10G Brackish Crab Tank: Build Log with Pics.

[Pufferfan]

Here was my start a while back



I have done alot sense then just dont have pictures uploaded.

The water leaked though so i have a different plan to fill it up past the little "dam" that you see there in the front. the only problem is now the water on the left side of the "dam" doesnt move very much at all.

Any ideas on how t get it flowing? What is the smallest power head/water pump that i can get?

You will see in updated pictuers that all the greatstuff was coated with white/black silicone mixed to look grey its highlighted and shadowd and it all looks like rock, i love how it turned out and im very satisfied.

Also, where the filter is. I wrapped it in saran wrap and coated it in crisco i then surounded it with more foam, after it dried the filter poped out with some cutting of foam and then i carved it too look like rock, i made a little cave at the bottom so that the water could get to the filter. It has a peice of net to keep the crab from getting in there.

Inside the filter will be filter sponge on layer one the carbon in a bag then some nylon mesh then some window screen with some black gravle on top the crab will be able to get into it and should be like a little shallow pool.

The tank will be brackish water and i do plan on keeping bb gobies. I will be using a small pad heater rated for up to 5 gallons i will slip this into the fliter and push it up to the back of it.

Light will not be aquarium it will come from an allspectrum reading lamp.

ill get some update pictures later tonight.

Thanks for reading leave feedback and sugjestions please

[froggsong]

Sounds really cool! The filter you are talking about is one of those whisper filters, right? That's a really good idea, I might rig mine up like that!

[Pufferfan]

Yeah its a whisper 10i there are two holes in the back that i just pluged with sylicone.

Still trying to find a small pump. and thinking weather or not to cut the hole for better flow.

I took some pictures but this laptop isnt letting me upload so i need to get on my pc later.

[froggsong]

I wish they had a totally flat bottom, I hate how I can't get it to stand up in the dragon pond, I can't use but one suction cup (I plugged the extra hole with hot glue) and sometimes it starts falling over and doesn't filter properly. I'll definitely have to give your idea a try, great idea!

[Pufferfan]

Yeah well mine sits in a hole so i don't think it falling over will be a problem :P

[froggsong]

I like the idea of doing the GS around it to disguise it too, I'll do that too, right now it is very exposed and I don't like it much. I might use the idea in my newts paludarium too.

[janelc]

okay-total newbie questions here... The 10i filter is for filtering the water, right? It basically cycles the water from a "pond" area through the filtering apparatus (I suspect some sort of carbon-sponge combo) and then back out the top where it looks like a waterfall? Both you and Froggsong mentioned plugging up the holes-why? What are you going to use the pump for?

OMG-Totally love the mixing of black and white silicone to make grey!!! That rocks!!! Camouflaging the filter sounds awesome!!!!

[Pufferfan]

Originally Posted by janelc

okay-total newbie questions here... The 10i filter is for filtering the water, right? It basically cycles the water from a "pond" area through the filtering apparatus (I suspect some sort of carbon-sponge combo) and then back out the top where it looks like a waterfall? Both you and Froggsong mentioned plugging up the holes-why? What are you going to use the pump for?

OMG-Totally love the mixing of black and white silicone to make grey!!! That rocks!!! Camouflaging the filter sounds awesome!!!!

Just go to whispers website they have info and pictures.

The holes we are talking about are used to hold suction cups for when completely submerged but because we are only submerging the pump part of the filter we plugged the holes so that it doesn't leak out the back.

Whisper makes filters to go in the filter but they are vertical and i want to build something horizontal so im going stack my own filter.

[Pufferfan]

That sould give me more flow. I sprayd some gs in there so that i can carve it to look better.

few more tuch ups with the cylicone are needed anyways.

after that almost all artistic work will be done.

things i still need:

Sand
filter media
heater
external pump
aquarium salt
frogmoss

... and crabs lol


The external pump will suck water up on the right side of the tank towards the front. run behind the tank to the pump and then deposit a flow of water to the left rear circulating the water.

[froggsong]

That looks awesome. That's just silicone on your rocks, right?