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5x2x2 going together


Tunnel Rat

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Hi guys

I am starting to put my 5x2x2 tank together thought I would make a post out of it as I have enjoyed reading & getting ideas from others who have done the same.

I just got a second hand tank,900mm high cabinet,complete sump,all the pluming & a neat 4ft spray bar for $750 it is in as new condition not a scratch to be seen.

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Over the past few weeks I have been planing the tank with lots of reading posting questions & I have now got all the bits and pieces I need to start putting it all together :B

So the plan is a latex back ground totally sealed in I got the crevice http://www.universalrocks.com/cgi-bin/cms.pl?record=240

as it does not take up much tank space but still has that nice 3D look at its peeks it comes out about 70mm only.I am going to hide as much of the pluming as I can behind the B/G have a 2217 return behind the B/G to keep flow though it (bit like Spedwards but different).

The filtration will be 3ft bio ball/matrix Sump for all the bio needs have just got a new sump made pick up tomorrow (so will be selling 2ft sump soon) 1260 2400l/h pump running it, 2x 2217 for the mechanical filtration pick up's will come out from under the substrate & a Lifegard FB300 FBF filter for water polishing.

So will try and post after each section I just finished the plumbing.

cya

Rat

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Just finished all the plumbing for the two 2217 pick up's its all glued in made of pvc with strainers from a hydro shop.You will only see the black strainers when finished.

Have made it so I can change the strainers the black part for any length I need down the track.

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I look forward to keeping an eye on this, I think more people should start posting detailed work logs like this :yes:

I like the idea of the 2217 strainers coming up out of the substrate, I thought about doing this but ended up going through the background. Wish I'd done it this way now...

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I look forward to keeping an eye on this, I think more people should start posting detailed work logs like this :yes:

I like the idea of the 2217 strainers coming up out of the substrate, I thought about doing this but ended up going through the background. Wish I'd done it this way now...

Hi Joh

I think your strainers coming out of the B/G worked well on your set up with this set there just is not that much room behind the B/G to do much that is why I went the under substrate way.

NOW if there is one thing that should of stuck in my head about or post what should it of been :confused:

I am fitting the B/G now had it sitting in while I was marking all the high point on the glass where to add the silicon when I walked away then I heard a noise what happened !!

The B/G had fell forward hitting the front glass :shock: man what a dumb s h i t luckily I can only find one very small scratch so far :(

thx Deniel & Jon

cya

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No!!!! I know very much how that feels...

As for the silicon job, I didn't actually put any on the back pane of glass as there weren't any good points of contact. Mine is entirely secured by silicon around the edge of the background only.

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The B/G is in it was no big deal all went together real easy.On a good note just cleaned the front glass with metho can not find that scratch must of been just a mark :)

I first cut out the B/G to size BIG!! tip here is cut these things with a angle grinder it makes real easy work of it (thx Anthony).Fitted the back ground in the tank then marked all the high spots on the back of the glass so I knew where to add the silicon.Marked out the hole for the bulk head (spray bar) marked out the pieces I had to cut out for the two intake tubes at the base of the B/G.Removed it drilled the 1" hole for the bulk head cut out the bit for the intakes & drilled one hole for one of the 2217 returns.Then I rubbed all the smooth spots on the back of the B/G with sand paper so the silicon would stick better and gave it a good wash.Refitted it with the tank on its back check that all was good with all the holes & cut outs then wedged the B/G up with wood.Added all the silicon to the spots I had marked (pic 1) used about 5 tubes of silicon put about 8 bags of gravel to weigh it down left it over night to dry.

Next day it was as solid as a rock I then went all around the B/G and sealed it all up (pic 2) matched the B/G with the same color gravel just poured it on the silicon and vacuumed it off the next day hope the wife does not read this used her new dyson.

I used 8 tubes of silicon all up but it will not even flex its in there that hard.

Fitted the spray bar had to make some mounts for it made then from glass silicon to the center braces fitted the only thing you can see on the B/G a hydor flo not sure if its staying its a eye sore.Forgot there is also about 20 x 1/8 holes in the B/G to let the water out as one of the 2217 returns behind it the good thing with these hole's are you can not see any of them I sat in front of the tank and could not find one as they are under or in the shadows of all the crevices.

I have a 1/2 a log soaking that covers up the front of the Wier added that little bit of B/G to the Wier as you could see little bits of glass though bits of the log now you see the B/G :) very happy with that late add on.

The plumbing & silicon behind the B/G the short black pipe is the 2217 return pipe the other one you can see up in the left corner

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All sealed up :8

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Finished

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sump tomorrow

cya

Rat

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Looks great and I glad you didn't end up with any scratches!

Did you paint the sides of the tank black or use a black contact?

I started to paint the far end as its going up against a wall but it drove me nuts every time I tried to add a second coat it would dilute the first one I just could not get a good coat on the glass.Needed it to be sprayed on so I got the black contact out that drove me nuts but got it all done.I put a 2" black frame around the top of the tank & 1" around the bottom. I always do for display tanks as it blocks the light coming though from above the water level & looks good with just a real little bit of gravel showing at the base.Covered the Wier as you can see in the shots and covered one end of the tank in black contact.

But I am a bit of a perfectionist so no air bubbles at all :(

Looks awesome, what have you got planned for stocking it?

Bruce

I have four Endi's going in there but will need mid swimmer's to keep my wife happy must be 4" big and grow a bit bigger to stay from being a feeder.I was thinking of some nice Geo's of some sort :confused:

Looks awesome, I love it :).

I wonder if you could coat the spray with gravel (carefully though) to make it blend in with the background.

Thanks for the look and all the info :).

Jamie.

Thats not a bad idea with the hydor flo I could cover it with silicon then pour gravel all over it good thinking 99.

What I have done with the flo is removed the inside's of it all the mechanics of it and glued it up so it does not rotate.For those that do not know what the hydor flo is it's a rotating water deflector it flows the water out at a rotating 360-deg but I turned it into a manual outlet.I looked everywhere for a water outlet this was the best I could find $30- for a outlet was a bit high :(

thx Guys

Rat

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Are you using the overflow? I'm assuming the spray bar is a return from the sump, and the strainers look like they will go to the sump.

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Are you using the overflow? I'm assuming the spray bar is a return from the sump, and the strainers look like they will go to the sump.

Yes the spray bar is the return from the sump should get great water movement with that 4.2ft long bar the over flow is as normal will go to the sump.The two strainers you see at the base go to 2x2217.The returns from the 2217's goes behind the B/G & flows out of holes in the B/G. The other you can see top far corner of the B/G connected to a hydor flo outlet.

cya

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Sumps in gee it looks big now that it is in getting a bit lazy on the pics will take some tomorrow of sump in place.

Just a warning if you have a cabinet and ever plan on making a big sump make sure you can fit it in the cabinet :B

I was lucky that one end of my cabinet had screws in it not stapled like most so just make sure first.

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cya

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Hi Rat,

Have you got some detailed pictures of the sump? I'm thinking of putting a 6x2.5(h)x2 together soon with sump filtration and am starting to look for ideas.

Cheers

Jon

Hi Joh

I liked the matrix sumps you see a lot of now but also like the aeration of the sinner & bio ball sumps so I did both in the one sump.Here is the plan of my sump on paper pic below. This is the plan with the media prefilter on the drain tube in the wier after the spinner I have 1xwool sheeting 1x45mm bio mat 700 bio balls.Then first divider will have bio mat with wool sheeting on top second will have bio mat at the bottom 4L pond matrix on top if any room some wool sheeting.

As soon as I finish the sump I will take some shots for you. I have no media in it yet as I am just sorting out the heating as the heaters are on the bottom of the sump so need to make any adjustments before the bio balls go in.Its all up and running with no gravel yet I hate washing gravel <_< really hate it :cryblow:

Wayne built the sump for me did a great job all out of 6mm glass with two holes drilled in the lid above the pumps to keep it all neat.

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cya

Rat

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Hi Rat

Got any idea when we will see the finished product

Looking great so far :thumbup:

Its not every day you get to build a new tank good things shouldn't be rushed ;)

What its only been 5 weeks since you helped me lift it in my house lol.

So much for my 5 weeks holiday plan set the tank up two weeks max then hit the bush for some photography take my mum out for a day down the coast :B

What did I get done in the 5 weeks stayed up till 3-4am surfing the net playing BF2 getting up around 11am or later :(

The good thing I got water in the tank one day before going back to work good timing I'd say.

But it has been one very relaxing break not like my last holiday I needed a holiday to recover.

See you at work on Wednesday :shock: NO work why can't life be one big holiday :thumbup: I just put my oz lotto on.

cya

Rat

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I'm curious how you got the background to work with the overflow. Next time you're snapping pics could you show us some shots that show your solution to this?

Thanks!

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Thanks Unnatual Selector. Very neat as you said!

Unnatual is spot on.

Baz what I did was just put the piece that was left over on the front of the Wier so the side of the Wier is still just glass.

I have seen Wier's before with the B/G all the way around the Wier and did not liked it as the sharp edges look unnatural I left the weir with no latex on it at first.

I have a half log that will be going in front of the weir but when I tried it on you could see the glass in spot's where the log did not cover it so I then stuck the piece of latex left over on the front of the weir perfect now you see rock behind the log looks all natural the log covers all the weir so looks good.

I will get some pics for you soon I have been busy washing gravel :cryblow: .

This is a bit anal but I spent most of last night tuning in my heaters I got them to the temp I wonted then got the timings closer to each other. So now the fist heater clicks in then 4 seconds after the second one clicks in they click off any where from 4-12 seconds apart that will do me a lot of time wasted but now one heater is not doing more work then the other :lol3:

Its filling up as we speak lol.

cya

Rat

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