220g New Start
- Thread starter Sy229
- Start date
After 24 hours I'm seeing the first bump in the ammonia reading (.25). I'll be logging it daily to monitor the fishy cycle. Bought a Python to help with the water change. I also have a Magnum 350 canister filter I've yet to set up. Do you just gravity - fill the canister by hanging the drain/return lines over the side of the tank, or do I have to fill the canister up first? I was also thinking I might just draw/return from the sump instead of the display tank - would that work?
Wow, I'm sensing a considerable amount of hostility over the fake plants.
Fair enough - Before you kick me out of the club I'll add a few live plants in there to get things started - maybe this weekend if I can get back to the lfs.
Wow, I'm sensing a considerable amount of hostility over the fake plants.
Fair enough - Before you kick me out of the club I'll add a few live plants in there to get things started - maybe this weekend if I can get back to the lfs.
Day three with the fish and most all is well. No losses so far, but one of the Tigers is having respiratory problems - I think it may have had them from the lfs. For now he's staying on his own while the others chase each other continuously.
Ammonia level remains at .25 and no sign of Nitrite/Nitrate. Apparently the current fish stock will be slow to nudge the cycle - which I'm guessing is a good thing.
Another couple of pictures. The first is just a shot of the young Tin Foils chasing.
The second is some of the plumbing underneath the tank, including the new Zircon water alarm that UPS delivered yesterday. You'll also see in this shot that I drilled seep holes in the bottom shelf - the idea is that an internal water leak will drain into the home-made base below, which is lined with 20mm pond plastic to contain the water. It should hold about 50 gallons or so before overflowing - so my hope is that I can contain a small-to-medium leak if one were to occur.
Ammonia level remains at .25 and no sign of Nitrite/Nitrate. Apparently the current fish stock will be slow to nudge the cycle - which I'm guessing is a good thing.
Another couple of pictures. The first is just a shot of the young Tin Foils chasing.
The second is some of the plumbing underneath the tank, including the new Zircon water alarm that UPS delivered yesterday. You'll also see in this shot that I drilled seep holes in the bottom shelf - the idea is that an internal water leak will drain into the home-made base below, which is lined with 20mm pond plastic to contain the water. It should hold about 50 gallons or so before overflowing - so my hope is that I can contain a small-to-medium leak if one were to occur.
Dangerdoll
Global Moderator
OMG that is beautiful!!! I need to see a pic of the tank as if you were in front of the fireplace.
Playing with the camera (Canon S3) on manual setting. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the 'sweet spot' for shutter speed and lens aperture, so these are kinda dark even though the aperture is wide open.
I also took a few "fireplace shots", but none that I'm happy with. I have two different sets of lights overhead, and the color balance is dramatically different in those shots. :crazy: I'll get some posted when I can get a matching set of lamps in place.
I also took a few "fireplace shots", but none that I'm happy with. I have two different sets of lights overhead, and the color balance is dramatically different in those shots. :crazy: I'll get some posted when I can get a matching set of lamps in place.
I got the Magnum 350 canister filter running today. It was actually much easier to start then I thought - Just filled up the canister with water from the sump, snapped the lid on and plugged it in. The previous owner who I bought the tank and equipment from said that I may have to 'burp' the air out of it a few times, but lucky for me it began pumping without any of that.
My plan is to run it only on the weekends for now. The main sump bioball/sponge filtration seems to be enough most of the time. The canister inlet and outlet tubes are hung off the back glass behind the 3D background, so it gives the water back there some additional circulation. I'm running the micro-filter in it right now, I'll try the charcoal cartridge next time.
Some interesting behavior from the group of Tiger Barbs. Those little rascals are chasing all over the tank, usually the whole group of 4 (minus Mr. respiratory problem who hides in a corner). On occasion when a pair breaks off from the rest, the wild courting dance begins, with the two swirling around one-another, moving together vertically the entire height of the tank. During these festivities, the nose and fins of one of the pair (I'm guessing the male) turns brilliant orange - quite an amazing display. For all their bad reputation as fin-nippers, this group is so preoccupied with one-another that I'm not sure they've even noticed that their not alone in the tank!
opcorn:
My plan is to run it only on the weekends for now. The main sump bioball/sponge filtration seems to be enough most of the time. The canister inlet and outlet tubes are hung off the back glass behind the 3D background, so it gives the water back there some additional circulation. I'm running the micro-filter in it right now, I'll try the charcoal cartridge next time.
Some interesting behavior from the group of Tiger Barbs. Those little rascals are chasing all over the tank, usually the whole group of 4 (minus Mr. respiratory problem who hides in a corner). On occasion when a pair breaks off from the rest, the wild courting dance begins, with the two swirling around one-another, moving together vertically the entire height of the tank. During these festivities, the nose and fins of one of the pair (I'm guessing the male) turns brilliant orange - quite an amazing display. For all their bad reputation as fin-nippers, this group is so preoccupied with one-another that I'm not sure they've even noticed that their not alone in the tank!
opcorn:
I got a chance to swap out the lights for a better color balance when I got home today. Here is a full frontal shot taken afterwards, and a second one of the right half of the tanks where you can actually make out some of the fish.
(note: I left the file sizes of these two shots significantly larger than my previous posts so I think they'll be posted as thumbnails - the smaller resolution just didn't do them justice.)
(note: I left the file sizes of these two shots significantly larger than my previous posts so I think they'll be posted as thumbnails - the smaller resolution just didn't do them justice.)
