Grow algae when you don’t want it, don’t grow it when you do... a fish nerds life is not an easy path...
Lol lol
very true
Logic and logistics
- Thread starter Tacit Blues
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Lol lol
very true
I found that as well - rough, volcanic ones the best. Smooth river stones or quartz not so liked by BBA.
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Boy, that’s true in this tank for sure. That green hair algae is finally starting to abate but it loves the volcanic rocks in here.
Handy info! (sorry, bit off topic).
.... I find all algae avoids rainbow coloured rocks (I got some in plant punnets), not sure I’d swap gravel out though ...
.... I find all algae avoids rainbow coloured rocks (I got some in plant punnets), not sure I’d swap gravel out though ...
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Huh. That’s interesting. And yeah, I’m definitely not desperate enough to take out rocks
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
So I kinda rebuilt how the sump works to add a filter sock. The hardware store had a 12” section of 4” pvc for a couple bucks and the LFS had a filter sock for seven. I clipped out the middle section of the egg crate so the pipe would sit all the way in, and took out the one media bag of bio balls that I don’t think was really doing anything anyway. Also added a short section of pipe so the outlet is under the surface of the water which is helping the gurgling a bit. It’s more steady anyway.
Also I saw two loaches at the same time again!
So I kinda rebuilt how the sump works to add a filter sock. The hardware store had a 12” section of 4” pvc for a couple bucks and the LFS had a filter sock for seven. I clipped out the middle section of the egg crate so the pipe would sit all the way in, and took out the one media bag of bio balls that I don’t think was really doing anything anyway. Also added a short section of pipe so the outlet is under the surface of the water which is helping the gurgling a bit. It’s more steady anyway.
Also I saw two loaches at the same time again!
So wonderful to see them wiggling around munching.
This is a good bit of work on your project. Very creative.
Hope it works smoothly.
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Me too I think next I want to plumb in a hardline for the drain, the hose is so much longer than it needs to be that I think it is also compounding the gurgling noises.
I think next I want to plumb in a hardline for the drain, the hose is so much longer than it needs to be that I think it is also compounding the gurgling noises.
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
It’s not a real plumbing project until you’ve been to the hardware store 3 times but now I’m up to 4 and I need to go back one more time, so this is a super duper serious plumbing project. Kind of silly for 3 feet of pvc pipe but apparently I’m not good at estimating how 45 degree angles add up. This is what I get for deciding to go around the back of the stand instead of drilling a new hole. Oh well!
This indeed does sound super duper serious. Good luck and happy parts hunting!
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Woo, video of the sump running and various other fishy things.
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
So, it’s embarrassing to say, but how I thought my drain line would work... won’t work. So I’ll need to go back to the store for some more fittings again. I think that will put me to 6 times.
Well I would likely have a similar situation so no real judgement here! lol
Will have to watch the video soon, didn't get to yet.
Will have to watch the video soon, didn't get to yet.
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Oh, no obligation to watch, I'm making them because I like the excuse to sit and watch the aquariums I did have to go back to the hardware store again. My coupler fitting just wasn't going to fit between the wall and the tank. So I am going to move on to a less easy to take apart design I guess.
I did have to go back to the hardware store again. My coupler fitting just wasn't going to fit between the wall and the tank. So I am going to move on to a less easy to take apart design I guess.
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
So, good news and bad news.
Good news:
Bad news, the water is now moving faster and sucking more air, so there’s more gurgles. Time to tweak the drain inlet again! I think at this point I’m just giving myself subconscious excuses to keep buying pvc parts...
More bad news, I found a dead loach yesterday. :/
Good news, though, is
I also saw two live ones. So for all this time I haven’t even been sure that there were 3 live ones, I know there were until yesterday. Which is encouraging given how neat up they had to have been coming from the tank at the store and all that background mess.
But then, this morning I was checking on the tank and noticed it felt warmer, and I must have bumped the heater yesterday so it was up to 76 from 70. So there’s another oops and thing to try and watch for in the future. I hope
Now I didn’t stress everyone out even more :/
Good news:
Bad news, the water is now moving faster and sucking more air, so there’s more gurgles. Time to tweak the drain inlet again! I think at this point I’m just giving myself subconscious excuses to keep buying pvc parts...
More bad news, I found a dead loach yesterday. :/
Good news, though, is
I also saw two live ones. So for all this time I haven’t even been sure that there were 3 live ones, I know there were until yesterday. Which is encouraging given how neat up they had to have been coming from the tank at the store and all that background mess.
But then, this morning I was checking on the tank and noticed it felt warmer, and I must have bumped the heater yesterday so it was up to 76 from 70. So there’s another oops and thing to try and watch for in the future. I hope
Now I didn’t stress everyone out even more :/
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
The littler of the two loaches was going after a small piece of a hikari algae wafer! Right out in the open while I watched! The bigger one showed up for a minute and then went back to hide behind some plants.
The brave one!
Sorry to hear you lost a Loach. It is just sad, and costly.
Interesting assorted PVC connections - I say that based upon 0 knowledge of how this functions, lol. This is a challenge, and though the parts add up, they still do not cost a great deal of money. And solving a puzzle can be quite satisfying.
Sorry to hear you lost a Loach. It is just sad, and costly.
Interesting assorted PVC connections - I say that based upon 0 knowledge of how this functions, lol. This is a challenge, and though the parts add up, they still do not cost a great deal of money. And solving a puzzle can be quite satisfying.
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yeah. I wasn't surprised though. I was going to buy some hillstream loaches anyway but kind of bought these ones in particular to rescue them. I am planning to buy more of them in time.
And PVC fittings are pretty inexpensive, except for those unions with the gasket, those guys are much pricier!
And PVC fittings are pretty inexpensive, except for those unions with the gasket, those guys are much pricier!
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Experimenting with ways to lower the gurgling and I think this will work
Drilled a hole just smaller than airline tubing, and cut a piece of tubing about 3” long and threaded it in to the hole.
And then since we’re here, a FTS
Drilled a hole just smaller than airline tubing, and cut a piece of tubing about 3” long and threaded it in to the hole.
And then since we’re here, a FTS
OP
OP
Tacit Blues
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Another video!
https://youtu.be/dWYY6ZSGWEI
I set up my little tripod and did some time lapse shots that I'm really pleased with: https://i.imgur.com/CfRAfwr.mp4
https://youtu.be/dWYY6ZSGWEI
I set up my little tripod and did some time lapse shots that I'm really pleased with: https://i.imgur.com/CfRAfwr.mp4
