Here I go again 150 gallon reset.

[brendonjw]

Looks great, i wish i could find driftwood like that up here on Auckland beaches haha. I'll be following with interest

 

[itiwhetu]

Looks great, i wish i could find driftwood like that up here on Auckland beaches haha. I'll be following with interest

When they let you out, come down and collect some we have plenty. The other good beaches for wood closer to home for you are Himatangi and Foxton. I always found great wood there.

 

[itiwhetu]

Two week plant update. The amazon swords runner has reached the surface. The plant has also produced two new leaves, so it has been busy.

The Cardamine has made it to the front of the tank and is now climbing the rocks

The Hygrophila is racing for the surface and I'm pretty happy. I have some Java fern coming and some Hygrophila polysperma. Fish next week, fingers crossed.

 

[MonsieurLaGrenuoille]

Under gravel filter all made set to go just need the sun to straighten out a bit, will get gravel in the next couple of days and that will sort it. View attachment 147950

I've never seen an undergravel filter like this. Does it run with an air pump? Will the water be soaked into the soil? The undergravel filter I have at home are made in japan and built as a bottom plate that covers the complete lower glass pane of the tank, It's made of modules to emsemble so you can get the surface you want. To be honest this fiter to me will have only few effect, the soil would work anyway and in any case as a biological filter as good with this device as without it, if you have some current in the tank (could you explain me what's the difference?).

 

[itiwhetu]

I've never seen an undergravel filter like this. Does it run with an air pump? Will the water be soaked into the soil? The undergravel filter I have at home are made in japan and built as a bottom plate that covers the complete lower glass pane of the tank, It's made of modules to emsemble so you can get the surface you want. To be honest this fiter to me will have only few effect, the soil would work anyway and in any case as a biological filter as good with this device as without it, if you have some current in the tank (could you explain me what's the difference?).

This filter runs off an air pump. It is passive, so it only moves a small amount of water each hour. My flow test was thirty liters per hour. The idea is it moves just enough water through the base to keep it fresh, at the same time it is moving the fish waste into the substrate. What happens over time is that the inside of the pipes become covered in Beneficial Bacteria and the base of the tank becomes a biological filter, at that point the mechanical filters become secondary. This is the best system for a sustainable system. The plant growth will be continuous without fertilizers because of this system.

 

[MonsieurLaGrenuoille]

Excuse me my dear Itiwhetu but I believe most aquarists here would laugh loud over this construction (but I really only suppose it), thats the same as the current in the tank will achieve, you don't really need to have this gravel filter in the soil, and if you do you have to consider that you will be only have a partial and a very reduced and inefficient flow of water through the soil and you would mess the homogenity of a good functionning gravel filter, most afraiding is that the little holes in the tubes will get suffed with organic substance soon and they wont work nicely. With your geant bassin you can live easely for the nex 3 to 4 years at least, and then you will be going to need some kind of gravel cleannig and general renovation but that first within 5 years I would say. Do you find also good water near you for the tanks? Even at the tap? Soft granite-mountain water? From some river or so? But the last photos with the plants looked very fine and if you get a real miniaturized jungle with the right number of breeding fish you could have that running for ever (don't forget to give some laterite or so to the plants). In any case it's interesting to see that here and I'm sure it will be through time some news and stories to be seen

 

[itiwhetu]

Excuse me my dear Itiwhetu but I believe most aquarists here would laugh loud over this construction (but I really only suppose it), thats the same as the current in the tank will achieve, you don't really need to have this gravel filter in the soil, and if you do you have to consider that you will be only have a partial and a very reduced and inefficient flow of water through the soil and you would mess the homogenity of a good functionning gravel filter, most afraiding is that the little holes in the tubes will get suffed with organic substance soon and they wont work nicely. With your geant bassin you can live easely for the nex 3 to 4 years at least, and then you will be going to need some kind of gravel cleannig and general renovation but that first within 5 years I would say. Do you find also good water near you for the tanks? Even at the tap? Soft granite-mountain water? From some river or so? But the last photos with the plants looked very fine and if you get a real miniaturized jungle with the right number of breeding fish you could have that running for ever (don't forget to give some laterite or so to the plants). In any case it's interesting to see that here and I'm sure it will be through time some news and stories to be seen

People can laugh all they like. The last time I did this setup the tank was running for ten years with Discus in it. I don't take these projects on unless I'm quite sure they are going to work. We will see what happens, it may all fall flat on its face and so be it. At least I have given it a go.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Excuse me my dear Itiwhetu but I believe most aquarists here would laugh loud over this construction (but I really only suppose it), thats the same as the current in the tank will achieve, you don't really need to have this gravel filter in the soil, and if you do you have to consider that you will be only have a partial and a very reduced and inefficient flow of water through the soil and you would mess the homogenity of a good functionning gravel filter, most afraiding is that the little holes in the tubes will get suffed with organic substance soon and they wont work nicely. With your geant bassin you can live easely for the nex 3 to 4 years at least, and then you will be going to need some kind of gravel cleannig and general renovation but that first within 5 years I would say.

With the size of gravel that is being used and the depth of the bed I wouldn't be concerned about the pipes becoming blocked. It is going to take a long time for enough detris to work its way down there to be an issue. Even if that does eventually happen hooking up a high power pump for an hour or so will most likely clear things up fairly easily.

I think the idea behind this setup is mostly "let the plants do the work" so the UGF is pretty much just a backup anyway and more to pull junk out of the water column. I've run similar setups (though a lot smaller) and they work great as long as you have good high density planting and fast growth.

 

[wgoldfarb]

I don't know enough to comment on the filtration (well, I could comment, but it wouldn't be a smart comment ) but I do know the tank looks awesome and the growth you have is amazing. You would never guess the tank is barely just a month old!

 

[itiwhetu]

Bought Ten stems of Hygrophila Polysperma, They have been grown in a tank with a lot of light so it will be interesting to see how they get on in my tank. As always I have spread them out to find the place they prefer.

 

[vanalisa]

The tank has started to grow out rather well. The Cardamine has reached the surface and the Hydrophilia are now starting to take off. Iti has found her happy place which is really cool.
View attachment 149747

More Iti pictures, please.

 

[itiwhetu]

More Iti pictures, please.

Here is the old girl just now on our bed, she always finds the best spots in the house. She can lie on the bed and look at the birds outside, cat heaven.

 

[vanalisa]

Dear Pretty Kitty Iti,

My little Bisquit wants to be friends and play! She's a frisky girl...

But Nougat is very covetous of your water perch. She loves water and splashing it around.
Here she is letting you examine her exquisite water flinging paw.

 

[itiwhetu]

Dear Pretty Kitty Iti,

My little Bisquit wants to be friends and play! She's a frisky girl...View attachment 150086

But Nougat is very covetous of your water perch. She loves water and splashing it around.
Here she is letting you examine her exquisite water flinging paw.
View attachment 150087

I will get another video of Iti on the tank at some stage, she just loves that dad has put a tank in the house again.

 

[itiwhetu]

The narrow leaf Java Fern arrived today ended up with about 10 plants for $20. Very happy boy.