Aquarium: initial set-up
Apr. 11th, 2010 11:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dragoness_eAfter leak-testing the aquarium (and discovering that the house's foundation has settled somewhat crookedly and the north end of the aquarium is about 1/2" higher than the south end), we emptied the tank again in preparation for the actual set-up.
I put in the undergravel filter plates first, then washed the gravel I'd bought for the aquarium and put it in, covering the undergravel filter to about 2 inches deep, then emplaced the fake plastic rock shelf. It's actually a multi-piece jigsaw puzzle of fake rock shelves that you can assemble in many amusing way. I assembled it. Then I considered the fake plastic log, but decided that (a) it looked like a fake plastic log, and (b) there was already enough clutter with the fake plastic rock shelf, considering I still plan to add plants; conclusion: no fake plastic log need go in.
I poured water in, using the plastic rocks to buffer the flow, and filled the tank most of the way up. Somewhere along the way I put in the plastic tubes, hung the filter, inserted air stones, etc. After the water was all in there, I hooked up the air pump.
Ruh-roh! Not enough pressure, captain! The air pump couldn't lift the undergravel filter's water through 6" of atmosphere, nor lift it 6" into the side filter. Hmm... So I filled the tank up all the way. The undergravel filter now circulated properly, with its outlets underwater, which is where they are supposed to be. The pump still wasn't lifting water properly into the side filter. After a bit of study, I realized that my cleverness in bracing the over-the-side filter out from the side with a spare plastic hanger made it hang at the wrong angle, and sloped the water back into the intake, away from the guts of the filter. Oops. I removed the plastic hanger, and everything circulated properly once the side filter hung at the correct angle. (I later used the spare hanger to level the filter, because the tilt of the house kept the water from draining out both sides of the filter's outlets.)
Then I discovered the leak at the very top, under the plastic trim, and had to lower the water level to the level of the glass, because otherwise it siphoned out under the plastic rim. Finally, everything was running correctly, and I put filter media in the filter box: activated carbon, Bio-max cylinders, and some filter wool.
Back showing filter
Front
Next stop, get plants.
I put in the undergravel filter plates first, then washed the gravel I'd bought for the aquarium and put it in, covering the undergravel filter to about 2 inches deep, then emplaced the fake plastic rock shelf. It's actually a multi-piece jigsaw puzzle of fake rock shelves that you can assemble in many amusing way. I assembled it. Then I considered the fake plastic log, but decided that (a) it looked like a fake plastic log, and (b) there was already enough clutter with the fake plastic rock shelf, considering I still plan to add plants; conclusion: no fake plastic log need go in.
I poured water in, using the plastic rocks to buffer the flow, and filled the tank most of the way up. Somewhere along the way I put in the plastic tubes, hung the filter, inserted air stones, etc. After the water was all in there, I hooked up the air pump.
Ruh-roh! Not enough pressure, captain! The air pump couldn't lift the undergravel filter's water through 6" of atmosphere, nor lift it 6" into the side filter. Hmm... So I filled the tank up all the way. The undergravel filter now circulated properly, with its outlets underwater, which is where they are supposed to be. The pump still wasn't lifting water properly into the side filter. After a bit of study, I realized that my cleverness in bracing the over-the-side filter out from the side with a spare plastic hanger made it hang at the wrong angle, and sloped the water back into the intake, away from the guts of the filter. Oops. I removed the plastic hanger, and everything circulated properly once the side filter hung at the correct angle. (I later used the spare hanger to level the filter, because the tilt of the house kept the water from draining out both sides of the filter's outlets.)
Then I discovered the leak at the very top, under the plastic trim, and had to lower the water level to the level of the glass, because otherwise it siphoned out under the plastic rim. Finally, everything was running correctly, and I put filter media in the filter box: activated carbon, Bio-max cylinders, and some filter wool.
Back showing filter
Front
Next stop, get plants.
