150 gallon Mbuna build

[Adam]

Still looking for another filter to complement the two AC110s.  I've been told three AC110s would be ok.  I was considering the FX5, but it's really pricey.  An eheim (the ones under $350) or lesser fluval wouldn't pump out nearly enough for my tastes. 

I thought about it for a long time, but I couldn't justify shelling out $350+ for a filter.  I already had the two AC110s, so I may as well use them.  I think the ACs are a quality, practical product.

Adam

[oenology]

I'll be interested to see how you UGJ system works. I will be setting up 2 large tanks in the near future (as soon as I'm resonably sure I won't have 2x150g of water on the floor) and have been thinking about it for awhile.

[darkdep]

Love it.  Can you post pics of the UCJ setup once it's built?  This is something I've considered before but haven't tackled yet.

[Adam]

Absolutely I will post progress.  I will do a lot today because I have the whole day free.  This is going to be my tank build thread, so I'll try to keep it quite detailed.  I'll take lots of pictures along the way.  I've always wanted to do maybe a styro-crete background, moonlights, UGJs, etc, but for now I'll just do the UGJs...we'll see in a bit if I can make the background.

Adam

[PrincessFish]

Wow, this is fascinating!! 

I only have a 25g now but am thinking about a ~90g this summer and have been wondering if I am totally crazy to be getting into this hobby because I am planning to put down hardwood flooring next year.  Is this a completely ridiculous combination??  Or if I am as cautious as you are being is it safe?   1500 g of water would pretty much mean tearing out the floor I'd guess!  And that would just be plain cost prohibitive!!

[Adam]

900 lbs would be approximately what your tank would weigh, over 6 square feet. 150lbs/ square foot.  That's a normal adult standing there.  I don't think 6 adults standing in close proximity for a long time would collapse your floor.  Hardwood is sealed, so I wouldn't worry about water damage.  As for the weight, just make sure to put it on a load bearing wall with floor joists running perpendicular to the widest part of the aquarium.  Just be cautious, research, and plan and you won't have any problems you can't deal with.

Oh, I finished the UGJs...they look spiffy.  I'll post a picture later.

Adam

[PrincessFish]

Thanks Adam, that's encouraging.  I'm not tooo worried about the floor being unable to support the tank . . . But, what about all the talk about glass cracking?  How often does this happen??  Just how perfectly level does the tank have to be - or is the risk caused by the floor bowing under the weight - not sure I understand all the risk factors . . . etc . . . etc . . .

[Adam]

Alright, here are the pictures of my UGJ setup.  I think I will use two RIO 1700 pumps, one for each sequence.  The jets are all aimed towards the nearest filter intake, but I still need to tweak it when I get my AC110s onto it. 

First I cut the eggcrate to size, and then placed the small adapters where I wanted them.  I cut each length of PVC one by one, fitting it together after each cut.  I wouldn't recommend doing every cut right away because the female parts each accept a different length of PVC, so it put my measurements off by a bit.




I took the eggcrate out and attached the PVC to it using plastic zip ties.  I cut notches for the ties in the bottom of the eggcrate so that I could have a uniform, flat surface to rest on the bottom glass.




I boiled a few lengths of PVC, and squeezed them using pliers to the jet shape.  I had different lengths because of the height of the different adapters.  That's pretty much it.  It took an afternoon and an evening (I didn't work the entire time...), but it was worth it.  Here is the final shape:




The left side:




The centre...those pieces sticking upwards with no jet on them are the intakes for the pumps.




The right side




Horizontal right




Horizontal left




I didn't glue the pieces together because I want flexibility in case I have to disassemble or change the direction of the jets.  The pieces fit tightly together, so I am not worried about pressure loss due to the escape of rogue water.  I may coat the end pieces of the PVC with epoxy and then the pool filter sand I will be using to disguise them.  Next is to find some decently priced pumps and figure out about the background.  I may do the styro-crete background, or a simpler matte black back.  I'm leaning towards the matte-black because of time and the fact that I want to fill it up with water soon.

Adam

[Adam]

Just a few updates for those interested.

I ordered two Rio HF10 pumps for my UGJs.  They should be arriving in (get this:...) 28 to 42 business days.  From New York...I could walk there faster.  Cost?  ~$142 for both.

I picked up two 200W Visi-Therm stealth heaters at BA with some store credit and OVAS discount.  ~$48 for both.

Also decided on lighting.  I will be purchasing 2 36" 2x39W Hagen T5HO glo fixtures sometime before the sale ends.  I will have 10 000K bulbs and 12 000K bulbs.

Anyways I think I would feel I cheated myself if I didn't make a background for this aquarium.  I've always wanted a tank that has everything I read about in it.  UGJs and a background...pretty much.  I don't want the hassle of a styro-crete background, and I'm not artistically inclined to make a truly wonderful piece.

So I've decided on this:

http://www.duboisi.com/diy/BNdiygrotto/bndiygrotto.htm

I think that it would be best if I did the gutters horizontally for my filter intakes as well as my heaters.  Good idea or will my fish not use the vertical caves as much as a horizontal cave?

I want to exchange the lava rock for crushed (about the same size as in the article) limestone. Will this be too heavy? I already have limestone rocks, so I wish to match it.

What colour of gutter would look best with the grey rocks? Is there anything other than white or brown?

Clear or another colour silicone? Which brand and type?

What kind of anchoring to attach it to my AGA tank? I can zip tie it to some eggcrate in my empty bottom. What about for the top? I don't want to silicone this anywhere. I want to be able to remove it.

What about the outflow waterfall? How should I modify it so it doesn't impede that portion? Bend in the gutter, cover it with rocks and allow enough room for the water to come down?

I have a 2 pump UGJ system and 2 heaters in the aquarium as well. I was thinking of putting a vertical section for the heaters. What would be the best way to attach these vertical pieces of gutter to the horizontal ones? How best could I hide the pumps yet allow them enough water to perform their duty?

Drill small holes in the bottom of each horizontal gutter section to allow water drainage during water changes, and allow detritus to be able to fall to the bottom where it would be easier to reach?

What about my africans during water changes? Are they intelligent enough to sense the falling water level and get out?

How should I smooth the holes in the gutter so my fish aren't harmed by shrapnel?

Thanks. I know no one will be able to answer all my questions, but even if you have a little bit of information for any portion of this, I'd greatly appreciate some feedback. I'll post pictures once I have an idea of how I want this to go.

Adam