Jessica's 110g Malawi Build

[Jess1ca]

Originally Posted by Andrew McFadden

Sounds good to me you can try putting the heaters in the sump. I had to move mine up to the main. The temp would fluctuated 10-20 degrees this time a year in the main tank not the sump. These plant really come in handy let me tell you. I've been struggling to get the trates down even after 3-4 water changes a day. I turned the sump off along time ago because the wife would yell about the electric bill. Oh well that's a different story. Ok back on track so I turned it back on and now the trates are going down slowly by them selves. Where I would clean clean and clean and it would jump right back to being blood red on the test kit within a few hours. Can we say amazing

Cool they will go in the main then. Did u see the pics of my overlows? Thinkin about one in each corner then ill put a heater I the corner with em. Ill make up a sketch on how I plan on doing the sump when I get outta work

[Andrew McFadden]

Originally Posted by AndrewsPistol

Cool they will go in the main then. Did u see the pics of my overlows? Thinkin about one in each corner then ill put a heater I the corner with em. Ill make up a sketch on how I plan on doing the sump when I get outta work

Is this the tank your building the background for? If so ill show you something. Have you ever noticed how you can't see my filters, power heads, overflow box and heaters in my tank?

[Jess1ca]

Originally Posted by Andrew McFadden

Is this the tank your building the background for? If so ill show you something. Have you ever noticed how you can't see my filters, power heads, overflow box and heaters in my tank?

Idk how I missed this?! YES! Show me! I have been trying to come up with a way to hide these MASSIVE overflows... Definitely want my background to hide all that stuff... I have an idea but in not sure if its gonna work out in real life lol. I'm already second guessing myself in the design... Can wait to get water in it to see if its flawed...

[Andrew McFadden]

Originally Posted by AndrewsPistol

Idk how I missed this?! YES! Show me! I have been trying to come up with a way to hide these MASSIVE overflows... Definitely want my background to hide all that stuff... I have an idea but in not sure if its gonna work out in real life lol. I'm already second guessing myself in the design... Can wait to get water in it to see if its flawed...

If you look at my tank from the front on the right side it is at an angle ( cutting the corner) see picture below. The part on the back is 1 piece then I have the angled one. I left enough room to put all the stuff back there. The only tube I didn't hide is the tube going back in on the other side. The angled part has holes that go all the way threw.





From this top view you can kinda see the styrofoam cutting the corner. If you can't see it ill get a better pic

[Andrew McFadden]

Here ya go I did it anyways

[Jess1ca]

Originally Posted by Andrew McFadden

If you look at my tank from the front on the right side it is at an angle ( cutting the corner) see picture below. The part on the back is 1 piece then I have the angled one. I left enough room to put all the stuff back there. The only tube I didn't hide is the tube going back in on the other side. The angled part has holes that go all the way threw.

From this top view you can kinda see the styrofoam cutting the corner. If you can't see it ill get a better pic

Ok awesome! So then I'm covering the entire thing with cement... Including the back right? I just got to thinkin about that. I didn't know if I was supposed to.... I'm going to break the background up into pieces before i get cement kn it so i can get it in back into the tank easily. I plan on doing a corner piece so this just makes sense to use it to hide stuff... Good thinkin! The problem is with the span of the overflows together... It's wide! So I should probably definitely have one in either side of the tank I'm guessin.

Here's a little video of my dudes eating breakfast they are gonna be so happy in this new tank!!!

Check out this video on YouTube:<br/><br/>http://youtu.be/Hf_fpN0B-pk

[Andrew McFadden]

I didn't cover the back on that part but I guess you could if you wanted too. But your not going to see it anyways. Also because of the holes going threw the rock work. I blacked out the top,back and side of the corner with blue paint tape. So the light wouldn't go threw and so it looked more natural. So in the holes going threw when you look at them its dark/black and can't really tell its fake. I'll take a pic

[Andrew McFadden]

Here it is





Nice video

[Jess1ca]

Originally Posted by Andrew McFadden

Here it is

Very cool! I planne on wrapping the back and one side with vinyl wrap (for wrapping cars) like my other ones, it's fast easy and free for me lol. Cool, I did not want to do the back honestly! I was kinda under the impression that Ian exposed to water had to be covered but if that is not the truth than awesome I get paid today so I get to make another big purchase this week... Now to decide if that will be for this build or the saltwater haha. Kinda wanna get this done I am thisclose to finishing it! yay!

[Convict2161]

Next time you make a video you have to narrate it!!! Wanna hear your voice lol.

[Jess1ca]

Originally Posted by Convict2161

Next time you make a video you have to narrate it!!! Wanna hear your voice lol.

Ok! You know it's funny, I had to trim it down because when I stuck my hand in the tank to get the seaweed clip out I got bit and said "OUCH!" Had to edit it so y'all didn't see me get punked by my fish lmbo!

[Convict2161]

Originally Posted by AndrewsPistol

Ok! You know it's funny, I had to trim it down because when I stuck my hand in the tank to get the seaweed clip out I got bit and said "OUCH!" Had to edit it so y'all didn't see me get punked by my fish lmbo!

Haha now that's funny!! I would have loved to hear that.

[Jess1ca]

Originally Posted by Convict2161

Haha now that's funny!! I would have loved to hear that.

No way! Haha! Little jerks are always nipping at me!

[Jess1ca]

Originally Posted by Andrew McFadden

Here it is

Nice video

Thanks they are my pride & joy

[Andrew McFadden]

Originally Posted by AndrewsPistol

Very cool! I planne on wrapping the back and one side with vinyl wrap (for wrapping cars) like my other ones, it's fast easy and free for me lol. Cool, I did not want to do the back honestly! I was kinda under the impression that Ian exposed to water had to be covered but if that is not the truth than awesome I get paid today so I get to make another big purchase this week... Now to decide if that will be for this build or the saltwater haha. Kinda wanna get this done I am thisclose to finishing it! yay!

I didn't cover anything not the quickrete, styrofoam in places or concrete coloring. All it did with me is buffer the ph a little and I didn't soak it. It did make the water a little cloudy but after a couple water changes it was gone and the fish have always been too.. I do want to warn you that you really need to make sure you seal all around the edges or you'll get buildup behind it. I think that's part of my problem with my nitrates

[Jess1ca]

Originally Posted by Andrew McFadden

I didn't cover anything not the quickrete, styrofoam in places or concrete coloring. All it did with me is buffer the ph a little and I didn't soak it. It did make the water a little cloudy but after a couple water changes it was gone and the fish have always been too.. I do want to warn you that you really need to make sure you seal all around the edges or you'll get buildup behind it. I think that's part of my problem with my nitrates

See that is exactly what I'm afraid of... I'm also afraid if fish getting behind the wall by the overflows. I am in a constant battle with trAtes. I've worked out a wc schedule if every 3 days to keep them in check. I'm hoping the fuge (i guess in fw thats simply called "planted tank" lol) in this sump will have an impact. It does in Andrew's tank so that gives me hope . How would I make sure it's sealed good enough? Just use loads of silicone? I almost reconsidered the 3d background cuz of the trapped waste.

[Andrew McFadden]

Originally Posted by AndrewsPistol

See that is exactly what I'm afraid of... I'm also afraid if fish getting behind the wall by the overflows. I am in a constant battle with trAtes. I've worked out a wc schedule if every 3 days to keep them in check. I'm hoping the fuge (i guess in fw thats simply called "planted tank" lol) in this sump will have an impact. It does in Andrew's tank so that gives me hope . How would I make sure it's sealed good enough? Just use loads of silicone? I almost reconsidered the 3d background cuz of the trapped waste.

After you silicon it go all around the back edge then press it on firmly an hold it till it sets up. After that take the silicon and go all around the edges.

On the angled piece I have to take the inside over flow box out every so often to siphon the gunk on top of the sand. The rest of the time I unhook a power head that's in there and aim it down to stir it up so the overflow box picks it up. Under my over flow box is two power heads aiming to spray threw the holes on the background. I don't have a problem with fish getting stuck like you said

[Jess1ca]

Originally Posted by Andrew McFadden

After you silicon it go all around the back edge then press it on firmly an hold it till it sets up. After that take the silicon and go all around the edges.

On the angled piece I have to take the inside over flow box out every so often to siphon the gunk on top of the sand. The rest of the time I unhook a power head that's in there and aim it down to stir it up so the overflow box picks it up. Under my over flow box is two power heads aiming to spray threw the holes on the background. I don't have a problem with fish getting stuck like you said

Sounds easy enough! Powerhead idea is GREAT! Thanks for the advice

Bought some extra moonlights from BRS tonight the LED lights I bought have 1 in them but I decided to get more

[gman42]

Just a heads up, do not get the aqueon brand ph's. ive had terrible luck with them. I clean them every 2 weeks, and i have had 3 break on me. ( the store would replace them for free)
From the motor going out, cheap plastic parts breaking, and the suction cup not working.
Mine has lost a consisrable amount of power over a 2 month period.
They are crappy ph's imo

[Jess1ca]

Originally Posted by gman42

Just a heads up, do not get the aqueon brand ph's. ive had terrible luck with them. I clean them every 2 weeks, and i have had 3 break on me. ( the store would replace them for free)
From the motor going out, cheap plastic parts breaking, and the suction cup not working.
Mine has lost a consisrable amount of power over a 2 month period.
They are crappy ph's imo

Oh that sucks! Ill stay away from em! I have a Koralia that I love, probably just get a few of them