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Guppy Guy

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Everything posted by Guppy Guy

  1. Guppy Guy
    I have started the light control. Since there are 2 sides of this story, I split them below. The “Regular Person” part is super simple and basic, and the “nerdy like me 🙃” section goes into much more detail about parts and the design process. This is only the very beginning, and it will likely be a few days to complete. I tried to keep the descriptions simple, so let me know how I did. Enjoy! Details for the regular person: The light and controller use different power sources, so I have to use a transistor to control the power like a digital switch. This is repeated for both channels (white and blue). Currently, I am using a button for testing, but this will be connected to a small computer in the final version. Details for the nerdy like me 🙃: The light is a 12 volt strip, but the microcontroller I am planning to use is 5 volts. This requires the use of a transistor (BC337 if you were wondering) to switch the power, and because there is 2 channels (white and blue), this happens twice. Due to the nature of transistors, there is a total of 4 pull-up resistors (one on the base and one on the emitter. The collector doesn’t need one) to ensure that there is no ghosting.
  2. Guppy Guy
    I thought so, but I’m not good with species either. I’ve always wanted a flowerhorn, but only recently got interested in all the cichlids. ( @Zenzo and the Tazawa Tanks channel have been great!)
  3. Guppy Guy
    Those look stunning! What kind are they?
  4. Guppy Guy
    My dream fish is a flowerhorn. I love how personable and boisterous they are, and the bright colors are just a bonus. Unfortunately, I already have too many tanks, so the flowerhorn will have to wait.
  5. Guppy Guy
    I had a great idea today. I was thinking that aquarium maintenance would be practically impossible if I had to take apart the TV every single time, so I cut the bottom off! I attached an animated image of the before and after. Since the tank isn’t resting on the TV base anymore (which is good as a tabletop is more stable then plastic), it is a little low. Luckily, I have plenty of wood, so I can set the tank on a piece to raise it up about an inch. I will cut that closer to the end so it won’t get in my way. The next task is to cut a hole for feeding, as well as wire up the light. I have a cool idea for that so stay tuned! (See what I did there? 📺 😂)
  6. Guppy Guy
    Thanks @dasaltemelosguy. I already tried a 3D printed slip connector, but I didn’t think about a threaded one. I will have to try that as soon as I find the right size. Now I don’t have to abandon it! Thanks guys! I probably won’t do anything to this until the TV tank is done (I only have so much time per day 🙃), but I will keep a lookout for parts and fittings that might help.
  7. Guppy Guy
    I may happen to be planning something similar to that in the distant future 😉
  8. Guppy Guy
    Figured I would bring this back up now that the seasons have changed a bit. South Carolina will always be the same. Friday, it was 70F, so I was in a T-shirt. Yesterday it was 50, so I was in a long-sleeved T-shirt, and today it is 30, so I am all bundled up. Oh, and did I mention the January thunderstorm? Yeah, that was fun….
  9. Guppy Guy
    Of course! I just broke down the 10 gallon tank in my room to give to my brother, so now there is an empty spot there. I want the sound of trickling water back in my room, so the sooner I get it done, the better 😀
  10. Guppy Guy
    I know I know, It’s been way too long since I have started an aquarium project, (and the last one didn’t exactly go according to plan 😬. (Click here to see my gumball machine aquarium build) This time though, I am using a pre-made tank with the filter built in, so it hopefully won’t be as hard to get working as the last one. The TV is a mid-90s Daywood a friend gave me, and the tank is one of those marineland 3 gallon portrait tanks. I have already gutted the tv, and cut the unnecessary supports so the tank will fit. The next thing to do will be to wire up the light to the original power button, and figure out how to secure it inside the TV while making tank accessibility easy for routine maintenance I am super exited about this project, and I am more then happy to hear your ideas! I hope this comes out better then the gumball machine (a success assuming it doesn’t leak 😂) Here is an image of the tv when I first got it, after I gutted it, and the tank I am using.
  11. Guppy Guy
    It has been a very long time, but I have decided to call off this project until I find a good filter that fits. My mason jar filter design is too leaky for regular use, so I will have to wait for some micro-canister filter to come around, or figure out how to make a PVC pipe filter fit. Until then, I am starting a new project linked below. Thanks for sticking around everyone, and if I ever find something that works, I will post it here.
  12. Guppy Guy
    Great, I will try that. Thanks so much for the help!
  13. Guppy Guy
    I don’t know why I didn’t think of this. I will use the (practically) new quarantine tank as the main one instead, and then use the one with a bad seal in an upcoming project. One more question. Since I am using the quarantine tank, do I need to worry about residue from medications, dormant parasites, etc? I always scrub my tanks, but I don’t want to mess anything up if it doesn’t come off. Note that it has been empty for about 6 months. Thanks in advance.
  14. Guppy Guy
    Thanks. Should I do this, or do you think it will be fine? I have some experience with silicone, but not a ton, so there is a good chance that I will mess it up.
  15. Guppy Guy
    Hi all, I just took down my 10 gallon aquarium to relocate it, but after cleaning it out, I noticed that the edges of the silicone seal are slightly curled. I don’t know if this is recent or if it has always been like that, but I do know that this is the first time I have noticed it. My quarantine tank is also a 10 gallon, and I (thankfully) rarely need it, but its silicone seems to be curled as well, albeit slightly less. If it helps any, the relocated tank is a tetra I won in a drawing some 5 years ago, and the quarantine tank is an aqueon I bought about 2 years ago. If it helps any, I attached an image below. Thanks.
  16. Guppy Guy
    If it is in the water column, my fish eat it. I assume yours will as well, but all you can do is try! One side note though, if the shrimp are crushed, it could possibly do more harm then good by polluting the water, and I don’t want any hatchery water in my tank so you would have to drain it anyway. Sorry it took so long to reply, this thread was lost in the chaos 🤣
  17. Guppy Guy
    If it is a peristaltic pump (the standard type of dosing pump for aquariums), then the action would crush the brine shrimp. See the animation below:
  18. Guppy Guy
    Found a random guppy head in my tank while cleaning. Michael (my biggest angelfish) wasn’t hungry when I fed him, and he had that same guilty look my dog gets when he ate my cookies, so I am pretty sure I know who it was 😂
  19. Guppy Guy
    And that is why Duckweed is banned here in SC. Many ponds look like that, but none are near me! 😢
  20. Guppy Guy
    My lid finally came in! And it was about 1/16” off because professor genius here (thats me 🙃) can’t do CAD accurately. So instead of making another that is the right size, what do I do? I cut the flippin’ rim off the bowl 😂. What can I say? It fits!
  21. Guppy Guy
    After overthinking the filter (again), I decided to keep the original idea, and just change the connections. I re-routed the return line outside the intake, and it goes in its respected connector on the filter lid. @Cory, if you see this, I would love to see the coop come out with a silicone tube that doesn’t dry out and clog. I wasted an hour of my life trying to unclog the tube, and all it did was bust the side of the tube out, hence the tape. The original lids always either crack or don’t seal.
  22. Guppy Guy
    I just remembered that guppy females can hold male sperm in their vent for a few years, so if she has ever been with another male, that could be from him.
  23. Guppy Guy
    I agree with @Guppysnail, I think she is pregnant, but has other issues as well. Has she always been kind of boxy like that? If so, it is probably genetics. If it is recent, it could be dropsy. If there are more fish like that in the tank, it could be columnaris, but it is unlikely. @Colu, any opinions?
  24. Guppy Guy
    After test fitting the filter with the new seals, it was near impossible to get it put together dry, and after adding water and livestock, it will be impossible. I decided to redo the filter and put it elsewhere. The design and connections will be the same, just the location will be different. Where it will go, I haven’t decided yet. I will figure that out eventually. In the meantime, I am getting plans together for a new project (*hint* 📺), and that is almost ready to start.
  25. Guppy Guy
    I know it has been awhile, but I have reason. A small leak can be hard to fix, especially one that is a removable joint. I finally decided(after overthinking the issue for 2 weeks) that I would silicone the 3D printed connector to try and seal the gaps(drying now) and permanently silicone the hoses to the bulkhead. With this method, filter maintenance will be a pain, but considering that it is completely hidden, and hopefully leak-proof, it will be worth it. After the silicone cures for a few days, I will give it a leak test and hopefully add fish! I still need a part for the lid that hasn’t come in yet, but as soon as it gets here, I will give an update for the light.
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