My current setup Version 2.1

[Scott_sg]

Since Killi keepers are always curious, and it is always good to see how others do things. Here is my current setup. One thing about fishkeeping is everytime you come back to it, well you get a bit smarter with each iteration.

It is pretty much the same as before, but slowly getting better. I installed 2x 4' tubes above the shelf, one pink/red one daylight. I am working on one shelf at a time. So this shelf also has an ice box in the corner and it did have coolant lines running through while i was testing. I am just waiting on some electronics and bits coming in. I am building in some Peltier coolers that will be in the ice box, then am planning on using the coolant system to pump cold water through the lines. The lines then go into each tank and by controlling the amount of flow into each tank, i can control the temp. It worked fine under testing. Heat exchange will be through 3/16 aluminium tubing i am still waiting for. The actual peltier/TEC units I am planning to control through pulse width modulation at 10A max rating for the tech types. The lines themselves will be wrapped in neoprene to stop condensation, and because I am mean and the electricity is expensive here, so I dont want to waste energy. Well thats the plan..

This was work in progress...Prototyping. If it works for this shelf then I will get more bits in and do it for the others.



Currently:



Under the hood:



I still seem to be fooling about growing algae and other things as much as fish, but... I have taken an interest in plants.. Anyway I cant keep borrowing Java moss from Selena now she is into her Carnivorous plants and things. I have rigged up a DIY yeast CO2 system, and I have to admit it is fun checking on the plants, and well watching the bubbles come off them. And they now seem to grow at incredible rates. In the past all I ever saw my plants do was go brown and die.

One of my mini jungles:



Oh and this is my current experiments in natural filtration... plants. Also I am lazy and well I figure the plants growing well provide as much or more biological filtration as sponge filters which i used to use. The plants though look nicer and dont take up room or get messy like the sponge filters do.

[retro_gk]

Very interesting setup! How do you access tanks in the back?

[selena]

Hey Scott, no worries, no need to borrow nor return. I check and come back to you what moss are still available.

Don't forget me................i just a phone call away

----------------------------
Selena

[Scott_sg]

To get to the tanks at the back I walk around to the other side

Although there never seems to be enough room and always trays and junk to store everywhere. The cloudy looking tank is daphnia/moina on the bottom are 2' tanks one with catfish and a couple of odd things. Fast water in there hence the power filter. And the other bottom tank has Betta simorum although it is so dark in there the main thing i check for is 3 inch white fur balls. The rest are just a mix of things, still a mess and a work in progress though.

Scott.

[retro_gk]

Yes, walking around to the back would solve a lot of problems

Very nice setup. I'll probably set up something similar over the summer. Do keep us posted on the chiller prototype.

[stoker]

Hi Scott

Use the same idea on filtration except that I run all the return water into a filter with JAVA MOSS in it , the idea is to keep the nitrates down.Believe they use the same idea in commercial water systems to return "clean" water after it`s been through the effluent plant I think they use rushes as they have a good root system. Use a continuous flow system with the syphons as in the AKA site with sponge filters to take out the lumpy bits and stop fry from being sucked out of the tank. It also allows them to snack when hungry,and when aren`t they
Woodlands is that where the big water?? pipe is been there with the merchant navy.

Mike

[Scott_sg]

Hi Mike,

Yeah I like the idea of using the plants, there are a few reasons for it. With a lot of tanks maintaining filters is just extra work i could do without. Also they take up a lot of room in my small tanks.

There is also the fact is that i am quite tight with my Money. I think the whole thing has cost me directly about $400-500 SGD about 150 pounds I guess. All my family is from the Southwest - Annan Dumfries etc. So perhaps it is all the Scots blood in me.

The other thing is I have become more interested in semi closed systems and recycling. Again water is expensive here. And it is just an interesting thing to play with. So rather than doing water changes and throwing the water, I am trying to use that waste water in plant only tanks or for culture tanks of daphnia etc. So in a sense the water is cycled through as it then comes back for top ups. It is not perfect but well it makes things easier and there is some logical sense in it to my mind. It also means I always have on hand aged good water. Which the foods and things i grow can always use.

My next plan is to build more of a "race" style long tank with bulkhead overflows through it. Put dirty water in one end and hopefully lots of plants to get clean water at the other end. It is really just more for fun, but in theory should give me a nice supply of good water for top ups etc.

My ambition in life is to be able send plants and moss to KL

Either way these days I am definitely a plant convert for my tanks. The water quality does seem to stay more constant.

Oh and Woodlands is right on the north side of Singapore. Most older sailors know Woodlands and Sembawang. For me I am about 10 minutes drive from Malaysia - ignoring traffic. To Singapore city is about 30min. And you are right that is were the big water pipes come across from Johor. One of those international issues.. Almost as bad as Scotland buying back Scottish water from England ...

Scott

[stoker]

Hi Scott

The idea of the raceway tank is much the same as the water utilitys use , the exit from the works goes into a pond yuck and in theory by the time leaves is fit to drink (I don`t think so).

Yes can remember bring fuel oil there from the other side of the island, long trip that was , was an engineer so you can imagine the temperature in the engine room.

Mike

[Scott_sg]

was an engineer so you can imagine the temperature in the engine room.

Mike

Using the Nickname "stoker" gives a pretty big hint

Yeah pretty much the same idea as the civil systems. To be honest there is no real need for it. I just like seeing if things can be done. I dont have any plans to drink my treated water though.

Anyway theory and practice seldom work out as the same thing.

Scott.

[RonWill]

My next plan is to build more of a "race" style long tank with bulkhead overflows through it. Put dirty water in one end and hopefully lots of plants to get clean water at the other end. It is really just more for fun, but in theory should give me a nice supply of good water for top ups etc

Scott, I have two longish tank (36"L x 8"H x 8"D) that's yours to modify with bulkheads or overflow boxes. Like your idea of 'race style' recirculating tank, pretty much like I'm using my planter boxes as a pre-filter. Have extra panes of 3mm glass if you want to cut them up for partitions; gravel, plant-holding area, fine filter wool, etc (functions similar to a sump)

No charge, so let me know if you're keen to arrange for collection.

[Scott_sg]

Ronnie,
They sound almost perfect for what I had in mind, so I will take you up on your offer if you don't need them. I just need to figure out how I will transport them first. I will hunt down someone with some wheels and get back to you.

Scott.

[RonWill]

Scott, I just realized that the two tanks vary slightly in dimensions;
36"L x 8"H x 9"D
36"L x 7"H x 7"D

If you want some glass sheets as well, I'll do dig up the glass cutter (but wear gloves, please!). Afraid I can't help with a hole cutter but can custom bend some PVC pipes for over-flow boxes, if needed.

You have my number, so gimme a buzz when you're set.

[ed seeley]

Hi guys, just joined this forum and enjoyed reading this thread.

Thought I could add something to your debate here about filtration using plants. Mike's set up using Java moss will work great, but you could get way better filtration results using plants that grow more rapidly. The water hyacinth I saw floating in one tank would be a good choice, or another floating plant like Amazon Frogbit. Floating plants use atmospheric CO2 and don't need any substrate (like the moss) and are very easy to remove when they multiply, which they will!

Your ideas of a long thin plant would work brilliantly, IMO, with a bright light over the top. NB, the brighter the light, the more growth too.

A brightly lit tank with a few floating plants with w decent flow of water should have a great effect. You could even add biological filter media under the floating plants too.

[Scott_sg]

Hi Ed,

Welcome to the forum, I think it will be a bit quiet around here for the next few days with Chinese New Year Happening in this part of the world.

You are right about the floating plants, I am trying to get hold of some more, but for some reason they often dont seem popular. Personally I think even duckweed can look nice. Also a lot of my fish seem much happier with floating plants.

The incidence of suicidal jumping fish drops dramatically with floating plants, also a lot of the fish look better in the dappled sort of light.

Just my opinions,
Scott

[ed seeley]

Yeah I'm sure it will, Gung Hay Fat Choy (have I spelt that right? - My kids and I were trying to pronounce it at school on Friday and our reception kids made a dragon costume and came and danced all aorund our school - it was cool!)

Duckweed is an excellent user of nitrogen compounds and very easy to crop and can be put on top of house plant compost to rot down and release it's nutrients to them as a kind of fertiliser!
I'd offer to send you some Amazon Frogbit, but I don't know how legal it would be to post from the UK! And it might cost a bit more than the plants would be worth!