Re: Making the jump from a couple of 10 gallon tanks to a 75 gallon

"Glengoyne" <stevenbecky@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1127702303.962340.260670@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> The continuous vacuum mode has piqued my interest. Not just because
> I've tried two LFSs with out finding UGF plates for a 48x18 tank. It
> seems like this type of setup could really cut down on maintenance, or
> gravel vacuuming at least.

You will need plates to implement this type of a system. I pick up old
plates at annual fish club auctions, or get your LFS to order your size.
They generally get dry goods deliveries every week or two.

> How often are you gravel vaccing the areas
> without the UGF plates?

Where I don't have plates, I have plants, so I don't vacuum there often, but
when I do, there is considerable mulm. I still gravel vacuum everywhere
else, but with the UG vacuum running, the loosened mulm just goes up or
down. I've been gravel vacuuming every 2 or 3 weeks lately, part of my
water change routine.

> One of my thoughts about the RUGF effect would
> be that it would provide a bacterial playground for good bacteria, and
> keep junk from piling up in the gravel.

The theory is that the detritus does not sink as deep or as quickly. In
practice, it depends on many variables.

> I'm hoping that it would
> reduce the amount of maintenance in the long run. Your continuous
> Gravel Vac seems conceived iwth the same thing in mind.

Oh yes, I am major lazy. One day I will have an 'All Aquarium Maintenance'
button ;~). I'm getting closer all the time.

Aside from the
> minor complexity of setting up that configuration, the biggest thing
> that stops me from embracing the idea wholly is that bit about a leaky
> canister draining the tank.

I thought about that as well, though a regular canister would drain quite
far down as well. The safety hole is a good idea. I will have to do it
myself one of these days. I don't mind a little plumbing complexity if it
saves me a little time every week.

> I'd certainly look into drilling the
> safety hole in the intake, but with us being new to the whole canister
> filter thing, I feel like a leak is more of a certainty that a
> possibility.

I think the quality of canisters has gotten much better. The weakest link
is the connection point where the hose meets the filter or shut off valves.
This is a good location to add an extra hose clamp, and for any set-up,
check these connections once a year.

In regards to the gravel vacuum, then I would revert to your original idea
of running each plate off a 304 filter. You want to have lots of suction
and coarse gravel (just enough to cover the plates). While this does work
as well as it sounds, it has a few operational quirks. If you have fry in
the tank, they are vulnerable. If the filters are running during feeding,
then any food which hits the substrate will vanish. Your bottom feeders
will either have to be fast or you need an area without the plates. I set
up about 1/3 of the tank to be at a much lower elevation (with the plates
underneath), and the autofeeder is positioned in the back. Anything which
makes its way to the bottom (food or poop) tends to roll towards the lower
elevations (vacuumed). When I feed live/frozen foods (bloodworms or
shrimp), I turn off the filters. A simple method is to use two power bars.
Bar #1 has aquarium lights on a timer. Bar #2 has filters, heater and some
type of a visual indication method to remind you to turn it back on later (I
use a delay off timer which turns back on after about 5 minutes).

> Since we are talking about water conditions and CO2 injection.
>
> Here is what our tank looks like and our supply.
>
> Tank: Nitrates 80 ppm, GH 150 ppm KH(total alkalinity) 300+ppm, PH
> 7.5-7.6

> Supply: Nitrates 80 ppm, GH(total Hardness) 200+ ppm, KH 300+ ppm, PH
> 7.8

Putting this in units I'm accustomed to, 80 ppm NO3, 11dgH, 17dkH and 7.8pH.
BTW, you can cut your sample in half for the titration tests and measure in
twos to save reagent. Start with 2.5ml instead of 5ml. An 80 ppm NO3 out
of the tank is a real drag. It will take a lot of growing plants to consume
that level. Might even be worth making an algae scrubber (high light sump
filter with algae growing on plates), or cycle through a plant pan with bog
plants (a bit of hydroponics ;~).

CO2 will certainly help your plant growth, but I'm unsure as to how much of
an effect it will have on your well buffered pH (not that it really matters
anyway).

> I'm wondering if I was stingy with the distilled last water change.
> The tank is due a change tonight.

With an 80ppm NO3 starting point, it must be tricky to determine when a
water change is needed. I wonder if a TDS meter would be more useful.
Measure shortly after a water change, and then again once a day to see your
trend and establish a maintenance interval.

> Another thing I'll add is that I will almost certainly eventually add a
> diatom filter to the mix. Back when I kept fish some twenty plus years
> ago, nothing made me prouder than the look of my tank after I hooked up
> the diatom for an afternoon once a month.

Old habits eh? Ideally, your filtration system negates this requirement,
but there is certainly no harm in water polishing.

On my system, the canister running the vacuum does not get opened for
cleaning. I backwash it by reversing the water flow through it into a pail
(it intakes through its spraybar). The 2nd canister is configured
conventionally for water polishing. I can use a finer sponge in this one as
the vacuum canister is going after the bigger stuff.
--
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