380L Malawi Setup

[Proxo]

Background

I think this is the same or similair background?

 

[kiriyama]

Looking good , bet you're twitching waiting on the fish ariving
Looking forward to seeing them in there, background looks good

 

[elisew]

Background

I think this is the same or similair background?

Yeah I think it`s the same

Looking good , bet you're twitching waiting on the fish ariving
Looking forward to seeing them in there, background looks good

Yeah I`m a bit impatient but hubby even more so

The alfagrog and jap matting media stuff turned up this morning, my hands are red raw from cutting the jap matting to fit one of the sump chambers but at least it`s done now

The petricola in the tank are still zipping about all over the place, they seem to be doing ok........Fish next!

Edited to add:
Fish delivery confirmed for Wednesday

 

[kiriyama]

HYPER HYPER LOL
Rememeber to post up some pics. and technical spec so as I can figure out how your sump actually works
I'll be looking forward to Wednesdays edition

 

[elisew]

HYPER HYPER LOL
Rememeber to post up some pics. and technical spec so as I can figure out how your sump actually works
I'll be looking forward to Wednesdays edition

I`ll definately post some pics and details on the sump setup. I posted on Mark`s thread about posting sump details because there seems to be very little in the way of info that actually helps people who might want to go down the sump route.
I have to say that although it`s early days, setting up the sump is almost as easy as fitting an external filter into a unit and setting it up.....well, once you can actually get some idea of what media goes where anyway

Posting pics of the fish? That goes without saying

 

[Mystil]

I would be tempted to add some more ocean rock if the last picture of the tank is how it looks now, but that is just me.

Bet your excited. I have some Mdoko/maisoni and BNs on there way for tomorrow aswell. Its great, abit like being in a sweet shop!

 

[Squidward]

Am most jealous that you have set up so many new tanks

Looks very nice.
Just a comment. I am not sure I would have the powerhead in it.
A lot of the Malawis prefer to have still water, particularly the ones from deeper water in the Lake.

 

[elisew]

I would be tempted to add some more ocean rock if the last picture of the tank is how it looks now, but that is just me.

Bet your excited. I have some Mdoko/maisoni and BNs on there way for tomorrow aswell. Its great, abit like being in a sweet shop!

I`m contemplating adding some more, I only smaller bits left now though and I think hubby`s poor battered credit card needs a rest before I start buying more stuff
Looks like a few of us are having new additions this week

Am most jealous that you have set up so many new tanks

Looks very nice.
Just a comment. I am not sure I would have the powerhead in it.
A lot of the Malawis prefer to have still water, particularly the ones from deeper water in the Lake.

The powerhead doesn`t actually have a lot of power to it, just enough to move the waste to the weir end of the tank but I`ll see how it goes for a while before I decide whether to leave it or remove it. Thanks though

 

[elisew]

As promised I`ve taken some photos of the Sump so that it`s easier for people to understand what media is being used and how the whole thing is setup:


The Sump has 4 chambers and is filled with the following media:

Chamber 1: Course Sponge that has been cut to fit snugly so that all areas are filled.
(Chamber 1 drains through to chamber 2 at the bottom)

Chamber 2 has Jap matting cut to fit snugly
(Chamber 2 drains into chamber 3 at the top)

Chamber 3 has netting sacks (like onion sacks) filled with Alfagrog (Volcanic rock which is very inert and soon colonises with beneficial bacteria)
(chamber 3 then drains into chamber 4 at the top). There is also a 200W Rena Smartheater in chamber 3

Chamber 4 holds the pond pump (Ocean Runner 3500lph) which returns the water back to the tank via a pipe that is fitted in the cabinet just above the sump (pic below). I also have another 200W Rena Smartheater in chamber 4.

This is the weir where the water drains from the tank and down into the sump:

This is the sump:

This is the return pipe from the pump back to the tank:

This is the outlet pipe into the tank:

Here are some pictures of the media used in the sump:

Jap matting:

Netting sacks & Alfagrog:

This is the same pond pump that is running in the sump, it`s an Ocean Runner 3500lph pump:

 

[markandhisfish]

great write up thats going to give you masses of bio filtration!! how is maintainence done? do you literally just take the media out of the various chambers and rinse it in tank water?

how does the ocean runner compare noise wise to an eternal filter , any difference?

 

[kiriyama]

Very nice, thinkin , just thinking, have a 30" tank due to be stripped soon, wonder how easy it would be to make something like this , , ,

Cheers for posting up the pics, very nice, very clear

Looks pretty good and solid, I saw "lava lumps" in P@H , wonder if it would do the same as the alfagrog Cheers for posting

 

[elisew]

great write up thats going to give you masses of bio filtration!! how is maintainence done? do you literally just take the media out of the various chambers and rinse it in tank water?

how does the ocean runner compare noise wise to an eternal filter , any difference?

Very nice, thinkin , just thinking, have a 30" tank due to be stripped soon, wonder how easy it would be to make something like this , , ,

Cheers for posting up the pics, very nice, very clear

Looks pretty good and solid, I saw "lava lumps" in P@H , wonder if it would do the same as the alfagrog Cheers for posting

No worries, just hope it can help other people as I found very little info around

The pump is so quiet that I actually can`t hear it running at all, the water flow makes more noise as it`s got a kind of 'slopping' noise where it goes into the weir and then down the sump pipe There is more noise in general with a sump than you get with an external but it`s not much, the benefit is the extra filtration so it`s swings and roundabouts really

Maintenence is done just by taking the media out and rinsing as mentioned in tank water, the alfagrog in the net sacks makes it easier to just remove the sacks and rinse.

 

[elisew]

Fish arrived at around 9 this morning, after floating and acclimatising them for a couple of hours they all went into the tank. If anyone had been listening to me when I was taking the bags out of the box they`d have probably had me committed to the local looney bin!! The "Oooo`s" and "Wow`s" that I was coming out with was unreal

I couldn`t believe the stunning colours on the male Sunset, Malauna and Freibergi....they are amazing!

They`re all doing ok so far, except for the Sunset female who seems very stressed, she`s hiding behing one of the bigger rocks at the moment but hopefully she`ll be out and about with the others soon enough.
I can`t praise the Tony the breeder highly enough, the fish were all bagged and packed really well and the fish really are gorgeous!

Anyway, here`s a vid I took a a short time ago and one of my Springer chloe trying to get a better look at the new room mates :

 

[Joshwainwright]

Absolutely beautiful fish! Well done.

 

[kiriyama]

Very nice, really nice colours in there , I think the backround works well, giving some extra depth to the tank, the colours on the fish look great
You must be really chuffed, you wanted Malawi and we persuaded you into Tanganyikan, now you have both
Well done, very nice tank