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Thread: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

  1. #1
    Registered Member Herbicidal's Avatar
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    Default Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Hello everyone. It has been awhile since I've posted any kind of updates. Just over two years ago I was very fortunate to be able to upgrade to my dream aquarium of 240 gallons! I kept my 155 gallon aquarium with an Aquaterra 3D background for several months of overlap while the new aquarium was set up and cycled. Then I gradually moved over the Discus and their tankmates.

    Bringing it home. Here it was strapped to a rental trailer at the shipping companies parking lot. I had about a 25 mile drive home on the freeway and I was sweating bullets the whole time! Should have rented stouter tie-downs, but it worked and I made it home safely.


    With the help of many neighbors and friends, we unloaded everything from the trailer. It was shipped with the canopy on the tank and the tank on the stand. Here is the tank with the UV sterilizer and hoses to plumb it. It is 1/2 inch thick glass and very heavy!!! I opted for a 60 gallon sump that sits in the stand. I also ordered a 3D background and it was installed at the company after the tank was built. It's fairly thin and wraps around the two overflows at the back.


    This is a close up of the background and the right hand side overflow:


    The canopy and stand were unfinished wood and my dear wife painted everything black for me. Here is the tank on the stand and the sump underneath. I've already added an LED light underneath so I can see the sump for regular maintenance. Working on the location of the sump and then the plumbing. The white-ish strip on the stand is where a trim piece needs to go. Note the opening on the right end of the stand to allow the sump to be placed inside. It's just a panel that lifts on and off.


    Sump end view with UV sterilizer on top:


    Another view of sump, pump, UV sterilizer and LED light:


    Painted under the canopy white and added an LED strip light before I moved over the 6' main LED light from the 155. Also converted the drop in panels for the canopy to lift open doors using a piano hinge on both:


    Finally all together! The 155 is just to the left. Still need to add the trim on the stand and more plumbing work on the overflows. Also want to convert the front two drop in panels on the stand to swing open doors. It was actually rather a pain to find the right style hinges to make it work.


    More info and pictures to come as time permits.

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    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Noice!

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    Registered Member coralbandit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Wow! Can't wait to see more ..
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhFp68wjRUU
    ^^ My fish room tour by Richsfishes ^^
    Got rams ?

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    Administrator and MVP Dec.2015 Second Hand Pat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    You will love that size tank. I am cleaning and resetting up my 230. You might consider hanging a power strip on the inside for the stand near the top. The reason for hanging it is if you should have a leak inside you do not want any live power in the water. I also like to line my stands with the vinyl shower liner used to line actually showers. I run the liner about 2 inches up the side. This is in case of a leak and you can place a water alarm on the bottom of the stand.
    Pat
    Your discus are talking to you....are you listening


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    Registered Member Crockett's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    That is an amazing tank you have !!........I am looking to upgrade in size myself........only thing is that since we reside in Bermuda, I need to be certain that my next tank is a well constructed tank, as it will have to be shipped to me and I don't want to mess around with manufacturing defects which may result in having to return it. My tank I am replacing is an Oceanic 180 gallon bowfront and it is well constructed, the glass is very thick and all the joints are very neatly and securely sealed. I hope you don't mind me asking the brand of your tank and how satisfied you have been with it in terms of overall quality.

  6. #6
    Registered Member Herbicidal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Thank you all for your comments and tips! Great idea Second Hand Pat on hanging the power strip and the shower liner with water alarm, very smart! Great suggestions for anyone starting out or redoing a set up. In reality, the tank and sump have been up and running now for about a year and a half. I am finally making the time to bring my journal to life. However, I will move the power strip off the bottom and hang from the back or side wall.

    Hey Crockett, I bought the whole she'bang from GlassCages.com. Overall things went fairly smoothly. A few communication issues and delays. The delays were most Mother Nature as it was winter when I placed my order. The background was shipped from a different state and again, weather delayed a monthly shipment. Everything arrived well packaged and with no damage.

    OK, onward with a few more pictures.

    Once the aquarium was plumbed and filled with water (and only water) and verified no leaks, I needed to do something about the horrible sucking noises coming from the overflows! Sounded like the tank was emptying continuously onto the floor! Hard to sleep that first night. Did some searches and long story short, discovered that the durso overflow silencer was the least expensive and easiest way to quiet the noise. In fact, the difference is night and day! Note the hole in the top cap, that is where the magic happens. Google 'durso overflow silencer' to see exactly how it works. Simply genius!

    Left side:


    Right side:


    Adjustable returns, four "tips" in total:


    I had to expand and extend the water return "slots" in the background 'deeper' down and notch them to allow the returns to fit under the glass top. Then I had to balance the length and position of the overflow tubes (up or down) to adjust the water level in the aquarium so that it was just high enough that the canopy "hides" the water line. MUCH trial and error!

    I transfered over my Jehmco heater controller and the two 500 watt titanium heating rods to the sump. Apologies for the sideways picture of the controller. Actual temperature is set for 84 degrees.


    Then loaded up the sump with various filter media including two large bags of bio balls (300 balls each?) and a pair of 200 micron filter socks. Also have a pair of 100 micron when I really want to go nuts!




    I elevated the filter sock platform to accommodate longer, deeper socks. This picture shows the shorter sock that I ended up not using.


    OK, this is all I have time for tonight. More pictures coming and of course the reason for all this, the DISCUS!!!

  7. #7
    Registered Member Shan_Evolved's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Looks incredible mate
    Amateur discuskeeper, Professional doofus

  8. #8
    Registered Member Herbicidal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Quote Originally Posted by Shan_Evolved View Post
    Looks incredible mate
    Thank you Shan. Hope to post more of the initial build in the next couple of days and have all that documented.

  9. #9
    Registered Member Herbicidal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    While I still had my 6' LED light on my old aquarium, I needed some kind of lighting for the new one. So I picked up a 10' length of LED rope light. It has a remote control and allows for color changes. I liked it so much I left it in the canopy and have it on it's own timer. This light, when set to a pale blue, is my morning "wake up" light. It comes on about 20 minutes before the main LED light. There is a controller on the main light that is able to start off fairly dim so as not to startle the Discus with a bright light.

    The main light is on for about 45 minutes in the morning, then dims and turns off. The rope light remains on for another 20 minutes then shuts off. There are no lights until about 3:40 in the afternoon then the rope light comes on and at 4pm the main light gradually comes on up to about 60% of it's capability. This thing can get BRIGHT!!! Then at 9pm, the main light starts a slow fade for about 20 minutes then shuts off. The rope light remains on for another 20 minutes than shuts off for the night. Maybe a little much, but makes for kind of a sunrise, sunset, sunrise again and sunset again. Here's a couple of the colors. The canopy is upside down and the rope light is more towards the front.







    It is interesting to see how the different colors of the Discus are enhanced in some cases. Perhaps I'll try to get a tank picture. The low light level will probably require a tripod or something similar for my camera.

    Here is a picture inside the canopy of the various light timers and controllers plus the rope light remote. Periodically, for a good cleaning and\or rearranging of the aquascape, I have to remove the entire canopy. By unplugging 3 plugs, I can lift (with help) it right off and set it on some stands. Then it's so much easier to remove all the glass panels on top. Just visible is a small portion of the overhead LED light:


    Sorry for the poor quality picture due to reflections, but there is a water circulation pump in the bottom of the sump to keep detritus from settling. Works pretty darn well I must say! Also, there are the two 500 watt titanium heater rods in the same area so helps to minimize hot spots around the heaters:


    Ran into an issue very quickly with too much humidity inside the stand due to the 60 gallon sump. Solved the problem by adding two louvered floor vents, one at each end of the stand. Here is an outside the stand (the light is on inside the stand) view followed by inside the stand looking out:




    That's all I have for now. Just about done with the configuration of the hardware so to speak. Next will be some of my early pictures of the whole set up, including Discus and working towards how it is today.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Awesome setup! Just a heads up, those bio balls are pretty bad at filtration in anything other than a wet/dry.

    I would definitely swap them out for some sintered glass (Biohome / Eheim Pro), horticultural pumice, or BBQ lava rocks.

    All are progressively less expensive from left to right, and are capable of developing anaerobic bacteria that help consume Nitrates.

  11. #11
    Registered Member Herbicidal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Thank you Thingsarefun! I appreciate the tip regarding the bio balls and better alternatives. I'll do some further research on your recommendations.

  12. #12
    Registered Member pantherlax's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Nice and clean, tight setup under the stand. The floor vent was a great idea, never seen that before

  13. #13
    Registered Member Herbicidal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Thank you pantherlax. Just thought a little flow through ventilation would be a good idea. Ended up with a couple of plastic 'lids' over some areas of the sump. Those items combined = no more dampness on the ceiling or walls underneath the stand.

  14. #14
    Registered Member Herbicidal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    OK, enough of the "hardware" pictures for now. Please keep in mind these next set of pictures are how I started back around July of 2018. So aquarium lighting, camera (phone), attempt at aquascaping and my skill level for all of those were, well... pretty uninspired. But, this is a journal and it will be interesting to look back at the early days and see the progression.

    So, swallowing my pride, here are some early days pictures.

    A couple of newcomers in quarantine. I still have a 30 gallon bare bottom tank I use for new arrivals and of course when one of Discus are not feeling well.


    A couple of full tank shots from different angles. Not much in here yet and I had not yet moved over my 6 foot LED light from BuildmyLED.com. So this is light from that rope LED that has different colors. I think this was simply a "warm white". The wood is manzanita (copius amounts about an hour away from where I live) and I was trying to simulate roots coming into the aquarium.


    Not a great picture either. Sigh. The guy in the upper left doesn't look so hot. I honestly don't recall, but like to think I put him in the hospital tank shortly after this picture. Definitely looking stressed. Some random fake plant was put in there for a splash of color at the far end. It is long gone.


    A slightly different angle and for some reason I had left a stand door open. Again, a bit embarrassed to even post these. But, the pictures do get better! Gotta start somewhere, right?


    That's all I have time for tonight. I'll post more "progression" pictures hopefully soon and when I get to near present, there is a bunch more color! Looking pretty brown at this point.

  15. #15
    Registered Member Herbicidal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Herbicidals 240 gallon with 3D background

    Went searching for some more pictures from 2019 and found a couple from early in the year. Still experimenting with the manzanita branches and a few fakes plants for some greenery and contrast. Decided not to try live plants this time around.

    Looks like one of Al's freeze dried black worm cubes stuck to the glass. They do love those bw cubes!


    One of my all time favorites! A Virgin Red:


    Apparently after these two pictures, I did not take very many more in 2019. It was a VERY busy year for my family and I did not spend much time sitting down in front of my aquarium and taking pictures. Ah well. So the next round of updates will come from 2020.

    Dinners ready! I'm outta here!

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