Vanish's MTS Journal

[Patrick_G]

On 9/30/2021 at 9:39 AM, Vanish said:

I've really given in to MTS recently. My wife seems to be ok with it as I've been very busy with projects, which keeps me happy, though I think I saw a raised eyebrow / potential eye roll on this latest one. I've moved forward with the shrimp tanks project!

Unfortunately, my phone is doing this weird thing where it "forgets" some photos. I see I've taken the photo in the thumbnail, but when I go to the photo it disappears and I am taken to the previous one. This happens seemingly randomly, but I lost some of the build photos.

I worked on two things in parallel. First up I needed a solid surface to put the tank(s) on. 3/4" plywood is probably overkill for this, but I had a scrap piece lying around that was the perfect size. I glued a facia board on the from and a strip along the bottom to hold the shelf in place on the stands.

I then painted the edges black to blend in better. A piece of black neoprene will sit on top, covering the lighter colored wood, then the tank(s) on top of that. Should arrive tomorrow. And here we are on the stands.

I want to figure out a way to hide the two cords that go to each tank. I don't really want to see them nor expose the power strip to the dog water... she's a messy drinker.

Meanwhile, I started building the tank(s). Now, I keep putting tank(s) in questionable plural because it took me more material than intended to build the first one. I'm working with reclaimed glass and well, it doesn't always break like you want it. Also, I haven't cut that much glass in my life either, so there is bound to be user error.

This will be a paludarium style tank with a trickle fall supplied by a small pump. The water section will end up holding somewhere between 3.5 and 4 gallons of water.

My next step here will be water testing, and then I will begin creating the plumbing system. I'm still waiting on a couple of supplies for that.

These are so cool! I’m guessing you’re a fan of Tanner Serpa. I’ve been thinking of doing a little waterfall paludarium waterfall tank after watching a recent vid of his. The cool thing about this style is it’s extremely living room and spouse friendly.  

[Vanish]

On 9/30/2021 at 11:02 AM, Patrick_G said:

These are so cool! I’m guessing you’re a fan of Tanner Serpa. I’ve been thinking of doing a little waterfall paludarium waterfall tank after watching a recent vid of his. The cool thing about this style is it’s extremely living room and spouse friendly.  

Yeah, his "Scrap materials" build was definitely an inspiration here. I've had a bunch of glass sitting around for years so finally decided to make use of it. It took a silly amount of effort to get over NOT using them because I might want them for something else. Unfortunately two of the best glass pieces are tempered 4 footers, so they'll have to wait for other inspiration.

My 75 was set up as a riparium until recently but for me I just wasn't happy with the look due to the tank not being rimless.

[Patrick_G]

On 9/30/2021 at 10:22 AM, Vanish said:

My 75 was set up as a riparium until recently but for me I just wasn't happy with the look due to the tank not being rimless.

I think it looked great! The wood lattice and steampunk airplane make it even better. 😀

I like my small rimless tanks but can’t see spending $900 for a 4’ tank. 

[Vanish]

I have a major problem!

I was reading:

and noticed that Petco is having a 50% off sale. Of course I only see this after I have bought the equipment for my shrimp tank(s) project. I've been waiting for this sale so I could get a few (maybe more) tanks to work on a breeding rack, but I am worried about the marital consequences of taking advantage of it at the moment. 😹 I definitely need to make more progress on that bathroom project!

---

More goodies showed up last night.

I think this setup is gonna look sweet.

With the neoprene arriving, I was able to water test safely. All good! I think the water volume is going to be closer to 4.5 gallons based on how much the 6 gallon bucket held when emptying it, but the background will take up some space.

Still waiting for one more order to arrive (est tomorrow) and then I should have all the things needed to continue on with this build. I keep waffling on which hardscape I want to use. I have black lava rock, red lava rock, river rock and basalt on hand at the moment. Will eventually be holding red cherry shrimp, so red lava rock seems like a bad choice.

---

Oh yeah, speaking of shrimp, should be more soon!

[Vanish]

Some dude walked out of my local Petco with 4 10s, 3 20H and a 20L.

Edit: Also seen at home depot gathering the stuff missing for the next step on the bathroom 😂

Edited October 2, 2021 by Vanish

[Streetwise]

Keep an eye out for that dude. He might end up leveling tanks in your fish room. Keep him and any assistants hydrated.

[Vanish]

I made some progress on the bathroom progress this morning, now waiting for the deck mud to cure before I can lay tile, so I rewarded myself with some fishy progress.

Trying out the new lights with some temporary plants. Second piece of neoprene is under the tank I'm building at the moment, hence why the left one is missing it. Looking sweet already. Kinda wish I could put some up above the upper plants!

The black coroplast I ordered arrived about lunch time, so afterwards I got to building out the structure for the paludarium. I decided to place a sheet of black against the black glass with the thought that I could remove the entire build if I wanted to, but really I should be sealing off the edges of the back part so water only goes through the grate. Live and learn on that one. Even if I silicone it in, it'll be a lot less silicone on the glass should I tear it apart some day. I'll have to think how I want to approach this before moving on.

Woohoo, we have water movement! This build has been pretty easy and fun so far.

I am a little bit concerned about cleaning / servicing the pump. It was a lot of effort to get it into place, especially the filter foam wrapping it and I don't know how easily I'll be able to get things back in if / when I have to take them out.

 

[Odd Duck]

On 10/2/2021 at 4:06 PM, Vanish said:

I am a little bit concerned about cleaning / servicing the pump. It was a lot of effort to get it into place, especially the filter foam wrapping it and I don't know how easily I'll be able to get things back in if / when I have to take them out.

That hose will get stiffer with time (they all do) and harder to manipulate it to get the pump out.  I’m guessing you’ll push the hose down and back out the hole, then use it and the cord to manipulate the pump out?  Sounds a bit too tricky, to me.  It will probably make you a bit crazy on maintenance day, which means you’ll likely end up maintaining less frequently than you should.  Well, it would make ME maintain it less frequently than I should, YMMV.

Maybe you could make the upper part of your panel directly above the hose into a sliding guillotine type panel so it will be easier to get the hose, and therefore the pump out? Have a “U” shaped cut out in the upper panel and an opposing one in the lower panel so they hold the hose firmly in position but also let you release it more easily.

I don’t really have a grasp of the scale of this tank but it looks fairly small and your pump enclosure looks very small to me.  Can you fit your entire arm inside your pump section?  If you can’t, it will make cleaning much more difficult.  If you can, bravo!  Nice planning!

Oh, and depending on your water level, maybe you could put a sponge prefilter on your pump instead of wrapping it in filter foam?

And depending on your style of pump, of course.

[Torrey]

On 10/2/2021 at 3:06 PM, Vanish said:

little bit concerned about cleaning / servicing the pump. It was a lot of effort to get it into place, especially the filter foam wrapping it and I don't know how easily I'll be able to get things back in if / when I have to take them out.

I learned the hard way to either create a "removable box" or a hang method, to ensure that I can always lift the pump out of tiny spaces.

I did learn that those clear acrylic wreath hangers are **great** for narrow spots and tiny pumps! You can use silicone made specifically for joining acrylic/ plastics to make a pump sized "box" out of the plastic craft canvas, and attach the box to the wreath hanger.

If you have to shorten the wreath hanger, make sure to shorten the top, so you have a "frame" under the 'pump box'.

When it comes time to service, just lift the whole thing out.

On 10/2/2021 at 3:06 PM, Vanish said:

Looking sweet already. Kinda wish I could put some up above the upper plants!

Looks like you could get a sleek clamping spotlight?

Or suspend spot lights above the plants?

[Vanish]

First off, let me thank you for the ideas! I really appreciate them.

On 10/2/2021 at 8:23 PM, Odd Duck said:

I’m guessing you’ll push the hose down and back out the hole, then use it and the cord to manipulate the pump out?

That was the plan! It will get cut shorter yet as I start building the hardscape on the back wall, making it easier.

On 10/2/2021 at 8:23 PM, Odd Duck said:

Maybe you could make the upper part of your panel directly above the hose into a sliding guillotine type panel so it will be easier to get the hose, and therefore the pump out?

I understand your idea and will investigate if I think it might help. Not sure if it will be compatible with the rest of the build, or necessary when the tubing is shortened. I'm more worried about getting the pump situated when putting it back down than I am pulling it out.

On 10/2/2021 at 8:23 PM, Odd Duck said:

I don’t really have a grasp of the scale of this tank but it looks fairly small and your pump enclosure looks very small to me.  Can you fit your entire arm inside your pump section?

The tank is approx 11.5" x 12" x 16", so it is not big enough to justify that much room for the enclosure.

Quote

Oh, and depending on your water level, maybe you could put a sponge prefilter on your pump instead of wrapping it in filter foam?

You can see the pump in the first picture. Its just a nano fountain pump so it doesn't have an intake other than openings in the housing.

On 10/2/2021 at 8:53 PM, Torrey said:

I learned the hard way to either create a "removable box" or a hang method, to ensure that I can always lift the pump out of tiny spaces.

This is a neat idea and makes total sense to me. I think if I had made the enclosure just a 1/2" bigger I could do this easily. It might still be possible.

On 10/2/2021 at 8:53 PM, Torrey said:

Or suspend spot lights above the plants?

There's actually more hanging plants above the plants on top of the potted ones 😁. I've thought about routing electrical above them before, but that's a much bigger project!

Edited October 3, 2021 by Vanish

[Vanish]

I stole my wife's phone to try to get some photos of my favorite endler. As I set up more tanks, my hope is to turn him into a stud, we'll see. I just love his tail and brightness!

 

[Torrey]

On 10/3/2021 at 8:42 AM, Vanish said:

I stole my wife's phone to try to get some photos of my favorite endler. As I set up more tanks, my hope is to turn him into a stud, we'll see. I just love his tail and brightness!

 

I wonder if endlers with tails like this were used to cross with the guppies that yielded the new CrownTail guppies shown on Wild Tanks when @Randy visited Ryan🤔

I agree, that endler is stunning!!!

[Odd Duck]

On 10/3/2021 at 9:32 AM, Vanish said:

I'm more worried about getting the pump situated when putting it back down than I am pulling it out.

You might benefit from having mesh bags just big enough to enclose the pump and the filter sheet you’re using to wrap it.  So you wrap the pump, place it in the mesh bag just right, then slide the whole thing into the right spot.  The bag should theoretically, anyway, keep the filter wrap in place.  The trick will be finding the right size bag and the right mesh that doesn’t clog prematurely but still holds things in place correctly.

I’ve used these for holding different types of fairly large media (crushed coral, barley pellets, etc), but they come in different sizes and different mesh, and might work for you.  The high flow mesh hasn’t clogged for me, but I also have NOT used them where the water was forced to flow only through the mesh, it could always flow around the bag, too.

It’s an interesting build.  I’m looking forward to see how it develops.

[Vanish]

Last night, I did some wood collecting as I didnt feel I had the right stuff for the shrimp scape. My strategy is to go down by the river and look for root balls. Got some decent looking stuff.

Really like this one

And this one is just nutty

[Vanish]

I also started on the background for the shrimp tank last night. It took a surprising amount of black lava rock to get this far. I left the lower sections fairly open, as I can scape upwards as normal. Not 100% if this is a good idea - will have to test and decide later.

After I decide I've got enough "base", I'll do some blending with pulverized lava rock to make sections blend together and look more like single rocks. There are some fun overhangs that are difficult to see in the straight on photo.

The two open areas on the top will eventually be covered in coco fiber and tree fern fibers. Theoretically, the water will appear from nowhere and cascade down the middle rocks, wetting the center fibers for wicking.

 

And just to give myself an idea of what will be coming later, I temporarily placed some roots in. The end product will have more and possibly different wood.

[Patrick_G]

It’s looking great, the pump enclosure pretty much disappears. Good idea glueing the lava to the background. 

[Odd Duck]

On 10/5/2021 at 9:25 AM, Vanish said:

I also started on the background for the shrimp tank last night. It took a surprising amount of black lava rock to get this far. I left the lower sections fairly open, as I can scape upwards as normal. Not 100% if this is a good idea - will have to test and decide later.

After I decide I've got enough "base", I'll do some blending with pulverized lava rock to make sections blend together and look more like single rocks. There are some fun overhangs that are difficult to see in the straight on photo.

The two open areas on the top will eventually be covered in coco fiber and tree fern fibers. Theoretically, the water will appear from nowhere and cascade down the middle rocks, wetting the center fibers for wicking.

 

And just to give myself an idea of what will be coming later, I temporarily placed some roots in. The end product will have more and possibly different wood.

Really liking the roots/wood you found and what you’re doing with it!  Great job!

[Vanish]

Slow progress on the paludarium build as I've been working on the bathroom and we had some other stuff going on this week. I finally figured a way to pulverize lava rock that yeilds the grain size I want: place a flat strong rock in a big ziplock, hammer the rocks on it, sift out the bigger stuff. This allowed me to begin the process of merging multiple rocks into one. Its a slow process as you have to work multiple angles, but it does work.

I also attached the initial coco fiber sections. I need to make a decision if I like this lighter color, or if I want to darken it with tree fern fibers. I'll want to blend the edges of the coco one way or another, either with tree fern or rock dust.

I tried getting a side view but it is very difficult with the reflections at the moment. I will use some dark paint on the foam piece I used to add height. You can't see it from the front but that bright blue bothers me on the side view.

Lastly, I am showing the very simple coated garden wire I am using the ensure the background stays against the glass. The wire slides inside the coroplast and on the back side of the glass and is pretty much invisible. The background is just sitting there and I verified I can pull the entire thing out without a problem.

And here we are again playing with the wood again. I'll need to decide if I want to permanently attach it. Difficulty making up my mind on that one. It allows more elaborate configurations but also could make some aspects more tricky in the long run.

[Odd Duck]

On 10/7/2021 at 4:48 PM, Vanish said:

Slow progress on the paludarium build as I've been working on the bathroom and we had some other stuff going on this week. I finally figured a way to pulverize lava rock that yeilds the grain size I want: place a flat strong rock in a big ziplock, hammer the rocks on it, sift out the bigger stuff. This allowed me to begin the process of merging multiple rocks into one. Its a slow process as you have to work multiple angles, but it does work.

I also attached the initial coco fiber sections. I need to make a decision if I like this lighter color, or if I want to darken it with tree fern fibers. I'll want to blend the edges of the coco one way or another, either with tree fern or rock dust.

I tried getting a side view but it is very difficult with the reflections at the moment. I will use some dark paint on the foam piece I used to add height. You can't see it from the front but that bright blue bothers me on the side view.

Lastly, I am showing the very simple coated garden wire I am using the ensure the background stays against the glass. The wire slides inside the coroplast and on the back side of the glass and is pretty much invisible. The background is just sitting there and I verified I can pull the entire thing out without a problem.

And here we are again playing with the wood again. I'll need to decide if I want to permanently attach it. Difficulty making up my mind on that one. It allows more elaborate configurations but also could make some aspects more tricky in the long run.

That wood is beeeeeeaaaaauuuutiful!  I love it!  But I also understand your reservations because it will be challenging to work around.  If you can figure out how to make it removable that would be the best of both worlds.

If you have (or could make) a smidgeon of room side to side, you could paint black PlastiDip on the part of the blue foam that shows from the side that’s bothering you.

The wire clip is genius, but make sure the bottom is secured, too or somebody will get behind your backing.  Maybe glue a narrow strip of your Coroplast on edge at the bottom that will let the bottom of your backing fit in behind it?  Is that long piece at the bottom stuck down and serving to stabilize the bottom of your insert?  That with the clips on top and you would have it fully secure.

[Vanish]

On 10/8/2021 at 1:11 AM, Odd Duck said:

If you have (or could make) a smidgeon of room side to side, you could paint black PlastiDip on the part of the blue foam that shows from the side that’s bothering you.

I'll probably go with tinted Drylok as I have that on hand and it has held up perfectly on the background in my 75g, which has been in there for 7 years.

On 10/8/2021 at 1:11 AM, Odd Duck said:

Maybe glue a narrow strip of your Coroplast on edge at the bottom that will let the bottom of your backing fit in behind it

I was trying not to silicone anything to do the glass, but this could be done pretty minimally and effectively. Just a little tab on the left and right would lock it against the back wall.

[Vanish]

Found some time tonight after filing the back wall of the shower. I started off with a water test, and it's pretty sweet. Pics dont do justice.

After emptying, I slid the background out to paint the foam. I've got some of the wood in and have added some tree fern fibers above the water line. I think it might be time to find some moss and oak leaf creeping fig!

 

[Vanish]

In other news, I worked on the 90g this morning. I had posted that I felt something was up with some of my plants

This got me checking parameters, something I generally dont do on established tanks. But before that, I managed to first knock my light bar in the tank, and then drop it in the ground, breaking the housing on one end.

I dried it in the sun for several hours, electrical tape the housing and it still seems to be working thankfully.

Anyway, back to parameters...

My distilled tap reads about 7.5 ph. After a 50% water change, I was reading 6.6 ph in the tank. 😮 I did it several times because I just dont know why it would be so low. Yes, I run co2 on this tank but it would be several hours before that turned on. I cant check ph drop from co2 because the solution will only read down to 6.

I'm going to check it in the morning because I'm still scratching my head. The fish dont seem to mind but I'd prefer it was higher.

[Mmiller2001]

It takes about 24 hours to fully degas the CO2, and nitrification acidifies the tank also. This is why you are seeing a 6.6. When I mix up my RO water, it will have a pH of near 9. When I do a 50% water change, the pH is pretty close to what the tank was. With 0dKH or near 0dKH, this is expected and has no negative impact on fish. My tank will have a 5.1 pH right before my water change and after, it's about 5.8 to 6.1.

[Vanish]

Well, I didn't find creeping fig but I found some others i liked. The aquatic section got messed up already as the wood, despite being glued to rock, floated. The big fern really dried out overnight, hope it bounces back. I feel like it looks better in person than photo.

[Odd Duck]

@Vanish Looking good!  That fern should do fine.

Edited October 11, 2021 by Odd Duck