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Finally got the time (and nerve) to complete this project. The swap out was fairly straight forward... remove the old set up, lower the shelf a few inches, then install the new system. Fortunately, all my measuring, and re-measuring, and re-re-measuring paid off, because the only modification...

Real life got in the way, and put off the build for a little while, but I'm back to it! I've figured out the overflow issue, and put an overflow pipe in the back/center of the filter body. The overflow is 1/2 inch pipe, so it won't dump a full 300 gph. I've never had a complete drain...

Drilled a BIG hole today... :eek: That'll fit the 1 1/2 inch drain bulkhead (a 2 1/2 inch hole). That was pretty nerve racking, but it's done, and the drain tube is within 1/16 of an inch of where I was trying to put it! Very pleased, and breathing easier now. A little oversight, was...

Only had a little time today, so I didn't get a lot done, but, it is starting to look more like a 'sump' than a planter! :thumb: I shattered my fear, and drilled the hole for the 3/4 in. feed bulkhead. Measured about 15 times, then went for it. On paper the riser pipe will pass perfectly...

60ppm Nitrate in your tap water is pretty high. Keep in mind, Using just tap water for water changes will probably just keep you at about 60-80ppm. My tap water is about 40 ppm Nitrate. I'm a bit more into the hobby, so I use an aquaponic filter to cut the nitrates down to 5ppm. Plants eat...

Sand is finicky substrate. It may not have been clean enough. If the sand isn't cleaned properly, you will end up with fine dirt, fine dirt particles that will cloud your aquarium water and could effect filtration. It took HOURS to clean then rinse sand in one of my previous tanks. Every time...

Lighting: My aquarium lights are on about 5 hours/day. They come on just before night, and shut off 5 hours later. They just turn completely off, in a dark room, and the fish don't seem to care one bit. As with most things fish, I find keeping it consistent is the most important thing...

Seems like baby steps these days, but, things are getting done. The Net pot holder has had the rough edges smoothed out, and the protective plastic removed. I am going to install a small flip-open door at either end to access the filter compartments.... Soon. I'm trying to keep the...

Started getting the plumbing set up. The feed line will be a 3/4 inch PVC sch 40 pipe, that will run from the pump (in the aquarium) up to the Aquaponics filter, through a 3/4 inch bulkhead. The Return is a 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe, reduced to 1 inch then back to the Aquarium. I'm making the...

I started some fabricating today. I cut strips of Polycarbonate to create a frame the net pot holder will rest on, and the spacers will slide down into. The spacers will have holes drilled into them so water can pass though. The (2) end chambers will hold foam filter media to help with...

It's been a while since I've been on the forum :-( Health issues and Work have plagued my free time. As the work load has lightened, and my health has improved, I'm finally getting back to getting to some projects I've been putting off. Many moons ago, I tried my hand at a DIY Aquaponic filter...

Here's a look at the plants these days.... A jungle I'm tellin' ya.

Thanks! Right now I have 4 Pothos house plants, and 2 mint plants (spearmint). Within a few days the Nitrates dropped to about 5ppm from averaging 20ppm prior. These days I rarely see any nitrates at all. When I trim roots it goes up to 5ppm for a week or two. The plants grow like wild fire...

I recently built this overhead sump filter for nitrate reduction and to add some additional bio-filtration. It's been running a few days and already has reduced nitrates considerably. The tank water is pumped up to the sump through a pond pump. The overhead sump has bio ball media, and net...

Welcome! Been through a lot of trial and error myself back then. The hobby has come a long way, and thanks to the internetz info is easier to find. Can't tell you how many books I read back then. Not too familiar with shrimp, aside from salt water cleaner shrimp. Good luck with your build.

I go to the local Landscape Center, and pick up loose flat rock by the pound, pretty cheap too. Makes 'scaping' easier to me. Rocks that stack are good rocks! Have fun with the build!

^^ This. Running an overstocked tank isn't necessarily a bad thing. I ran a cichlid tank overstocked for years. It looks awesome. Keep a close eye on your water parameters after adding the fish, and adjust your maintenance accordingly, and you'll be fine. AqAdvisor - Intelligent...

Have you tested the nitrates in your tap water? Are you cycling the tank fish in, or fish out? How long have you been cycling the tank? Putting fish in with the ammonia so high will not go well.

I cut the water in my water changes with RO/DI water to lower the hardness. It's not the cheapest way, but it's better than using chemicals. If your KH is low, treating water for GH can make the water more unstable, and create pH flucuations, which stresses fish. Buffers can sometimes create...

It can be done, but you'll probably have to make one with a timer and relay. It's an "On delay timer switch". I see a lot of 12vdc applications but not much in the way of 120vac, except for industrial use.

They have an internal parasite. Parasites live in the tank, but they are usually kept at bay by the fishes' immune system. The parasites can be treated with medicated food, you can medicate food yourself with the appropriate medicine, you can set up a hospital tank and medicate the hospital...

They are the least aggressive on the list you're interested in. I can't guarantee any fish won't interact badly with another. The Nannacara anomala will do better in the smaller environment, and does better in a community tank, which is basically what you're introducing them into. As with ANY...

The Golden Dwarf Cichlid is probably your best bet. A 20 gallon is a bit small for the Bolivian Ram, and the Crenicichla may be territorial, and in a smaller tank might be an issue. Give them lots of hiding places if you decide to get them, and switch up the tank ornaments before you put them...

It works surprisingly well, though it does evaporate a fair amount of water in the summer. Located in Florida, so keeping things cool can be challenging.

I made a custom hood... It's overboard, but works. A temperature switch turns (2) high power CPU fans on at 78*F, they have acrylic diverters that push the air across the top of the tank. This creates evaporative cooling. The fans shut off at 75*F. This allows me to keep the tank covered...