Sneak peak - the 190g discus tank

[Angler]

Very cool, Jose! It's always a treat to watch the progress of your setups since you're so meticulous and the final result is always awsome. I wish I had your patience...lol

 

[Kanta]

That Is awesome jose. Your tanks and your discus are just incredible

 

[jcardona1]

I'm waiting on Rainforest because I *think* I can make it wrap my overflow, and because I agree that I don't think rock is a 100% natural mix.

But nothing we do is ever going to be 100% natural. And if the aquascape with the wood and possibly plants looks great, a little bit of rock in the back would be no big deal.

For instance... this tank looks so great that you don't notice that the rock is unnatural, do you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CJiKGCryFw

And we all know Jose'll make it look right, planted or not.

That is a fantastic tank, hadn't seen that one before! What I like about my background is the brownish color it has. Should blend in nicely with the sand and driftwood IMO. No background is natural really. Black, blue, clear, rock, jungle, etc. They're all artificial representations of what we want the underwater world to look like

My first choice was the Rainforest one too, but their out of stock till the end of time it seems like.

Lookin good. Nice to see this project under way. I like the background.

What does the third drain pipe do? Extra safety?

Thanks! The 3rd line is an elbow pointed up. It's a 'last resort' line in case the other two were to fail. This 3rd line probably won't ever be used, but it's cheap insurance.

i LIKE it, two thumbs up lol

Thanks!

I don't get how the little 1/4" air line comes into play, or how it loops up and over so precisely. Is that its own product?

I also apparently don't understand this all enough to get why the third one is necessary, or why he insists that the herbie would eventually lead to a flood. I'm not sure how either of those would ever get clogged.

I'm tempted to drill my 220 and run this downstairs instead of the three canister setup I had planned. If it really is silent it'll work much more easily with the drip setup. How do people go about installing the L shaped overflow boxes? Can it be done in an impermanent way?

I added the airline with some John Guest fittings. You'll find these at any home improvement store. This drain line in the middle is working like a Durso stand pipe with a vent hole. The only difference is vent hole is extended via the tubing, all the way to the rim of the aquarium. You place this tubing right at the overflow point. If the water were ever to reach the point of overflowing, the water level would cover up the vent tube. And voila! Your Durso pipe has just turned into a full siphon pipe (just like the first one). A full siphon is capable of flowing a lot more than air/water siphon (Durso), so that will help clear out any water. The reason why you want a Durso here is that the vent hole and downward turned elbow allows the small amount of spillover to cling to the inside walls of the pipe, resulting in zero noise. If it starts flowing too much, then you'll get more noise, and will need to open up the valve on the main line just a bit. The Beananimal is all about safety features.

You're right, a Herbie would probably never clog. But like I said, this system is all about safety and insurance. Adding a 3rd line only takes up a little bit more of your time drilling, and a few bucks more in plumbing. I've only been messing with this setup for a day or so, and I already like it better than my Herbie. The two down-turned elbows do a great job of reducing noise.

Installing the overflow box was a bit of a pain, since I only had two hands. I laid the aquarium on it's back side, and started with the 'floor' of the overflow box, which was a vertical panel with the aquarium on its back. With enough silicone and some duct tape to hold it in place, I started adding each piece. After it dried, I applied the face of the box. The silicone is by no means permanent. If you changed your mind, the box could easily be cut out. But the holes, now those are fairly permanent

Looking real good dude. I have been thinking about drilling my 240 like this.

Thanks! I admit, I was a wuss when it came to drilling glass. I practiced on an old 20g, and once I did the first hole I realized how easy it was. By the second hole I was flying through them, and adding a lot of pressure on the drill. I'd then ease up once I saw I was getting close to the other end.

 

[jcardona1]

Very cool, Jose! It's always a treat to watch the progress of your setups since you're so meticulous and the final result is always awsome. I wish I had your patience...lol

That Is awesome jose. Your tanks and your discus are just incredible

Thanks guys, appreciate it

 

[epond83]

When you installed the overflow box, how did you ditermine what hieght to make it? I haven't set up an overflow before, isn't the water level in the tank a littl hiegher then the box lip?

I'm sure this has to deal with the linear inches of the rim and the gph pumped in but is there a way to figure this out?

 

[jcardona1]

When you installed the overflow box, how did you ditermine what hieght to make it? I haven't set up an overflow before, isn't the water level in the tank a littl hiegher then the box lip?

I'm sure this has to deal with the linear inches of the rim and the gph pumped in but is there a way to figure this out?

Ha! I dreaded the very thought of this. There may be a scientific calculation, but I don't know about it. I just eyeballed it I left about 1/2" from the lip of the overflow box to the underside of the glass bracing. Turns out it was perfect!! Just the right height so that you don't see the water line beneath the plastic trim of the tank.

 

[jcardona1]

Sounds cool. What else are you going to run off the Arduino?

For now, just the lighting. This is all new territory to me so I don't even know all of what I could do. I'm getting a ton of help from another member, so without him I'd be lost in the dark.

 

[Jc1119]

Very nice! Cant wait to see the finished product. I was thinking about doing a coast to coast with a Bean myself, but the downside (for me) is that i need to get the tank as close to the wall as possible, and the Bean wont let me do that......

looks great though. Your projects are always inspirational!

 

[revival]

Amazing as always Jose. Ill be waiting for more pics like everyone else...haha. Im requesting a close up pic of the externa dursos.

 

[Desert Bus]

That is a beautiful piece of work. Very nice.