150 Gallon Mbuna With Cave Grotto Background

[Adam]

Hello,

I've been building this aquarium for a year (some family members would say quite a bit longer).  It was set up for 8 months already, but I never took any photos of it and I just recently moved.  What follows is an amalgamation of photos during the build up.

I've had the fish except 2 demasoni and 1 albino taiwan reef for 5 or so years now.  They've created a dynamic amongst themselves and I like seeing each fish with lots of room for itself instead of cramming in 100 mbuna.

2 M. baliodigma
4 Ps. sp. 'Deep Magunga'
3 L. caeruleus
3 Ps. demasoni
1 P. Spilotonus 'Albino Taiwan
2 C. afra 'Cobue'
2 Ancistrus sp.-144
1 Albino Ancistrus spp. L-144
And a partridge in a pear tree

150 gallon 72x18x29
2 x Aquaclear 110
Fluval FX5
2 x 200W Stealth heaters
2 x 2x39W Hagen glo T5HO (18 000K powerglo + 6700K sunglo)


Their previous home (75 gallon)


Tank arrived


Eggcrate bottom and UGJ (removed)


I thought this would be enough holes


I was wrong


Angle shot


Test piece (GE silicone I peels off, II becomes weak over time)


I got some wood for the aquarium


The pieces I kept


My rocks (and token halloween candy)


FTS


Middle


Left


Middle


Right

As you can see, my plants are still floating around, no rocks or wood in the aquarium as of yet.  The plants can be placed between rocks and also into the background.  I have a few planted aquariums I'm going to be pulling anubias, java fern and valisneria out of when they grow out (major prune since the move).

Hope you enjoy it.  Feel free to ask questions.

[drew_tt]

Looks really neat!  Very original aquascape idea.  If I ever decide to set up an african tank, I will definitely keep yours in mind.
Where did you get (purchase or collect) your wood pieces?
Looking forward to seeing more pictures.
Drew

[Adam]

I can't take credit for the original idea of the background, but I did put my own spin on it.  The original had horizontal gutters, mine are vertical.  The original had dividers between 2 holes in each cave, but mine is just one long cave.  And the original had just 1 size of hole whereas I have 4.

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

I got the wood from www.manzanita.com.  The shipping and duties (and the holding of the wood because I'm bringing in deadly bacteria... ) make it more expensive and more of a pain, but I think it was worth it.

Adam

[RossW]

Looks really nice!  I am sure you spent more than a couple hours working on it.

What did you decide on to attach the rocks?

[Adam]

These pieces of gutter were lying around my apartment for a good 8 months.  I would go at it for a couple hours, then take a break.  I have to thank my brother for helping divert some of my energy to my forgotten project. 

In total, I can't count how many hours I spent gluing little rocks to it.  I suppose if I covered it with silicone (I used GEII, without mold inhibitor) and dropped a bucket of rocks on it, it would have been faster, but the gaps between rocks would have been larger and not held together as well.  I placed each piece individually.

[Demasonian]

Wow! Looks fantastic, and even better than the tank you modeled it on. Can't wait to see the final product.

[fischkopp]

Very nice. 

Can't wait to see the rocks back in place!

Whats UGJ exactly? And why where you planning to but did you not use it?

[new2ovas]

Wow - definately inspiration for me and my next project,

can't wait to see the rest of the pics and the final set-up.  just a couple of questions for you though.

1) how did you attach the gutters to the tank?
2) how do you get the plants to stay and survive between the rocks - I noticed in your first Pic (initial tank) you have a bunch of plants growing at the top of a rock pile, how?
3) how hard is this tank to clean and how well does the filter catch everything with it being behind the gutters?

sorry for all the questions - new to the hobby but already making plans for the next tank remodel.

cheers

[Adam]

Thank you...

UGJ = Undergravel jets.  A series of pvc tubes connected to a pump with a few outlets pointed towards the filter intake to direct waste towards it.  The problem was power consumption (most efficient for my aquarium was another 70W 24/7), the fact that the tubes look like garbage sticking out of the sand, they get uncovered and it really doesn't work as well as advertised.

The gutters are not attached to the aquarium.  They are being held back by the outlets on the AC110s and fluval FX5.  It's hard to describe, but friction works in my favour here.

The plants that grow in the rocks and whatnot are called anubias and java fern.  They use threadlike strands to attach themselves to rocks, wood, anything.

The tank is very easy to clean.  I have openings at the bottom of the gutters, so I can just put my syphon there and suck out the sand/detritus.  I don't scrub the back wall.  I clean 3 panes of glass and use a gravel cleaner to clean my sand into buckets.  I have a long hose to fill the tank up when I am done directly from the faucet (I don't use dechlorinator).

[Adam]

I finished up the aquarium


FTS


Left


Middle


Right

[pminister]

wow that is impressive...............love the look. just one question arent you afraid that if i fish swims into the hole, and get stuck back there ?

[washefuzzy]

I love it. The work you put into the background was worth it. 

[Adam]

wow that is impressive...............love the look. just one question arent you afraid that if i fish swims into the hole, and get stuck back there ?

Thanks.  No, not particularly.  The whole gutter is not divided, so the fish can't get stuck as there is always somewhere to go.  I suppose if a fish dies, I will have to use a claw or something to remove it with, but the tops of the gutters are open.  The holes are large enough for all my fish.  I tried to use the smaller diameter ones on a couple gutters to make it a small fish haven, but my fish manage to squeeze themselves into anything.

Thanks washefuzzy.

[celamllmal]

WOW
Nice work.  It looks absolutely stunning.
Did you place the filtration system and heaters behind the gutters?  If so, does it filtrate well?

[Mettle]

That looks fantastic and top notch show quality as far as tanks go. What a masterpiece!

If I ever get an African tank going I will use your project as inspiration.

[Adam]

WOW
Nice work.  It looks absolutely stunning.
Did you place the filtration system and heaters behind the gutters?  If so, does it filtrate well?

Thank you 

I placed everything behind the gutters.  Filtration is very similar to what it was before I added the background.  The aquarium is heated uniformly.  There is quite a bit of flow, so I don't have any issues.  Even after 8 months of running, when I removed the background, I found very little detritus in the sand where the gutters were.

[RoxyDog]

nice! do the fish swim in and out of the holes a lot or do they mostly ignore it?

[Adam]

The fish swim in and out of every hole.  They are all out at times, and other times I can only see little faces peering out of their respective columns.  I bought a couple new fish today at BA...5 Ps. Acei and a Ps. Deep Magunga.

[Adam]

Took some more photos tonight.  Might even have a video if it ever uploads:


FTS


Left angle


Right angle


Right end


Left end

Adam

[Adam]

Here we are.  Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqxFm46W928

[Adam]

I took a couple so-so photos of my fish.


Ps. Demasoni


Ps. sp. "Deep Magunga"


Ps. sp. "Deep Magunga"


M. Baliodigma

[Adam]

I had a bit of an issue with a rock falling, then another, then another.  Eventually the rocks ended up in a pile on a towel on the ground for quite some time.  I got around to setting it back up about 2 weeks ago and took some new photos:





Adam

[fischkopp]

Nice peanuts! Falling rocks sounds a bit scary, this could end up with a lot of water on the floor. Hope you got them fixed.

So, can you actually keep track of the number of fish in there?

[Cheebs]

Very nice tank and pics!

[dan2x38]

Sharp looking set-up. You made that background if I remember correctly right? I went back and read the beginning... nice DIY set-up. How are the rocks anchored now?

[psychwolf]

I know what I'll be doing in the very near future. Would you mind giving a list of the supplies used and where you purchased them.
Much appreciated.

[Adam]

Hi all,

Thanks a bundle.  The rock is fixed...it was my error and a poor structure to begin with.  I have gone back and made a sturdier structure.  Also, most of the rocks that could fall are quite small so there isn't much danger to 1/2" glass. 

I got the

vinyl gutter at home hardware,
zipties,
GE silicone II windows and glass without BIOSEAL (Mold inhibitor),
rocks (on ground),
hole saws,
sand paper,
file,
drill,
saw,

That's about it I believe.  It wasn't materials intensive but it was time intensive.  Remember I sanded and filed every hole to make sure there was nothing to hurt the fish.

Robert, the fish list is under my name...I will try to pull it up and update it but there really aren't too many fish in it...

I did make the background, but I was also helped by friends and family.

The rocks are anchored the same as always...using the output of the canister and held back by the aquaclears.

Adam

Adam

[Adam]

2 M. baliodigma
5 Ps. sp. "Deep Magunga"
3 L. caeruleus
3 Ps. demasoni
1 P. Spilotonus 'Albino Taiwan Reef'
2 C. afra "Cobue"
2 Ancistrus sp.-144
5 Ps. Acei
1 Albino Ancistrus spp. L-144
Various fry

[pminister]

Hey Adam,

Just a few questions... The gutters you used, aren't you worried that over time as the gutters deteriorate it will pollute the water ? Or are they water resistant ? And what type of substrate is that ? a special type of cichlids....or just play sand ?

[Adam]

Hello,

The sand I am using is half pool filter sand, half calcite sand (unsure of origin but I think it was originally southdown sand).  I am not afraid of the gutters deteriorating over time as it is PVC.

Adam

[GrahamWebb]

Wicked cool set up Adam...I love that background...totally worth the time I'm sure.
Thanks for sharing the pics.
Graham

[Adam]

Thanks Graham.  I see I'm not the only one with a few platies haha.  I have a 33 gallon livebearer aquarium and there are new babies every few days.