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I'd like to use Eheim Pro II 2028 for this planned tank - trouble is I already bought the 2026. It's still unopened in it's box, so I'm thinking of seeing if I can swap it for the 2028. I'm not sure if I really have enough room for it my cabinet though, and wondered if those who use the 2028 think I have enough height clearance. Here are the measurements:-

Cabinet Height (main space): 2 ft & 1/2 inch (62.23 cm)
Cabinet Height around the edges where there is extra reinforcement: 23.62 inches (60cm)
Filter Height: 1 ft 18 inches (76.2 cm) excluding hoses.

I started this question in Little Fish's 29G log and following on here is a continuation of a conversation started there - but comments from any and all would be appreciated.

LF, thanks for the pic & comments of your set-up.

The height from the top of my back opening to the bottom of the shelf on which the filter sits is 22", or about 56 cm.

I have some "extra" space available. So I tried to gauge how much lower it could be, which is about 2", or a little over 5 cm less, totaling about 51 cm needed height of the top of the back opening. Reason why this has to be higher than the filter itself: The hoses come in in an upward angle.

Are you saying that you think it would work in a cabinet that was 2" smaller than yours. If so, I should just make it.

I was interested that you have the hoses at the back of the unit. As you know, I have recently set up my very first cannister filter (different filter / different tank) and I put the hoses at the front of the cabinet (I'm a hopeless explainer, so here's a pic). I thought the hoses needed to go at the front (for easy cleaning of hoses themselves) as well as because that's where my flow adjusters are. (BTW, the forward going hose leads to the UV & whilst the hose might look like it bends tightly, it's just the angle of the shot. It's actually quite a gentle slope.)

This is the actual cabinet that I plan to put the 2028 (if it fits) & hubby would make whatever size opening I need.

Attached Image:


Cheers
TW

Robyn,

To clarify:

The picture below has the two measurements marked:

- The yellow line shows the total height from cabinet floor to top of back opening, alas 56 cm.
- The red line is how low I believe the back opening could be without causing any issues, alas 51 cm from the bottom of the cabinet on which the filter sits.

Makes sense?

Ingo

Attached Image:

Filter

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Hi,
Ingo, just out of curosity... what are those grey
plastic things laying on the bottom of the cabinet?
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Frank those are attachments for an aquarium gardening tool. The bottom piece is a grapler, and the above piece is the cutters for pruning. Here is a pic with the grapler on it. Notice the "trigger" is on the handle;



_____________________________________________________________

There is always a bigger fish...

I guess you can show ACIDRAIN any small piece of aquarium equipment and he will know what it is. Well done

Although I am usually not shy about submersing my entire arm in my 125, once in a while I am too lazy to take off a sweater and shirt just to remove a broken off leaf or something like that. That's when the tool comes in handy.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thanks all. I have one of those grapler's too. I don't use it much though & probably only for same reasons as you LF.

I think I will be fine then, as doesn't this mean I have more space than you (for some reason I was thinking before I have 2" less, not 2" more).

You have: 22" or 56cm
I have: 24.5" or 62.23cm (but a little less where cabinet is reinforced).

Have I got it straight now. Sorry to have been so dopey

Does it cause difficulites for maintenance with the hoses at the back, rather than the front. I don't expect it does, or else you wouldn't have it that way.

Cheers
TW

Have I got it straight now

-

Does it cause difficulites for maintenance with the hoses at the back

Actually, I believe it eases maintenance as this is the direction in which the hoses go, namely out the back. When I unhook my filter then I place a towel behind it (for the dripping that may occur from the hoses, but not much if at all), pull the flow lever to minimum, then push the red button, and then simply pull the lever all the way. The hose connector is loose and hangs over the towel and all I have to do now is to pull the filter out, nothing is in its way.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Thanks for the explanation - makes sense. With the 2224, the hose & the controls are all at the front - so it threw me a little that yours is different. Keep your fingers crossed for me, in regards to the the request to swap filters.

No doubt, I will pop back into this thread with my next dopey question, when I start to set up & stock this tank, being my 1st African.

Cheers
TW

Hi all

I have been following this thread

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/33695.1.htm?17#

and strongly considering this mix:-

6 Pseudotropheus saulosi (2 males / 4 females)
6 Metriaclima astherae Red (2 males / 4 females)
6 Cynotilapia afra Cobue (2 males / 4 females)

Would this mix work?

Can I have anything else in the tank. If yes, I'd like it to be a colour sufficiently different, so as not to confuse the fish if they breed.

Cali, you suggest using Tufa rock. I don't know what it looks like or where to find it. Can you describe what it looks like please. If anyone knows where to find it in Sydney, Australia - so I can have a look - I'd really appreciate the info.

Thanks in advance for any response.

Cheers
TW

Here's an illustration of Tufa Rock.

Oh, and PetCo had better change the wording in that piece - Tufa Rock is NOT safe in all aquarium habitats because it's calcareous! You do NOT put that in an Amazonian biotope aquarium with Discus! In an Mbuna setup, or a marine aquarium, on the other hand, Tufa Rock is superb. for one thing it's a very soft rock, and you can carve your own features in it with a screwdriver if you want to. The resulting sand from your carving can be added to your substrate for buffering purposes once you've carved caves in the Tufa Rock.

Can be expensive to buy, but WELL worth it if you're setting up a Rift Lake aquarium because the rock is just so flexible - and, it provides some mineral buffering capacity too.

Not sure where you'd get it in Sydney (I'm 11,000 milee away!) but the stuff is quarried from sites less than 50 miles from my home and sold to garden centres by the truckload. Basically, if there's anywhere in Australia where there's a limestone quarry, chances are Tufa will be part of the output as well as the harder varieties of limestone such as Dolomite. Basically, for a Rift Lake setup, ANY limestone based rock is a good choice because of the buffering capacity that is then built in to the aquarium, but Tufa Rock, if you can get it, is best of all because it's so malleable. You can construct grottoes to your heart's content with that stuff.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Thanks for the link & that picture looks perfect - just what I want. However, I've just about given up finding it. No-one even knows what I'm talking about when I ask

Cheers
TW

I have my rocks picked out now & the LFS guy set them up in a pattern for mm in his store (against a 4ft background) so I could see if I like it or not. If I have everything ready here from my end, when he delivers the tank (he's making it) he will also set up the rock display for me - as I probbly will never be able to get it right. Then at least it will be this way, until I remove the rocks for the first major maintenance.
Full Frontal
Right hand side, closeup

Right hand side, closeup

Right hand side

middle
left hand side closeup
left hand side

I hope it looks better, one it's actually in the tank.

Cheers
TW

Gee robyn,I was waiting for the pics to load up & I saw "full frontal" & I got all excited...
Hey the rocks look great..looking forward to seeing them in the tank. Expensive ? I've just put fish in my 65G .
Ps.aceis,yellow labs & 2 bn plecos. Just need to get organized & take some pics....

"if you're goin swimmin,watch out for the noahs"

Thanks for the rock compliments Ace. Expensive - yes, but I actually expected it was going to cost more. They cost $138.00.

Hope you're having fun with your tank. Yes, you should post us some pictures.

Cheers
TW

Hi guys

For lighting, is 110W too much above a non planted african tank. Will it just cause algae?

Thinking of buying a double compact, but only using one bank of lights for the african tank, giving me 110W. I'm doing this, as this light will be good in the future for plants, if I change the tank's purpose?

Any opinions will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Cheers
TW

Rocks look good TW.
Why not just use cheap lights now and upgrade later if need be.
Also, what are you looking at for stocking?

Hi desiredusername

Thanks for the rock compliment

Why not just use cheap lights now and upgrade later if need be.

Well, at this stage my 2 new tanks will not have hoods and, as they're both in the same room, I'd like the lights to look similar. If I found a cheap silver looking light that took 2 fluros (I want a combo of white & blue) then I would get it. But these seem to be over $100, which is too much to throw away if I decide that Africans aren't for me after all. I'm still looking on ebay & other classifieds, & if something cheap comes up, I'll grab it. But otherwise, do you think that 110W is too much & will cause algae? There will be a 11W UV sterilizer, which I hope will help a little with the algae.

what are you looking at for stocking?

Pretty much decided on a mbuna tank with 6 Pseudotropheus Saulosi, 6 Metriaclima estherae (Red Zebra) & 6 Cynotilapia afra (Cobue). In each case, hoping for 2 males & 4 females. My son already has the Red Zebras in his tank, minding them for me.

Will the tank be fully stocked with these guys?

Cheers
TW

No fish yet, but water, rocks & African friendly plants in the tank. There are still some more Amazon Swords on order, & they'll slot in somewhere.

Here's the tank today


My son has clown loaches in with his malawai cichlids & I've seen on the Cichlid forum where these are suggested as suitable tankmates for Africans. Here's an article that says it should work out well & I'm drawn to the idea myself.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/clown_loach.php

What does everyone here think - good or bad idea?

Cheers
TW

Clown loaches are fine, as long as they are bigger than your Mbuna's mouths.
Where are you getting these fish?

I thought maybe Auburn. I'm going there today & will see what they have.

Will they be okay as the 1st cycling fish, or should the mbuna go in 1st

EDIT: Got 4 today, wanted 6 but that's all they had. They look so tiny in the 4ft tank all by themselves. Will get them 2 friends when I can. Though small, they are bigger than a mbuna's mouth, so they should be fine on that front. They did have bigger ones, but sooo much more expensive. These ones were $9.99 each. Bigger ones were $39.99 each

Cheers
TW