Beginner with 6 X 2 X 2

[vratenza]

Hi all experienced guys here!
I'm pretty new to the planted tank...well at least in the form that is sustainable...tried my hands on them by just buying pots of the plants and stuck them in the gravel..... if i am lucky i can get 1-2 survivors....that was way back in secondary school.....after a while i gave up on the plants and concentrated on fish...........hahah i guess u get the picture!

Recently, came across a few aquarium shops with nice planted display and is really intrigued into trying my hands on planted tanks again.......now that i just shifted to my new place....i have staked claimed to a whole wall in the living room for this new venture......after much begging with my CO
Why such a large tank if i am just starting out? Well....i guess i am going into it for long term and larger tank offers more space for creativity with what i want to try out and also upgrade proof for the next few years...... Furthermore......6 ft is just about right in terms of the amount of space it takes up for the wall.... just balanced.....

I have been reading up quite abit around the local forums and such to do my research and some of you may have seen my postings on the other forums before i found my way to this forum....well, i must say the adviced given by the experience forumers here seem to be more thorough and balanced then elsewhere...

I already have in mind what kind of setup i want but will be helpful if the experts here can comment if the setup is feasible or any modification i need to do to the list.....
=======================================================
My intended setup:
- Customised 6 X 2 X 2 ft cabinet style from one of the local tank makers using chengnai wood structures and 12mm glass. (was told with 12mm glass, i will need at least 1 centre bracing......)
- 2 X 2028 Eheim cannister filter
- 5L Co2 tank with JBJ solenoid regulator
- external Co2 reactor
- Resun c500 chiller
- Dymax hi-lux with F/L tubes changed to 6500K tubes
- JBJ base fert X 6 bags and lapis sand X 6 bags
- customised tank to fit under the cabinet to hold aged water for ~ 20% water change.
=======================================================

A couple of queries:
1) I know i have to have centre bracing for tank of this size especially when i cannot afford to go 19mm..... so, should i go for a big centre brace or split the brace into 2 smallers ones a the 2 sides? which will be better for access and reduce light scatter?

2) wiill my choice of canister filters be sufficient to obtain good filtration and circulation around the tank? I heard the external CO2 diffuser will reduce the flow rate quite abit.... not to mention adding a chiller later on...

3) will the MH in dymax hi-lux be sufficient to light up my entire tank? OR should i go for T5 sets instead to cut down on the heat....

4) are the 6 bags of lapis and 6 bags of base fert enough for a proper depth even for deep rooted plants?

5) i will be hiding the chiller in the cabinet.... any issues with ventilation or heat exchange?

6) Some recommended plants to start out. Intended to plant densely.....

7) where to find nice big driftwood and rocks.........

do i need a ph regulator? How does it work?

Thanks!

[Weirong]

This looks like a big project and I really advise you to consider again if you are just beginning to appreciate planted tanks. If things don't work out the way you want, it could really put you off the hobby indefinately.

But if you have really decided to go ahead after much reading and planning, I suggest you go for something not too high-tech.

Have you considered how much time you can spend on this tank? You need to consider this and then make your choice of plants. There are quite a lot of low maintenance plants to choose from and they will suit you and your setup well, as you can concentrate your time on other matters - like your type of aquascape, fuana, fert regiment etc.

Personally I would stick to about 2-2.5wpg as this will give you less algae problems.

Good luck with your project and keep us updated!

[Nicky]

wow wow wow.. here's a big jump into this good hobby.
You seemed to have read up quite a bit already from the list of things you want to get/buy. Good job in staking out a piece of area for yourself.. it is now or never, right?

Re. the bracing, it I were you I will go for 1 big center piece if I have to. That can also serve as a temp tool holding place when you are doing maint.

Re. filter, I think 2x2028 is good enough. It is true that CO2 reactor (diffuser does not slow down the flow as it does not connect to the flow at all, does it?) and chiller will slow down the flow. But I still think the setup is good enough.

Re. T5 vs MH. T5 is definitely cooler than MH. T5 also offers better spread than MH. If the tank location is rather enclosed or if the house is mostly locked up most of the time in the day and your aircon is not turn on all the time, then the heat build up can be significant. MH cast very hard shadow too. The number of MH (if you use them) will also determine the brace position. If you decides on 2 MH, then center brace is ok. If you want to use 3, then better to have 2 braces, dividing the tank surface into 3 equal areas. You are aware of MH with 70W as well as 150W right? Of course bigger wattage is also available.

Re. Lapis and Base fert qty. I think 4 bags of Lapis is enough. 6 bags of JBJ may just be sufficient. Since you will be buying alot of stuff at a go, you may want to work out a pay-as-you-use plan with the LFS, that is, take 8 bags of JBJ and 6 bags of lapis. If do not need that much, then return for refund.

Re, chiller in cabinet. I am about to embark on my 4ft project. My chiller will be inside my cabinet. See pic in http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=17646
Basicaly I think it is possible to hide the chiller in the cabinet. But you have to take active steps to ensure that the hot air will not be recycled by the chiller. You will need to leave a good size gap between the cabinet and the wall. I am going to leave a 5 inches gap. you will also noticed that I do not have any backings at al for my cabinet. Aeration is one big reason.

Re. plants to start off. You need a concept in mind of what the end pic you like to achieve. Having said that, I generally plant very densely at the start. Many of the fast plants are meant to be sacrificed later when the tank stablised.

Re. where to find driftwood and rocks. You can find them in places like Eco-Culture or Nature Aquarium. Again you need to have some concept in mind before embarking to buy. Having said that, I usually buy more than what I need because you will never know if you need another piece here and there to 'fill in the gap' during the actual setup.

Re. pH controller. Here's how it works.. it has a probe that goes into the water. That probe has to be calibrated every now and then. When CO2 is introduced, carbonic acid (CO2 + water) will drive down pH. When the preset pH is reached, the controller shut off the regulator and hence no more CO2 is introduced. I don't use pH controller. You can start off buying kH and pH measuring kit and from there determine the CO2 level.


Lastly, I am proud of you. Once you start investing you will find alot of buddies down that path, all complaining no money but still throwing in more money every now and then..

[vratenza]

This looks like a big project and I really advise you to consider again if you are just beginning to appreciate planted tanks. If things don't work out the way you want, it could really put you off the hobby indefinately.

But if you have really decided to go ahead after much reading and planning, I suggest you go for something not too high-tech.

Have you considered how much time you can spend on this tank? You need to consider this and then make your choice of plants. There are quite a lot of low maintenance plants to choose from and they will suit you and your setup well, as you can concentrate your time on other matters - like your type of aquascape, fuana, fert regiment etc.

Personally I would stick to about 2-2.5wpg as this will give you less algae problems.

Good luck with your project and keep us updated!

hi! Hi thanks for the advice to reconsider... actually not that inexperienced as i am currently playing around with a 1.5X0.5X1.5 ft tank with overhead filter....its on nutrafin co2 & flippers...2mm sand with no base fert.....so far my plants are growing ok....maybe they r low maintenance type now waiting for my taiwan moss wall to grow out....
as you can see, with this setup, i am beginning to appreciate the challenges & thrill of a well planted aquarium.....that makes me feel constrained by its small size which resulted in many other limitations.... that's one of the reason i am going for a bigger setup

the problem i have now is plant IDing ....do you have any recommendation to read up on the commonly avail plants in Spore LFS? That way i can zoom in on the lower maintainance plants

the last i calculated, for 3wpg, i should be looking at 500+w of lights...... what is your advice?

[vratenza]

wow wow wow.. here's a big jump into this good hobby.
You seemed to have read up quite a bit already from the list of things you want to get/buy. Good job in staking out a piece of area for yourself.. it is now or never, right?

Re. the bracing, it I were you I will go for 1 big center piece if I have to. That can also serve as a temp tool holding place when you are doing maint.

Re. filter, I think 2x2028 is good enough. It is true that CO2 reactor (diffuser does not slow down the flow as it does not connect to the flow at all, does it?) and chiller will slow down the flow. But I still think the setup is good enough.

Re. T5 vs MH. T5 is definitely cooler than MH. T5 also offers better spread than MH. If the tank location is rather enclosed or if the house is mostly locked up most of the time in the day and your aircon is not turn on all the time, then the heat build up can be significant. MH cast very hard shadow too. The number of MH (if you use them) will also determine the brace position. If you decides on 2 MH, then center brace is ok. If you want to use 3, then better to have 2 braces, dividing the tank surface into 3 equal areas. You are aware of MH with 70W as well as 150W right? Of course bigger wattage is also available.

Re. Lapis and Base fert qty. I think 4 bags of Lapis is enough. 6 bags of JBJ may just be sufficient. Since you will be buying alot of stuff at a go, you may want to work out a pay-as-you-use plan with the LFS, that is, take 8 bags of JBJ and 6 bags of lapis. If do not need that much, then return for refund.

Re, chiller in cabinet. I am about to embark on my 4ft project. My chiller will be inside my cabinet. See pic in http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=17646
Basicaly I think it is possible to hide the chiller in the cabinet. But you have to take active steps to ensure that the hot air will not be recycled by the chiller. You will need to leave a good size gap between the cabinet and the wall. I am going to leave a 5 inches gap. you will also noticed that I do not have any backings at al for my cabinet. Aeration is one big reason.

Re. plants to start off. You need a concept in mind of what the end pic you like to achieve. Having said that, I generally plant very densely at the start. Many of the fast plants are meant to be sacrificed later when the tank stablised.

Re. where to find driftwood and rocks. You can find them in places like Eco-Culture or Nature Aquarium. Again you need to have some concept in mind before embarking to buy. Having said that, I usually buy more than what I need because you will never know if you need another piece here and there to 'fill in the gap' during the actual setup.

Re. pH controller. Here's how it works.. it has a probe that goes into the water. That probe has to be calibrated every now and then. When CO2 is introduced, carbonic acid (CO2 + water) will drive down pH. When the preset pH is reached, the controller shut off the regulator and hence no more CO2 is introduced. I don't use pH controller. You can start off buying kH and pH measuring kit and from there determine the CO2 level.


Lastly, I am proud of you. Once you start investing you will find alot of buddies down that path, all complaining no money but still throwing in more money every now and then..

hi! thanks for all the specific reply to all my queries
I saw your thread on your 4ft tank setup... really impressed with the tot thats go into the design of your tank and the cabinet.

a few questions:
1) can pm me who is your tank maker, and would you recommend him?
2) like the louvred doors & removable side panels....looks like very good airflow...r they much more expensive than the standard doors?
3) as my maindoor will open towards the side off the tank...cannot afford have a big gap from the wall...prob the thickness of the wall skirting only....will this be sufficient?
4) i noticed u R using T5 lights from aquamarine....can share with me on your considerations ? why not get brands like dymax hi-lux etc?
Actually NA quote me on a set of T5 lights using osram tubes & ballast..... dunno is i should qet them instead of MH + FL sets.....:/
5) do u know if NA do pay as u use plan? intending to get most of my stuff there ...or u have any better recommendation?

thanks!

[hii]

Just one comment from me ... I will not using lapis sand if have choice..heavy and need a lot to fill up the depth compare to soil. (I always scare the floor will crack hehe but who know it might happen cos 6ft talking here).

of course $$ involve again, but if got budget try soil better. ocean free soil also no bad, used and result was "good" + lighter a lot than lapis sand.

ADA + powersand is "wow" result but ex....

[cks]

If you are not committed to a tank maker yet, I would urge you to consider the following :

Scout around for a reputable tank maker cos currently there are many good and reputable tanker makers around. Bioplast at Blk 22 Boon Keng Road imports tanks from Germany and their quality is also quite good. Another is Aquatechnic but they are quite pricey but they indeed produce very high quality tanks. Coral Reef also makes good tanks. Green Chapter is also a good place for reference and they also do set ups for clients.

Secondly, as you are still new in this hobby, have you considered about an open concept tank. Instead of using FL & PL you can use MH. By using MH you can suspend the lights from the ceiling and you can have plants grow out of your aquarium.And you only change the MH bulb once every 2 years ? Also by having an open concept tank you can easily convert in into a paludarium in future if you are sick of the aquarium set up. Also by having an open concept tank you can have 'euro bracing' . It is actually two strips of glass that run parallel to the front and side glass panel. Looks more professional and will not hinder you when you do maintenance work.

Indidently if you are making an aquarium from scratch do not over look the possibility of using pvc piping for your tank. When you use pvc piping there are two holes drilled at the base of the aquarium and the piping goes from the bottom of the tank and you do not see any ugly green pipies sticking out of the tank.

Also if you are going to make your tank locally, you have a choice of glass. There is a wide range of glass that you can choose from eg crystal glass and also sapphire glass. The more expensive grades are imho are the Japanese brands and they are very clear and it will make a big difference in clarity.

As for filteration of your 6 footer, I would say that a Eheiem 2260 will do the job for you. This is a work horse of a filter and you do not have to clean the filter so often.

As for the frame ( cabinet ) . You do not need the whole tank to be made of chengal wood. Only the main frame needs to be chengal and the doors etc can be made of other types of wood.

Or alternatively you may again want to have an open concept base made of stainless steel( where there are really no doors ) . Then you do not have to worry about heat being trapped in your cabinet. Where you only have the steel frame and the rest of your equiptment is exposed. This is also very classy and may match your surroundings.

Btw I am not realted to any of the establishments mentioned in this post.

Happy hunting .

[neon]

Bro cks, right on ! Seems like you and I had same thought in common on setting up a 6ft tank.

Bro vratenza, you can have 6' tank(like mine and many others) absolutely without centre bracing like cks mentioned and it can be made locally. Just search in http://www.arofanatics.com for tank maker , and there will a few. I am not going to recommend anyone , you may want to see and hear from others first. The centre bracing will definite obstruct any of your creativity like big drift wood, MH, maintenance,etc.

Instead of using FL & PL you can use MH. By using MH you can suspend the lights from the ceiling and you can have plants grow out of your aquarium.And you only change the MH bulb once every 2 years ? Also by having an open concept tank you can easily convert in into a paludarium in future if you are sick of the aquarium set up. Also by having an open concept tank you can have 'euro bracing' . It is actually two strips of glass that run parallel to the front and side glass panel. Looks more professional and will not hinder you when you do maintenance work.

I would recommend MH, reason being :
a) If you are not very very particular to cover every single inch with light.
b) MH gives good penetration to higher depth than any PL , T5 or FL. Watt/gallon is not applicable anymore.
c) each MH 150W 8000K bulb is less than $40 , and change every 2 years vs other PL/T5 changes more frequent. Just calculate yourself.
d) there are variety of MH and T5 or PL combination hang on lighting.
e) ease of maintenance is definitely a plus with MH like mine (5.5' long) hangs above water ~14" and I can reach any spot in the tank under the light .

Indidently if you are making an aquarium from scratch do not over look the possibility of using pvc piping for your tank. When you use pvc piping there are two holes drilled at the base of the aquarium and the piping goes from the bottom of the tank and you do not see any ugly green pipies sticking out of the tank.

YES !! Piping is a must for big tank like this . To make it and enjoyable experience to maintain a 6' tank even make you think changing water every day is fun (if you need to, but I am not suggesting).

Position of your tank and piping become 2 the crucial points , reasons :
a) topup tap water
b) discharge tank water / water change

I positioned my tank at the living room wall which is facing the kitchen toilet. What I had done was to get certified HDB electrical contractor to install 2 power socket with a circuit breaker each. If anyone of them is overloaded won't trip the other, so watch out for this if you did not request for this, the contractor will pull 3 wires and fix 2 wall sockets from the same 3 wires load. Also the electrical contractor usually is very skillful in drilling holes thru walls, and I requested him to 2 x 2" holes - 1 for tank water top up and 1 for tank water discharge.

As I already have a separate tap for the washing machine, and I fixed a Y-splitted tap, each side has a on/off level . With this, one side for my washing machine is not affected with full trottle, and the other side I adjust the on/off to topup my tank slowly . It is really upto you.

Get reputated tank maker who really can do PVC piping and don't afraid to ask for lots of ball-valves, even the toilet side also has one. My piping is considered moderate in the tank maker perspective, but too complicated to describe here.

As for filteration of your 6 footer, I would say that a Eheiem 2260 will do the job for you. This is a work horse of a filter and you do not have to clean the filter so often.

I agreed 2260 (2400L/h) is the minimum, and I changed to 2262(3400L/h) (I simply bought another 2nd hand 1262 pump to replace the 1260 pump for the carnister) reason being that I splited to two sides water return, and with chiller in between, etc. With this, I have more choice to twick. Also , 2260/2262 I considered the best, as it has one discharge valve , and water input is the from the bottom. I don't need to carry the carnister to toilet to clean. Let see how I clean my media. With the help of the piping/ball valve, upon discharge the water out (as mentioned earlier), open up the carnister , remove all the media onto a big tub, close the discharge valve, open the tank water return and water rise from below, wash one media at one time all using tank water, discharge water , and repeat again and again. With weekly 50% WC, I have plenty of good tank water to clean the carnister , without any hustle.

As for the frame ( cabinet ) . You do not need the whole tank to be made of chengal wood. Only the main frame needs to be chengal and the doors etc can be made of other types of wood.

Yes, chengai wood if you can afford and no worry, but make sure the whole frame is lie flat on the floor to evenly spread the load of the tank,water,gravel,etc. Some make chengai frame with 4 or 6 legged, that put a lot of pressure on the floor in smaller area.

Cheers

[vratenza]

Just one comment from me ... I will not using lapis sand if have choice..heavy and need a lot to fill up the depth compare to soil. (I always scare the floor will crack hehe but who know it might happen cos 6ft talking here).

of course $$ involve again, but if got budget try soil better. ocean free soil also no bad, used and result was "good" + lighter a lot than lapis sand.

ADA + powersand is "wow" result but ex....

hmmm but it seem like alot of fellow bros here uses lapis sand....one of the main reason i choose it is also because it is inert...thus less variable to worry about in terms of the substrate affecting the water chemistry.....

But honestly it din occur to me to even consider soil prior to ur comment.... hmmm.... maybe i will read up more on it... you got any reference sites or links? is yours planted in soil? can show me some picts of ur setup? Thanks!

[Nicky]

But honestly it din occur to me to even consider soil prior to ur comment.... hmmm.... maybe i will read up more on it... you got any reference sites or links? is yours planted in soil? can show me some picts of ur setup? Thanks!

I think he is refering to ADA Aquasoil, not the garden soil.

[vratenza]

If you are not committed to a tank maker yet, I would urge you to consider the following :

Scout around for a reputable tank maker cos currently there are many good and reputable tanker makers around. Bioplast at Blk 22 Boon Keng Road imports tanks from Germany and their quality is also quite good. Another is Aquatechnic but they are quite pricey but they indeed produce very high quality tanks. Coral Reef also makes good tanks. Green Chapter is also a good place for reference and they also do set ups for clients.

I'm actually in contact with a few tank makers from Arofanatic forum... got some quotes from them already...... all of them seem to have a following and reputation...

Secondly, as you are still new in this hobby, have you considered about an open concept tank. Instead of using FL & PL you can use MH. By using MH you can suspend the lights from the ceiling and you can have plants grow out of your aquarium.And you only change the MH bulb once every 2 years ? Also by having an open concept tank you can easily convert in into a paludarium in future if you are sick of the aquarium set up. Also by having an open concept tank you can have 'euro bracing' . It is actually two strips of glass that run parallel to the front and side glass panel. Looks more professional and will not hinder you when you do maintenance work.

One of my limitations is that i cannot have hanging lightings as my CO will kill me for messing up the place further....... So for MH options that is not hung... that means they will be much closer to the water for comfort....the water will "boil"! Although i will be getting a chiller....the running cost will be skyhigh.......so I am more towards T5 lightings with top skirtings to cover the ugly fixtures while maintaining "open" hood concept....

Indidently if you are making an aquarium from scratch do not over look the possibility of using pvc piping for your tank. When you use pvc piping there are two holes drilled at the base of the aquarium and the piping goes from the bottom of the tank and you do not see any ugly green pipies sticking out of the tank.

I dun really understand what you are trying to describe? never seen such a setup... the closest i come across is those External overflow system that leads the water to a sump beneath the tank........and i thought a sump is a no no for planted in terms of high CO2 loss.... please explain to be what u mean exactly.....maybe pictures will help

Also if you are going to make your tank locally, you have a choice of glass. There is a wide range of glass that you can choose from eg crystal glass and also sapphire glass. The more expensive grades are imho are the Japanese brands and they are very clear and it will make a big difference in clarity.

The tank makers are all quoting me based on 12 mm Asahi glass... dunno wat grade though...

As for filteration of your 6 footer, I would say that a Eheiem 2260 will do the job for you. This is a work horse of a filter and you do not have to clean the filter so often.

I checked the specs for 2028 and 2260......
2028 pump output is 1049L/H
2260 pump output is 1900L/H
So, 2 X 2028 is slightly more powerful than the single 2260......
I was advised to get 2 separate filter canister to better distribute the flow as the in/out of each filter can be placed at the 2 ends of the tank...

Or alternatively you may again want to have an open concept base made of stainless steel( where there are really no doors ) . Then you do not have to worry about heat being trapped in your cabinet. Where you only have the steel frame and the rest of your equiptment is exposed. This is also very classy and may match your surroundings.

I need to enclose all the unsightly equipments and water changing equipments.....must be aesthetically pleasing for CO's eyes.......

[vratenza]

I think he is refering to ADA Aquasoil, not the garden soil.

erm..... i tot sand is anything in the region of 1-5 mm and soil is much finer?

[Nicky]

1) can pm me who is your tank maker, and would you recommend him?

Aquamarin made my tank. The quality is good. If you like to see it for yourself send me an email or PM.

2) like the louvred doors & removable side panels....looks like very good airflow...r they much more expensive than the standard doors?

Louvred door could possibility be more ex than laminated plywood but do not know how much more. If you want the contact of my carpenter to check it out, email or PM me.

3) as my maindoor will open towards the side off the tank...cannot afford have a big gap from the wall...prob the thickness of the wall skirting only....will this be sufficient?

The thickness of wall skirting for ventillation of chiller is not enough, IMO. Alternatively you can turn the chiller around to face the louvered door. Or even better still, go for the 0.5HP or 1HP chiller that System Control & Engineering did for some in this forum; the compressor unit looks like that of a regular aircon and is wall mount, outside your house. Only the evaporator unit (with all the coils) is hidden in your cabinet, no heat at all. Price is not too scary, in fact quite comparable to regular good chiller. The thing is some minor reno work is needed; how much depends on your preference; hidden conduit or exposed, etc.

4) i noticed u R using T5 lights from aquamarine....can share with me on your considerations ? why not get brands like dymax hi-lux etc?
Actually NA quote me on a set of T5 lights using osram tubes & ballast..... dunno is i should qet them instead of MH + FL sets.....:/

First of all, I am at all related to Aquamarin.
I buy their lights because I like the clean-cut look and I want to suspend my lights. MH produces too much heat. T5 is good enough for my setup and the depth of my tank is 28". FYI, this T5 that I got also have the option of very nice legs to sit on your tank. But I don't think T5 comes in 6ft. 5ft T5 is 80W but never heard of 6ft one. That's another consideration for the position of your bracing.

5) do u know if NA do pay as u use plan? intending to get most of my stuff there ...or u have any better recommendation?

If I were to be them I will do it. You can always propose to Chan that you pay for all upfront but anything that is not opened/used can be returned in the original condition within a specific time frame. If you buy everything or almost everything from him I don't see why he will not agree. Or ask Green Chapter, Eco-Culture, Fu Wo, etc. There are just alot of credible suppliers out there.

[|squee|]

You guys are certainly doing a good job of helping him out!

Perhaps diagrams will be useful.

[Nicky]

erm..... i tot sand is anything in the region of 1-5 mm and soil is much finer?

I think we are refering to ADA Powersand and ADA Aquasoil.
Ex. but good stuff.

ADA Powersand does not look like sand.
ADA Aquasoil does not look like soil.

[vratenza]

Bro cks, right on ! Seems like you and I had same thought in common on setting up a 6ft tank.

Bro vratenza, you can have 6' tank(like mine and many others) absolutely without centre bracing like cks mentioned and it can be made locally. Just search in http://www.arofanatics.com for tank maker , and there will a few. I am not going to recommend anyone , you may want to see and hear from others first. The centre bracing will definite obstruct any of your creativity like big drift wood, MH, maintenance,etc.

But i called up a few of these tank makers in arofanatics and out of the 3.... only 1 say that it will be no problem doing a 6x2x2 without any centre brace..... the other 2 say definitely must have some form of centre brace unless i go for minimum 19mm.... which is prohibitively $$$! So i am getting conflicting signals here..... If you have a 6x2x2 without centre brace and no problem so far, can you please pm me your tank maker and his contact? Thanks!

I would recommend MH, reason being :
a) If you are not very very particular to cover every single inch with light.
b) MH gives good penetration to higher depth than any PL , T5 or FL. Watt/gallon is not applicable anymore.
c) each MH 150W 8000K bulb is less than $40 , and change every 2 years vs other PL/T5 changes more frequent. Just calculate yourself.
d) there are variety of MH and T5 or PL combination hang on lighting.
e) ease of maintenance is definitely a plus with MH like mine (5.5' long) hangs above water ~14" and I can reach any spot in the tank under the light .

Those are very valid MH plus points but i have to take into considerations that i cannot hang the MH and thus will be very close to the water surface and that the water temp will be quite high resulting in need to invest in better bigger chiller and increase electricity bill and chiller servicing/parts.... so more or less wipe out any savings from MH bulb changes...

YES !! Piping is a must for big tank like this . To make it and enjoyable experience to maintain a 6' tank even make you think changing water every day is fun (if you need to, but I am not suggesting).

Position of your tank and piping become 2 the crucial points , reasons :
a) topup tap water
b) discharge tank water / water change

I positioned my tank at the living room wall which is facing the kitchen toilet. What I had done was to get certified HDB electrical contractor to install 2 power socket with a circuit breaker each. If anyone of them is overloaded won't trip the other, so watch out for this if you did not request for this, the contractor will pull 3 wires and fix 2 wall sockets from the same 3 wires load. Also the electrical contractor usually is very skillful in drilling holes thru walls, and I requested him to 2 x 2" holes - 1 for tank water top up and 1 for tank water discharge.

As I already have a separate tap for the washing machine, and I fixed a Y-splitted tap, each side has a on/off level . With this, one side for my washing machine is not affected with full trottle, and the other side I adjust the on/off to topup my tank slowly . It is really upto you.

Get reputated tank maker who really can do PVC piping and don't afraid to ask for lots of ball-valves, even the toilet side also has one. My piping is considered moderate in the tank maker perspective, but too complicated to describe here.

I do not have the luck to have my tank situating just adjacent to the kitchen or toiler....... so i thought to minimise my effort during water changes.... i can link the returning port of the filter canister to a hose leading to the toilet and it will pump out the water for me...... once i am done, just switch off the canister. To refill, just have to connect the hose to the toilet hose loh........alternatively i can store a container of water for aging purpose and get a pump to pump up the water from there So what do you think?

I agreed 2260 (2400L/h) is the minimum, and I changed to 2262(3400L/h) (I simply bought another 2nd hand 1262 pump to replace the 1260 pump for the carnister) reason being that I splited to two sides water return, and with chiller in between, etc. With this, I have more choice to twick. Also , 2260/2262 I considered the best, as it has one discharge valve , and water input is the from the bottom. I don't need to carry the carnister to toilet to clean. Let see how I clean my media. With the help of the piping/ball valve, upon discharge the water out (as mentioned earlier), open up the carnister , remove all the media onto a big tub, close the discharge valve, open the tank water return and water rise from below, wash one media at one time all using tank water, discharge water , and repeat again and again. With weekly 50% WC, I have plenty of good tank water to clean the carnister , without any hustle.

That's a good method! but i am worried about inadequacy of a single suction and out flow control to minimise dead spot and also prevent too strong a current at a particuler spot of the tank by just using a single more powerful filter....

Yes, chengai wood if you can afford and no worry, but make sure the whole frame is lie flat on the floor to evenly spread the load of the tank,water,gravel,etc. Some make chengai frame with 4 or 6 legged, that put a lot of pressure on the floor in smaller area.

Hmm... good advise! will note about it when i meetup with the tank maker to discuss the cabinet!

[Nicky]

Also by having an open concept tank you can have 'euro bracing' . It is actually two strips of glass that run parallel to the front and side glass panel. Looks more professional and will not hinder you when you do maintenance work.

Another option of Euro bracing is to have 4 strips of glass running along the top of all 4 sides of the tank. And don't overlap the 4 strips of glass, that is, the 4 strips should be flat like a running track to your finger. And build the euro-bracing as close to the top edge as possible. That's what I call 'neat'.

[benny]

I have been reading up quite abit around the local forums and such to do my research and some of you may have seen my postings on the other forums before i found my way to this forum....well, i must say the adviced given by the experience forumers here seem to be more thorough and balanced then elsewhere...

Hi vratenza!

Welcome to Aquatic Quotient and thanks for the kind compliments. Really made our day.

I had some comments, but most of them are already covered by the good advice, comments and recommendations posted by the guys earlier.

One thing I will point out is the by using 1 filter instead of 2, the heat load on the water will be reduced as the pump also contribute heat to the water. Check the Wattage on 2 X 2028 and 1 X 2260 and you can get an estimate. Incidentally, the Eheim Professional III series has 2 inlet and 1 outlet. Uses very little power, but it's a a premium. Easy maintanence, but at a premium.

You setup sounds exciting. Do keep us updated of the development. Better yet, show us as it happens, very much like what Nicky has done.

Cheers,

[vratenza]

Another option of Euro bracing is to have 4 strips of glass running along the top of all 4 sides of the tank. And don't overlap the 4 strips of glass, that is, the 4 strips should be flat like a running track to your finger. And build the euro-bracing as close to the top edge as possible. That's what I call 'neat'.

I tried asking the tank makers... they say for 6x2x2, even if using eurobracing, they must also ad the centre brace.....sigh..... only one say he can do otherwise.... that's why abit worried...

[Nicky]

I tried asking the tank makers... they say for 6x2x2, even if using eurobracing, they must also ad the centre brace.....sigh..... only one say he can do otherwise.... that's why abit worried...

Here's my take on this..

You need to hold the tank-maker responsible for your tank and the safety that comes with it. So if they said you must have this and that it is best to follow their instruction.

I think you are ok;
- you do not want suspended light
- you do not want MH because you cannot suspend them
- you want to have something cool and yet need to penetrate water
- your tank need center bracing (according to your tank maker)
- you are considering T5 and T5 does not come in 6ft

So you just have to make the center brace and get 3ft T5 lah.

Aquamarin has a neat and affordable T5.
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=17588
Seen it with my own eye. Can consider.