33 gal.

[George Farmer]

It's been a while since I posted on here. This is my latest 'scape that's been torn down now. The next one is better still. Practising is great fun!

Note the poorly left hand Rotala. Lack of CO2 I think due to diffuser/flow.

80x35x45cm
TetraTec EX 1200 (1200 lph) with Hydor inline heater and AM glassware
4 x 24w HO T5 Arcadia overtank luminaire - 9 hours
1 BPS CO2 through Rhinox 2000
JBL Proflora 200 and sand
Tropica AquaCare Plant Nutrition+ 5ml per day, 50% water change per week

Ember and Rio Meta tetras

Glosso
Hairgrass
Blyxa
Narrow fern
Anubias
Rotala green

Cheers.

 

[rusticitas]

That looks really nice. I like it. I like practicing, too. Wonder how many tanks I can fit in my apartment?

 

[Tom Barr]

Hi George, I'm finishing up the stand for my ADA tank.
I'm getting it from Aqua Forest and it's 60X45X45, semi cube.

I made the stand from nice 3/4" cab ply and painted it thick exteriror white, tehn sanded it, then, shot a couple of coats of clear and then snaded each time, should give a nice white mirror finish.

I spent about 40$, and then had the pain left over from the shed I built.
The design is essentially an ADA style stand, but it's stronger and it's white.

I am drilling two 1/2" bulk head holes and will attach a Xp3 Rena canister filter+ Needle wheel pump loop and a Hydro heater.

There will be not one tube or wire coming in/out of the tank.

Everything will be built in.

I can use a 2X65W Orbit light, they are nice. Or I can use a 150 HQI Aqua Medic light, well it's similar, but cost 135$ total with bulb etc.

This will be my Piranha tank. I plan on 9 of them.

The nice thing about the no hoses/in or out, the glass lids can fit tight.
So it will look very nice outside the tank also.
You might start focusing in on that part as well
Then you can start doing more client work and have more tanks to practice on.
Better their $ than yours

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[rusticitas]

Tom,

I'm very curious to know where the tank would be drilled, to see a diagram or photos. I have had an idea for a similar sized/type of tank after reading about your Glass Cages 24x24x25's, but I'm unfamiliar with where to put bulkheads and such without having pvc tubes sticking up unsightly into the tank...

Can't wait to see the finished product!

-Jason

 

[George Farmer]

Thanks guys.

Your plans sound exciting, Tom. Am I being simple though? 9x Pirahna tanks...?

I have little time for clients' tanks, unfortunately. My full-time job is 12+ hours per day. I have considered pursuing full-time hobby-related jobs, but I like the security of my present career in the RAF. I also have two kids and a high-maint wife to consider...

I give simple info and advice to those that listen, maybe a few spare plants and ferts here and there too. That costs them nothing but their membership to UKAPS, that is free. My reward is seeing the UK hobby grow, and it is doing so nicely.

PFK and PPM pay me well enough to keep nice tanks without the wife complaining. I also get a lot of 'freebies' from manufacturers. Tropica supply my plants and ferts, in exchange for some coverage in the mags/web etc. They deserve it, and I like nice plants.

I am setting up a Tropica AquaCube soon (20x20x20cm), step-by-step for their next Newsletter. Then I will be presenting it at the Interzoo, Germany in May. Oliver Knott will be there too.

And I'm off to the Amazon in October. I could get you some pirahnas, Tom!

I will come to the US, probably next year. It would be nice to meet some US enthusiasts. Tom, will you be at the AGA conference, 2009?

Anyway, back on track. Here's a recent shot since re-scape. I have some more anubias and downoi coming. The glosso/hairgrass will be nice in a week or so. The Blyxa is off the hook!

Cheers.

 

[Tom Barr]

2" from the rear corners or 4" apart in the middle rear, 2" away from the edge.
I have this done on the GC's 24" cubes already.

I have drill bits for glass.
Takes a long time, you cannot rush drilling glass.

The ADA glass is thick enough where it's not much or an issue.
Thinner glass=> harder not to break the bottom

You do not see the PVC, they can be covered by plants, and sit high on a mound of ADA AS etc, hidden in the back.

I finished the stand today, have the light(150W HQI), and need to build the light hanger(I have all the parts for this, it's like the ADA DIY that many folks in the By area have done using electrical conduit).

The Copper tubing did not ork as well and was not strong enough for me.
You need a pipe cutter and 1/2" or 3/4" bender for the electrical conduit.
But then you can make any bends you wish with straight 10ft long galvanized pipe, 1/2", 3/4" or 1" etc in diameter.
That's plenty strong for most light weight T5, HQI with external ballast etc.

See here:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquascaping/31991-ada-120cm-journal-w-diy-stand-2.html

Preview the other pages.


Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Tom Barr]

Nice slope design George.

Yes, I'll be at the 2009 event.
Hopefully with a PhD by then

You are welcomed to come to the West Coast.
I have a number of folks I'm suppose to head down to the amazon with.
But it'll have to wait till after the job and school stuff is done.

Then I'll have a lot more flexibility.
Tanks looks nice, stick with the RAF. It'll keep you in shape too.

Yes, 9 piranha is not simple, but the tank is. These guys stay small and school fairly well, even as they get older, at least mine are.

I have everything ready almost, I have a filter coming and then I can bend the light bars and hand it up.

I think the 180 will be next followed by the West african 60 cube.
The last ones will be the Cold water marine and then finally that 120 Gal I broke after it's fixed.



Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[rusticitas]

Anyway, back on track. Here's a recent shot since re-scape. I have some more anubias and downoi coming. The glosso/hairgrass will be nice in a week or so. The Blyxa is off the hook!

That's a very nice re-scape. The only thing that caught my eye was the low-ground on the left was a little too flat. Not sure what would obviously alter that. Either sloping or something balance out the "mass" on the right. And this is strictly just the designer in me talking, I'm not an aquascaper myself yet!

But I really like it!

 

[Tom Barr]

That's a very nice re-scape. The only thing that caught my eye was the low-ground on the left was a little too flat. Not sure what would obviously alter that. Either sloping or something balance out the "mass" on the right. And this is strictly just the designer in me talking, I'm not an aquascaper myself yet!

But I really like it!

Do not worry, it will fill in.
As you get better, you can see what is going to grow and how later.

Like a fish community, matching a plant community takes more time and skill than keeping one species.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[George Farmer]

Do not worry, it will fill in.
As you get better, you can see what is going to grow and how later.

Like a fish community, matching a plant community takes more time and skill than keeping one species.

Regards,
Tom Barr

Yep, there's hairgrass, glosso and downoi. Give it another 3 weeks to fill in proper - then pruning/re-planting until I'm happy for final photos etc.

Cheers.

 

[rusticitas]

I'm still working on getting my plants to grow and keep a tank going well for a long(er) period. I cannot yet "pre-image" a tank and plant growth, but am slowly able to do it a little bit.

I look forward to more pics!

And, Tom, thanks for the info on how you drilled the GC’s 24in cube. I actually started to draw it up in SketchUp to help me visualize it.

I need to find people around me who have tanks set up that I can observe, study and look at how the mechanics and electronics are set up and configured. It’s too slow for my understanding to just read about it. I want to see it. And eventually do it!

(Yeah, I'm psyched about planted tanks.)

 

[George Farmer]

Update.

 

[rusticitas]

Sweet! I take back my initial comments at the beginning of the thread.

Love it.

 

[creighton]

George,
Is that B. Japonica and B. Aubertii or just some really big stems of B. Japonica?

The scape looks great!!! Did the downoi get lost in the growth? I couldn't see it in the more recent pictures.