my six footer

been busy setting up my six footer this week its nealy ready for the new fish ill be picking up on sunday
heres a few pics of my home made 3D background ive made what do you guys think
a few pics of the background at differant stages
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pic of the tank without and with the back parts in just need to get the end pannels finished then ready for water and fish cannot wait
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Top effort deano, ,how did you go about constructing the back ground?
J

This setup is going to look awsome mate....

keep us updated along the way mate...

Kurosaki J wrote:

Top effort deano, ,how did you go about constructing the back ground?
J

its made from sheets of polystyrean stuck together with aquarium silicone then i just cut it to the size of tank then carved it out with a sharp knife and a hack saw blade to get the effect i wanted.
then i painted on tile grout 4 coats letting it cure for twenty four hours between coats.
then it got four coats of g4 pond sealler
ill take some more pics when the end pannels and the water goes in that takes the shine off it and looks alot better

Super setup. Makes me go all misty eyed for my six footer. Keep the pictures coming - looking forward to seeing it evolve.

well still at it with the tank i put the end peices in and filled it with water and it looks really good i was well happy with the way it looked the back ground looks alot lighter under water. then i had a little set back with the left hand piece comeing unstuck and it dameged it so iv had to empty the tank and repair it got both fillters in two eheim classics 2217 so it will be turning over 1200 ltrs an hour one will be useing the sponges the other will be filled with limestone chippings cockel shell and bio rings also put two 300 wat eheim heaters in their all hid away next to the pick up pipes the tank will fillter from both sides and the inlet wil enter from the right also put two air stones in their just for exstra movement lighting will be a four foot aqua glow and a four foot marine blue and a blue moon light that will stay on all night heres a quick pic with all the background in but without water. what do you guys think

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That looks freakin awesome deano, was it really worth the effort with the background or was it more trouble than what it's worth?
I wouldn't mind havin a crack at something like that

J

defo my next project.....just think of all the Bn's you could fit in that buety deano....

Curby wrote:

defo my next project.....just think of all the Bn's you could fit in that buety deano....

no no no not for bristlenose its for these babies
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That's a "Tropheus" of sorts -correct? and a foto that's good enough for the FPOTM,
c'mon deano where's your "participation" enthusiam?
J

F1 Ikola mate theirs already some reall class pics on their im waiting then im going to stick the winner up

That's a corking setup - I'm almost minded to go the whole hog myself and go for something similar - however my wife would kill me. Its either that or I smuggle something in when she's away. I'm guessing its for African Chichlids ? I was considering them for the four footer but I like a planted aquarium - lovely fish to watch though.

MarkOrm wrote:

That's a corking setup - I'm almost minded to go the whole hog myself and go for something similar - however my wife would kill me. Its either that or I smuggle something in when she's away. I'm guessing its for African Chichlids ? I was considering them for the four footer but I like a planted aquarium - lovely fish to watch though.

yeah go for it mate bigger the better yes its for cichlids its going to be my main tank in the living room so just went the full hog with the size and set up will make a nice show peice when completed better than watching the gogle box think ill do another for the bristlenose but not as big

So how many plecs are you housing in this beast Deano?

Jagtazman wrote:

So how many plecs are you housing in this beast Deano?

dont know yet a few though

just curious as I have 3 BN and 4 L134's in my 5 footer which has a 3 foot sump below it. will be adding a further 6 shortly.
Also houses 10 corys, a handful of cardinals and 6 adult discus.
But may be selling my L134's in any event not quite decided. Part of my loves them, but never see them and could do with the space for more bn's

the L134 would,nt live in this tank mate. not with a ph ov 8.9

deano wrote:

the L134 would,nt live in this tank mate. not with a ph ov 8.9

wow my tap water is 7 and with the bogwood in my tank the 5 footer is down to 6

my tap water is 6.4 i buffer like mad. perfect for the bristlenose. i keep my mbuna at ph8
the tropheus need it a little harder to thrive.

deano wrote:

my tap water is 6.4 i buffer like mad. perfect for the bristlenose. i keep my mbuna at ph8
the tropheus need it a little harder to thrive.

Bogwood helps keep mine on the low side - I buffer with coral sand. Do you guys use RO water ? I'm considering it but just a little worried about where the hell to put a unit given that with the Apisto's I need to keep the water change high (in the region of two 25 litre changes a week - plus of course the second tank when its up.)

Anyway dragging us off topic - more photo's please

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Bogwood helps keep mine on the low side - I buffer with coral sand. Do you guys use RO water ? I'm considering it but just a little worried about where the hell to put a unit given that with the Apisto's I need to keep the water change high (in the region of two 25 litre changes a week - plus of course the second tank when its up.)

Anyway dragging us off topic - more photo's please [/quote]

no RO water for me as it comes from the tap perfect for the fish i keep.. a good peice of oak wood and the leaves works well. And dwarf cichlids love to nest in the curld up leaves. just give them a good wash then dry out in the oven.

Don't buffer at all
As I keep discus like a ph of 6-7 and so do bristles so win win for me

I keep my fish in 100% HMA water, no need for RO when I live only use HMA as it's cheaper than treating tap water with all the tanks I have

Forgot you had the Chilids Deano that need closer to 8

yeah its a pain for me having to buffer. But once the tanks set up and all is set right i find a tea spoon and a half ov bicarb keeps it just right.

deano wrote:

no RO water for me as it comes from the tap perfect for the fish i keep.. a good peice of oak wood and the leaves works well. And dwarf cichlids love to nest in the curld up leaves. just give them a good wash then dry out in the oven.

This has my interest piqued - fresh oak leaves - dried in the oven ? And oak wood - what exactly do you mean by that. Fresh, aged, seasoned ? BTW I now have fry from the Macmasterii.

MarkOrm wrote:

deano wrote:

no RO water for me as it comes from the tap perfect for the fish i keep.. a good peice of oak wood and the leaves works well. And dwarf cichlids love to nest in the curld up leaves. just give them a good wash then dry out in the oven.

This has my interest piqued - fresh oak leaves - dried in the oven ? And oak wood - what exactly do you mean by that. Fresh, aged, seasoned ? BTW I now have fry from the Macmasterii.

its best to pick fresh oak leaves and leave them to dye off on their own. That way theirs less chance ov the leaves getting any kind ov disease on them. my LFS sells oak wood for the aquarium for this reason to soften water