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Hi,

I would like to set up a BIG aquaria for rift valley cichlids i.e.
12ftx2ftx2ft. Is there some I could invest in up front that would save
labour time in the long run in doing water changes?

tia,

Sky.


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"SkyCatcher®" wrote in message
...
I would like to set up a BIG aquaria for rift valley cichlids i.e.
12ftx2ftx2ft. Is there some I could invest in up front that would save
labour time in the long run in doing water changes?

A bit of plumbing come to mind.

"Nemo" wrote in message
...
"SkyCatcher®" wrote in message
...
I would like to set up a BIG aquaria for rift v cichlids i.e.
12ftx2ftx2ft. Is there some I could invest in up front that would save
labour time in the long run in doing water changes?

A bit of plumbing come to mind.



Automate the water changes thru plumbing, you can completely automate things
if you use timers and solenoid valves, or just simplify things by running
the water supply and drains right next to the tank.

Harry




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"SkyCatcher®" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I would like to set up a BIG aquaria for rift valley cichlids i.e.
12ftx2ftx2ft. Is there some I could invest in up front that would save
labour time in the long run in doing water changes?

tia,

Sky.


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.598 / Virus Database: 380 - Release Date: 28/02/2004



By my calculactions thats 48 cubic feet.
When I was running my 8' x 30" x 30" (50 cubic feet) I had it on continual
water change.

A 15mm copper pipe was plumbed to input cold tap water continually.
The main tank overflowed into a 4' filter tank in an adjacent room which in
turn overflowed to waste.

The filter tank was arranged so the water zigzaged through various media.
Starting with nylon pan scourers, then garden perlag then coral gravel.
It was finally heated & airated before being pumped back to the main tank
via an Eheim hobby filter.

I also had two large external cannister filters, one at each end of the main
tank.

Make sure you have the tank drilled at surface water level so you can
operate an overflow filterating system of some sort.

My tank housed mostly Malawi cichlids, a combination of mbuna & Hap's.
I also had an 18" giraffe catfish in there which served as a supurb gravel
cleaner.
It spend all it's life sifting and stirring up the gravel.
Throughly recommended fish for a big tank - saves you a job!

I like the sound of this but why did you filter the water in the overflow &
put it back to the tank? If you had mains plumbed directly in would you not
just overflow to waste - or am I missing in something?

tia,

Sky.
"Fishman" wrote in message
news:4G81c.2540$GQ.1537@newsfe1-win...

"SkyCatcher®" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I would like to set up a BIG aquaria for rift valley cichlids i.e.
12ftx2ftx2ft. Is there some I could invest in up front that would save
labour time in the long run in doing water changes?

tia,

Sky.


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.598 / Virus Database: 380 - Release Date: 28/02/2004



By my calculactions thats 48 cubic feet.
When I was running my 8' x 30" x 30" (50 cubic feet) I had it on continual
water change.

A 15mm copper pipe was plumbed to input cold tap water continually.
The main tank overflowed into a 4' filter tank in an adjacent room which
in
turn overflowed to waste.

The filter tank was arranged so the water zigzaged through various media.
Starting with nylon pan scourers, then garden perlag then coral gravel.
It was finally heated & airated before being pumped back to the main tank
via an Eheim hobby filter.

I also had two large external cannister filters, one at each end of the
main
tank.

Make sure you have the tank drilled at surface water level so you can
operate an overflow filterating system of some sort.

My tank housed mostly Malawi cichlids, a combination of mbuna & Hap's.
I also had an 18" giraffe catfish in there which served as a supurb gravel
cleaner.
It spend all it's life sifting and stirring up the gravel.
Throughly recommended fish for a big tank - saves you a job!





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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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"SkyCatcher®" wrote in message
...
I like the sound of this but why did you filter the water in the overflow
&
put it back to the tank? If you had mains plumbed directly in would you
not
just overflow to waste - or am I missing in something?

tia,

Sky.

The overflow point in filter tank was at the input (pre filtered) end.
(This is essential because if the filter beds clog and water cannot pass
through the filter tank you'll have an almighty mess.)

The water going to waste (that which overflows from the filter tank) is just
a percentage of the water that has just overflowed out of the main tank and
entered the filter tank.
The bulk of the water that enters the filter tank passes through the filter
beds, gets heated / airated and then is returned back to the main tank.

The filter tank was 48" x 12" x 15".

I get you now - thanks.

I was thinking of something a little simpler - your views would be welcome.

I was thinking of bringing mains straight into the botttom of the tank (via
a lock sheild value & a pre-filter (just to stop any cruude from the main
(not biological) at a drip rate to give me a 30% water change over the
course of the month. This I worked out to be at 0.5 litres per hour. An
overflow at the other end of the tank would go straight to waste (with some
traps etc). I summised that with such a slow rate it shouldn't cause a drop
in temperature & the chlorine shouldn't be a prob? Am I way off the mark?

tia Sky.


"Fishman" wrote in message
...

"SkyCatcher®" wrote in message
...
I like the sound of this but why did you filter the water in the
overflow
&
put it back to the tank? If you had mains plumbed directly in would you
not
just overflow to waste - or am I missing in something?

tia,

Sky.

The overflow point in filter tank was at the input (pre filtered) end.
(This is essential because if the filter beds clog and water cannot pass
through the filter tank you'll have an almighty mess.)

The water going to waste (that which overflows from the filter tank) is
just
a percentage of the water that has just overflowed out of the main tank
and
entered the filter tank.
The bulk of the water that enters the filter tank passes through the
filter
beds, gets heated / airated and then is returned back to the main tank.

The filter tank was 48" x 12" x 15".




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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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"SkyCatcher®" wrote in message
news
I get you now - thanks.

I was thinking of something a little simpler - your views would be
welcome.

I was thinking of bringing mains straight into the botttom of the tank
(via
a lock sheild value & a pre-filter (just to stop any cruude from the main
(not biological) at a drip rate to give me a 30% water change over the
course of the month. This I worked out to be at 0.5 litres per hour. An
overflow at the other end of the tank would go straight to waste (with
some
traps etc). I summised that with such a slow rate it shouldn't cause a
drop
in temperature & the chlorine shouldn't be a prob? Am I way off the mark?

tia Sky.


Just make sure you have chlorine not chloramines in your water, the latter
would cause problems since it doesn't escape into the atmosphere, you need
chemicals or special filters (ie: carbon changed ever few days, etc.).

Harry




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"SkyCatcher®" wrote in message
news
I get you now - thanks.

I was thinking of something a little simpler - your views would be
welcome.

I was thinking of bringing mains straight into the botttom of the tank
(via
a lock sheild value & a pre-filter (just to stop any cruude from the main
(not biological) at a drip rate to give me a 30% water change over the
course of the month. This I worked out to be at 0.5 litres per hour. An
overflow at the other end of the tank would go straight to waste (with
some
traps etc). I summised that with such a slow rate it shouldn't cause a
drop
in temperature & the chlorine shouldn't be a prob? Am I way off the mark?

tia Sky.


Quite reasonable, but I'd have the mains water entering the tank from above
water level so you can see at a glance what is going on.

Also, even if you do have continual water change you'll still need plenty of
filtration as you can't have a great flow in and out otherwise your leccy
bill will be astronomic.

Chiclids when fed well, produce lots of waste and I assume you intend
keeping quite a few.

By the way try to arrange the overflow to draw water from the bottom of the
tank.

I did this by segmenting off a back corner of the tank with a long strip of
glass about 6" wide.
It was siliconed in place so if you looked down from above the tank you had
a small triangular area with the overflow hole within the tringle.
The glass strip came up a couple of inches above water level but ended some
5 inches off the tank bottom.
A bit of course nylon mesh was siliconed in place at the bottom to keep the
fish out of this trianular bit.

Water with any muck n' mulm from the tank bottom went in through this mesh
and rose up in the triangular area and went out the overflow.

PS Fry seemed to like this little area - safe from the larger tank mates and
I suppose tiny scraps of food went in here when I fed the fish.
Very occasionally they would go out the overflow and end up in the filter
tank!

"SkyCatcher®" wrote in message
...
I would like to set up a BIG aquaria for rift valley cichlids i.e.
12ftx2ftx2ft. Is there some I could invest in up front that would save
labour time in the long run in doing water changes?



I'm not sure if it's everyones cup of tea, but when I started
getting back into aquaria again I was determined to do
weekly water changes. So I built a unit in the hall that has
room in it for two large 15 gallon open top water containers.

I then bought an electric pump intended for outside fountains
and hooked up some reinforced tubing to it.

So once a week I fill one of the tubs from the tap and turn on
the heater in it and leave it for 3 days or so to age and get up
to temperature.

Then I syphon water from the tank into the second container and
use the tank water to rinse filters in etc.

Then I pump the new water from the tub into the tank, and finally
pump the old water into the sink.

It all takes about 15 minutes on a Saturday, with no mess and no
physical lugging about of heavy buckets :-)

--
Edward Cowling - London - UK