pilchard Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 This is what i see when i look out my double french doors onto my decking. The doors are opened most of summer and the deck used like an extra room of the house. They were built, plumbed and installed myself, for a fraction of the cost of a baught one. Top tank is 120 X 40 X 50cms and has an overflow with a 60L wet dry sump flowing into a 60L refugium, with a 300W heater in the sump, with an 1800L/h return pump and a 1200L/H in tank powerhead. The sumps are made from 2 60L storage containers plumbed together and the filter basket is a Bunnings carry basket i found in a drain and cleaned up instead of returning. Filter media for this tank include 1.5Kg of ceramic noodles and 100 Coles Smart Buy Nylon Scourer pads. The bottom tank is 120 X 45 X 35cms and is run by an Aqua one 800H waterfall type filter containing 750g of ceramic noodles. It also has a 300W heater and and a 1200L/h in tank powerhead. The whole setup including the heaters and a second hand filter cost me less than $200 all up. Alot of the powerheads i already had and the glass i got from a scrap dealer for $20 and cut and built the tanks myself. The frame is made from pine. I have single globe fleuros coming next week from the same scrap yard for $10 ea. Ill get some night pics when the lights go on. any questions or explanations needed please ask as i am all too happy to take more shots of the sump setup or help with problems someone else is having with a similar setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbites Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Way to go Dean.... Building your own tanks if you can get cheap good quality glass is a great saving. My betta barracks cost me about $30 for brand new glass from a mate who has a glass shop. So far no probs with leaks or anything. Haven't gone to making 4ft tanks yet but have a 5ft tank that needs the sides replacing so that's going to be a bit of fun! One of these days (read next decade perhaps) I'll look at plumbing some of my tanks to a sump - would be pretty cost effective compared to filtering individual tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killimike Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Nice setup! Makes me wish I had anywhere near the skill to do likewise. What are the fishies in the top tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilchard Posted October 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Lamprologus Caudopunctatus X 4, common bristlenose X 6, and a pair of rosy barbs. got some sand sifters going in too, but havent decided on the species. The bottom tank will take Lilis calvus or some neo. multifacinatus (too many fry in their 55L home atm), havent decided yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killimike Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Great fish. I keep forgetting how into tangs you are. If you have too many multis, I may have to help you out when I come up to the Newcastle get together :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilchard Posted October 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 (edited) iv had 3 spawns of multis in 2 months and there must be 20 plus fry swiming around with the 7 adults. The bigest would only be about 1-1.5cm and the rest vary from 0.5-0.8cm. the bigest prob will be wresling the fry from the shells, theres over 200 shells in their 55Litre. if i can get some out your welcome to them, maybe i better start trying to catch some now. LOL somepics of the shellies tank. and the fry. The 1st and 3rd pics were taken a few weeks ago so the fry have grown a bit since then. The second shot was taken on setup and shows just how many shells are in there, thats just 1 of the 3 teires. so your coming up to the meeting then Mike?? Do you want to give a few words on keeping Killies?? Edited October 9, 2009 by pilchard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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