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Thread: coopers 6x2x2

  1. #1
    Registered Member cooper666's Avatar
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    Default coopers 6x2x2

    Hi everyone,

    I've decided to document my tank. It's a 6x2x2 (more accurately 1.8mx0.6mx0.6m) ex-reef tank with a corner overflow and a 5 ft sump. It once looked like this. I closed it down a couple of years ago after a catastrophic event
    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/images/attach/jpg.gif

    I'm planning of filtering it with a sock and a MBBR filter full of K1 media (I think its generic chinese stuff). I have a JEBAO DC return pump which is good but the power supply is crap and failed yesterday. Hopefully my dear wife comes back with a replacement tonight. I'm having trouble finding a quality DC - 24v, 5A+ plug and play power supply, plenty of cheap stuff out there.

    I've dosed my bio media with some "funk" and I've got about a 2 month wait before I get some livestock. I'm thinking about 12 discus, some rams, cardinals, sterbai cory's and some hatchets.

    I've got plenty of time to play with the aquascape before I buy fish. I'm planning on rocks, wood and a bare bottom for now. I might include a spotlight area and a plant or two later. Here's the beginning, I'm waiting for a couple of large logs to sink There's a nice stump to sit in front of the overflow and a couple of other bits that still float. The challenge will be getting it to visually "pop" It's certainly not there yet.

    http://forum.simplydiscus.com/images/attach/jpg.gif
    I'm thinking about sticking a black cutting board against the overflow to get it sucking from the bottom and it should hide the ugliness. Anyone have experience with that sort of thing?

    Anyways, plenty of time to sort things out while the filter brews and the wood sinks.

    Thanks for reading.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Registered Member cooper666's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    I've done a little work on the unseen parts of the tank. I made some lids for the sump and tank out of poly carbonate sheeting that I found in the roofing section of the hardware store. I also butchered a container to house the mechanical filter and plumbed in the continual water exchange hoses.

    The ugly black sticks are air diffusers that I made for the MBBR. They are 4mm irrigation sprayer risers, drilled every 5 cm or so. The blobs are aqua knead it (putty), to give it some weight and hold them in place.

    The blue air pump fuels the MBBR. It's a great pump for the price and very quiet, considering that it pumps about 30L/min.

    The little white air pump appears to be a great bit of kit, time will tell. This thing has an internal battery, in the event of a power failure, it will continue to run for approx 40hr. I'm going to try and hide the outlet of this somewhere inside the tank. I hate air bubbles in aquariums (Its a personal thing) But I hate fish losses due to power outs even more, so I'm very happy to have this on board. Its the cheapest, easiest back up system that I could find.

    I still have no return pump It's coming on Monday, apparently. I got a jebao DC 12000 on its way. Massive overkill but variable speed and useful if you need to stir things up. The last one I had lasted for a good few years.

    Still waiting, impatiently, for my wood to sink so I can do more decorating.
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    Last edited by cooper666; 07-13-2019 at 12:31 AM.

  3. #3
    Registered Member slicksta's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    Interesting... I'd like to see the finished filter running when you get to that point
    And my Aqueon 150 has a double walled overflow and I would say that the intake from the bottom is definitely a plus.
    Last edited by slicksta; 07-13-2019 at 06:44 AM.

  4. #4
    Registered Member Cove Beach's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    Something you might consider to keep the wood on the bottom which worked for me. Get some natural slate tiles, mine are 4”square left over from a home improvement project. Use a masonry drill to drill a hole through the tile to accept a marine grade stainless screw. You will need ones that you can counter sink so as not to rest on the glass. Then run the screw up into the driftwood and test to see if you need a second piece. This does 2 things, provides ballast, and stability for tall driftwood.

  5. #5
    Registered Member slicksta's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    Quote Originally Posted by Cove Beach View Post
    Something you might consider to keep the wood on the bottom which worked for me. Get some natural slate tiles, mine are 4”square left over from a home improvement project. Use a masonry drill to drill a hole through the tile to accept a marine grade stainless screw. You will need ones that you can counter sink so as not to rest on the glass. Then run the screw up into the driftwood and test to see if you need a second piece. This does 2 things, provides ballast, and stability for tall driftwood.
    I did the same which worked well... The only addition was a dab of silicone over the screw head.
    It looks like his wood you can see is mopani, which sinks naturally.
    I haven't seen it in big logs though
    Last edited by slicksta; 07-13-2019 at 10:09 AM.

  6. #6
    Registered Member Cove Beach's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    Mine is Malaysian driftwood, one chunk is close to 30 lbs and still floated lol! It has 2 chunks of slate on it, plus way more stable.

  7. #7
    Registered Member cooper666's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    Thanks folks, I'll post the filter in action once it kicks in. It's a bit "floaty" at the moment.

    I'm not sure exactly what types of wood I have as I scavenged them. All I know is that they are some type of hardwood. I actually soaked them to sinking last year, but things changed and they got pulled out of the water and dried out again. I've thought about anchors but I've decided against it. If they are still floating in another month, I'll reconsider.

  8. #8
    Registered Member cooper666's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    Allrighty, I've been feeding my empty aquarium filter about 5g of cat biscuits per day (I didn't have any fish food or ammonia LOL) for quite a while now. My wife commented that she wished the tank had some fish, so I broke out the test kits, its been about a week since last testing. No ammonia, no nitrites = **** yeah!!! time for some critters.

    I went to the local LFS, which is tiny but completely awesome, and came home with 30 cardinals (actually 40 by my count) 6 common blue rams and 6 small bristle nose cats. Everything started pecking and searching for food within minutes of entering the tank I really wanted some sterbai cory's but the stock was low so I'll wait. Everything has completely disappeared in my tank except for the cardinals, LOL.

  9. #9
    Registered Member cooper666's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    The first lot of fish have been in for about 48 hours and they look excellent. The cardinals have gained heaps of colour and a couple that had mangy fins are recovering well. I've got 2 male rams and 4 females, the two males have paired off and both now have a batch of eggs. I really wasn't expecting them to spawn so quick and I'm very happy to see that they are so pleased with the tank. the bristle noses should enjoy a nice meal of ram eggs during lights out.

  10. #10
    Registered Member cooper666's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    My larges piece of wood sank and its now in the tank, still a few more bits still water logging. Another few weeks before they go in LOL.

    I've got the "friends" part of my discus and friends well and truly sorted. The current stock list is as follows

    Cardinals - 30-40?
    Blue Rams - 6
    Sterbai cory's - 15
    Bristlenose cats - 6.

    I actually wanted less "friends" but when I buy 10 fish from the LFS he puts 15 in the bag. A happy problem.

    I'll be looking at getting some discus in a couple of weeks or so.

    tank.jpg

  11. #11
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    I like the look of your wood mate.

  12. #12
    Registered Member cooper666's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    Big day for the tank today. It's now a discus tank. The guy at the LFS called me because he had "my kind of fish"

    He was right, Im in love with my new fish I got 7 I'm not sure what to call them - turqs x ?

    They are about 7-8 cm at a guess, the largest is about 10cm. A little smaller than I was planning, but they really appealed to meand there's no reason why I cant put in a bit of extra effort to make them big. They seem healthy and are pigging out on pellets ATM. I dont have the expert eye, But I think the shape, eye size etc is right. Only reason for suspicion is that they are very colourful for their size IMO.

    Anyways, Im in love! Hopefully I'll still have them in many years.

    20190814_165729.jpg20190814_155057.jpg20190814_155102.jpg20190814_165721.jpg

  13. #13
    Registered Member cooper666's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    A short video of the fish and MBBR filter. Sorry for the poor pic quality, I've no idea how to make good vids.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ux0...ature=youtu.be
    My tank - http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?135251-coopers-6x2x2&highlight=

  14. #14
    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    If you take the s out of https vids load like this;

  15. #15
    Registered Member slicksta's Avatar
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    Default Re: coopers 6x2x2

    Really nice set up coop'! I like the use of large stones and driftwood.
    But not really digging the blue bottom. I think it distracts from the fish and other decor.
    jmho, sorry.

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