OP
OP
Picked up an electrical useage meter. Planning to try on weekend and see how bad it is. See if any real high useage pieces of equipment.
Delapool's 150 gallon tank
- Thread starter Delapool
- Start date
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Oooh, more interesting gadgets that test things! 
So many things to learn about here.
So many things to learn about here.
OP
OP
This should tell me once and all how much power I use (after which I shall ignore it). I’m hoping it’s not much. Be useful for the rest of the house as well I hope. One more week of work and the gravel comes out week after. Stem plants are mostly floating around ok.
Toying with the old idea of eventually just a thin layer of gravel for looks. Java fern at front. Maybe some big driftwood pieces in centre with anubias. Bolbitis up the back. Keep the CO2 going but low ferts. No stem plants so low maintenance. Probably no aponogeton or crypts (crypts tempting but unlikely to have deep enough substrate).
Get it all stable (so after shifting houses) and then into discus. And maybe kuhli loaches on bottom. Not really sure what clean up crews work with discus?
Doubt you would really need CO2 with those plants.
Ah Discus.
84F / 28.5C Cardinal Tetras and Sterbai, a couple others and a couple catfish, a hypancistrus but don't recall which one(s).
Ah Discus
.84F / 28.5C Cardinal Tetras and Sterbai, a couple others and a couple catfish, a hypancistrus but don't recall which one(s).
OP
OP
Yes, stick with some sort of cichlid and these are the dream.
The cories sound nice. Maybe some oto’s for algae or some sort of algae cleaner?
The cories sound nice. Maybe some oto’s for algae or some sort of algae cleaner?
fishenthusiast
Aquarium Advice Addict
One more week of work and the gravel comes out week after. Stem plants are mostly floating around ok.
Toying with the old idea of eventually just a thin layer of gravel for looks. Java fern at front. Maybe some big driftwood pieces in centre with anubias. Bolbitis up the back. Keep the CO2 going but low ferts. No stem plants so low maintenance. Probably no aponogeton or crypts (crypts tempting but unlikely to have deep enough substrate).
Get it all stable (so after shifting houses) and then into discus. And maybe kuhli loaches on bottom. Not really sure what clean up crews work with discus?
Low maintenance aquascapes seem to be trending up. Rastaman had a nice scape with just Anubias (Anubias Kingdom: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=348013). I still have pressurized CO2 running in my setup, and I haven’t gotten the CO2 tank refilled since the summer of 2016. It’s nice.
Take a look at Panda Garra too. They like highly oxygenated water and can jump out of the tank, but they are colorful and are a nice algae eater.
OP
OP
Thanks, those sound nice as well. Yet to get cracking on tank to remove gravel and whatnot. Bought some buckets and that’s been about it.
OP
OP
Looks like I have sold the spanner barbs (hopefully). Bit sad to see them go (fingers crossed they do though as really need them gone to simplify tank).
Thinking the bumble catfish can go as well. Might just try free to good home that one.
In other news the rams have taken to dive bombing the java fern to get under it to the space where food drops down to front of tank. Funny to watch but I think they may have been muttering some curses.
Thinking the bumble catfish can go as well. Might just try free to good home that one.
In other news the rams have taken to dive bombing the java fern to get under it to the space where food drops down to front of tank. Funny to watch but I think they may have been muttering some curses.
Happy and sad to hear about the Spanner finding a new family - fingers crossed.
Also about the big job of moving the tank! Wishing you a smooth move.
Also about the big job of moving the tank! Wishing you a smooth move.
OP
OP
Yes, I'm hoping down the track nothing goes wrong! Sad news will be packing it all up. If I can keep it going somewhat then maybe by next xmass I could have discus in it which would be nice to dream towards.
Still keeping the angelfish and loaches for the moment. A friend was interested in the aponogetons - might just give him those as they seem to need higher ferts and want to go low ferts with the discus. Not sure on the crypts yet. If I keep the anubias, buce, java fern and bolbitus should be low ferts and low gravel needed I think so could get a bit of volume back. Red stem plants are still floating around tank nicely - not sure what to do with them either as would be a shame to throw out plants that actually thrive in this tank. Oh well. Still got a month or so I think to decide and maybe my father could look after it.
But going with a simple discus tank has been a long dream as well. Just thinking I need two tanks but then there was the saltwater thought as well, and small tanks ....
Still keeping the angelfish and loaches for the moment. A friend was interested in the aponogetons - might just give him those as they seem to need higher ferts and want to go low ferts with the discus. Not sure on the crypts yet. If I keep the anubias, buce, java fern and bolbitus should be low ferts and low gravel needed I think so could get a bit of volume back. Red stem plants are still floating around tank nicely - not sure what to do with them either as would be a shame to throw out plants that actually thrive in this tank. Oh well. Still got a month or so I think to decide and maybe my father could look after it.
But going with a simple discus tank has been a long dream as well. Just thinking I need two tanks but then there was the saltwater thought as well, and small tanks ....
TMaier
Aquarium Advice Addict
So hard to read this. Love your tank! And the ice cream stealing downed pilot. I’m sure whatever you do will be awesome. Hoping you have as little stress and incidents as possible.
OP
OP
[emoji854] As one door closes, another opens I hope.
OP
OP
Ok, so very, very busy last few days - quick update. Started to simplify the tank for pulling down later on. All the ornaments, driftwood and fake rocks out. Smaller canister filter cleaned and shut-down. That was the easy part. Then pulled out all the plants and stored in buckets (4 of them). Removed about 60kg of gravel I think and left about half an inch to cover the tank base. I did have the idea of keeping the gravel but just ditched it and will buy a better plant substrate later on.
Then about 4 massive water changes to try and clear the water. A lot of clay in the gravel for the plants which was just a pain now. So about 2000 litres has been changed out.
Caught the spanner barbs for selling off and put them in a basket - quite clever I thought except should of bought a lid as well as at the moment 6 had escaped back into the main tank. Hardly worth the effort.
Dumped the plants back in and have cleaned the internal filter once and one of the CO2 reactors twice as little broken plant roots and clay making a mess. So I'd say 10 hours spent doing all this and it's not even pulling the tank down - just making it more easy to do so.
I've decided to eventually go with discus in a planted tank with ferns, anubias, etc that don't need much gravel. Plus some driftwood. Still deciding though so lots of plants just floating around for the moment. Will keep the CO2 going.
Some progress photos below:
Tank before starting.
Canister filter out and ornaments.
Buckets of plants.
The basket idea - it did float but had to glue netting over handles to cover gaps. And turns out it needed a lid for the barbs which I could hear bouncing off the tank cover and around tank from next room after they decided to get out.
And finally - tank at moment. Heaps of java fern and bolbitis to keep. Keep the anubias and buce (such as it is) as well. Crypts, aponogetons and red stem plants - real nice but may not have a place for them anymore.
Then about 4 massive water changes to try and clear the water. A lot of clay in the gravel for the plants which was just a pain now. So about 2000 litres has been changed out.
Caught the spanner barbs for selling off and put them in a basket - quite clever I thought except should of bought a lid as well as at the moment 6 had escaped back into the main tank. Hardly worth the effort.
Dumped the plants back in and have cleaned the internal filter once and one of the CO2 reactors twice as little broken plant roots and clay making a mess. So I'd say 10 hours spent doing all this and it's not even pulling the tank down - just making it more easy to do so.
I've decided to eventually go with discus in a planted tank with ferns, anubias, etc that don't need much gravel. Plus some driftwood. Still deciding though so lots of plants just floating around for the moment. Will keep the CO2 going.
Some progress photos below:
Tank before starting.
Canister filter out and ornaments.
Buckets of plants.
The basket idea - it did float but had to glue netting over handles to cover gaps. And turns out it needed a lid for the barbs which I could hear bouncing off the tank cover and around tank from next room after they decided to get out.
And finally - tank at moment. Heaps of java fern and bolbitis to keep. Keep the anubias and buce (such as it is) as well. Crypts, aponogetons and red stem plants - real nice but may not have a place for them anymore.
Last edited:
TMaier
Aquarium Advice Addict
That’s some serious work. You need a nap.
Okay, wow, those Spanner Barbs are more ingenious than I would have imagined!
LOL, I thought of making a thread for people to estimate how many gallons / liters of water you thought you have changed this PAST year and how much you think you would be changing THIS new year, it seems you were making a push and could be in for one of the top water changers because of this cleaning countdown!!!
Yes indeed, not all plants will adapt to higher water temps for Discus. I still am not positive for all of the plants which like the higher temps, or will just survive with them.
With the younger Discus the higher temps seem to be most important and after they are full grown adults, seems just a little less of an issue, though 82-84F/24.5-29C would be the low end.
I hope you have a pretty smooth transition.
What are you going to do with the smaller tank?
LOL, I thought of making a thread for people to estimate how many gallons / liters of water you thought you have changed this PAST year and how much you think you would be changing THIS new year, it seems you were making a push and could be in for one of the top water changers because of this cleaning countdown!!!
Yes indeed, not all plants will adapt to higher water temps for Discus. I still am not positive for all of the plants which like the higher temps, or will just survive with them.
With the younger Discus the higher temps seem to be most important and after they are full grown adults, seems just a little less of an issue, though 82-84F/24.5-29C would be the low end.
I hope you have a pretty smooth transition.
What are you going to do with the smaller tank?
OP
OP
Definitely had a nap after [emoji51]
Thanks for the tips - I forgot about the higher temps. I’m intending to hopefully rent than buy somewhere this year so will keep the angelfish and loaches to get it all sorted, buying new substrate will cost a bit. Thinking seachem fluorite again but if I only get half an inch and just enough to cover tank base that will save a lot of money I’m thinking. So hopefully by next Christmas - anyways, something to dream about else gets a bit sad having to pull down tank. Just depends how it goes I guess.
Just hoping I can avoid putting it into storage. If the big tank is going, then I think I’ll pack away the small tanks. Make life a bit easier.
I thought the barbs were settled and the basket was actually out of the water and very close to tank cover so I thought they would stay there. Realised that even with a lid on, I’d need to cut it to feed them so really getting too much work. Oh well, will keep the basket maybe for any injured fish. One barb must of managed to squeeze out of basket, pop up through an inch gap in the tank covers and found it bouncing around on floor so a pretty active, strong fish. Ingenious is a good word for them. Been watching the loaches escape too much I think.
Thanks for the tips - I forgot about the higher temps. I’m intending to hopefully rent than buy somewhere this year so will keep the angelfish and loaches to get it all sorted, buying new substrate will cost a bit. Thinking seachem fluorite again but if I only get half an inch and just enough to cover tank base that will save a lot of money I’m thinking. So hopefully by next Christmas - anyways, something to dream about else gets a bit sad having to pull down tank. Just depends how it goes I guess.
Just hoping I can avoid putting it into storage. If the big tank is going, then I think I’ll pack away the small tanks. Make life a bit easier.
I thought the barbs were settled and the basket was actually out of the water and very close to tank cover so I thought they would stay there. Realised that even with a lid on, I’d need to cut it to feed them so really getting too much work. Oh well, will keep the basket maybe for any injured fish. One barb must of managed to squeeze out of basket, pop up through an inch gap in the tank covers and found it bouncing around on floor so a pretty active, strong fish. Ingenious is a good word for them. Been watching the loaches escape too much I think.
OP
OP
CO2 reactor looks to be getting clogged again. Always been a pain that one. Other one looks clogged but still working ok. Friday I think I’ll clean both and internal filter again and that should be it. Seachem clarity doing the job.
Thinking a bit of hose might be handy to suck up some gravel every water change. I just need a little gravel to stop lights reflecting. Probably easier to just get it all when tank drained though I guess.
Thinking a bit of hose might be handy to suck up some gravel every water change. I just need a little gravel to stop lights reflecting. Probably easier to just get it all when tank drained though I guess.
Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
Is there anything inside the reactor (bioballs, etc) that can trap debris? I’m guessing prefilter water enters the reactor.
I found a seller in the US who makes a clear version of his normal reactor model (which is basically DIY).
I found a seller in the US who makes a clear version of his normal reactor model (which is basically DIY).
OP
OP
There shouldn’t be - just an impeller to break CO2 bubbles and basic plastic filter cover mesh. It’s in a great spot to trap plant debris it seems. Always been trouble with it. Once it gets a bit clogged, it can’t break up the CO2 bubbles and develops a real death rattle. Oh well. The US one sounds good, not many options over here. This is the one I have. The exact same model on other side of tank has three times the bps and never misses a beat.
Interested in any links you may have?
https://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/catalogue_products.php?prodID=6133
Might have some interest in aponogetons / crypts. But noticed darling angelfish quite keen on plants roots for a snack this morning.
So a basket in and crypts into that. Hopefully that stops all the plant root debris - couldn’t figure out why it looked so bad again this morning. Now I’m thinking fish have been having midnight snacks as didn’t feed them while removing gravel.
Interested in any links you may have?
https://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/catalogue_products.php?prodID=6133
Might have some interest in aponogetons / crypts. But noticed darling angelfish quite keen on plants roots for a snack this morning.
So a basket in and crypts into that. Hopefully that stops all the plant root debris - couldn’t figure out why it looked so bad again this morning. Now I’m thinking fish have been having midnight snacks as didn’t feed them while removing gravel.
Might have some interest in aponogetons / crypts. But noticed darling angelfish quite keen on plants roots for a snack this morning.
Glad I am not the only one who has witnessed the vegetation eating Angels.
Due to plants getting a trim on the roots, it encourages additional root growth - of course eating all the roots is a different story
Glad I am not the only one who has witnessed the vegetation eating Angels.
Due to plants getting a trim on the roots, it encourages additional root growth - of course eating all the roots is a different story
