How to hide filters and CO2 in Aquascaping tanks?

[Vincentwangzx]

Hi guys! I finally found a local forum and I'm so happy to be part of it! I have two tanks; a 24Litre nano cube, and a tiny 5L desktop tank. I keep CPDs and neon tetra in my 24litre, planted with Eleocharis parvula and I tied some Java moss to a driftwood to look like a tree (pictures tonight).
In the 5L I keep 8 RCS and one oto for algae management. I used spiderwood to make a tree here as well.
The question I have is, I see lots of ppl here with 60x30x36 tanks, all beautifully Aquascaped, and I wonder how they hide all their stuff like filters and CO2? I can't tell from first look they have all these stuff, but best part is their back glass seems to be transparent/white?
Here's an earlier picture of my 24l tank:
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1423530378.300956.jpg

I used to have a honey gourami and some guppy Endlers but I have given it to my colleague, to keep my tank uniform in the fauna. Also I switched the basic ceramic diffuser to the ANS glass diffuser.
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[Vincentwangzx]

Here's a picture of my 5l tank!
Attachment 46998



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[mUAr_cHEe]

Glassware and inline reactors remove most of the equipment out of the tank. You can consider this approach too. They are even selling mini canisters now which make this even more perfect for nano tanks.

[Vincentwangzx]

Sounds interesting. What are inline reactors? And incidentally, what are lily pipes?


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[mUAr_cHEe]

Inline reactors or diffusers will inject CO2 into the water just like an in-tank diffuser. The design of these inline devices is aimed at taking it away from the tank but along with your current mechnical filteration system. These are usually installed along the output hose of the filteration system.

Here is a sample of an inline diffuser installed in the output of the canister filter.



These are samples of the glassware you can use.




You can check out some of our tank threads in the aquascaping forum to see how we scape our tanks to hide whatever we want out of sight.



Either that or you can just take out all the equipment from your tank before you snap a picture.

[Vincentwangzx]

I see. Are u saying the CO2 is injected into the outlet valve of the canister filter and then that travels into your tank somehow without being seen? Haha. I have no idea how external canister filters work. But I'm getting what u say. But could u kindly explain to me how those glassware in the picture works? I saw an ANS one being sold and am interested in getting in but I have no idea what goes where.


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[Vincentwangzx]

Either that or you can just take out all the equipment from your tank before you snap a picture.

That's really funny! I hope Aquascapers are not doing that!



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[mUAr_cHEe]

I see. Are u saying the CO2 is injected into the outlet valve of the canister filter and then that travels into your tank somehow without being seen? Haha. I have no idea how external canister filters work. But I'm getting what u say. But could u kindly explain to me how those glassware in the picture works? I saw an ANS one being sold and am interested in getting in but I have no idea what goes where.

This is my set up.



Sorry but this the best I can do for now. This picture was taken during one of my maintenance days. That blank space in the middle of the cabinet is where the canister filters should be.

The inlet pipes are on the left side of the tank and the outlets are on the right side. You can click on the picture to go to the photo page to access a bigger version of the same picture to see the details more carefully. You can try to trace and see how I run my pipes and hoses.

Here is another picture of my tank only. You can see the glass pipes more clearly here, which actually should not be the case.



The inlet pipes on the left and a visble lily pipe on the right. The other one is hidden behind the woodscape.

My set up consist of 2 canisters. One to run into the chiller and another to run into my inline CO2 reactor. Here is another picture of everything running in it. You can see the layout of the equipment here.



From left to right: Chiller, canister filters, co2 tanks. CO2 reactor in front of the blue CO2 tank and UV filter mounted on the right side of the cabinet.

That's really funny! I hope Aquascapers are not doing that!

There are actually people who are doing that when they are entering their tanks into competitions. You got to do whatever it takes, man.

[Vincentwangzx]

Wow muar Chee, ur setup is the bomb man! Nice Dutch style. and thanks for showing me what goes behind the scene! Is there really a need for a chiller? Or is it due to certain plants u have in there?

Having said that, I think I know how the reactor and glassware works! The CO2 reactor is attached to the outlet valve of the canister filter. It ensures a high efficiency in dissolving the CO2.

The glassware with the funnel is the where the water flows in to the tank? And the other one takes the water from the tank and delivers it into the canister?


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[mUAr_cHEe]

Thank you. But I do not really know if mine is a Dutch, I just do what I like to see.

There are many reason why I am running a chiller. Better plant growth, better stablization of water temperature, allow me the flexibility of expanding into keeping CRS.

Yes. The one with the 'wider mouth' is called a lily pipe and yes. the other one is for the water to travel from the tank to the canister.

[Vincentwangzx]

Wow thanks! I look forward to running a system like that soon! For now, all my stuff are all over the place. My Nanotank has a false wall with 3 compartments, where I have a submersible pump, an overflow filter media cartridge, and a HOB.
My next question then is, can my glass diffuser be hidden in the compartment where the submersible pump is? That way I'll at least not see the glass diffuser in my setup. Will the CO2 that is dissolved be siphoned through the pump and brought into the main tank?

Or, can I put the glass diffuser in the compartment where the HOB filter is? The idea I think is the bubbles will be sucked in and further dissolved and then flow out as dissolved CO2?

Thanks guys for ur patience with my questions


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[Urban Aquaria]

Wow thanks! I look forward to running a system like that soon! For now, all my stuff are all over the place. My Nanotank has a false wall with 3 compartments, where I have a submersible pump, an overflow filter media cartridge, and a HOB.
My next question then is, can my glass diffuser be hidden in the compartment where the submersible pump is? That way I'll at least not see the glass diffuser in my setup. Will the CO2 that is dissolved be siphoned through the pump and brought into the main tank?

Or, can I put the glass diffuser in the compartment where the HOB filter is? The idea I think is the bubbles will be sucked in and further dissolved and then flow out as dissolved CO2?

Thanks guys for ur patience with my questions

Yes, you can hide the Co2 diffuser inside the internal overflow sump (IOS) compartments, it'll work the same.

Its usually best to have less surface agitation when injecting Co2, mainly to reduce off-gassing of the Co2, so putting it inside the hang-on filter may not be as efficient.

[Shadow]

That's really funny! I hope Aquascapers are not doing that!

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On the contrary, it is normal thing to do for competition tank. We will take out all equipment during photo taking. If you are not doing so, you wont even get into top 2000 .