My Juwel Vision setup Diary.

Well as you might have seen on the "my new tank" thread, I picked up a Vision 450L on Sunday afternoon

So got it home. (By the way it only "just" fits into the back of a borrowed 02 Lexus RX300 jeep with the cabinet fully disasembled and the jeep seats down, so don't even think of moving one in anything smaller). Landed the tank in the back garden and started the messy bit of cleaning years of grime, sludge, muck etc off. By lying the tank on its back on some well brushed kids foam playmats I was able to hose while I scraped letting the dirt and water run out as I progressed.

The tank came with a BTN rocky background that was too short, pretty badly siliconed in and manky dirty so i got the Stanley blades out and set about removing it. Half hour later the last piece was out and I then even considered getting the pressure wash out to clear the c**p that was growing behind. After a beer I reconsidered and decided that the pressure wash would do the tank seams no good at all, so on with the rubber gloves and wooden spatula and started scrubbing!

When it was reasonably presentable a while later, I got the missus out to have a look and she accepted that it was now allowed to enter the house, but only on the condition that it went onto the kitchen table with plastic sheeting and towels under it and that she could give it the "Womans type cleaning" that it needed.
I agreed!!! (No Detergants, just work).

So, time to reassemble the cabinet. Real easy with a electric screwdriver, all done in about 20 min cleaned Mr Sheened and all.

Looked at the tank when the missus had finished and just "wow" different tank. I recommend getting a lady in if you have the same type of job to do and dont have a willing other half.

So I then took my time and carefully fitted up a new (Seahorse Custom 3M type, not the regular) black stick-on background and together we man/woman handled the tank into position. The Kids had been feeling a bit left out while all this was going on, so I cheered them up a bit by giving them a go at being a fish.










Pat.

Thanks Pat.

Kev.

Ok Tank is on the Cabinet.
Water tested it first, just plain old cold water into bucket in the kitcken sink and moved / pumped into the tank by a neat little submersible pump that I have for water changes. it took one and a half hours to fill but good news NO LEAKS









Pat.

So time to start with the Substrate.

I Thought long and hard about this and decided on Aquabasis Plus as a base layer and Manado as a topping. I already have this in my 260L Vision and am well impressed with the growth on the plants and also the great look of the Manado.

I bought 3 bags of aquabasis plus, so a total of 15L went in.







Its about 5cm deep at the back, dropping to none at the very front.
I recon thats enough.

Pat.

PS. The background will and is supposed to look like that (milky, streaky but no bubbles) for a few days while it drys, goes perfect black in about a week, I have used it before.

Busy washing 75L of Manado , I will return, SOMEDAY. (If Stretnik doesnt wipe me out again His name even sounds like a form of Algae that you don't want interfering )







Pat.

Now, my intended reply. Lovely Aquarium and congrats on your Merman and 2 Mermaids.

Kev.

My neck hurts

Lovely Tank mate best of luck!!

Stephen M.

Hows this grand wish you the best off luck with the tank i love the vision them and clearseals are top not if you ask me

I see there is no filter box in it good call if it was you that removed it as they are no use

Also i will say that in time to come look into changing the lighting at the jewel lighting in not 100% as you may no lovely tank all the same i had the 260 one before

i say you where tired washing that much substrate that is a lot off Manado for a 450L have you put it in yet and how deep off a substrate bed are you going for?

Please keep us posted as will be keeping an eye on this

P.S Sorry Kev only notice now that the comment was deleted, hope you didn't have to much trouble reposting Pat as could have just being done my click off the mouse

Sean

Great blog mech1. Love seeing new tank setups, looking forward to seeing what your going to put into it.

I got 2 bags of Manado washed and put in the tank yesterday, not sure if I should bother with the third.
Then a BANG, the ballast on the lights blew. Not fully unexpected as the same happened on my 260L vision so I have bought 2 new 2*54w electronic ballasts and am in the process of cutting open the light bar to replace original and adding another so I can hang 4 54w tubes over the tank.

looking for info on replacing 8 wire ballast with 6 wire version. I have done it before but forgot to document the wiring diagram that worked.

Pat.

Nice tank. I replaced ballast 6 wire with 7 recently (Juwel ballast replaced with Philips)

Check out this link. It might be of some help to you hopefully

www.irishfishforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=16975&start=15

Hi again,
So my Juwel ballast blew up

I cut open the light bar and it was swimming in water, so i decided not to just replace the ballast and have the same problem a few months down the line.

DIY TIME!!!

PHOTOS COMING TONIGHT.

Photos attached

Well done Pat.
Looks fantastic

Used Clear plastic panel (woodies)
White square plastic downpipe to hold wiring and ballasts
4x 12" mirror tiles as reflectors
tech7 sealant / adhesive to hold it all together
4x 54w T5 tubes
Lots of white Lego for bulb holders, glued together.
jigsaw and drill only tools needed.

Pat.

LEGO! Simply genius!

anglecichlid wrote:

LEGO! Simply genius!

Very good

That's a great idea

Looks very well keep up the good work

Sean

anglecichlid wrote:

LEGO! Simply genius!

Thats what I thought, the missus was very sceptical untill I showed her the melting point of Lego

lego.wikia.com/wiki/Acrylonitrile_Butadiene_Styrene

Hope the little ones didn't mind?

Sorry I see you used white ones aswell, very clever indeed, reflect the light and less likely to hold heat?

very good idea lego coming out with light units for xmas

great job pat well done looks great

Sorry for the lack of updates on this, selling it now, I got the Marine Bug!

€700 complete setup, co2 fish plants filters everything.



www.adverts.ie/fish-tanks/juwel-vision-450l/6054219

lovely tank well done