Loaches Online Forum

Hi, all.

I finally got around to starting a new hillster tank.
Here's a couple of teaser pics of the plumbing/channeling to be built into the fake stone/wood background:





This should be fun.

I'm curious to see how this works.

Me too, Jim.

Dry-fitting the main flow plumbing to the tank


The tank dimensions are 150 x 60 x64 cm or about 5' x 2' x 2'. 570 liters or 150 USgal.
It will probably grow upwards another couple of feet to make room for some paludariumish scaping.

This and other plumbing will be sunk into the background I construct.

I like where this is headed. Please keep posting progress. What are you using for the pump?

Austen

Hi Austen.

The main flow through these pipes is going to be taken care of with stream-type pumps. I've had very good experience with Tunze turbelles, not least with my streambank tank.
Electricity consumption is miraculously low compared with regular pumps. You just need to give them a roomy channel to cut down the end pressure. Heating the water is kept to minimum also.

I made two channels, 110 x 55 mm (4" x 2") each to give some playground with the pumps.
Testruns will determine whether I'll be running two pumps all the time or regulate the flow by either cutting one down during the night or maybe switching them on alternately.

Seeking for interesting options as we speak.

There's also going to be a secondary flow system, feeding the rock/wood scape and a couple of waterfalls/dripwall above the water.
I've got a couple of OR 3500s to play with.

Thanks for looking.

Thanks for the info! I checked out your stream bank and it looks amazing. I'm very much looking forward to this build. Please keep us updated.

Austen

Thanks, Austen.

I started making the hardscape for the tank with the basic masses of rock to be. It's going to be more riparium-like than a paludarium, with rock in the water and a couple of stumps emersed from the tank.

Anyhow. Stone background start:





Thanks for looking!

Rockwork carved and 1st layer down.






Heading somewhere with it.

Looking good!

Got another couple of layers on the background, only one more to go



Also decided to try out what happens with inbuilt caves in the piece that's going to be against the end wall of the tank

Some advance with the background.

Submerged bit pretty much done:



The emerged bit happening