Wires..Pumps...Equipment..OH MY!

[revhtree Verified Admin]

How much do you care about having a display FREE of wires, pumps and equipment?

image @Brett S

 

[Reefer Matt]

I don’t mind a few wires from the wavemakers. I do have sumps on my tanks to hide the heaters and skimmers though. I am the only one who looks at my tanks on a daily basis, so it’s okay to be imperfect.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I don’t mind a few wires from the wavemakers. I do have sumps on my tanks to hide the heaters and skimmers though. I am the only one who looks at my tanks on a daily basis, so it’s okay to be imperfect.

Right on!

I'm a little more weird about it and always look for ways to show NOTHING! Almost impossible though when you consider the overall health of the aquarium.

 

[AnomMatty]

I try to keep wires organized and fairly neat, equipment that doesn't *have* to be in the display in the sump.

That said, my sump is visible so it's not "hidden" per se, but the draw isn't the tank almost on the floor... it's the one at eye level. I'd love to have a fish room or completely hidden sump setup, but a lot of factors prevented that.... for now

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Well, I'm a little different. Wave makers only in display, then my sump is a display refugium outside of the tank with all exposed plumbing and equipment. I'm a gear head that likes a clean clutter free tank

 

[AnomMatty]

Well, I'm a little different. Wave makers only in display, then my sump is a display refugium outside of the tank with all exposed plumbing and equipment. I'm a gear head that likes a clean clutter free tank

It looks good and is neatly done! To each their own but haphazard wiring and equipment irks me with my own stuff.

 

[JoJosReef]

If love to have it all clean, but not easy to do without some professional cable management. I have a "wire basket" that I tuck into the top shelf of the cabinet:

 

[exnisstech]

I started trying to be super neat on my latest build but gave up when I looked at the 14 power bricks.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I try to keep mine as clean as possible. Sometimes it doesn’t always work out though, haha

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

At first it was “high and tight” now it’s 1) safety 2) ease of maintenance 3) can I hide them if possible.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Read that a few times... :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Read that a few times... :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:

You know, my phone didn't auto-correct that or I just didn't type it right, fixed now :grinning-face-with-sweat:

 

[cilyjr]

I care 0% how the sump shed looks. Wires could be everywhere. The display must be completely clean.

 

[ca1ore]

My goal has always been to have as little equipment showing in the tank as possible. Only wire is to the light sensor. Overflow teeth are cut into the rear panel and I have a pair of MP40s.

A ‘reverse’ light hood contains all the non sump equipment and the wires from the MP40 dry sides are routed through the wooden top trim.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Just don’t look inside the cabinet :flushed-face:

 

[cilyjr]

Let's see some creative ways people have hidden cables.

 

[mousehunter]

I dream dreams of a clean tank, but reality always sticks it's ugly head into the design. I am coming from a planted tank background - Love Aqua Amano Design, but not something I can end up duplicating. Started with only the filter pipes and CO2 diffuser in the tank, but now have a second filter, second circulation pump, will be adding a adhoc filter on it this weekend (and hopefully removing the second filter). Have dreamed of putting it a bottom plumped overflow and hiding everything in a sump.

One annoying idea I came up with is hiding a switched power bar behind the stand's front top brace - with all the outlets connecting blind on the back side (every outlet is individually switched). It is clean (you can not see it without laying on the floor) and convenient (can turn anything off with a push of a button), but nerve racking trying to plug anything in. Kind of have to stick your finger in the outlet to determine orientation and location first.

Even with the sump, the reef tank will have more stuff in it. Depressing. That said, I am considering putting a false wall in a sump door sump to hide wires behind. I would make a goal as no bricks visible, but will have to seriously think of air circulation to keep them cool.

All that said, sure this thread will be dead and burred before my tank stand is completed.

 

[Alexraptor]

As little as is realistically possible! And I think I succeeded pretty well with my 15 and 25g reefs.

A public aquarium in Gothenburg actually had an interesting aquascape in one of their smaller reef tanks, with an V-shaped cross section in the rock walls, creating two valleys where the pumps could be completely concealed! Only way you could see them was by looking in at an extreme angle nere the ends of the tank.

 

[AlexandraDreadlocksPanda]

I started trying to be super neat on my latest build but gave up when I looked at the 14 power bricks.

Same, I’ll occasionally have a blitz of the wiring, neaten it all up but then first time I’m tired and CBA when I’ve cleaned or replaced something, it all starts to turn back into black spaghetti….

 

[reef tank 2.0]

I'm not a fan of wires and equipment in a tank, but I do have one gyre pump and power wire. but that's it. i like my gyre pump, but I'm not ready to upgrade to an interior wireless option....YET

so the gyre is all have in my display tank.