Streetwise Indoor Aquariums

[Anita]

1 minute ago, Streetwise said:

@Anita, my vintage village apartment has heat included, wide windowsills, and a dirt basement. Nothing is level except for my camera. I do have chlorine, rather than chloramine, for my local water. However, I may still live in a flood zone.

I can relate, haha! I grew up on well water and a septic tank (don't flush the toilet while someone is in the shower, or else!). I guess that is the trade-off for the windows. But still, you live in the Shire! 🌈

[Streetwise]

@Anita, I grew up with limestone well water, a septic system, and a leach field. This definitely influenced my aquarium style.

I love Shire season in Vermont.

Cat edit. My adopted stray trusts my water.

Edited April 3, 2021 by Streetwise

[Streetwise]

[Hobbit]

Nice job scaping that bow front!

[Streetwise]

[Streetwise]

Checking in on the 16 bow:

[Isaac M]

Crypts are lookin good! 

[Streetwise]

I changed the lights for fun. I setup the 15” units in the other orientation, and changed a Nano from tall mode to long mode:

Valcour wanted in on a shot of the 16:

[Isaac M]

@Streetwise wow, I do not think I have seen an aquarium with a red rim that is striped like that before, that is really cool! Gotta love the tannins and mulm too! Haha 

[Streetwise]

@Isaac M, that is an Askoll Pure L LED kit with stand, 68 liters or about 18 gallons. It is like a European 20H.

I found it massively-discounted a few years ago at a tiny pet store in Berlin, Vermont, gathering dust on a shelf, and It was my gateway back into the hobby. I think it is an Italian brand, but it may have been bought by Fluval at some point, because some of the components are from Fluval. The original setup has all the lighting and filtration hidden in the hood, which is really cool, but centers the light on the front half of the tank, which I outgrew. The tank is flawless, and the leveling screws on the stand are very useful in my old apartment.

What is really interesting to me is that I have never seen another Askoll tank in-person, or on any forum. I have a theory about potential marketing. If you say the name out-loud in English, you might be misunderstood.

Cheers from mulm and tannins!

[Isaac M]

@Streetwise excuse me? What did you just call me? Just kidding 😂 

I just took a look at the spec sheet and wow, that is really cool, I have never seen a filter in the hood before, its a very unique all in one. I have never heard of this brand before. But yeah, your theory does check out haha 

[Streetwise]

It looks like they took an HOB, sliced it into horizontal sections, and found a way to hide it in a recessed hood that is just proud of the rim, with most of the business within that top layer of striped tape. They even provided a chamber for an optional auto-feeder, if I remember correctly.

I think I have previous photos in this thread that show more of the original setup. Even after choosing my own lights and filters, I still like having the tape layer to hide the waterline, and my Apex probe mounts, while enjoying the aesthetics of a rimless tank.

[Isaac M]

I just saw part of the youtube video of your tour. That is a really cool filter system. I was able to catch a small glimpse of it. My mind is running wild now about what kind of things can be done with something like that haha yeah that tape layer is cool to have, I try to not run too many rimless tanks as I get hard water deposits at the water line when it evaporates. 

[Streetwise]

I will try to share some photos of the hood. I have run it periodically, just for fun, even after my upgrades. With 3D printing, anyone could experiment with similar concepts.

I like the idea of aquarium tape, even on rimmed tanks. It could provide a nice way to hide the waterline and protect potential jumpers, by keeping a lower water level. In a bedroom environment, it could also shield LEDs from direct line-of-sight.

[Isaac M]

That would be cool! I would love to see those pictures. 

Yeah that is true, there are a lot of ways that it could be useful. You may even be able to hide the light if you can recess it deep enough. I am thinking you can also add riparium plants where the planters could be hidden a little better throughout the aquarium. 

[Streetwise]

“I have found that it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folks that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love." - Gandalf (J.R.R Tolkien)

[Streetwise]

I haven't done anything with my tanks in a while. I still wanted to take a few photos. This 16 gallon bow has been a real source of joy. I tried giving the tank away because it was my marine tank that got flooded during tropical storm Irene in 2011. I think this was the first tank where I refined my layering for organic soil and sand/gravel cap, and got good plant growth.

The fish, shrimp, and snails do an amazing job at cleaning, and the plants drive all the filtration. All I have to do is feed and top-off water.

I love my hair-algae mullet.

[CalmedByFish]

@StreetwiseI love that it's pretty self-sustaining. I'm aiming that way, but it takes a while.

[Streetwise]

@CalmedByFish, it does take patience. I will probably re-do my Askoll 20 because I have learned so much in the last few years. With organic soil, I try to make the plants very happy, and then add snails, fish, and shrimp.

[Mmiller2001]

On 11/12/2020 at 10:25 PM, Streetwise said:

I moved my Apex pH and Temp probes back to my Aksoll 20.

Can the Apex trigger a response, or does it just give alerts?

[Streetwise]

@Mmiller2001, I’ll answer here:

 

[Mmiller2001]

4 minutes ago, Streetwise said:

@Mmiller2001, I’ll answer here:

 

Thank you.

[Streetwise]

I seem to have posted many photos without fish, so I fed first this time:

[Patrick_G]

I can’t seem get my fish to take sausage breakfast sandwiches. Would a dirted tank help? 😀

Edited May 21, 2021 by Patrick_G

[Isaac M]

@Patrick_G actually the soil is not the reason for the fish eating the sausage breakfast sandwich, its the glorious mane of hair algae!