THE TANK FARM

I started keeping tanks in 2007 - 2008, hard to remember, and I don't know anyone else around here who keeps tanks like this but surely there must be. I have never been in any kind of fish, or plant club. I do all of this, just to see if I can.

The computer is upstairs in a room above the fish tanks. A USB extension runs down through the ceiling connecting to the Logitech Webcam Pro 9000.

Normally I'll do some water change once a week. At that water change I'll clean a sponge filter that is inside the tank. Some tanks have three filters, each one on a PVC pipe connected to a powerhead that's connected to a plastic tube. Most have two. CO2 is injected into the plastic tube and mixed with the water. As the CO2 bubbles get smaller the farther down the tube they travel. The goal is to have no bubbles leave the tube. The CO2 is produced with sugar and yeast mixed with water in the green bottles on the shelves. All tanks have this CO2 set-up and 6700 K light from 55 to 220 watts. Almost all tanks have their on nightlight or lit somewhat to simulate the moon. All lights are on a timer. I make many things that I use myself.

Towels and boards are laid across the top glass to cut down on the glare that the webcam picks up very well. Three tanks have Fluval canister filters, one has a homemade filter, all others have the old hang on the back type filters.

The garden hose that I use to fill the tanks is connected to the shower head in the basement bathroom so I can control the water temperature.

The radio (when it is on) used to be a scanner tuned to an Atlanta air traffic control frequency. Lately its been a 2 meter transceiver, there is also a 440 transceiver, 220 transceiver, 900MHz transceiver tuned to local repeaters. You may also hear some 10 & 40 meters sometimes. All radios are just off screen to the right where I sometimes sit.

The humming noise: are the small fans running to cool the lights. The splashing water sound is coming from the homemade trickle down filter on the tank in the top right hand corner of the picture. The mic on the webcam works very well.

I work a 12 hour night shift delivering gas & diesel in and around Atlanta, GA Sunday - Thursday, so most everything here will happen on Friday and Saturday night.

The homemade overflow.

The Homemade Sump and Filter

Building Stands

Tearing Stands Down

Putting them Back together again

The Early Days

Setting Up The 125