New 125G

[fmueller]

Some of you might know my 240G Frontosa tank from my site http://www.fmueller.com. Since it took about a year from setting up that tank to having it on the web site, here are some preview snap shots of my latest project, a 125G that I am planning to use for a colony of Tropheus 'Bemba Orange Flames'.



Full Tank shot of my brand new 125G. No fish in there yet. You can click on the picture for a larger version.



The 125G sat for several months in my garage (left). In the middle that's me fitting the Glasscages style ‘lift off doors’ for the first time into the cabinet I made. The plywood in the back is for the canopy.

This time I built the cabinet and canopy, and I made them very similar to the Glasscages ones I bought for the 240G. The tank will also have an automatic water change system, but no UGJ system and is filtered not by a sump system, but by an Eheim 2260 with Eheim diffuser. The tank background this time was painted - in deep jungle green. The latter was my wife's idea and I reckon it looks pretty sharp - different from the usual black or light blue. The main decoration piece is obviously the huge piece of wood, which I found locally in the forest.

I am hoping to be able to put the Tropheus in this tank, but if the piece of wood keeps coloring the water too strongly, I might still use the tank for a SA setup with Geophagus sp. Pindare, B. Rams, Apistos, Xiphophorus montezuma, and some plecos. I have all of these fish already in smaller tanks, and I am also setting up a 75G at the same time. I already have that tank as well. It's just a question who goes where. Any experiences with wood and Tropheus?

Frank

[Marius Purcel]

Looks good, love the driftwood especially.. really good touch. I'm kind of tired of seeing the same TX Holey rock in Tropheus tanks and that is very refreshing and inspiring

Keep us updated.

[fmueller]

The tropheus have moved in, together with a pair of adult multis.

[hypselecara]

these pics are really stunning.
one of the best shots ever seen.
I'm envious about your tank (and your tropheus too)

[keitang]

The setup is stunning. Yet, will the big piece of wood makes the Ph too low? Just curious.

[fmueller]

Thanks for bumping an older thread about my tank, which is no longer all that new

Here is a more recent thread about the tropheus spawning in that tank, which now has its own section on my web site.

To answer your question about acidity, the pH in the tank is about 7.6 - the same as it comes out of my tap. The only buffer I am using is a bag (15 pounds) of Carib Sea aragonite mixed in with the pool filter sand that I use as substrate in the tank. gH is about 9 - also about the same as my tap water. One could argue that the effects of the wood and aragonite are canceling each other out, but in truth my automatic water change system probably has an overwhelming effect on the water parameters in that tank. It changes about 10% of water daily, and this ensures that the slight browning of the water by the wood never becomes a problem. It also guarantees that ammonia and nitrite are zero and nitrate is close to zero at all times.

Greetings

Frank






A few more recent photos

[Dan Woodland]

Great set up Frank. Love the placement of the TFH rag on the table.

[fmueller]

Dan - thanks for noticing! I cleaned up my desk for that shot. It's a rare day when I can actually see its surface, and it would have looked too barren without the magazine

Frank

[Dan Woodland]

Where di you get the huge peice of wood?

[fmueller]

Found it in the forest

It is even better than it looks, because it has holes all the way through it like a Swiss cheese, which provide great cover for Tropheus fry. If you haven't seen that thing, it becomes clear how long you haven't been down here to see my tanks! The Tropheus tank has been set up since January 08. Maybe time to make a trip to Kent

Frank

[Dan Woodland]

It has been quite a while. Maybe before the baord meeting....