Willo Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi all - I am setting up my 6x2x2 again after moving (for the last time). I've the benefit of starting a fresh and I'm looking around for a 3d background. Although I've not seen it in person, I like the look of 'The Olgas' that was once available through universal rocks. However, I can't seem to find anyone that stocks it. I tried to contact 'addicted2cichlids' via a post once posted on these forums, without luck. Has anyone seen them around in their local LFS? I'm on the north side of Sydney, but willing to travel and obviously looking for best value. Once i have the background, I'm thinking of going with a black substrate and perhaps lava rock setting, but I'll worry about all that later. Cheers, Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneo Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 G'day Tony try kellyville pets they sell them. You won't be disappointed with the olgas wall I have one fitted on my 6x2x2 when you fit make sure use plenty of silcon. I personly wouldn't use black substrate i find it tends wash out colour on the fish and the tank will be alot darker with the wall. I did have brown substrate in mine but have now switched to coral sand. Good luck Cheers Shane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fongyfong Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 G'day Tony try kellyville pets they sell them. You won't be disappointed with the olgas wall I have one fitted on my 6x2x2 when you fit make sure use plenty of silcon. I personly wouldn't use black substrate i find it tends wash out colour on the fish and the tank will be alot darker with the wall. I did have brown substrate in mine but have now switched to coral sand. Good luck Cheers Shane http://www.reptilecenta.com.au/index.php?cPath=24 they have the olgas but a bit overpriced IMO when i had the olgas i baught it for 240 and they looked real nice in my 6 footer , i got mine from addicted2cichlids, but addicted2cichlids have now closed down, but if you really need it and cant find anywhere else get it from reptilecenta......... universal rocks have stopped making backgrounds here in australia so thats why shops dont stock them anymore, and the shops that do have old stock are gonna over charge a little. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosco Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I have gotten universal background from St George by the metre. This is a great option as I wanted to cover the weir and I wasn't a fan of the olgas because of the space it used up in the tank (no offence to anyone ). I ended up buy 7' of some type (it wasn't the really flat one it was the next one up it normally comes in 12' rolls) and used most of it up and it looks the goods. But like everyone has said I used heaps of silicone. I would do again to my 4x2x2 tank if I can be bothered emptying it because it looks great. I think it was $50 a metre but I recall some discount because I am a NSWCS member. I am not sure if they still offer that discount. cheers rosco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link2Hell Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Rosco St George are great sponsors of NSWCS and give NSWCS members 10% discount just by showing their badge this might interest you from PCS forums click the link to see the story Amazon 9' Tank Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn87 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 WOW im in love lol and u can get this stuff for st goerge aquriums?? sorry for the stupid question has he doubled to on the back ground one in front of the other (ps really tired cant see probley lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn87 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 never mind ive opened my eyes lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosco Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 nice one Chris they are a great sponsor. I will try and remember to post a piccie of my 6x2x2 tonight and you can see what type I got from them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn87 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 can any body else put pics up of there 3d back ground plz thinking about get one for my 4ft st george aqurimum would be the best place?? if so wheres the best place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firthy13 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 4x2 canyon with decorock, coral sand substrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosco Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Here is my 6x2x2 early on (notice the weir on the left hand is covered) with water in it and one with my the background and my fake universal rocks cheers rosco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willo Posted April 26, 2011 Author Share Posted April 26, 2011 Thanks for all the replies. I ended up getting the olgas from Kellyville pets. Paid way too much for it ($340) but it's all I could find. I am so happy with the result! I'll put photos up later. my oceanrunner 6500 sump pump died, hence I need a new pump. I'm thinking of the laguna max flo 6000. Any negative reviews from fellow readers? I like the higher flow and head height to the eheim compact 5000. I know I can buy the laguna online, but anyone know a cheap stockist in Sydney metro area? I'd like to get sump going ASAP. Not happy with the current temporary x2 canister arrangement. Finally, I have the chance to redesign the sump. I have a very basic set up where water flows over cottonwool which is sitting on 2l of matrix which is with about x50 bioballs which is ontop of 1 inch course foamy stuff (jargon). It seemed to work in the past so any benefit in making separate compartments? I think these are called baffles. iPhone photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fongyfong Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 tank looks good mate, and yeah you did pay alot for it but there pretty rare now. Anyways why dont you try trans aquariums? in canley vale for the laguna they are a bit dearer then other online stores, but at least you can pick up striaght away and save on shipping http://www.transaquariumsonline.com.au/scr...?idCategory=164 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirecichlid Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Damn, wish I didn't view this thread now I want one of these backgrounds for my 6x2x2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willo Posted April 29, 2011 Author Share Posted April 29, 2011 Thanks fongy. I went to Canley Vale but couldn't justify the large markup to online. Ended up buying online and express delivery still saves me $150 or so. I got the 7500 laguna in the end. Hoping it's not too extreme for my tank. Will find out today hopefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Might be irrelevant , but im selling a 4x1.5 rock latex background , looks really good! PM FOR DETAILS Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fongyfong Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Thanks fongy. I went to Canley Vale but couldn't justify the large markup to online. Ended up buying online and express delivery still saves me $150 or so. I got the 7500 laguna in the end. Hoping it's not too extreme for my tank. Will find out today hopefully. wow so they charge more at store then online? that sucks anywyas at least you saved alot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willo Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 Hi all - quick question. my 6x2x2 is coming along nicely, and I've started to populated it with some american juvies. I'm not convinced that going black substrate was the best decision, as most of the fish are a lot darker than I've seen in the past. Especially the 7bar which I had in another tank. I do love the aesthetics of the tank though so I will leave it as is. The mrs seems to like it too. My issue however is I can't seem to get the water crystal clear. I think the word you use is 'polish' the water. I'm changing water often enough, and the microscopic bits floating around in the water (millions of them) appear very small and light in colour, which makes me think it's not sand (i have TMS). I have a pretty high flow rate in the tank, running a 7500 laguna maxflo pump. My sump is filter wool, on top of matrix, on top of bio balls on top of course foamy stuff. I also have a powerhead in the tank to stir things up some more. Could this high movement be the cause of the debris? The water returns are not going directly onto the substrate as i have rocks blocking the flow a bit. I used to have purigen in my sump way back when, but not anymore... perhaps this would be of benefit? I dunno, seem to have more questions than answers. Can anyone shed some light on my predicament. Thanks, Willo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn87 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Any chance u could post a pick or ur tank layout ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullychichlid Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I had the same problem. It came down to overfeeding. Also what I did was filled my weir with bio balls, put a piece of foam sponge on top of balls, then layed my sealed bag of purgien onto. This acts as a second stage filter before water gets to sump. Also reduces noise from weir. Thirdly all water passes through purgien making water crystal clear. Try not to overfeed the more food the more waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullychichlid Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Also matrix should be under bio balls. Bio balls should act as a wet dry filter medium, and should not be submerged, water should pass through them and build good bacteria. I am no expert but hope this info helps. You are at the right place to get advice. Good luck with it keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willo Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Also matrix should be under bio balls. Bio balls should act as a wet dry filter medium, and should not be submerged, water should pass through them and build good bacteria. I am no expert but hope this info helps. You are at the right place to get advice. Good luck with it keep us posted. Thanks - i thought overfeeding might be the problem, but wouldn't that suggest that over time it would improve? If I give it a couple of days without feeding, it doesn't seem to alter the debris. However, I have always thought I give them too much. I feed once a day, and there is not usually food in the tank after 5 minutes so who knows. Thanks for the tip with regards to reversing the bio balls and matrix. When I get some purigen I'll see what I can do to reverse the order. Anyway, i did a quick home movie of the tank to illustrate my predicament. Movie of my debris - 1min at youtube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayT Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Willo, I checked out the youtube clip and the tank looks really nice hey, 3d backdrop works well to. One thing i would suggest, as you have already alluded to, is to have a close look at how much you are feeding as you say there is not usually any food left after five minutes IMO you should only feed as much as your fish will eat in 1 - 1.5 mins max per feeding. I feed mine twice a day on week days as per the above. On weekends i might feed them three or four times a day (like to mix the variety of foods) but only what they can eat in about 30 seconds per feed when doing this. Your fish should always be hungry and looking to you for food when you come to the tank. IMO your actually better to slightly underfeed than overfeed and you will see an improvement with your water quality as a result. Before messing around with you filtration etc (which already sounds pretty good) i would try a 30 - 40% water change and a really controlled approach to your feeding regime. Once you've done the large water change try doing a 25% water change twice a week for two or three weeks as well. Of course all of this is based on the assumption that your water chemistry parameters are ok. Regards, Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullychichlid Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Good advice JayT, I think most people overlove their fish. In the wild certain fish eat differently. You have several species so it is abit hard. reduce the food do the water changes. Feed small amounts twice a day. Also what food are you feeding them. High qua;ity food like NLS I find dont make much mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willo Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Great, thanks for the advice. I'll def. cut down food and see how it goes. I'm sure i read elsewhere that five minutes was a good indication of overfeeding, but i guess its easy to get miss-information, especially on the net. I'll go with two light feeds a day rather than one big one. I currently feed NLS and sera flakes. The sera flakes is a relatively new addition to the diet, and i'll cut that for a few weeks as well and go from there. I've been doing a fair few water changes of late, but will keep it up. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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