Hi everyone! I was hoping the word "retrofitting" would pull some of you hardcore DIYers in to see my post!!!
Background: I have an aqua-one AR980 tank
The standard filter on this is in the hood, a wet/dry kind of affair with a powerhead inside the tank that pumps water up to a spray bar that sprays into the filter compartments. I cannot begin to describe what it sounds like when you are trying to sleep. Imagine a bad powerhead on steroids vibrating the whole cabinet and the sounds of water gurgling down a plughole and maybe also the odd harmony of a drowning pig. Yes it was that bad. anyway, I got a canister filter to replace it and I finally can sleep at night again! So my first question is:
1.) Canister filter: THe return has a spray bar which sits in the tank. I think it looks really horrible, and ive had to direct it to spray upwards to stop the current pushing all the plants forward. So my question is, can I fit the spray bar so it sits VERTICALLY in the tank, rather that parallel with the waterline. I can't see how this would make any difference to the flow rate or current circulation. Or have some of you done away with the return spray altogether? Just wondering what others have done.
My next question is about retrofitting lights.
2.) Now that the back of the hood isnt taken up with a filter, im interested in installing a double T5 setup there. Ive measured it up, and ive found these lights would ALMOST fit. http
/www.aquaria.com.au/catalog/product_...roducts_id/8586. They are slightly too small to just sit on top of the tank, but they WOULD fit in the old filter compartment if I removed the bottom of the compartment. This is an appealing possibility, as you then wouldnt see the new fitting at all, and the way these tanks are made with a complete hood, it would look a bit unsightly if you alter the hood too much. So what im asking is does anyone have any ideas about the best way of installing and then concealing a new fitting? Im sure this question makes alot more sense if you have seen the aqua one tanks, but i'm also wondering if a) the lights would get hot enough to melt the plastic of the hood, and B) with 75w of lighting in the front of the hood, would adding 2 t5 fittings be total overkill? I have a DIY co2 setup installed, and the existing lights obviously arent good enough to get the plants producing Oxygen bubbles.
Background: I have an aqua-one AR980 tank
The standard filter on this is in the hood, a wet/dry kind of affair with a powerhead inside the tank that pumps water up to a spray bar that sprays into the filter compartments. I cannot begin to describe what it sounds like when you are trying to sleep. Imagine a bad powerhead on steroids vibrating the whole cabinet and the sounds of water gurgling down a plughole and maybe also the odd harmony of a drowning pig. Yes it was that bad. anyway, I got a canister filter to replace it and I finally can sleep at night again! So my first question is:
1.) Canister filter: THe return has a spray bar which sits in the tank. I think it looks really horrible, and ive had to direct it to spray upwards to stop the current pushing all the plants forward. So my question is, can I fit the spray bar so it sits VERTICALLY in the tank, rather that parallel with the waterline. I can't see how this would make any difference to the flow rate or current circulation. Or have some of you done away with the return spray altogether? Just wondering what others have done.
My next question is about retrofitting lights.
2.) Now that the back of the hood isnt taken up with a filter, im interested in installing a double T5 setup there. Ive measured it up, and ive found these lights would ALMOST fit. http
/www.aquaria.com.au/catalog/product_...roducts_id/8586. They are slightly too small to just sit on top of the tank, but they WOULD fit in the old filter compartment if I removed the bottom of the compartment. This is an appealing possibility, as you then wouldnt see the new fitting at all, and the way these tanks are made with a complete hood, it would look a bit unsightly if you alter the hood too much. So what im asking is does anyone have any ideas about the best way of installing and then concealing a new fitting? Im sure this question makes alot more sense if you have seen the aqua one tanks, but i'm also wondering if a) the lights would get hot enough to melt the plastic of the hood, and B) with 75w of lighting in the front of the hood, would adding 2 t5 fittings be total overkill? I have a DIY co2 setup installed, and the existing lights obviously arent good enough to get the plants producing Oxygen bubbles.
