Show us your under tank!

[amkr]

Here's one we don't get to see much of.

I'm a stickler for the under tank photo's, I'm sure a lot of you are the same. I love to see how people have organised the chaos under the tank.

So, lets have a look under the hood and share some photos of what makes the tank kick.

Mine's rubbish but I'll kick us off!

[NoGi]

A little late to the party but here is under my 4'

[nerowolfe]

This is a subject that facinates me. How people organise the space in the cabinet below the tank.

Here's my contribution. The cabinet is organised using cable management trays, to keep all the wiring out of the way. I fitted all the power cables with Neutik PowerCon True 1 in-line connectors, to facilitate removal of the equipment without having to pull all the cables out of the cable management trays. You simply pull back a slide & twist and the equipment can be removed, (these connectors are popular with musicians, for all their equipment).

I made up a temperature monitoring/control unit using an STC1000, and based the design on several on youtube and various forums. It is capable of controlling both a heater and a chiller, keeping the temperature within +/- 1C. I simply set the heater's control to 1 degree above what I want, and then if the heater goes rogue, no harm, as the STC shuts it down. The same applies to a chiller. If the STC faults, it shuts down and sounds an alarm, (popular with the home brew crowd).

Water comes down from the tank & directly into the Fluval 406, (centre), then outputs to a Hydor Eth200 in-line heater, and then a Sera CO2 reactor 1000, which I have plumbed in, (along the right hand wall), in clear acrylic and vinyl tubing. (the whole assembly is held in place using marine plastic clips, and is easily removed for cleaning/servicing/replacement of equipment). The Fluval's quick release system allows easy removal for cleaning/servicing.

On the left side is the CO2 cyclinder, which feeds the Sera Co2 reactor, via CO2 proof tubing, which runs across the inside top of the cabinet, and held in place with some 3M clear picture hooks. (the small ones are just right to hold 6mm CO2/airline tubing). I solved the problem of 'air gurgling' in the reactor, by fitting some in line valves in the CO2 tubing and a t-piece, that enables me to 'bleed' the air out, when it first starts up. A one-way check valve is fitted in-line on the cylinder side of the 'air bleed' set up.

The second picture shows a timber 'cube' unit I have set up to hold most of the other things I need regularly, for the tank. I have fitted acrylic shelves (custom made) to the side to hold food, fertilisers, water conditioners, bacteria cultures and the tubing I use for water changes. The main shelves hold test kits, more food & water conditioners, and general cleaning items.

I hope you enjoy, and maybe it gives you some ideas for your set up.

 

[neo-2FX]

@nerowolfe that is seriously awesome! I'm so interested in the Neutrik Powercon cable system you speak of. How exactly does it work? Do you have to cut wires? And those tool hangers, did you make them yourself?

[Foxpuppet]

Unfortunately due to rescaping and preparing for new tank my under tank has also become around tank ;)

But here's the under

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nerowolfe]

Hi @neo-2FX, glad you like it.

You can see the Neutrik connectors in the photo, (black & yellow), one just to the right of the CO2 tank & 2 more just to the right of the filter, with the obligatory 'drip loop'.
Yes you have to cut the cable and fit them, and you buy them as a male & female connector (sold separately - $12 each). To connect them you simply push together & twist, and a slide (yellow) locks them together. To disconnect, you pull back the yellow slide back and twist in the opposite direction.
Now the way they are designed, it locks the electrical cable solidly into the connector, using compression, and the whole thing, once connected, strentgh wise, it's as if there is no connector. (does that make sense?)
I bought them from Derringer Music in Adelaide, (hugh place, servicing individuals to bands), as they are most commonly used connecting electronic musical instruments, amplifiers, etc. They simplify setting up and breaking down concerts. You should be able to find them at a similar place in Melbourne.
The tool hangers are primarily 3M Command clear picture hooks & cable clips (all removable), except the acrylic hanger (for syringes), on the lower section of the left door, (I designed it & a local acrylc fabricator made it up for me), and the commercially bought acrylic aquascape tool hanger (eBay), on the upper section of the right door. This one though is in two sections, one piece you can screw to a wall or door, and then the tool hanger section slides into it.
Where are they used? The cable clips are the white clips on the left door, which hold my flexible pipe cleaner, and the 3M Command hooks are used for the rigid bottle brushes (top of left door), and 2 of them to hang the stainless steel sand flatener, on the right door.
The blue mat on the floor of the cabinet is a piece of 'yoga mat' cut to size (completely eliminates any vibration from the filter & acts as a sound dampener). I also used a strip on the left wall for the CO2 bottle to rest against, and a small piece on the right hand door, to stop the sand flattener making a noise every time I opened or closed the door.

Hope that answers any questions. :-D

[neo-2FX]

@nerowolfe thanks heaps for the explanation. It's the little things [emoji106]

Still in awe of how clean your setup is and has given me some top ideas on how to clean up my area, thanks again!