Javascript Disabled Detected

You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

Josh Blaylock's 125 gallon stream tank. Build and updates.

Started by Guest_jblaylock_* , Nov 07 2010 04:51 PM

«
Prev

Next
»

Please log in to reply

227 replies to this topic

#161 Guest_cjohns_*

Guests

Posted 27 July 2014 - 05:40 PM

That's very nice.

Back to top

#162 littlen

NANFA Member

Washington, D.C.

Posted 28 July 2014 - 07:58 AM

I agree with Matt on the spray bar. The catch 22 being you have a lot of tiny holes that would produce decent spray but would cause back pressure. Large holes wouldn't create the back pressure but the flow would be pretty minimal. Truth be told, I personally wouldn't mess with the flow on my FX6 due to it's A.I. It might conspire to kill me in my sleep. I have plenty of additional pumps in the tank to manipulate the flow and produce current (sadly at the expense of adding substantial heat to the system and requiring a chiller).

If you are looking to produce directional flow in a large, glass, box like I am, you'll find it a little challenging. I have just let the fish sort out where they want to swim. Your tank looks awesome.....lighting, flow, etc. From your last video, I wouldn't change or add a thing.

Well done sir. Well done. =D>

Nick L.

Back to top

#163 Guest_jblaylock_*

Guests

Posted 28 July 2014 - 09:08 AM

If you are looking to produce directional flow in a large, glass, box like I am, you'll find it a little challenging. I have just let the fish sort out where they want to swim.

I find that my fish get pretty lazy after being in the tank a while and seek out the places without high flow and just hang out.

Back to top

#164 littlen

NANFA Member

Washington, D.C.

Posted 28 July 2014 - 10:59 AM

Agreed

Nick L.

Back to top

#165 Guest_jblaylock_*

Guests

Posted 28 July 2014 - 07:05 PM

I'm not really happy with that Maxi-Jet. I converted it over to powerhead mode and the flow isn't enough. Using at like it was in the video,it creates good flow,but I'm honestly scared fish will get sucked into it and chopped up.

I think I did figure out what is needed to get the shimmer that's in a creek. It's not about power/gph. Those are great if your trying to push water the length of the aquarium, but in order to replicate what you see on a sunny day with your head underwater is speed and a very large propeller. Instead of the small propellers that create a direct flow, I think to do what I want you would need a large propeller to create a large ripple on the surface.

Back to top

#166 Guest_cjohns_*

Guests

Posted 28 July 2014 - 08:07 PM

I think I did figure out what is needed to get the shimmer that's in a creek. It's not about power/gph. Those are great if your trying to push water the length of the aquarium, but in order to replicate what you see on a sunny day with your head underwater is speed and a very large propeller. Instead of the small propellers that create a direct flow, I think to do what I want you would need a large propeller to create a large ripple on the surface.

I agree with you 100% Josh. It's all about the ripples on the surface. I achieved a small shimmer effect on accident with my 20L (River manifold-design). With a led light in the center and the filter being placed on the end of the tank. The water running the length of the tank created a pretty cool light effect. It was more visible on the ceiling due to the reflection but I could also see it on the substrate. Try placing a fan style powerhead near the surface and position it pointing up. It might help. I resiliconed the background on the 20L or I would experiment with it tonight. It's still drying.

Back to top

#167 Isaac Szabo

NANFA Member

Marble Falls, AR

Posted 28 July 2014 - 09:24 PM

I'm just kind of hypothesizing here since I have no direct experience with creating the light-ripple effect in an aquarium, but I'm pretty sure the issue is your light source rather than the surface agitation. I think you need a light source that is a single point source instead of diffuse. Fluorescent bulbs and your LED strip provide light from many different angles, evening out any highlights/shadows caused by the disturbance of the water surface. If you instead had a single, high-intensity point of light (like one high-power LED or metal halide bulb), then you should see light ripples with relatively little surface agitation. Think about it this way, the only time you see the light ripples out in real streams is under direct sunlight (the sun is a point source of light). However, on an overcast day there are no light ripples in the exact same habitat (overcast clouds act like a giant diffuser).

Back to top

#168 Guest_lilyea_*

Guests

Posted 28 July 2014 - 10:32 PM

If you instead had a single, high-intensity point of light (like one high-power LED or metal halide bulb), then you should see light ripples with relatively little surface agitation.

Isaac - you are completely correct about the light source which is one of the things that made MH so popular in aquariums (in spite of the heat and energy usage). Kessil LEDs, or other high powered LEDs, duplicate this natural look for a fraction of the heat and energy consumption (but still expensive equipment cost). However, it is also about surface agitation. If you view a Kessil fixture over a still tank the light ripples go away. From my experience it is a combination of point of light and surface agitation. There are several online videos featuring the Kessil LEDs that make this point. Although the Kessil products were primarily introduced for the saltwater/reef market they do have freshwater lighting as well that looks amazingly realistic.

Back to top

#169 Isaac Szabo

NANFA Member

Marble Falls, AR

Posted 28 July 2014 - 11:30 PM

Right, I didn't mean that you don't need surface agitation as well. I think that in Josh's case he already has sufficient surface agitation (based on his recent video) and that the light source is his issue. It doesn't matter how much you agitate the surface if you don't have the right kind of light source.

Back to top

#170 Guest_cjohns_*

Guests

Posted 29 July 2014 - 03:06 AM

Both are definitely contributing factors. Josh didn't you just install a nice led light?

Back to top

#171 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 29 July 2014 - 07:58 AM

He did, but it was a nice long bar of LEDs. The key is to provide some sort of "point source" of very bright light. And in order for it to work it will have to be somewhat brighter than the other ambient light (which is going to be harder now that he has such a nice LED bar.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

Back to top

#172 Guest_cjohns_*

Guests

Posted 29 July 2014 - 08:38 AM

Awww I see.

Back to top

#173 Josh Blaylock

Board of Directors

Central Kentucky

Posted 18 March 2015 - 03:56 PM

It must be the warmer air being pumped into the aquarium (I sit my air pump outside during the winter). A few of my fish think it's spawning time.

https://youtu.be/CRa7qAPhYgU

Josh Blaylock - Central KY
NANFA on Facebook

KYCREEKS - KRWW - KWA

I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky.

- Abraham Lincoln, 1861

Back to top

#174 Chasmodes

NANFA Member

Central Maryland

Posted 19 March 2015 - 01:21 PM

Excellent!

Kevin Wilson

Back to top

#175 Josh Blaylock

Board of Directors

Central Kentucky

Posted 25 August 2015 - 10:03 AM

I thought I'd share an update to my stream tank. Really the update is to the surrounding area. Last year I moved and this tank is in my basement. There is a corner cutout that makes a perfect location for the display.

Native Fish Corner