First, I'd like to set up an aquarium with some sort of pump-driven
water changing system. I always found it time consuming and
disconcerting (my Tiger Barbs nipped at my arms while I was changing
water--it just felt weird!) to use a gravel vacuum and go through all
the trouble of starting the siphon, etc., and then pouring in a bucket
of water which invariably disturbs the fish or plants or gravel.

I'm thinking it shouldn't be too hard to buy a pump somewhere, put an
intake tube in the aquarium, and outtake tube in an empty bucket, and
start the pump. Then when the bucket is full, empty it and replace it
with clean water and reverse the pump, putting the water from the
bucket into the aquarium.

Unfortunately every article I find on it just seems so
complicated--people have systems to automatically turn on once a week,
etc.--I don't want something totally automated (I'll be there to turn
the pump on and off), just something that's a little less work! Can
you point me to any articles that show how to build (or where to buy)
a simple system that even the mechanically challenged can put
together?

Also, if a piece of glass covers the top of the aquarium, and the
lights are placed on top of the glass, how do you lift the glass +
lights to feed the fish?

I read an article (http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/kelly-intro.html)
that recommended using an inch of sand as the top layer of substrate.
Do you plant the roots of the plant in the sand, or do you have to
plant them all the way in the bottom layer of vermiculite/loam? If the
plants don't have roots yet, he said you can hold them down with a
piece of bent wire. Won't the wire start to rust, and if so, will that
harm the fish? What would I do with the wire in order to make sure the
plant is firmly held down?

When fish die but you can't find them, the plants will absorb the
products of the decaying fish so that it doesn't harm those fish that
are living, right?

I read some places that too much CO2 will kill your fish--how are you
able to make sure that a DIY yeast system won't "spike" and produce
too much CO2?

When you fertilize the plants with the tablets, do you push them into
the sand (top layer of substrate) or all the way into the
vermiculite/loam (bottom layer of substrate) layer?

Thank you so much for your help!

David

"aquadd" wrote in message
m...

Unfortunately every article I find on it just seems so
complicated--people have systems to automatically turn on once a week,
etc.--I don't want something totally automated (I'll be there to turn
the pump on and off), just something that's a little less work! Can
you point me to any articles that show how to build (or where to buy)
a simple system that even the mechanically challenged can put
together?


I just siphon out the old water- I don't use a pump for that as gravity is
easier.
My new water has been sitting in an aereated garbage can overnight so I just
throw in an Eheim hobby pump with a bit of hose attached to pump it into the
tank. These pumps are great- I use it all the time for all sorts of water
moving tasks. And a new garbage can is practically a must- I have one for
each large aquarium I keep. When not in use they nest in a closet.


Also, if a piece of glass covers the top of the aquarium, and the
lights are placed on top of the glass, how do you lift the glass +
lights to feed the fish?


The "store bought" glass covers have a hinged piece at the front of the tank
for access. If you are making one you'll have to rig a hinge.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/discus.htm

"Toni" wrote in message
.net...

"aquadd" wrote in message
m...

Unfortunately every article I find on it just seems so
complicated--people have systems to automatically turn on once a
week,
etc.--I don't want something totally automated (I'll be there to turn
the pump on and off), just something that's a little less work! Can
you point me to any articles that show how to build (or where to buy)
a simple system that even the mechanically challenged can put
together?


I just siphon out the old water- I don't use a pump for that as gravity
is
easier.
My new water has been sitting in an aereated garbage can overnight so I
just
throw in an Eheim hobby pump with a bit of hose attached to pump it
into the
tank. These pumps are great- I use it all the time for all sorts of
water
moving tasks. And a new garbage can is practically a must- I have one
for
each large aquarium I keep. When not in use they nest in a closet.


Also, if a piece of glass covers the top of the aquarium, and the
lights are placed on top of the glass, how do you lift the glass +
lights to feed the fish?


The "store bought" glass covers have a hinged piece at the front of the
tank
for access. If you are making one you'll have to rig a hinge.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/discus.htm

I order those hinge strips from Oceanic. They are not very expensive,
but delivery is slow. Just letting you know in case you have an Oceanic
distributor near you.
--
http://www.netmax.tk/

"aquadd" wrote in message
m...
First, I'd like to set up an aquarium with some sort of pump-driven
water changing system. I always found it time consuming and
disconcerting (my Tiger Barbs nipped at my arms while I was changing
water--it just felt weird!) to use a gravel vacuum and go through all
the trouble of starting the siphon, etc., and then pouring in a bucket
of water which invariably disturbs the fish or plants or gravel.

I'm thinking it shouldn't be too hard to buy a pump somewhere, put an
intake tube in the aquarium, and outtake tube in an empty bucket, and
start the pump. Then when the bucket is full, empty it and replace it
with clean water and reverse the pump, putting the water from the
bucket into the aquarium.

Unfortunately every article I find on it just seems so
complicated--people have systems to automatically turn on once a week,
etc.--I don't want something totally automated (I'll be there to turn
the pump on and off), just something that's a little less work! Can
you point me to any articles that show how to build (or where to buy)
a simple system that even the mechanically challenged can put
together?

I'm trying to understand your objective. It sounds like you want to do
water changes without gravel vacuuming, and without manual siphoning,
correct? Try this.
1) Install a few small UGF plates across the front of your tank. Don't
worry, you are not constructing a UGF filter. The glass bottom area
covered corresponds to the area which you would normally gravel-vacuum
(ie: 24" by 6" along the front). You can cut the plates to size.
2) Connect the UGF riser to a canister filter. You can put a 90 degree
bend at the plate and run the intake horizontally until you reach the
back glass and then turn upwards to meet the canister hose.
3) Just before the canister intake, connect a T fitting and a shut off
valve. On the middle T, attach a hose which is just long enough to reach
a pail on the floor.
4) Place just enough 1/2" river pebbles over the UGF to hide it (this is
where the brown UGF plates are best).
5) The canister return must be lower than the level of your lowest water
change (about 20% into the water's depth).

Your canister filter will now normally draw water off the bottom of the
tank from the lowest grade, so you have built an automatic gravel-vacuum.

When doing a water change, turn off the canister, close the shut-off
valve (so no water comes through your UGF screen), and open the valve to
that flying hose lead into your pail. Gravity will drain the tank, and
note that the flow direction is now back-washing your canister. You may
never need to open that canister again ;~). Hope that's what you were
looking for.

Also, if a piece of glass covers the top of the aquarium, and the
lights are placed on top of the glass, how do you lift the glass +
lights to feed the fish?

I use sliding glass plates as shown here.
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_proje...asscover.shtml
You can design any size feeding hatch. Long and shallow for polo lights,
or short & deep for overhead canopy lights. You decide.

I read an article (http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/kelly-intro.html)
that recommended using an inch of sand as the top layer of substrate.
Do you plant the roots of the plant in the sand, or do you have to
plant them all the way in the bottom layer of vermiculite/loam? If the
plants don't have roots yet, he said you can hold them down with a
piece of bent wire. Won't the wire start to rust, and if so, will that
harm the fish? What would I do with the wire in order to make sure the
plant is firmly held down?

Whoa, lots of questions. Just start with a single grade of substrate,
and go from there.
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/basics/su...ubstrate.shtml is where I
already did all my typing about substrates. Mixing different types is a
bit of an exercise and if you are new to this and will be making many
changes, a single substrate is probably a good place to start.

When fish die but you can't find them, the plants will absorb the
products of the decaying fish so that it doesn't harm those fish that
are living, right?

Anything organic (fish, fish poop, plants leaves, fish scales, uneaten
food etc) decays and releases ammonia into the water. Your biological
filter and plants will then try to consume that ammonia. You don't want
to have more decay happening than your filters can handle (or the other
stuff the decay does to your water). Ordinarily, a single fish dying
gets absorbed into the system quite seamlessly (as long as we are not
talking Oscar sized fish ;~). Any fish which is too small for you to
find, will not cause any problems.

I read some places that too much CO2 will kill your fish--how are you
able to make sure that a DIY yeast system won't "spike" and produce
too much CO2?

Hmmm, I'm not really qualified to answer that. AFAIK, CO2 does not
displace O2 until you get to obscene levels. I believe that the rate at
which CO2 dissipates is a function of the difference (kind of like
thermodynamic physics), so the more CO2 you pump in, the faster it tries
to dissipate into the atmosphere. It might take some extra effort on
your part to put yourself in a hazordous situation. A commercial CO2
reactor and commercial mixture will probably provide the most consistant
and predictable CO2 reaction for someone new to the process. I'm
thinking of the Hagen CO2 setups, but perhaps others exist. Otherwise,
stick to a standard CO2 yeast/sugar/activator recipe in a bottle sized
for your tank. You will find lots of advice here on that. Or don't use
CO2. Plants have been growing a long time without it too. hth

--
http://www.netmax.tk/
snip

Thank you so much for your help!

David

Thanks for all the tips! Netmax: that's exactly what I was wanting to
know--now I don't have to manually siphon off water. Yay!

"aquadd" wrote in message
m...
Thanks for all the tips! Netmax: that's exactly what I was wanting to
know--now I don't have to manually siphon off water. Yay!

Glad to help. I put some pictures to the description I gave you. They
are in
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_projects/vac/vac.shtml
cheers
--
http://www.NetMax.tk/