Fisher

I am thinking of supporting it with my dad tomorrow because it does shake when the tank is wiggled.

It's no fun worrying about a flimsy stand collapsing, especially when mom isn't convinced it will hold.

dad's can shake when they're wiggled too... and they can also wiggle when they're shaken So they might know a think or two about support eh?

Obviously, particle board stands are prone to problems, but they are functional.

As long as the fasteners haven't stripped out of the particle board:

you can stiffen particle board stands by simply tightening the joinery hardware... They can loosen in transit.

You can use carpenters' glue on the joints. And add bracing where it can help the best.

Here's one example of bracing enginuity: http://albertaaquati...showtopic=37018 2nd photo down, as long as the photo is still available.

It sounds like a great project to work on with your dad.

Good luck to both of you sebek18!

It makes feeding time pretty lively in my tank.

But if I feed it too often, they look at their flake and do the :well:

Hydor ETH is great.

i have went with inline ones and love them

+1 x2

The last submersible I bought new was 15yrs ago. Since then, I've used used heaters, bearing various names.

So I've never trusted a heater temp dial. Even so, I haven't ever had a heater problem - seriously, not a one. *shrug*

I am an inny though - only because I appreciate not seeing a heater.

Hydor ETH x2: both bought from members here; one (barely) used, and one not.

Did you coat the surface with something to resist spilled water?

I address stain and varnish in my post from 21 September 2012 - 08:36 PM.

Specifically, I stained with Minwax^® Wood Finish™ and I varnished with Minwax^® Fast-Drying Polyurethane (Satin); both oil-based products.

I was satisfied with 2 coats of varnish to protect the wood on the inside. But it took 4 coats of varnish to give me the final texture I wanted on the outside.

I'm looking forward to cabinet #2. It just needs to be cut and assembled - sans the incidentals that occured in #1.

a merry Christmas to all who stop(ped) by to look.

Yes, it really took me this long...
Filled, prepped and hucked a doz white clouds in to stir up trouble this afternoon.

Eventually I'll seed the canister, flip the switch, and remove this hob and heater.
There's only a few plants going in this tank: crypt, fern and maybe some pygmy chain sword *shrug*
I'll leave the lid and light fixture off until I'm done fartin' around with the tank.

For those who were concerned: the top doesn't sag and the screws haven't sheared.

The Bag actually doesn't seem that expensive, I think I'll go that route.

Thanks!

If I didn't have the $12 to spend, I would have looked for an alternative.

The Bag does what it's manufactured to do. It works for me and I like the simplicity.

My next tank will be equipped likewise.

http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/TheBag.html

is the ich dance entail swimming up and down the glass?

I cut the feet off my old pantyhose, tie it off. Tada!

do you shave your legs jay? I take that back

With a statement like that you know I'm gonna ask. What is your technique?

I shake the bag out into a glass 2cup measuring cup, turn the bag inside out and trickle water over the bag to rinse the purigen beads into the measuring cup. That water becomes part of the 1:1 bleach solution the purigen soaks in.

I can't just leave it alone for 24hrs. No, I'm compelled to stir it a couple times because the beads quickly sink and settle. Besides, seeing the beads turn white is therapeutic; it makes me feel better.

After the token 24hrs, I pour off the solution until the purigen starts to shift. Add water, swish and repeat the pour off process a few times (until I start feeling better). My final pour goes back into the bag. I might lose the equivalent of what would fit on a nickel.

It takes more time and discipline to describe what I do than it takes to do it (less the 24hr wait). But even so, I concede that dropping the bag in solution is way easier, and what The Bag was designed for. *recalculating*

Bleach resistant - learn something new everyday. Mine is just plain old pantyhose.

There are charts online that describe chemical resistance in nylon if you want to have a peek.

The pantyhose expert in our house says, "Nylon [stockings] will lose elasticity and disintegrate much faster than regular washing." Nylons won't spontaneously dissolve, but they will eventually (ahem) lose containment. As already mentioned, replace your stocking when it starts to go.

I've read (someplace) that there are cheaper bleach-resistant alternatives to buying The Bag by Seachem. But I never followed up on the claim.

If your bag is bleach resistant then you can leave it in.

I use the seachem bag, but I still take mine out to recharge it. It doesn't float away. probably just technique.

so how's it lookin'?

Framed up two matching walls with extra L studs to attach them to the side of the structure.

nice save!

You can drill a small hole in the intake pipe inside the tank just below the planned water height and if the water level drops below, it will break the siphon.

+1

Now how about the elephant in the room... leaks. Does it just start leaking? Or is it "I didn't put it back together right and now it leaks"?

It's more the latter heff. But even proper assembly will subject the seal to wear or stretching.

Grit in and around the main seal seat (on either the pump head or the main canister housing) can nick the seal when you put the two parts together. The nick makes a gap between the seal and seal surface, and leakity leakity. Clean the seal surfaces when your canister is apart.

The seal can get kinked/pinched when you put the two parts together too (not always, but it can). Wet the seal with wahtah so it slides on the housing.

A stretched seal will kink too. But a stretched seal will be thin in places (a worn seal will be flattened) and leakity leakity.

Elephants, on the other hand, don't leak. They gush without warning.

pm sent

I used HOBs for years, and made the switch to canister 18mon ago. I keep my spray bar a couple inches below the water surface, directed slightly upwards - plenty of surface movement without the splashing sound.

More experiments...

Attempt #8

I read the smaller rocks in a Iwugwami layout should lean towards big rock in supplication

I'm a big rock sublimation fan, so I vote #8 (unless you come up with something I like better)

great work!

deadly!

Did you try parking a car on it?

Cut some 1" polystyrene to sit the tank on, painted the edges black.
Painted the back and right side glass - discovered I painted the front instead of the back... >:-/

Mounted the fixture directly to the conduit using conduit clamps. Changing tubes is a matter of flipping the fixture up.
Timmed 4" off the fixture stand - cut the trim end at 45^o so the conduit won't chop the fixture wiring if the screws let go.

I got frustrated trying to find an end plug to finish where the fixture wiring feeds into the conduit, so - pfft.

Next steps:
Strip the paint off the front and paint the back - check
Locate and cut a hole in the top for canister hose - check
Put a real plug end on the fixture wire - check
Rinse some SIL9 and do a bit o' 'scapin' - check

First she makes a mess in your tank. Then she draws back to admire it. That's confidence eh?

Before I left the hobby 15yrs ago, I only saw this in magazines, which made it seem unattainable. So good for you. I'm inspired and a wee bit envious

Got any cigars?

Tried scraping it off nope then tried iso alcohol,vinegar even some CLR all nope any ideas or remedies.

Is it on the outside?

If you figure it's glue gum, and water based cleaners won't lift it off, you could try a solvent like goo-gone, or lighter fluid. I've used these to remove the gummy residue left behind after peeling off stick-on tank thermometers. Because they are solvents I keep it away from the glass seams.

If you think the glass is etched, you could try buffing it out with baking soda/water. I know it sounds dumb, but toothpaste might do the same thing. Try it on a small test area first though.

Does the haze show when the tank is filled?

Not yet. I'm working out a few finishing details.

Paint,

Painting two sides of the tank,

Painting expanded polystyrene,

Rigid mounting the fixture to the conduit,

SIL9

I really like the subliminal advertisement. Clever, very clever

Your 55 is set up to handle the bioload in it right now; if you move everything over to the 150 it will be set up to handle the exact same bioload. If you only want to run one filter, just place all of the media in the 2213 into the new filter.

+1 for simplicity

If you want to start new media in your new canister, seed it with squeezings from your 2213, and run both canisters on your 150 for a week or zwei.