519262_968e430675_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6128/5940960125_86e32bd314_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5940960275_d7e44d7539_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6024/5940960353_7d7cff6098_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/5940960535_4d8a998948_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6127/5940960701_a48a303e01_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6127/5940960701_a48a303e01_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6007/5940960843_29b91a687d_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5940961121_95c65acd7e_b.jpg

[DiscusBR]

I am speechless... What a terrific setup... What spectacular discus... Amazing.

Sorry if you answered this already, but who sold you those Alenquers?

[CajunAg]

:shocked2: WOW Jose! Awesome job! They are all looking great!

[jcardona1]

I am speechless... What a terrific setup... What spectacular discus... Amazing.

Sorry if you answered this already, but who sold you those Alenquers?

Thanks Mauro! The Alenquers came from John/Snookn :)


:shocked2: WOW Jose! Awesome job! They are all looking great!

Thanks Luke, appreciate it!

[Second Hand Pat]

Jose, love those pictures. I hope my 230 looks half as awesome as yours. :)

[jcardona1]

Thanks Pat :)

[andyl9063]

what are you feeding them? bloodworms?

[jcardona1]

^ Like blackworms, from Dan/Jennifer @ Aquatic Foods

[Dieselfool]

Wow! Just freakin awesome pics, as usual. That last pic is just outstanding.

[gabloo]

I was reading at ur first post and u said "wild discus are particularly picky about not having strong currents in the tank". Is that mean they prefer having a strong current?

You got the great setup and super pretty fish. WOW! awesome.
May i know how much did it cost u? One day i will follow u have done here if u don't mind:P.

[jcardona1]

Wow! Just freakin awesome pics, as usual. That last pic is just outstanding.

Thanks, your tank is looking great too!


I was reading at ur first post and u said "wild discus are particularly picky about not having strong currents in the tank". Is that mean they prefer having a strong current?

You got the great setup and super pretty fish. WOW! awesome.
May i know how much did it cost u? One day i will follow u have done here if u don't mind:P.

Thanks! About the current, everything I've read says that discus like calmer water and no strong currents in the tank. I didn't really keep track of the costs, but if I had to guess I'd say between $1200-1500 on the entire setup, including tank, plumbing, stand, background, LED fixture, etc. DIY'ing almost everything helped save a lot of cash!

[biotopica]

Wow.... again and again your photos are breathtaking...

Amazing setup!

What´s your experience with the lemon tetras and discus? I am deciding between a group of 20 of them or 20 rummynose... but i have heard that the lemon tetras are very fast and "wild" at eating, so maybe that is a problem with the slower discus... and finally, do the lemon tetras school tight and together, or more like the cardinal tetras?

Thanks in advanced and enhorabuena.

[jcardona1]

Wow.... again and again your photos are breathtaking...

Amazing setup!

What´s your experience with the lemon tetras and discus? I am deciding between a group of 20 of them or 20 rummynose... but i have heard that the lemon tetras are very fast and "wild" at eating, so maybe that is a problem with the slower discus... and finally, do the lemon tetras school tight and together, or more like the cardinal tetras?

Thanks in advanced and enhorabuena.

Thanks! The tetras are actually afraid of the discus and stay out of their way. They don't go up to the worm feeder at feeding time, so I throw in extra worms outside to reach the fish at the bottom. The discus are very rowdy during feeding and pretty much rule the tank. You'll need to careful when first adding the tetras. My discus were constantly chasing them around the tank, trying to eat them throughout the first day. Within an hour, they had all fell into my overflow box from being chased around! Now they don't bother each other.

As for schooling, my experience has been the same with every 'schooling' fish I've ever tried, and I've tried many. The first couple weeks in their new home they'll school very tight and swim together. As time goes by and they get more comfortable with their surroundings, they slowly stop schooling and just 'hang out' in a pack. Sometimes they swim together, sometimes they don't. I have 10 lemon tetras in a 190g which is giant for them, and even then they don't constantly school. I've had the same issue with rasboras and rummynose tetras, which are supposed to be some of the best schoolers out there.

Good luck!

[biotopica]

Thanks! The tetras are actually afraid of the discus and stay out of their way. They don't go up to the worm feeder at feeding time, so I throw in extra worms outside to reach the fish at the bottom. The discus are very rowdy during feeding and pretty much rule the tank. You'll need to careful when first adding the tetras. My discus were constantly chasing them around the tank, trying to eat them throughout the first day. Within an hour, they had all fell into my overflow box from being chased around! Now they don't bother each other.

As for schooling, my experience has been the same with every 'schooling' fish I've ever tried, and I've tried many. The first couple weeks in their new home they'll school very tight and swim together. As time goes by and they get more comfortable with their surroundings, they slowly stop schooling and just 'hang out' in a pack. Sometimes they swim together, sometimes they don't. I have 10 lemon tetras in a 190g which is giant for them, and even then they don't constantly school. I've had the same issue with rasboras and rummynose tetras, which are supposed to be some of the best schoolers out there.

Good luck!

Thanks a lot for your advice.

I think i will try 20 lemon tetras in my 75 gallon. They are really impressive.

[jcardona1]

Thanks a lot for your advice.

I think i will try 20 lemon tetras in my 75 gallon. They are really impressive.

No problem, and yes, they really are! I love the bright yellow color with the red above the eye :)

[biotopica]

I forgot to ask: what temperature you keep your tank? I thought the lemon tetras don´t like the high temps like discus.

Thx.

[jcardona1]

I keep it at 84-85. None of the fish seem to mind the temps.

[MikeF]

This has been a great thread to follow. Your fish look great, and your picture taking skills are amazing also.

[jcardona1]

^ Thanks Mike!

[DelawareJim]

My God what an awesome setup you have! And fish too.

Your journal has been inspiring.

Cheers.
Jim

[BobB]

What kind of Angelfish do you have?

[Laurent]

Just read the entire thread from beginning to end. AMAZING! Any updates, especially pictures, you could share? It's been a few months . . . .

[walt3]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dpete9]

Amazing!

[Discus-n00b]

I was just thinking about this tank the other day Jose, how is it coming along?

[Rummy]

I was just thinking about this tank the other day Jose, how is it coming along?

Ditto

[jcardona1]

Hey guys! Been a long time since I've logged on!!

Long overdue mini update! Several months ago Aaron ('o2surplus') made me a new microcontroller for my LED fixture that includes a very cool LCD display. This is known as the "Typhoon" controller that is becoming more and more popular with the reefers, as it's much simpler to use than the Arduino boards. The controller has 4 built-in buttons to control all LED channels and intensity. It also offers on/off overrides. All this is done on the board itself and I no longer need to hook it up to a laptop and run the Arduino software to make edits to the LEDs, much nicer! Well today I finally took the time to mount the new boards in my project box and make the necessary cutouts.

Controller and LCD panel mounted to the inside lid of the project box
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6225/6320311257_c36041ed74_b.jpg

Designed by o2surplus :)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/6320311733_1b71b634cc_b.jpg

Revised project box, showing some Android love :)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6031/6320834974_04cbbdf666_b.jpg

LCD panel (current time and each channel's intensity) and input buttons: Menu - Select - Plus - Minus
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6106/6320313525_ec018d5210_b.jpg



Fish-wise, I recently lost two discus; one wild and the one domestic I had :( Not sure what happened, but some sort of flesh-eating bacteria killed them. Started off as a little pimple on the forehead and spread like wildfire in two days, all around the head and eyes. Never seen anything like that before. Didn't even have time to treat in QT. Soooo, I don't think I'll be adding any more discus anytime soon. Not because I'm giving up on them, but because I don't feel like dumping more money on them. These aren't exactly cheap!

So, I'll be adding some other fish that can get along with my current stock. Added some eartheaters a few days ago, I'll be on the lookout for some more.

Satanoperca Leucosticta and the little guys I think are Tapajos red-heads
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6092/6317165462_a12420cabc_b.jpg

Shot of one of my angels, currently 5 in the tank

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6113/6317136424_e8ea66983d_b.jpg

And something a little more interesting. My roselines have developed long flowing fins over the past couple weeks, almost like a butterfly koi. Also, the yellow spots on their tails turned white. Who knows what could have caused this. Crossbreeding? Hybridization? Whatever it is, they look pretty damn cool!

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6038/6313411363_007c0d354b_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6047/6313931926_af3aca2d27_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6041/6313931644_cb95ac07bc_b.jpg

[Rummy]

Sorry about the two that you lost.
Your other inhabitants look great, though. That angel appears to have a full stomach and still wants to eat!
It is always a joy to look at your photographs.
Thanks for the update.

Anik

[Discus-n00b]

Those Satanoperca are SWEET! And I really like that angel. I have some Geos growing out from Ryan here on the board. Such interesting fish, I really would like to keep some more species of them now.

[illumnae]

Love your eartheaters! Do you have a better shot of the Geophagus? From the angle of the shot, they don't look like G. sp "Red Head Tapajos"

[jcardona1]

Snapped a few new pics today, I'll just drop these off here :)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6054/6343070390_bfc6ed5cb7_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/6343070700_5814949eb3_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6109/6342319667_ab076e29e4_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6232/6342319257_b3d3b62c85_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6116/6342318975_e3ee6e0ab5_b.jpg

[jcardona1]

Sorry about the two that you lost.
Your other inhabitants look great, though. That angel appears to have a full stomach and still wants to eat!
It is always a joy to look at your photographs.
Thanks for the update.

Anik

Thanks Anik, appreciate it :)


Those Satanoperca are SWEET! And I really like that angel. I have some Geos growing out from Ryan here on the board. Such interesting fish, I really would like to keep some more species of them now.

Thanks Matt! They sure are some neat little fish. I can't wait till these guys get bigger.


Love your eartheaters! Do you have a better shot of the Geophagus? From the angle of the shot, they don't look like G. sp "Red Head Tapajos"

Thanks! No better shots yet, these little guys move so fast. Any other ideas? I was thinking either Tapajos or Altifrons perhaps?

[blkg35]

Gorgeous tank Jose. I like the added stones, looks real natural.
Very impressive build, still got the monster in you....:D

[hohm44]

Jesus H!

[BillyinNYC]

Love it! I don't know if I could personally resist the temptation to add some live plants--some vals or vesuvius swords in between the drfitwoods might look great--but then again the current theme is beautiful as is as well.

[Consigliere]

Wow what a great tank. Great plan and execution!

The pictures match the quality of the tank too! I read you have a D90. Any tips for an amateur on how to photograph tanks/fish so well? I have standard lens and a portrait lens for mine but don't even know where to start to get good quality photos.

Keep up the good work!

[jay973]

Great pics beautiful tank!

[Ken]

Really enjoying your build, on your LEDs what are your thoughts on the mix of LEDs, more warm whites less neutral whites, what do you think it would take to add a little red to the mix.



*
“The fixture uses 12 neutral white LEDs (4000k) and 12 warm white LEDs (3000k). They are arranged in two rows of 12, alternating each color in the two rows.

And you're right about the LEDs. They definitely do change the color of the fish. One thing about LEDs is that they don't have that nice color spectrum of a fluorescent bulb. I think I heard that it was due to the phosphors that fluorescent bulbs have, but I don't know enough about that...”
*

[Vette43]

I am just getting back into fish keeping and I am setting up a 120g tank for my mom. (She lives only a couple miles from me and my house built in 1762 does not lend itself to a large fish tank) She is refinishing her basement so I framed a wall that will house the tank and the sump. I have a 55g and a 75g that I can use for the sump. Note sure if having extra water in the system would be that beneficial. I had planned on doing a planted tank with CO2 and controller but after seeing your setup I think I have changed my mind. I tried to send a PM but I need to post 5 times before I can PM anyone. I will keep my eye on this one... keep up the good work

[Aquanero]

Awsome tank Jose, the write up is fantastic too! Great build!

[Vette43]

Since now I am considering a tank like yours and I will not have any plants to generate oxygen, I have a few questions. (hope I am not hijacking your build thread)
1) Should I add air in the sump? I don't want a lot of bubbles in the display tank.
2) Will the surface area of the display and sump be enough?

[Discus@323]

HI,

I entirely read your thread and it´s incredible what you have acomplished! It has been more than two years without posting hope you can let us know how is everything going?

I suppose you have discus again in your tank.

And yes we want more pics...

[PhantomCavie]

This is incredible! How long did it take to put this all together?

[Kal-El]

Don't know how I miss this thread but your tank and photos are amazing... thanks for sharing... I have been tinkering about using Arduino in my future fish room.

[musicmarn1]

Don't know how I miss this thread but your tank and photos are amazing... thanks for sharing... I have been tinkering about using Arduino in my future fish room.

Because its two years old no update lol, my eyes popped out too but no updates mean put it back on the shelf LOL