My 350L project with photo update

Got myself a 350L peak aquatics 4ft fish tank
With the undergravel filter system the tank is second hand and with a good clean
And some tlc it will be very nice.
What do you think about underwater filter? What stock should I look out for my girlfriend is always on about a monster tank with some big fish
Any suggestion ? I think I like a Malawi setup and a upgrade for my cichlids they seem happy in the 190L I will also need a stand for the 4ft tank
If anyone knows of one

Under gravel filtration is no go with malawis and any other large fish shifting substrate. You need thick layer of undisturbed bottom for the filtration to work properly. Also the trick is to stock the tank adequately to your under gravel filter efficiency and that's just matter of observation and experience with particular setup.
If you need powerful filtration on the cheap side, a power head wit good output with large sponge attached will do the trick.

You should have a look at doing a DIY job on the cabinet PabloGalway had a fantastic thread about it a few weeks back. www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...e-diy-cabinet#151810

It gives a great step by step guide on how to make your own. Not too sure how well it will scale up to 350L tank but its worth having a look at.

Stuart.

PS. I don't like the under gravel filters give me an external any day.

Undergravel Filters were the norm for years, Mary Bailey the Cichlid Writer from Cichlidae, and PFK,
still uses them, and has kept and bred a huge number of cichlids. So they can be used for Cichlids.
As Bart says, they need a layer of undisturbed substrate, to function successfully. The use of a "gravel tidy" will sort that,
Under gravel Plates, layer of gravel for filtration, gravel tidy, and on top another layer of gravel. Digging cichlids cannot get past the gravel tidy to disturb the filtering layer of gravel.
They can be run with an air pump, or Powerheads.
The uplift tubes can be hard to hide in the aquarium. They also need regular careful maintainance, but, as the gravel bed is your filter medium,
it cannot be too vigorous.
My advice is to use an external and use the undergravel with an airpump for fry tanks.

Undergravel will be used for my fry tank and a external for the 350L great idea crustyCrab

How many tanks do you now have Irish?

To many lol 2 90L 1 110L 1 120L 1 180L 1 190L 1 350L 1 500L patio pond tank in the making and 1 pond 10,000 L work in progress
I have a few up for sale on adverts and hopefully when I get all projects finished I cut back to 3 and a fry tank the most I have spent is €110 all the tanks have come from other sales and swaps

irish-zx10r wrote:

To many lol 2 90L 1 110L 1 120L 1 180L 1 190L 1 350L 1 500L patio pond tank in the making and 1 pond 10,000 L work in progress
I have a few up for sale on adverts and hopefully when I get all projects finished I cut back to 3 and a fry tank the most I have spent is €110 all the tanks have come from other sales and swaps

is that 9 tanks running ?

must be costing a fortune

It's about €25 a week for ESB and the 350 is not running 120 is cold water two 90L are easy enough one running with baby fry and two air filters
The 180 and 190 are hard enough

irish-zx10r wrote:

It's about €25 a week for ESB and the 350 is not running 120 is cold water two 90L are easy enough one running with baby fry and two air filters
The 180 and 190 are hard enough

fair enuough .. just wondering .


and if these wonderfully bullshit water rates come in what you thinking of doing ?

wylam wrote:

You should have a look at doing a DIY job on the cabinet PabloGalway had a fantastic thread about it a few weeks back. www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum...e-diy-cabinet#151810

It gives a great step by step guide on how to make your own. Not too sure how well it will scale up to 350L tank but its worth having a look at.

Stuart.

PS. I don't like the under gravel filters give me an external any day.

I would pay to have one like that done don't have much time at the minute to do anything need to finish the pond first

bmcg38 wrote:

irish-zx10r wrote:

It's about €25 a week for ESB and the 350 is not running 120 is cold water two 90L are easy enough one running with baby fry and two air filters
The 180 and 190 are hard enough

fair enuough .. just wondering .


and if these wonderfully bullshit water rates come in what you thinking of doing ?

I have my own well so I don't know what the story is. I
I also have any amount of Ro water in work and they wouldn't mind me filling one or two 25L barrels

irish-zx10r wrote:

Undergravel will be used for my fry tank and a external for the 350L great idea crustyCrab

Forget the cost... there must be nowhere to sit in your gaff if they're all resting on chairs

LemonJelly wrote:

irish-zx10r wrote:

Undergravel will be used for my fry tank and a external for the 350L great idea crustyCrab


Forget the cost... there must be nowhere to sit in your gaff if they're all resting on chairs

Lol they are not all on chairs I use the kitchen table and the dining room table and the kids clothes lockers
Think I used a tv cabinet also.

CrustyCrab wrote:

Undergravel Filters were the norm for years, Mary Bailey the Cichlid Writer from Cichlidae, and PFK,
still uses them, and has kept and bred a huge number of cichlids. So they can be used for Cichlids.
As Bart says, they need a layer of undisturbed substrate, to function successfully. The use of a "gravel tidy" will sort that,
Under gravel Plates, layer of gravel for filtration, gravel tidy, and on top another layer of gravel. Digging cichlids cannot get past the gravel tidy to disturb the filtering layer of gravel.
They can be run with an air pump, or Powerheads.
The uplift tubes can be hard to hide in the aquarium. They also need regular careful maintainance, but, as the gravel bed is your filter medium,
it cannot be too vigorous.
My advice is to use an external and use the undergravel with an airpump for fry tanks.

I guess I simplified the matter somwhat

Unit sorted for my tank its 20mm shorter than the tank so I plan on using two 10mm ply wood pieces and screwing them to each side of the unit.
I am also thinking of getting a hanging light unit instead of the battered hood what's your taught's on this with a Malawi setup.
Going to paint the background what colour is the best to make the tank snd fish to stand out,

I hope the foundations in you house are good lol I'm a strong believer that all tanks should have a black background unless you have all black fish black background black substrate = colourful fish

jeff wrote:

I hope the foundations in you house are good lol I'm a strong believer that all tanks should have a black background unless you have all black fish black background black substrate = colourful fish

i think i need to build a shed lol

Lol if you do that she will make you sleep out their cause that's where you will be most of the time hehe

jeff wrote:

Lol if you do that she will make you sleep out their cause that's where you will be most of the time hehe

its not a bad idea and i can bring in the motorbike,
must ask and see what the answer is tomorrow

Haha great minds think alike but I would be aloud get the shed before I got a bike I'm 12 year's waiting for the go ahead on a Bike I do downhill mounting biking as a sport and she sez I'm mad enough with pedals never mind an engine keep hinting for one for my 40th And it's still a no go area and that's 5yrs away allot more shoes to be bought first

jeff wrote:

Haha great minds think alike but I would be aloud get the shed before I got a bike I'm 12 year's waiting for the go ahead on a Bike I do downhill mounting biking as a sport and she sez I'm mad enough with pedals never mind an engine keep hinting for one for my 40th And it's still a no go area and that's 5yrs away allot more shoes to be bought first

Be very carefull I got the choice 8 yrs ago either her or the bike all I can say I haven't looked back and I am now on my 3 rd bike lol
I would love a try at that downhill mountain bike but with all the motorbike gear I think I be broke up otherwise

Haha love it,

Dh biking is an amazing adrenaline buzz I've been doing it since I was very young but unfortunately this sport have put me in hospital a few times and been told I'd never be able to do it again, but here I am now just back from a 3hr rip in ballinastoe co wicklow
Be very careful if you try it and don't think you look stupid wearing full face helmet elbow knee and wrist pads they will keep as what we say target bones from snapping or cracking, if you try this sport you will do it for the rest of your life

jeff wrote:

Haha love it,

Dh biking is an amazing adrenaline buzz I've been doing it since I was very young but unfortunately this sport have put me in hospital a few times and been told I'd never be able to do it again, but here I am now just back from a 3hr rip in ballinastoe co wicklow
Be very careful if you try it and don't think you look stupid wearing full face helmet elbow knee and wrist pads they will keep as what we say target bones from snapping or cracking, if you try this sport you will do it for the rest of your life

sounds like me in mondello lol must give it a go someday

LemonJelly wrote:

irish-zx10r wrote:

Undergravel will be used for my fry tank and a external for the 350L great idea crustyCrab

Forget the cost... there must be nowhere to sit in your gaff if they're all resting on chairs

two chairs for sale dont need them any more got myself a Hand made walnut cabinet for my 4ft tank its perfect in size with 10mm extra on each side of the unit. was a bit worried last night i taught it was 20mm to short.
the only thing now is the unit stands 28inch and the tank is 25inch high will 53 inch be to low from the ground to the top of the tank with kids ? i was going to go for a open top with a hanging light unit

irish-zx10r wrote:

two chairs for sale dont need them any more got myself a Hand made walnut cabinet for my 4ft tank its perfect in size with 10mm extra on each side of the unit. was a bit worried last night i taught it was 20mm to short.
the only thing now is the unit stands 28inch and the tank is 25inch high will 53 inch be to low from the ground to the top of the tank with kids ? i was going to go for a open top with a hanging light unit

Thats perfect height for them to look into the tank.
Just keep the chairs away.
Also dont have a sump, they put all sorts in there

Delighted its about a foot higher than my girl age 3 so I am ok for now. Black paint next for the background
And aero board for underneath .

I want to do a open top setup has anyone ever tryed this or what do you think I was going to hang these on the wall behind the tank with 4x50w bulbs www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9274277.htm

irish-zx10r wrote:

I want to do a open top setup has anyone ever tryed this or what do you think I was going to hang these on the wall behind the tank with 4x50w bulbs www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9274277.htm

That unit will rust in no time James