50g project

I'm setting up a new 50g, thought I'd share. This will be a species tank for my L. xanthopteryx. In an effort to keep this tank simple, quiet, and clean, I am attempting a sponge-only filtration set-up with UGJ for circulation and debris transport. My goal is to keep the whole outfit inside the tank, with only power cables leaving the water.

I got the UGJ set up and placed in the tank this evening. Here are a couple of phone snaps:





Each side is driven by a Penguin 1140 powerhead with a Penguin reverse flow kit sponge on the intake. I used Rio ball-and-socket joint flare nozzles for the jets, the line is 1/2" CPVC (because it fit the jets just right).

Let me know what you think, good or bad. Thanks for looking!

Very nice. Going to be something to gape at for a few hours each day.

Keep the pics coming.

Thanks!

Will do. I'll have water and sand in this evening.

What do you use for the sand?

PFS.

Looking good!Keep pics coming!!Can't wait to see it when its finished!

Ryan H wrote:

PFS.

Good choice

Egg crate in:



Got water in, cycle started this afternoon.

Nice filtration setup you got there. I've been contemplating on something similar for my 55 gal Malawi setup mostly for them to enjoy cruising all the different currents.

PHISH HEAD wrote:

Nice filtration setup you got there. I've been contemplating on something similar for my 55 gal Malawi setup mostly for them to enjoy cruising all the different currents.

Thanks! I'm really pleased with the level of circulation I'm getting - I'm confident that this tank will never need vacuuming.

I'm planning to go rock picking Sunday.

Go for it, by the way. The ball joint nozzles and dry fit assembly make it very easy to change the direction of the flow - you could create quite a playground (or obstacle course) if you were so inclined.

Alright, this thing's not nearly as quiet as I had hoped it would be. There's a hum - a fairly bad one by my standards. I can deal with the noise, but I'm concerned about the vibration. The glass vibrates significantly more than does that of my 75g tank, which only has one powerhead running. So, now a question..

To what degree does vibration affect aquarium fish?

Are you able to find the exact point that the vibration is the strongest? You might be ok adding in some kind of dampener to keep the vibration down. I use suction cups to hold all my PVC pipe in the tank and they tend to have a bit of damping effect. Just something to get things off the glass. You might still here a bit of a hum but it won't be vibrating so bad.

Nothing's touching the glass - I can see the underside of the tank. The front wall vibrates more than any other. It's just the powerheads in the water. :( Maybe I should try attaching them to the walls with suction cups.. I mean, the thing is like a monkey dancing around on top of a car antenna the way it's set up now...

Edit: I stuck the powerheads to the back wall with suction cups. It seems to have helped quite a bit! I've also gotten it on what I consider to be good authority that mild to moderate vibration in the water will not bother cichlids, for what that's worth to anybody.

Still just a potato...