My tanks - The fake twins

2x 550L (120x60x75)

These tank are named "fake twins" on my YouTube channel, since they share same sizing 120x75x60cm or 540L, with quite same life support system running, but water parameters are radically different:

A sud american tank dedicated to Discus, WF or F0 (wild) and F1 (first generation) Red and Brown imported by Santarem Discus Plus
- Temp. 28-29°C, pH 6-6.5, conductivity 200µs, GH 4, KH 0, PO4 0, NO3 10-25, SiO2 0
- Water change weekly 200L RODI water + 20mL salt Preis + 20L tap water* + 50mL Fish V-Power + 40mL Aqua-Namin + 100mL Aqua-Kraut
A Tanganyika lake tank dedicated to Tropheus, WF Red Rainbow imported by CichlidenStadel
- Temp. 25-26°C, pH 8.3-8.8, conductivity 530µs, GH 12, KH 13, PO4 0, NO3 5, SiO2 0
- Water change every 2 months 400L tap water* (+ 150g NaHCO3 -> not anymore, was too much for metabolism) + 50mL Fish V-Power

*tap water here in Bavaria (Rain) is quite hard water..

2022.04 -> GH 12, KH 10
2023.04 -> GH 11, KH 9 (PO4 0, NO3 2.5, SiO2 3.0..)
2023.12 -> GH 12, KH11
2024.04 -> GH 14 KH 11 NO3 10 PO4 0

.. so you have to setup a RODI system (at least for the Discus) and to add proper salts ;-)

Bellow is the evolution over the last years.. because fish keeping is a path, not necessaray just a destination ;-)

Regarding water quality, it is important (an instructive) to have a precise monitoring of certain parameters.
Here is what I am currently using:

Hanna Nitrate High Range Checker HI782 -> see following chart
Hanna Phosphate Low Range Checker HI713 -> see following chart
Hanna Copper Low Range Checker HI747 (really useful only when medicating the tank)
AliExpress WiFi Tuya smart multimeter (8 parameters) W218 (replacing pH and mV monitor from AquaMedic..)
JBL drop tests for KH, GH..

2024.05

More fishes added to the Discus tank, with real beauties (wild F0 discus) from Christian Kubitschka and Franck Tinnes ;-)

Hardscape back to natural stumpwoods (from Fishtopia.de) and volcano rocks. These rocks are not that eavy on the glass bottom, still can build stable mound of stones and are excellent bacterial support.

Tropheus tank looks very stable now, and even got first F2 Tropheus!
Discus tank is on good way as well.

Life support system working pretty well, still way to improve ozone system..

2023.05

Sand is back! Just a thin layer: 5kg (~4L) only for surface of 120x75cm (0.9m2).

Ozone (O3) is back, with new Aqua Medic 90 (targeting 25mg/h per tank) ozone generators and DIY ozone reactors (mounted in series just before UV sterilizer.

Also new wood chipboard (Spanplatten) panels directly from expresszuschnitt.de, bit expensive but this time properly flat! And hopefully this will stay this way..
Since panel sizes are slightly changed to be cleaner but also more airtight, few observations:

Evaporation is less, ATO refill is less often
kW used for heating are less
Odor are less and even ozone is contained

2022.12

Gravel is totally removed, way easier to clean glass panels without any risk of scratch.

I can test different tubing options, at intake levels and also optimizing water change.

2022.09

Tropheus tank get Aqua Decor articifial rocks (model D5).

These are 21 modules empty (water going inside), cost a lot for what it is, but it looks very natural, especially when alguae start to colonize the surface.

2022.06

Tropheus are back!

These are young Tropheus Red Rainbow F1 (2021.Q4), nearly more difficult to find than F0 (wild caugth) because this is a Tropheus species complicated to breed.

2021.11

Discus tank has new driftwoods, and thin layer of gravel (not sand) in order to avoid scratches when cleaning the glass.

Tropheus tank still empty, but cycling..

2021.11

Both tanks are done! More info here.

Discus decoration is temporary artificial one. Important to provide some hiding elements for fishes.

2021.06

Tropheus tank done! And water leak test on going.. More info here.

We can directly see the upgrade compared to Discus tank.

2021.05

Let's start the upgrade.. both tank 120x50x50 -> 120x75x60! More info here.

So, in order to reuse maximum of existing alluminium profiles, we extend only larger 50cm -> 75cm.

Tank height 50cm -> 60cm is the maximum with 12mm glass thickness on 120cm long.

Of course, all panels are ultra clear (low iron) glass, and silicon is transparent one.

Particularity -> tanks corners panels are 45° angled cut. It is nicer and especially, stronger!

2021.01

Last setup with both tank "only" 300L (120x50x50cm).

Plants attempt.. but water params make it complicated.. Discus temperature is high (29°C) and Tropheus hardness is high (KH 12).

2020.12

Discus tank driftwoods simply put together in a more longitudinal maner, eventually more natural look as it can accumulate in a river..

2020.06

Hardscape only, no plant.

Pure and design, fish oriented.

Can argue the tank are bit small for such live stock.. at least special effort is put on water quality.

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