New 60 gal - High Tech - Japanese Style

[rbarn]

After about of month of getting the custom sump and overflow
system working I have finally got my new 60 gal up and running in my home office.

Whole project was good test run for the 100 gallon I have going in the den soon.

Not sure if going to put Discus in it or not. Would like to, but I think it
maybe too small .........

What do yall think ? (4) 4" Discus or just do Tetras ?

60 gallon 36X18X24 with internal overflow and "herbie" style stand pipes.
Home made metal/cherry wood stand.

DIY 30+ gallon sump-wet/dry
Mag 7 pump running about 425gph at tank outlet.
(1) 156W T-5 fixture with 4- 39W bulbs - 10k, 12k, 6.7k and a "pink plant bulb"
(1) 65W PC fixture with 10k bulb.
25W UV light
Fluval 305 Canister with Purigen
Magnum HOT canister filter hanging in overflow box with Micron cartdg. filter.
20 lbs Co2 tank

Aqua Jr. Controller
Controls, lights, co2, fans, pumps ..... everything .... based on time, temp and PH.

ADA Amozonia Aqua Soil.
Malaysian driftwood
Lots of Anubias, HC, cardinal plant, java moss, fern, dwarf onion plants.



Systems seems to work pretty good now. Overflow is dead quiet and
Co2 outgassing seems to be at acceptable levels. Co2 diffusion is done in the
overflow box and works like a charm. All probes are also in overflow box.



Day 1 photo:

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-27.jpg


http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-18.jpg



Sump cost about $100 to make. Including return pump and all fittings it cost about $200 complete.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-4.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-19.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-20.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-1.jpg

[rickztahone]

that tank should be fine for 4 discus. also, i love that controller. it's been in my "watched" items on ebay for quite some time. whenever i have $300 to burn that's where it will go :D. great looking aquascape and sump setup btw

[rbarn]

Thanks, cant wait for it to clear and fill in.

Be weeks before ready for fish and a month or more before even
think of Discus.

Will give yall some update pics as it fills in.


oh yeah, entire set-up including new tank, lights, plants, controller, the whole sha-bang ran about $20-25/gallon
little more than was hoping, but its got all the right parts in all the right places.
and still cheap compared to those poor saltwater bastards at $50-100/gallon

[rickztahone]

are you going fishless cycle?

[rbarn]

are you going fishless cycle?

The ADA Aqua Soil leeches out tons of Ammonia and Nitrates from
all the Ferts its got impregnated in it.

The cloudiness you see is a bacteria bloom. Added some SeaChem filter starter
and done some water changes while the filter gets started.

I'll start testing for Ammonia and Nitrite and Nitrate levels next week.
As soon as see Ammonia and Nitrite start to drop to 0, I'll get some starter
fish and amano shrimp in there.

Seems to take anywhere from 1-3 weeks from what I've been reading.

[rickztahone]

The ADA Aqua Soil leeches out tons of Ammonia and Nitrates from
all the Ferts its got impregnated in it.

The cloudiness you see is a bacteria bloom. Added some SeaChem filter starter
and done some water changes while the filter gets started.

I'll start testing for Ammonia and Nitrite and Nitrate levels next week.
As soon as see Ammonia and Nitrite start to drop to 0, I'll get some starter
fish and amano shrimp in there.

Seems to take anywhere from 1-3 weeks from what I've been reading.

wow, let us know how that works out for you. if everything goes without a hitch it would be good to have this info as a sticky for those that need to start a cylce quicker than the usual 8 weeks

[rickztahone]

also, saw your sig with the 800hp Mustang, must be a monster. what year?

[rbarn]

also, saw your sig with the 800hp Mustang, must be a monster. what year?

Thanks, one of my other money pits

1989 LX Convertible.
DIY 5.8L Twin Turbo ...... w/ A/C and power steering ;)
3 years of lots of greasy hands and bloody knuckles

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/2e.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/install59.jpg

[rbarn]

Went and got better Ammonia and Nitrate test kit.

Ammonia ..... 0 ppm
Nitrite ........ 0.25 ppm
Nitrate ....... less than 5 ppm

Went and bought 6 cardinals as guinea pigs.

This is after water being put in about 2 weeks ago
plants last week. Many water changes and SeaChem's "filter starter" bio treatment.

[rbarn]

Tank seems to be up and running.

Ammonia ....... 0ppm
Nitrite ........... 0ppm
Nitrate ......... under 5ppm

Thumbs up for SeaChem Filter Starter. Had my filter cycled
in less than 2 weeks. Yet another good product from SeaChem

Dosed today with complete line of SeaChem Flourish.
Got Nitrate up to about 7ppm after dosing with Nitrogen supplement.

All 6 cardinals are happily living in the overflow box and sump, rofl.
Took em about 12 hours to end up in there. Next project is figuring how
to lay some screen over the overflow holes.

When I was up at the LFS buying Florish they had some awesome looking HC
that just got in. So got another patch and put it in also.
Original patches are still living if not thriving. No plants have died, wilted
or melted. Couple of the anubias have even put on new leaves.


http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-30.jpg

[rickztahone]

can't believe i forgot about this post. that Mustang is gorgeous man. congrats! all work done by you? sorry, we could talk for a long time if we get into cars, so....moving on. i'm glad to hear your cycle came through in just two weeks, sounds great. just keep monitoring the parameters until you are 100% sure you can put discus in there and you are golden. i will subscribe to this thread so forgetting it will not happen again ;)

[rbarn]

Thanks.
About 75% of the work on the stang done by me
I'm handy and have a turbo addiction. Just built up a DIY turbo kit for my '02 Tahoe too.
Should be a blast. 550hp Tahoe

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/install2-1.jpg


Still dont know if want to put Discus in this tank.

This tank's 100 gallon big brother is going in the den next and
that will be Discus. So may just put some Cardinals and a
pair of Rams or Kribs in this one.


Little late night pic I worked up mess'n around with photoshop.

Day 6:

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-31.jpg

[rickztahone]

i really like it. if you do go with tetras i suggest some cardinals for sure. they would pop right out with their colors in that tank. my cousin has a 03 Tahoe and he would love to turbo or supercharge it but he's really lazy, lol. keep us updated on the tank, and congrats on your other hobby which is by far more of a money pit than my discus for sure

[Eddie]

Beautiful tank, looks very nice

Eddie

[Scribbles]

Love the tank and the mustang. Great job on both.

Chris

[rbarn]

Thanks guys,

Decided on s. american dwarf cichlids for the tank .... aka Rams
Water is clearing out nicely now. :D

Pair of electric blue rams
Pair of gold rams
16 cardinals

more to come

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-32.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-33.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-34copy.jpg

[rickztahone]

i had never even seen such a thing as electric blue rams, they look great. i once was going to setup an electric blue jack dempsey tank but thought better of it. keep us updated on the process, so far so good. make sure you do not cram too many rams in there because they do get territorial.

[rbarn]

i had never even seen such a thing as electric blue rams, they look great. i once was going to setup an electric blue jack dempsey tank but thought better of it. keep us updated on the process, so far so good. make sure you do not cram too many rams in there because they do get territorial.

Thanks

Yep, thats it for rams.

Bunch of cool shrimp and tetras now.

Tank has been a great learning experience on how to make this sump
overflow and planted tank with controller work and work the way I want it to.

Overflow and sump are bone dead silent :D
Whole system is pretty much hands off and fool proof.

Yall should love my 100 gallon Discus tank, cant wait. Been doing a lot prep
work for it already too. Will be fully automated hands off.
Should look very similar to this just twice as big, with open top and 6-7 of our round buddies

Thinking blue snakeskins or some other really nice blue Discus.
Just something about blue fish in a green tank that pops

[rickztahone]

Thanks

Yep, thats it for rams.

Bunch of cool shrimp and tetras now.

Tank has been a great learning experience on how to make this sump
overflow and planted tank with controller work and work the way I want it to.

Overflow and sump are bone dead silent :D
Whole system is pretty much hands off and fool proof.

Yall should love my 100 gallon Discus tank, cant wait. Been doing a lot prep
work for it already too. Will be fully automated hands off.
Should look very similar to this just twice as big, with open top and 6-7 of our round buddies

Thinking blue snakeskins or some other really nice blue Discus.
Just something about blue fish in a green tank that pops

can't wait

[Vieira]

Hi,

Those Blue Electric Rams are beutiful. I never seen those before, If you dont mind me asking How much for a pair?

[rbarn]

Hi,

Those Blue Electric Rams are beutiful. I never seen those before, If you dont mind me asking How much for a pair?

The electric blues are rare and are expensive.
LFS had nice planted tank full of about 30 of them. Looked amazing.

They were $60 for pair of Electric Blues Rams
$10 for pair of juvi Gold Rams

From what I could find on line they are the most sensitive of the rams too.


I think both pairs of Rams are bonding. The blues have been super active
never far from each other and constantly rubbing and swimming together.

Same for gold's just at a slower pace.

After about 18hrs everyone seems happy and healthy with strong colors
and swimming and eating.

:D


http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-36.jpg

[Vieira]

Well you have a very nice setup

[rbarn]

Thanks


Got a nice one of one of the Gold Rams.
How do you guys get your fish to hold still and pose for pics ??? :crazy:

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-37.jpg

[Mr Wild]

Looks fantastic!! Just a quiet word - on your discus tank you will need lids an open top is not good the buggers jump! Just about everyone here would have a story of a jumper found on the floor some still alive to put back in and others dead as a door nail. Doesn't have to be glass, could be egg crate or fly wire on a frame but you need something. Sooner or later you will have a jumper.HTH

[rbarn]

Looks fantastic!! Just a quiet word - on your discus tank you will need lids an open top is not good the buggers jump! Just about everyone here would have a story of a jumper found on the floor some still alive to put back in and others dead as a door nail. Doesn't have to be glass, could be egg crate or fly wire on a frame but you need something. Sooner or later you will have a jumper.HTH

Been thinking about that.

Going to try an acrylic ring on the inside lip like you see
on some open top reef tanks or maybe some thin screen.

I want plants growing out the top as part of the "look" I'm hoping
for so, I'm going to have to get a little inventive and experiment


Thanks

[Mr Wild]

Yes that sounds great, will love to see it when you have it done!

[shoggoth43]

Can you get us some shots of the overflow and sump? What methods did you use to silence the overflow? I'm curious as to how you're doing the CO2 diffusion in the overflow as well.

-
S

[rbarn]

I have simple glass with ceramic disc diffuser sitting in bottom of overflow
box. The swirling in the overflow breaks up bubbles nice. By time they get to
surface they are too small to break the surface tension of the water.
A lot get sucked down into the sump too..

Low fall into overflow box and low splash design of sump keeps out gassing
to a minimum. My Co2 runs a little high, but I have 20lbs tank and dont
really care. 20 lbs tank should last me 3 month or more.

Kind of neat I can take my Ph probe stick it close to out flow from
return pump in the tank and it will read about .03 lower due to concentrated
Co2 water coming from sump.





Pictures of the sump and overflow box on the first page .........




Main drain is closed until it just cant keep up with return pump
99%

Water will rise in overflow box to an open tube at top.
The remaining 1% of return water the main drain is not handling
will trickle down this pipe and into the top of sump.

Dialing back the main ball valve so that the the small overflow pipe
is only getting a tiny bit of water should keep the whole system bubble
free, whisper quiet and fool proof.

No Durso stand pipes with holes to be adjusted or any of that junk.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/overflow.jpg

[crackal]

wow, thats a pretty smart sump design

[rbarn]

Couldnt resist, got 2 more of those Electric Blue Rams before they were all gone.




wow, thats a pretty smart sump design

Thanks,

The overflow and standpipe system comes from the Reef guys.
Its called a "Herbie" style standpipe
http://dinardiengineering.com/blog/?p=34

Here's the design for the Discus sump/filter.

24 x 18 X 24 - 40+gallons

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/megasump1.jpg

[silent_thunder]

-L- WOW...you are a very talented man...

Its all I can do to have a heater and a couple filters to mantain in my discus tanks,,,so if they can LIVE in mine...your will be like a 5 star hotel!

Gimme the keys to THAT stang and I will return it later....with little tread left on the rear tires <g>

Welcome

D

[Apistomaster]

Your Electric Blue Rams are new to me. Can't say it was only a matter of time before they appeared but they caught me by surprise and especially that they are already in the USA. I can see a bright future in this color variety.

It does seem like this many rams in your 60 gal may lead to much disputed territories as pairs form. Rams don't have naturally long lives so breeding these Blues wouldn't be a bad idea if you are so inclined. most rams only live 2 to 2-1/2 years depending on how old they are when purchased.

When your Rams go you might consider some Checkerboard Cichlids, Dicrossus filamentosus.
They can be beautiful fish when kept in high quality water and they live much longer than Rams.
Your choice of Tetras and Dwarf Cichlids was the way to go. The tank is much better suited for them than Discus.
I also build my own wet/dry filter systems. I prefer them to all other filters for my large Display tanks although I also supplement the wet/dry with an Eheim Classic #2217 and in one wild Discus tank I use a Phosban Reactor with added poly-felt pads so I can use Purigen in the sump. Here are a couple shots of the last one I built out of a modified 29gal high. I use the same BioBale media as you chose. Good performance and value.
I use the MagDrive 9.5 water pump and this filter is what I use on my 125 gal wild Blue Discus tank.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/125sysdesign0008.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/125sysdesign0002.jpg
Hey fly fisherman,
Wanna see some wild West Slope Cutthroats and the Idaho's Lochsa River where they were caught and released?
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/LochsaCutt.jpg
No fish water.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/LochsaNoFishWater0003.jpg
Prime water.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/LochsaHotspot10001.jpg

[rbarn]

Sweet trout.
If you ever make down south have to try get out on the White River
in Arkansas at http://www.gastons.com/trophytrout.php
Public trophey trout river. Fishing is amazing.


Tank is doing well.
Got some Amano shrimp and L204 Pelco for clean-up.
Was worried about the shrimp and rams, but the shrimp are bigger than the fish, lol.


I'm pretty sure I ended up with 4 male EBR's ...... lol
They constantly show off to each other and defend their little turfs.
tank seems just big enough to let them each have his own territory.
Sucks these rams are impossible to sex since female doesnt have the nice pink belly.

Gold Rams are growing nice too, but think the female may have ICH.
noticed small white patch behind her left gill.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-42.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-41.jpg

[Apistomaster]

I wonder if only male EBR are being sold? This is a common practice among many SE Asian exporters when they introduce new color varieties which are otherwise easily bred.

I know that the White River is outstanding but I live in the heart of some of the best fly fishing for wild Steelhead and trout in the country for a good reason.

[rbarn]

I wonder if only male EBR are being sold? This is a common practice among many SE Asian exporters when they introduce new color varieties which are otherwise easily bred.

LFS I bought them from said one customer that bought 7 already had his
spawing in his 100 gallon.

Just bad luck for me on getting tank full of males.

My female Gold Ram died yesterday
Never grew like the male did, got sickly and pale and was dead 36hrs later.

Gonna do massive water change and dose with SeaChems ParaGaurd. :(





I know that the White River is outstanding but I live in the heart of some of the best fly fishing for wild Steelhead and trout in the country for a good reason.

Yeah some of us have to travel. White River is closest for me.
Been thinking of moving to Nashville just to have access to Smokey Mountain trout fishing :)
I get intercoastal salt water fishing here, and always lot of fun catching big marine fish.

[ShaCari]

Awesome tank :)

[rbarn]

Tanks is doing good.

Slacked on the Nitrogen dosing for a couple of weeks and Val started melting bad
and got a lot of hair and brown algae.

Algae is better and Val is coming back in nicely with some dosing again.

HC is filling in nice, could be better, but the Rams love to nip at it and pluck
little pieces off.

Bunch of Tetras and some Ammon shrimp added.

Electric Blue Rams are doing great.

Had to remove cardinal plant, it was melting and leaves were getting too
big. Would not recommend fullsized cardinal plant to anyone. Get the dwarf version.

Sump works like a charm. Water is always crystal clear.
All I do is replace filter floss every 6-8 weeks and do 20% water change
out of the sump on Saturdays. Takes all of 5mins, no buckets, no dechlorinating chems.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i248/rbarn1234/60-49.jpg