DIY TANK - The beginning of a planted tank

black on black! That stuff is sexy !!!

Did you put a rim on that tank? What's the black line at the rim?

TM

 

Yipp it had to be braced at the top to keep sliders for keeping an eel in ! So i added black silicone for the bracing as well as it doesnt have a hood, just the stand alone / suspension lights

 

Well ,hoping to achieve this by the end of the month



I wonder how much the cabinet is going to cost me. Was quoted R300 to have the tank made . . .and my bro said that a sheet of Supawood is around R300 . . Still have to get it cut, sealed and painted . . lighting fit in and spending another R500 on planting substrate and plants . . .need filters and heater too . . .

The problem with having a contact for glass is that it takes a bit longer for staff orders . . . so not sure whether to just have it made and keep my hands clean or get it made and do the rest . . .

Any advice? I'm clueless

TM

 

Another idea (nice and dense)

 

Also it does not stain when throwing medication into your tank.

 

Also like the black silicone. Would like a few Nano cubes in that and complete it with a black cabinet.

 

yep have to agree black silicone does look the best, well maybe when i get my next big tank . @ TM those are seriously dense planted tanks i dont think you can sustain that kind of planted tank without compressed C02, so add another grand/ grand and a half for CO2 to you budget

 

Lol . . . I have a contact for CO2 canisters. Might go to the hobby shop and get myself a paintball canister. Any way to modify it for aquarium use? What airline do I use?

This is turning out to be a very expensive game . . .

TM

 

yeah it gets very expensive. check out this thread it shows the mod for a paintball canister - http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?2517-Diy-co2

oh and if through your contacts you can get a solenoid valve at a deccent price please let me know

 

I found this: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/115850-paintball-co2-injection-diy-setup.html

Easy to source Items

Only paying R100 for a 20 Oz canister. I have a valve and tubing. Just need the On/Off valve (R50) - might just throw in a gauge but not sure . . .

Total : R150 without gauge . . .R220 with.

What's a solenoid valve? Pic please.

 

Solenoid valve is an electric valve that you connect to the same timer your lights are on. So when the lights turn off, the solenoid turns the CO2 off. You don'e want to waste putting CO2 into the tank at night. If it is going into your tank at night, it puffers the pH.

 

Yeah . . why cant you just turn the co2 off manually?

 

Because human nature is lazy

 

not only being lazy to turn off manually, the turning of is easy the problem comes about wehn you turn back on, you would need to fine tune your needle valve every day just the get the bubbles per second rate correct.

 

well u could just turn the main valve of the co2 off leaving the needle valve set the same.. but ya its mainly cos humans are lazy + inconsistent (if u not at home the whole day and need it on at a specific time of day)

 

true true, but i think its more a case in you forget, or in you are not at home. or like in my case im not at home when the lights come on so i cant turn on the c02. and if i turn the lights on earlier i wont get to enjoy my tank when i get home from work.

 

How much does it go for?

 

well im trying to locate a decent price one, but the solenoids i have seen are about R 600

 

That's okay considering some online shops have them for R1000+

 

thats the solenoid valve only. the entire unit with regulator etc is about R 1500