Got my 40 breeder up & running

[aussieman57]

That looks really good. Nice setup!
If you wanted to be able to grow plants on the driftwood (or the bottom) just below the outflow of the AC 110, one possibility is to reduce the impact of the flow with a baffle, as pictured below. I have always liked these baffles when using large filters in comparatively shallow tanks, because they allow to reduce the direct impact of the flow, without reducing the flow itself. The filter can continue to be operated at full blast, just not delivering as much flow just in front of it. I have since made another similar baffle, to which I have added small holes, thus still allowing some flow in front, but less strongly. The baffles are made out of a cutout 2 liter soda bottle.

View attachment 1482512

So you place the baffle in the middle of the output/flow and water travels around the edges vs you tape the top to the Aquaclear and the water pushes against the baffle which is not attached at the bottom? Neat idea. Can you provide some more detail so i can see how this works? Thanks.

 

[aussieman57]

Got the 40 breeder to play with while I'm waiting for the 90 gallon to come in; still on order.

 

[SoDakSam]

Can you set up my next tank? Well done. I might’ve missed it ,but what fish are going to enjoy that tank?

 

[spotfin]

How about a smaller filter for this tank?

 

[aussieman57]

Can you set up my next tank? Well done. I might’ve missed it ,but what fish are going to enjoy that tank?

Wanted to try breeding some Amatitlania nanolutea but can't find any. On the waiting list at one online fish retailer and talked to another breeder who states may have some in early spring. We'll see but if that does not pan out I may just grab some juvenille Rainbow Cichlids and watch them grow and pair up. Unless someone has a better idea.

 

[aussieman57]

How about a smaller filter for this tank?

I could but I like to over filter. I may try building that filter baffle that FJB mentioned.

 

[SoDakSam]

Rainbow cichlids are excellent. Good color and temperament And prolific.

 

[FJB]

Here are 2 views of the soda bottle baffle on a AC 110 -
Yes, after cutting it out, the baffle can be attached to the filter lid with wide packing tape. Once attached one can flip it down, thus enabling the baffle, or flip it up, in which case it will not be operating and will simply be rolled up on top of the filter lid. One daes not actually need to attach it, it tends to stay in place, depending on how you cut it to begin with.
Couple of suggestions - if one cuts it using the entire length of the soda bottle, the resulting spread of the baffle is nearly the entire width of the filters piglet. In this manner, almost all of the filters outflow will be to both sides (not front). If one makes the baffle less wide, then some of the outflow will go somewhat frontally. The point is that one can modulate the direction of flow, by using narrower or wider baffles. One can even cover one of the sides of the baffle, thus achieving a sideways flow to only one side.

 

[FJB]

The last picture mentioned.

 

[FJB]

In the first picture, the green bottle is in there just to show the comparison of the length of the full bottle, versus the baffle I am using in this filter, which came from a clear bottle.