2ft Aquarium Sump

Disclaimer: This project was done due to blogger's boredom. At the time of this post, a month has passed. Blogger will not be held responsible should readers attempt to follow what he has done which includes broken glasses, cut fingers due to glass, wrong size glass panel purchased, wet floor, sticky silicone on fingers etc. At any point, blogger is not trying to show off, show he's the expert of this project or in this field. Blogger mere attempt is to share his project and have readers throw in ideas and feedbacks on the project.

 

I was feeling bored and wanted to play around with a sump. I went to Y618 and the sump they had cost a bomb! I was surprised it cost so much. I went to research it online, reading and watching videos on diy sumps and freshwater sumps.

 

I had three options which I can pursue.

 

1) Send my dimensions for a 2.5ft acrylic tank to Dama (a huge company that does acrylic of all kinds)

 

2) Send my dimensions for a 2.5ft glass tank to a glass manufacturer in Defu.

 

3) Use the spare 2ft tank I already have and just buy the glass panels and fix it myself.

 

I chose number 3.

 

Plan

A 2ft tank with a) trickle chamber b) refugium chamber and c) return chamber.

 

There is a chance I might remove the refugium chamber in future and add a glass panel and turn it into a media chamber where I can place media, corals, peat or carbon. Let me know what you think.

 

This sump will not be attached to any main tank. It will just circulate within.

 

Tank

I have a used 2ft glass tank that I once used for my planted scape. It had serve me well and was in process of doing a hamster diy mansion of sorts. It was for my fiance but she decline as she didn't want it to be glass. So the 2ft was up for the dustbin. Luckily enough due to my boredom, I found another purpose for it.

 

Glass Panels

I bought my glass panels (5mm thick) from Kwong Fatt Glass Merchants Pte Ltd located @ Blk 10 Defu Lane 10. Provide them a drawing and measurements and whether you want it polish or not. As I was anxious I didn't have it polish. (Handle with care)

 

For those who wish to have this done, I recommend that the glass to be at least 8 to 10mm thick. The latter will be ideal.

 

 

 

Silicone

Make sure that the silicone is safe for your aquarium. Selleys had a lot. Wet areas etc. But all that I checked states "Not for Aquarium Use" I had fear of this as I once had disaster with such unsafe for aquarium use silicone. Even when I waited 2 days for it to settle.

 

I found this silicone call DAP Aquarium. Cost about SGD$14. Yes it's a bit expensive but I wasn't gonna take any chance.

 

PVC Pipes & Joints

Using 16mm PVC for return and back to trickle.

 

Process

Chamber 1 - Trickle Chamber (kinda)

This chamber is roughly 36cm (H) 15cm (L) x 30cm (W)

Using pieces of glass which will hold an egg crate, I silicone them in.

The top portion will hold my filter wool. 2nd portion holds my bioballs which will have some above water and the rest submerged. 3rd are my Mr. Aqua media. The bottom is just a course filter pad.

 

Chamber 2 - Refugium

I know reef keepers uses this area to cultivate micro organism to feed their main tank and I was wondering what purpose it then have for freshwater. My research shows that folks place plants that absorbs nitrate such as duckweed etc. I'm still observing whether it will be better to convert it into a media chamber by adding another glass panel to have the water flow through the media.

 

Anyway, I added sand and plants for this area. And since then have added a couple of fish.

 

Chamber 3 - Return

I have an unused submersible pump from Dymax. Using it for this project.

 

After, I silicone the glass panels and waited for 24 hours (48hours ideal), I placed the pump, fix pvc pipe to it and it goes back to the trickle chamber. The pvc end I actually place a T Joint with a short pipe at each end with an end cap. I then drilled holes so it kinda rain onto the filter wool. Yes, I'm bad at describing things so the pic will tell you what I mean.

 

I flooded the sump. And watched. Success! I added the medias, filter wools and pad, carbon, sand, plants etc. One month later, I added a couple of fish from my other tank. Oh the water is used water from my other tank.

 

As you can see the filter wool has turn black. Exactly what you want. Bacteria being cultivated blah blah blah. Fish are doing okay and flaring their fins around. My lights are switched on 7hrs a day. Plants looking green and I will be doing a water test later on.

 

I'm pretty happy that it turn out great. Future, I might be doing plumbing to my 10 gex tank to this sump. What do you think if I turn my individual tank and placed aquasoil and some easy plants? Beats having an empty looking tanks right? Will think about that.

 

Using wood and clamps to hold the panels in place.

Carefully putting the silicone and filling gaps in between.

Yup, I suck at this. Real messy eh? Using my fingers didn't help.

The trickle chamber

2hours after putting the silicone

Picture taken about 56hours later.

 

<<Final Pictures Pending>>

 

Anyway, if you have any comments or feedback, do drop me a few. Would love to hear what you think.

 

Cheers!

 

 

RREA Full Red Guppy

I got interested in these babies some time ago. Y618 is one of the lfs I frequent to get my equipments, food, fauna etc. One day, a friend suggested that I take a look at the guppy, Albino Full Red. At first I wasn't so sure that I want to go down the line of keeping guppies as my main focus or goal was more into aquascapping and planted tank.

One close look, I fell in love. Full red body and the red eyes. How can one not be fascinated by these lovelies. I went to research online to get more information but there wasn't much. It was pretty general. Anyway, it wasn't like I've never kept guppies in my life before but this are pure strains. Gulp. I have a spare tank with some platys so I was more or less set.

One day, a friend notified me of Aquastar having new arrivals of Albinos. I went down and bought a few pairs. 6 total. 3 males and 3 females. I know the ratio is off but buying a pair cost me $6. I am not certain of grade though. To me grade is based on the eye of the beholder.


After getting them, I made a mistake and lost a few of them. They jump. =( Sadly, my project came to a halt. I visited Y618 and saw Albinos in their individual bags. Kinda sad but that was how they wereplaced. There were some Albinos in tanks and when you compare them, the ones in the individual bags were more beautiful. They came in A or AA grade. A being $5 each and AA $15. It was hard to tell the difference. Hence, I settled with 3 males and 3 females. All being A grade. The ratio now will be 4 males and 6 females.

I placed them in my platy tank which was pretty small. 40cm tank. Roughly about 30L. So I sat down and thought it over. I was not going to be a crazy breeder. Just a casual one. Keeping the best and the excess to give away/sell to friends and fellow hobbyist.

So what I did? I bought two 45cm tanks which is 40L or 10 gallon tank. One was going to be a low tech planted with simple plants like hairgrass and moss while the other sand based.

One for the males and the other females. I bought a couple smaller tanks to house juvi temporary. Bought a few breeder tank as well.

Right now, it's cycling. Strange how both tank ammonia level are the same. Both at 2.0 Eventhough, the low tech planted tank is the one with the ADA aquasoil. Anyway, I'm thinking of putting a few corydoras in the female tank. For the male, I have yet to decide but a few Otos, maybe yamatos, malayans and perhaps cherry shrimps? LOL Will see.

Well, while waiting, I've seperated the females into breeder tanks which are big enough. Hopefully, not stressful to them. I got frys by the way! About 20plus of them. Currently, on microworm, boiled egg yolk and powdered commercial fish food diet.

Crossing my fingers. Anyway, below are some pictures, enjoy.

When I first got interested in this Albino Full Red, I already have a tank cycled and ready.

Set Up

Tank: 40cm Glass Tank

Filtration: Gex HOF

Lights: Gex (No idea of Model)

Substrate: Quartz

Material: A rock from my iwagumi collection

Some fake plants (From Seaview)

Fauna: Albino Full Red (Male & Female) & 2 Golden Guppy (Male)

Left Picture: Taken with pink light I have in storeroom

Right Picture: Due to some chemicals that the fake plants were discharging (killing some fauna along the way), I changed it to a simple setup. This is how it looks like. I like to call it a containment tank while the 2 tanks for them are being cycled.

Set Up

Tank: 40cm Glass Tank

Filtration: Cheap internal filter (using air pump) with Eheim Substrat Pro and Biohome

Lights: Gex (No idea of Model)

Substrate: Pebbles with some rocks and pleco home

Material: NA

Fauna: Same less Golden Guppy - Add juvi platys

My Albino Full Red Guppy from Y618 & Aquastar

Background are the frys in its breeder box.

  This is the male tank that I am setting up. It's going to be low tech planted.

As I'm using ADA Amazonia New which brings PH down to roughly around 5.5, I had to place corals in the substrate.

Bogwood, ADA Amazonia, Gex White Sand and rocks on the other bank.

Flooding, I hate this. There's always this cloud of dust from the soil.

Added plants.

Rocks placed on bogwood as its not waterlogged.

Bridge added. (Lovebridge says my better half)

And yes, that is a house. Haha

The picture on the left is where the females will be. Breeding will be in this tank.

I have this two tanks plus two smaller tanks to house the frys when they are bigger so I can do selection. All except the male tank, I'm having PH of 7.6 or higher. Gah! I need to find a common PH for all. I'm hoping to get all at 6.8 Will see how that goes later on.

3-4 more weeks to go!!!


Frys!! Haha!! Happy Like Crazy! Just in time when they grow, my 4 tanks will be ready to accept them. Feeding on microworms, powdered flakes and once a week dose of boiled egg yolks.