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Thread: 800 Litre Stendker Alenquer

  1. #1
    Registered Member harper's Avatar
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    Default 800 Litre Stendker Alenquer

    Hi, first post on here - been looking on the site for a while now.

    I've kept discus before quite successfully, but my recent tank was only 280 litres and I started thinking about discus again, but decided it was too small for what I wanted. I had a wooden stand that I'd had built for a bigger tank and sump a few years ago so I decided to go for it. The plan is for an (approximate) biotope, tank about 600 litres and sump about 140 (total water volume about 195 US Gallon), with an internal overflow leading to an external box with Bean Animal overflow setup. The tank size is 53"x28"x28", and decor will be a thin layer of sand on the bottom with some indian almond leaves. Didn't realise just how much planning and design this was going to involve - its probably taken 4 months to get to this stage!

    This is my old tank :

    Tank1.jpg

    So after strengthening the floor where the tank was going to sit, re-flooring the room, building a hood, pipework etc etc, I got set up and filled one week ago.
    My planned stocking for the tank is going to be :-

    6 Corydoras Sterbai
    6 Corydoras Duplicareus
    20 Marble Hatchets
    25 Cardinals
    8-10 Stendker Alenquer Discus

    Some pics so far :-

    Floor Strengthening
    Tank2.jpg


    Tank Arrived and Original Sump Set-up
    Tank3.jpgTank4.jpg

    I had originally set up with a Eheim 5000 pump mounted externally, but the vibration and hum was so loud I could hear it in my bedroom above the room where the tank is! I've changed the set-up to have the pump inside the sump with the return pipe now on hangers so it can move - this has worked a treat and cut down the noise massively. The Bean Animal overflow is completely silent - there is only a slight trickle of water as the water overflows the internal overflow box. Not sure I'd buy another Eheim 5000 mind you, there must be something quieter available. When I filled the tank some of the wood has floated, hence the temporary rocks. Still to rearrange and also remove a lot of sand as I have far too much in there.

    Wood In & Light Unit fitted
    Tank5.jpgTank6.jpg

    Tank Filled
    Tank7.jpgTank8.jpg

    Any comments or questions are welcome, especially about my planned stocking levels!

    Cheers

  2. #2
    Homesteader Adam S's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    Looks good.

    I think you'd be better off with 12+ sterbai instead of 6 of each. Cories school and interact much better in larger groups of their own species.

  3. #3
    Registered Member kalawai's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    The tank looks great! I have to agree with Adam on having one big school of single species of Cories but sometimes it can be hard to find this time of the year..
    I dig the layout .....you are right planning and setting up a big tank can take a while...I’m still planning and getting items for my big monster tank. I think it’s a good thing to take it slow on setting up a tank anyway,so you can get what you want and putting the plan together.

  4. #4
    Registered Member DiscusBR's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    Very beautiful setup! Great work. However, it is not a biotope. As per Wikipedia:

    "The term 'biotope' is also used by aquarium hobbyists to describe an aquarium setup that tries to simulate the natural habitat of specific fish. The idea is to replicate conditions such as water parameters, natural plants, water type (fresh, saline or brackish), lighting, and to include other native fish which usually live together in nature".

    To qualify as biotope your tank would need to have all plants and fish from the same river/natural habitat in the Amazon.

    But who cares! You have built an amazing setup and that is what matters. Congratulations.

  5. #5
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    looks good, nice updates.
    where is the pump now though, you said sump but i don't see it.

  6. #6
    Registered Member harper's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    Thanks for the comments!

    DiscusBR I agree its not a proper biotope with my planned stocking, more a generic South American 'biotope-style' tank. I get the comments about having a single species of Corydoras - I've kept multiple species together fine before, if the Duplicareus in my LFS weren't so expensive I'd maybe go for 12 of those, we'll see - I like Sterbai too.

    Jack L, the pump maybe wasn't clear in the pics but here it is in the photo below. I'm thinking my sump is maybe too small - I'm topping up every 2-3 days due to evaporation, and the operating level is lower than I'd like, so thinking about going a bit bigger, and getting glass covers for the sump and the main tank. Sorted the tank out a bit more now so its looking more like I planned

    Tank 9.jpg

    Tank10.jpg

  7. #7
    Registered Member harper's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    Thanks for the comments!
    I agree the tank isn't a strict biotope, more a loose South American blackwater style tank. I get the comments Re: the Corydoras, I have kept groups of multiple species before, but the reason I was going to have 6 Sterbai and 6 Duplicareus is that the Duplicareus in my LFS are really expensive - however I may have sourced some from a breeder so may go for 12-15 Duplicareus. Also thinking that the sump is a bit smaller than I'd like, I'm topping up every 2-3 days due to evaporation, so I'm going to look into a bigger sump and glass covers for sump and tank. Sorted out the wood now, and pic below showing the pump in the sump Jack L
    Tank 9.jpg

    Tank10.jpg

  8. #8
    Registered Member harper's Avatar
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    Default 800 Litre Stendker Alenquer Tank

    Time for an update, tank is cycled and doing well - I've gradually added fish and my stocking is now :-

    40 Cardinals
    16 Corydoras Duplicareus
    7 German Blue Rams

    Decided not to go for the marble hatchets as I think the surface agitation might have been too much for them. I've also got 8 Stendker Alenquer on order! They arrive from Germany next week with the supplier (Devotedly Discus in Essex), so I should get them in 2-3 weeks.

    I've also upgraded my sump, the new one is full length underneath the main tank and slightly taller with a volume of 200 litres, so this takes me up to 800 litres total volume (210 US gal.)

    Some poor quality pics :-

    Tank11.jpg

    Tank12.jpg

    Tank13.jpg

    Tank14.jpg

  9. #9
    Registered Member harper's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    These are my Stendker Alenquers, courtesey of Devotedly Discus's webcam - they arrive on friday!

    Discus1.jpg

  10. #10
    Registered Member Jack L's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    coming along nicely i like the corys

  11. #11
    Registered Member pastry's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    I can't wait to see those alenquers in your tank! Please please plenty of pictures!
    -Elliot

  12. #12
    Registered Member Luke in Phoenix's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    Dang, I've never seen anybody make their floor stronger for a big tank. That's dedication! I guess we're lucky to have mostly slab foundations in the Southwest.
    Tank looks awesome! I like the sump.

  13. #13
    Registered Member harper's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    Thanks! Didn't want to take any risks with the floor - as you can see in the photos the joists aren't evenly spaced, and were also further apart than I'd expected so better safe than sorry. Having to take it down to repair the floor would have been a real pain!

    Cories are growing well, still to show full colour I think

  14. #14
    Registered Member harper's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    Fish have arrived! I acclimatised them for about 3 hours before putting into the tank, so happy with them. They are all 5.5" - 6" total length, think the other fish got a bit of a shock when they went in - the cardinals have always schooled pretty well in this tank, but even more so now! The rams constant squabbling seems to have calmed down a bit, but I'm sure once they all get used to each other everything will go back to normal.

    Once the discus have settled better I'll try and get some decent pics and maybe a video. This is the first time I've had Stendker discus and I'm delighted with the quality of them, also glad I only went for 8 discus as the tank doesn't seem too busy which is what I wanted.

    Tank15.jpg

    Tank16.jpg

    Tank17.jpg

  15. #15
    Registered Member pastry's Avatar
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    Default Re: 600 Litre Biotope

    Well done, Harper! Shoot, at that size I'll be surprised if you don't have action before a month's time
    -Elliot

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