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My 6x2x2 tank Journal


rosco

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Hi guys,

Yestertday I finally bit the bullet and with the proceeds of the auction yesterday I put a deposit on the furniture for my 6x2x2. It will be in a walnut stain from the factory in a colonial style identical to one of the sponsors of ACE has. I have not ordered the tank because I still have to decide to sump or sump, weir or no weir, as it will be a display tank. I leaning heavily towards the sump with a weir (because I am limited by space to just bulkhead it where it will go). But, it is so much extra work in setting it up and keeping it really quite (as it will be in the house with young kids), I may take the easy, but more expensive option, and just buy canisters.

If you have had any experience\opinons in quitening down sumps or using canisters feel free to express them as I may help to finalise my decision. the furniture will arrive on the 15th of March which gives me about 2 weeks to plan and finalise my filtration method before I can order a tank. Apparently when you live in Canerra you live in the sticks an the order can only go out via camel <_< . :lol4:

cheers

rosco

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Rosco,

You can probably guess my first comment. A six by two by two, and any of the standard dimensions, “in my opinion” are aesthetically unpleasing as the proportions are wrong. Fish tank proportions are built in regards to the pressure a tank’s height puts on the glass, and the necessity of extra expense required to have the glass thicker the higher you go.

Still, even if it means you have to save longer, for a six by two by two, I would get a least a six by two (W) by two foot six (H) at least. There is a surprisingly large aesthetic benefit by going these extra six inches. Not to mention how good a tank looks even higher than this. Maintenance at the bottom is a cinch if you plan it from the start.

I distinctly remember walking into someone’s lounge room a few years ago to see a rather dark looking 10 by two by two, and I wasn’t even motivated to bend over and see what was in the tank. And while I’m not suggesting to you that you need to take it to the extremes I did with my tank at over a meter high, to this day, my tank captivates me, and I see it every day.

If you’re in this hobby for the long term, you’ll NEVER regret the extra expense at paying for thicker glass. My Tropheus tank which is 2’7” high I had done out of 15mm instead of the 12mm which would “get by” (wanted an extra safety margin). I’d highly recommend Wayne at Extreme he did fantastic job on my Tropheus tank.

In regards to noise, and a sump. A correctly installed Durso will virtually eliminate this issue. My big tank with 10,000 lph (plus) going through it is so quite people comment on it. The air bubbles make a greater noise.

Your decision will be how to attach a Durso, via plumbing fitting out the back, in an in the tank weir, or in an overflow box (harder to put a cabinet around).

On my Tropheus tank I went with a large canister filter (Oase Filtoclear) with a back flush function. That means I can clean the filter every time I do a water changes (fortnightly), and I have only opened the filter once due to sand blocking the internal sponges, in over a year of operation.

Craig

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thanks all.

Craig thanks for comments. At this stage I have only ordered the furniture and that arrives on the 15th and it is 6x2(w) and rated for a heavier load than a 6x2x2 so I guess at this stage a 6x2x2.5 is an option. The only problem is that I don't trust the tank makers down here to do a decent enough job. So I would be left with getting one from Sydney and I would probably look in the first place to get one from Wayne as I have heard lots of good things.

The only problem that I would then be faced with is bringing it back down to Canberra without breaking the thing. I think that the last of my gray hair would turn white if I drove it back myself. I would not be so stressed if my ute tray was 6 inches longer as I could close the tray. Of course I could just move to Sydney and make the whole thing a hell of lot easier :lol3: . I will look into it and see what I can dig up.

As to filtration I am really limited by space (damn those alcove walls <_< ) to an external overflow box or bulkhead is probably out so that leaves me with an internal weir. After quizzing Waz on the weekend I am definitely going to attempt to install a durso stand pipe and will probably run the pipe into a small either filter sponge or just a chamber to overflow onto a drip tray and then through a bio ball style chamber and up and over into a pond matrix chamber and then into the reservoir.

lets talk water pumps. If I go for the 6x2x2 I was looking an oceanrunner 3500 are they a) good reliable pumps and b) quiet pumps. Then I can decide on sump size and finalise configuration

cheers

rosco

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If you got the tank from Wayne, I’m sure he could deck your Ute out with polystyrene from fish boxes (cut up), and once tied down there would be no issue about getting it home safely.

Oceanrunners are great pumps, but if you take the tank out to 2 and a half foot high you might want to get a bigger one than the one you mentioned.

Also one of the tricks (in my book) to maintaining the bottom of a deep tank, is to not have to go down there to maintain it. That means plenty of water movement (hence the above recommendation to a larger pump), and possibly plumbing in some other pumps in and out f the bottom just for movement.

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I definitely agree about how to maintain deep tanks. A powerhead an hour or two before a water or just plenty of current makes waterchanges and siphoning alot easier as it either accumulates to one corner or is already sucked up by the filter.

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here is a piccie of the cabinet an hood it is stained in a walnut colour

IPB Image

it is all coming together. I am just fianlising what I need to get done to the tank in terms of holes and bulkheads and then I will order it

cheers

rosco

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Yesterday I ordered the tank thanks to some great negotiation skills from Laurie :thumb and it is due to arrive on the 12th of April. I have ordered it with black silcone but but may change that back to clear by the end of the day, if it stains then it stains :dntknw: . The tank maker does areally nice finish on it as well with polished edges. So I now to design the sump.

cheers

rosco

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi all,

Finally the tank arrived last week I will post a picture of it in the next couple of days. It has not quite worked as planned because the bulkhead that came with it only takes a 25mm piping. I was hoping that the 45mm hole would allow for a 32mm bulkhead so I can install my durso at that size. If someone has purchased a 32mm bulkhead for a 45mm hole online (as nowhere in Canberra seems to stock such items), if you could tell me where that would be great. The bulkhead will not go to waste as I have to get 3 tanks that I am yet to get drilled so I will have one less to buy.

cheers

rosco

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you can size up the piping on either side of the bulkhead if need be - back pressure is cumulative the whole length of the piping, so a 25mm bulkhead with 32mm on either end will outflow one 25mm all the way

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thanks Ash but won't that just cause a bottle neck effect and nullify the draining capacity? Because The idea for me was to install a 32mm bulkhead and pump it in using 25mm piping. I may have to to drop either drop the pump size or create a bypass curcuit to stop potential overflows. I don't want to risk flooding my house I have done that once this year (well it was technically it was 50mm of rain in 20 minutes that did it).

cheers

rosco

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it won't be as good as 32mm all the way, but it'll be better than 25mm is all I was getting at.

If you can find a better bulk head by all means get it

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Rosco

The 32mm bulkhead will go into a 32mm PVC pressure pipe fitting (eg. 90 degree bend) tightly.

To make sure of a non leaking joint just use the blue PVC glue on the outside thread of the bulkhead and on the inside of the fitting, push the bend onto the bulkead...........................wallahhhhhh. :thumb:thumb

WAZ

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thanks Waz but the problem I have is that it I have a 45mm hole and I could not get a 32mm bulkhead for it as the LFS could only get one type of bulkhead so a 25mm bulkhead came with it. Do you if it is possible to get a 32mm bulkhead for a 45mm hole and if so where?

chers

rosco

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Yep.............ring Wayne @ XTR they have them in stock - they could easily post you one. :yes:

WAZ.

Thanks Waz,

Timing is everything in life isn't it. :lol3: . Thanks for that the bulkheads are on their way

cheers

rosco

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  • 1 month later...

Richard,

It is sitting there empty ATM :( . But I ahve managed to source a 32mm bulkhead so it looks like I will be moving ahead soon. I am finalised my sump design and I am hopefully getting it made up shortly. I am converting an old 4' tank into what I want. I have managed to off load a heap of fry so that money is be "re-invested" into the tank. I have also decided to go with the same background as Bruce but I have to get up to Sydney to pickup the roll and I will grab some substrate then.

I will post another photo as soon as I get the sump and durso sorted out.. I have get moving on this project because I need the tank space for some new aquistions ;) .

cheers

rosco

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Nah I could not get up to Sydney to grab one so I ended up with 6x2x2. I am going to have the glass cut in the next week or so for the sump dividers

cheers

rosco

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Pity about the lack of height (I have the same issue being in a regional city, my biggest tank is only a 4x2x2)

Can't wait to see it go ahead.

What pump are you going with?

What is your current thinking to keep the substrate clean?

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Pity about the lack of height (I have the same issue being in a regional city, my biggest tank is only a 4x2x2)

Can't wait to see it go ahead.

What pump are you going with?

What is your current thinking to keep the substrate clean?

I was a bit frustrating to say the least but anyway I will work with what I can get maybe next time I will make a short trip up the road to Sydney and grab what I want.

At this stage I am looking at the Ocean Runner 3500 or laguna free flo 4500 or the max flow 3500 I am not sure what the difference between model are but this is the sort of flow through I am looking at. As to substrate cleaning just the good old siphon. I have considered underwater jets but I am not sure if I will go that way yet or not.

cheers

rosco

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