#tank project

[sixlegnag]

blah blah blah altering fish tank plans slightly

I’ve decided I’m gonna do it

I’m gonna go hard core biotope for my revamp minus the Amazonians who are allowed to live out the rest of their lives with their familiar friends no matter what.

going to go w. the Ataran river basin since my main goal is to get a nice shoal of B. histrionica to match my poor singleton that has had to live with kuhlis its entire life due to the failure of all my local LFS

aiming for a total of five of those but I might sub in a B. kubotai or two; they’re sympatric to the point of being collected in the same locations and so similarly behaved I doubt they would give a shit. I mean the one I have cuddles with the kuhlis. people say “botia” are bullies but they mean “botia” not Botia - Botia are pretty well gregarious. they will attempt to befriend same-sized catfish, much to the dismay of any non-shoaling species.

I will have to skip all the stripey Pangio which is too bad but I could go for P. fusca if I ever found any for sale, and I could get away with P. pangia, or more likely, more of the P. oblonga I already have, as who the hell sells P. pangia? close enough.

the main problem with this concept is I can’t find a catfish that will like the same flow rate. all of the cats reported from the Ataran are hillstream specialists while the loaches come from slower areas where the headwaters pool. oxygen levels are high there too but the current is less dramatic.

[bettagal]

2 Tanks Completely Re-Done

I was inspired by @thespicebettas re-arranging their room, so I decided to completely 100% re-scape 2 of my tanks. One 10-gallon and one 3.5 gallon. I’ll post pics ones the dust settles. OH MY GAWD I AM SORE.  I took out all of the old substrates and dirted both of my tanks. I took dirt from my lawn, baked it to kill any bacteria/parasites and mixed it with Flourite substrate. I then covered that with white pool filter sand. The flourite substrate alone was driving me crazy; it has too much dust no matter how much you wash it. It had all my plants coated in dust. I washed all my plants, trimmed them, and replanted them all in the newly substrated tank.  I cleaned all the glass up. Painted the back glass of my 3.5 gallon black. I am so worn out. I have so many buckets full of stones, sand and fluorite substrate. Put me back in the kiln... *dies*   

[sixlegnag]

stocking concepts:

present (sad, depleted schools): 4x Pangio oblonga (CB), 1 x Botia histrionica (WC), 1 x Pimelodus blochii (WC), 1 x Ancistrus sp (CB, probable hybrid), 1x Pterophyllum scalare (CB)

immediate future (as in this year, hopefully winter!): 4x Pangio oblonga (CB), 4 x Botia histrionica (WC unless hormone spawned become available in the US), 1 x Pimelodus blochii (WC), 1 x Ancistrus sp (CB, probable hybrid), 1x Pterophyllum scalare (CB), 2-3x Pangio kuhli (preferably CB)

post-Pimelodus (possibly as soon as next year, but perhaps not for another five - mine is past average age, but they can go well past that on occasion): 4x Pangio oblonga (CB), 4 x Botia histrionica (WC unless hormone spawned become available in the US ), 1 x Ancistrus sp (CB, probable hybrid), 1x Pterophyllum scalare (CB), 2-3x Pangio kuhli (preferably CB), 2x Pseudomystus leiacanthus (WC unless CB available by then!) post-Pterophyllum (likely years from now - my angel is five, the average lifespan is ten and as the worst he’s ever had is a mild case of hexamita and some loach-hazing, he’s likely to keep trucking on): 4x Pangio oblonga (CB), 4 x Botia histrionica (WC unless hormone spawned become available in the US ), 1 x Ancistrus sp (CB, probable hybrid), 1x Pterophyllum scalare, 2-3x Pangio kuhli (preferably CB), 2x Pseudomystus leiacanthus (WC unless CB available by then!), 6?x Neocaridina davidi var. red (CB, number will likely vary with breeding rate and successful loach catching rates, but six would be a good average to maintain) if brown algae/biofilms are terribly obnoxious while the angel is still about, I may do 6x Otocinclus vittatus (likely WC, though I can dream) instead since they’re so very good at scooting around eating, and while I’m obviously trying to work my way towards a SE Asian biotope here, there really are not any detrivores from that region that aren’t too huffy to live in a fleet, and even little loaches WILL systematically decimate even large snails. I know about hillstreams, but I’m not a fan of keeping hillstream loaches out of special set ups just for them - without high flow and obscene amounts of algae, they tend to squabble over whatever rock does have good stuff on it, whereas in thin times, otos will happily share a nice slice of zucchini. they are also fine without aggressive flow, and since I’m going for more riverbend than rapids, they’d be happier. I could also see if my angel isn’t a shrimp killer and skip a step, but they usually . . . are. well fed loaches, surprisingly, apparently often get along with them, hence the final destination.

the pleco is involved eternally because the pleco is like two and unless she has more issues stemming from her hybrid status than her funny size, she’ll be around a good long time

[thetankproject]

Ku’Vut Odr. 1

The Ku’Vut was the second Motozambadjanese Super Heavy tank design that made it into production, after the introduction of the Plains Raider. The Ku’Vut was a much more ambitious project however, with more than twice the size and triple the costs of the former. A quick glance at the Ku’Vut’s design shows that most of its aspects had been copied from the Ottochian super heavy tanks, most notably the dome shaped armor; However, the Motozambajanese took the idea one step further and applied the concept to the entire design. It was developed mostly under the direct command of King Zwarajud the Boastful, whom was very vengeful towards the Ottochians and desired ever greater tanks to extract his revenge after the war had swayed back to his favor

The Ku’Vut was a tank that was as impervious to enemy fire as it was slow. It was so big and heavy that it was capable of toppling buildings with the tremors it caused when driving by. It is probably no surprise either that it’s top speed was a meager 11 kilometers an hour, (which many modern engineers still consider impressive given the size of the tank) and that due to its weight it was impossible for the tank to travel by any other means then on its own power.

The main weapon employed by the tank was the monstrous Ro.Ku 1500 mm rocket cannon, capable of destroying entire city blocks. The self-propelled shells that it fired where so big that they had to be stowed away in two parts inside the tank and only allowed a Ku’Vut to transport a maximum of nine rounds. Due to this, it was a common sight to see a Ku’Vut being trailed by supply trucks carrying ammunition; these in turn needed protection from enemy armor by more flexible battle tanks. All these reasons made the deployment of a Ku’Vut both an economic and logistic nightmare. The complex two-part rounds, which had to be assembled in the breach before firing, also meant that the rate of fire from the Ro.Ku was abominable; at best, with veteran crewmembers, it could fire only once every 45 minutes. (Due to this, the ration cuts crew received as a punishment for missing were quite severe.)

The Ku’Vut also had two spotting towers, a courtesy to the Stack-Tank principle, with incorporated T.oPH anti tank cannons. These it could use to fend off enemy tanks. In practice, these were hardly ever used due to the abundance of escort tanks that often travelled with it.

The Ku’Vut’s horrendous speed and low rate of fire meant that it was very hard to deploy, and never really adapted to its role. Most commanders deployed them as terror weapons and used them to bombard stubborn enemy positions. However, on a few occasions it fought against enemy armor and managed to fire a shot into Ottochian tank formations. The amount of kills the Ku’Vut’s made during these happenings have never been determined, due to the fact that the Ottochian tanks where obliterated so utterly by the explosive strength of the Ro.Ku shells that it was impossible to ascertain which parts belonged to which tank, and how many had been destroyed. Thirty Ku’Vut’s where produced, but this is mostly because the war was about to end in a rather anti-climactic fashion. It is undeniable however, that it’s mighty cannon ended many a battle and prevented atrocious sieges of Ottochian fortifications on many occasions. Therefore, it was considered a success by Motozambadjanese standards. Its most insidious drawback however, would make itself known after the war had ended…

The Ku’Vut was not the ultimate expression of King Zwarajud’s sudden obsession with super heavy tanks. That honor would go to the Komogombo YP-1200 Titan, which entered service two months after the Ku’Vut’s debut.

Type: Super-Heavy Tank

Crew: 21 (1 commander, 7 loaders, 5 gunners, 2 spotters, 2 engineers, 2 drivers and 1 radio operator, 1 spare)

Engine: 3 x Bap.AO 3 tugboat engine (4200 HP)

Topspeed: 11 Km/H

Manufacturer: Multiple

Armament: Ro.Ku 1500 mm Rocket Cannon, 2 x T.opH 60 mm anti-tank guns, 2 x ZU.ko 1.3 Automatic cannons

Country of Origin: Motozambadjah

Weight: 940 Tonnes

Pictured above is Ku’Vut number 13, accompanied by updated N’Zita FOK.D stack tanks, as it thunders through the remains of an Ottochian airbase. The N’Zita was still in use in the Motozambadjanese army, and especially the D variant, with its updated ammunition 

[thetankproject]

Nao-T.A “Club” Light tank ‘Pacifier vehicle’ The Ottotchians had to deal with so much civil unrest because of the hugely unpopular Crowns War, the royalty began to fear the emergence of a second front, right at home; In the form of a civil war. To enforce the royal power at home the Ottocthians began to station military troops in larger cities. The Nao-T.A was propagated to the public as needed for ‘home defense’, when in reality it was solely designed and deployed to suppress riots and other undesirable situations with its own people. The tanks design is pretty straightforward except for its power source. The Nao-T.A takes its energy from electrified tramlines. This was an attempt to save on fuel for the war effort. The tank is also equipped with batteries that charge automatically when connected to the grid, enabling the tank to leave the grid with an action radius of about one and a half hour. However, these specifications were never reached. At most the tank could perform forty-five minutes without power before becoming useless or, as referred to by civilians “an enormous clothes iron”. Few Nao-T.A saw heavy combat, as sieged or rioting cities tend to have a hard time keeping up the public electrical grid. And when drained the tanks couldn’t even be used as pillboxes or stationary artillery because both the multi-barreled autocannon and the rear turret needed electricity to operate. Note: The picture in the background is a portrait of King-Patriarch Hauberc Daimo XXIV, who’s face was regularly used in propoganda to inspire the people. Trivia: That the Ottochian industry was strained by the war effort is painfully visible in the production process of the Nao-T.A. As the majority of parts for these tanks were produced in medical mechanical factories. Armament: 1: .43kg Sann37 1: F1C1 autocannon Crew: 5 1: Equester (commander) 1: Driver/engineer 3: Gunners Manufacturer: Royal Daimo War Factories (RDWF)     Medical Mechanica branch Engine: Canti N.O. Top speed: 26 km/h

[thetankproject]

YI-L-DRZ type 1.X (The Yarhan Project, Ozone)

The worlds long and often messy history of experimental weapons has always been a rather bizarre and difficult topic for historians to delve into. Today we explore one of the earliest examples.

It has been recently discovered that the Motozambadjanese army experimented with energy weapons, prior to and during the King’s war. The undertaking was code-named the Yarhan Project, after the dessert were the research facilities were located. Each different unit within the project further received a further addendum to its name, which gave clues about which specific project it was. Today we examine the Ozone branch, which was an experiment to weaponize the Chesla Reactor.

The YI-L-DRZ Type 1.x tank was more or less designed entirely around the Army grade Chesla Reactor. Chesla coils, developed by the famous Wanorian scientist Lucachenka Chesla, had been around for quite some time at this point and were used in several countries for industrial purposes.

The weapon version of the coil could unleash a discharge of nearly 2.5 Negajoules; more than enough to instantly electrocute any living being the size of an elephant, and potent enough to short-circuit any electrical components of enemy weapons and tanks. Thus, the primary role envisioned for the Type 1.X was a tank hunter, that could deliver a fatal electric shock to enemy crew members whilst leaving most of the targeted tank intact to capture it later.

In reality however, the weapon was plagued with problems that severely hampered it’s tactical usefulness. The most severe of these was the energy required by the Chesla Cannon. To properly function, it needed two complete energy generators, one of which was installed in the crew compartment, and one which had to be towed behind the tank. And even with both generators at full power, the tank could snap off no more than five shots on average before the energy depletion rendered the weapon ineffective. Negative force feedback surges also posed a serious hazard for the 1.X’s crew members, who were prone to being zapped to dust along with their target by even the slightest power leak. (most testing with the prototypes was conducted using penal legionnaires for this very reason).

The range of the weapon was unpredictable by the extreme. In some tests, the weapon destroyed a target at over 30 metres, only to completely fail the next shot under almost identical circumstances.

Attempts at creating a Chesla tank destroyer were abandoned along with the rest of the Ozone project as it became clear that both time and recources to make the project worthwhile were becoming more and more scarce.

It is worth mentioning that the Chassis of the Type 1.X, the YI-L-DRZ combat utility vehicle (provided by the Bjulbasoor Locomotive plant) went into full scale production as a tank hunter with a conventional weapon for a while.

Type: Light tank hunter

Crew: presumably 4 to 5.

Engine: Unknown.

Topspeed: Unknown.

Manufacturer: Bjulbasoor Locomotive Plant

Armament: Type 1.X Chesla Coil.

Country of Origin: Motozambadjah

Weight: Unknown.

[thetankproject]

G0l-g0  "Hoplon" (Shield) As the Crowns Conflict proceeded, the Ottotchians became confronted with personnel issues. Not only was Ottotchia a smaller country than Motojambadja. But the sense of being exploited by the higher classes for a war based solely on honor, caused horrible low morale amongst already not very motivated regular troops. The Golgo was an solution to two problems, it could be deployed to fortify positions. Compensating for the lack of soldiers actually needed to guard large areas. And, however never acknowledged by the Ottotchian politics, it was undeniably prominently used to keep its own soldiers in check. It was very suited for both tasks. It could fire on advancing enemy positions at nearly all lengths, and was impressively armored and armed against airborne attacks. It's autocannons and machineguns were more than enough to persuade friendly soldiers to stay at their positions or advance when needed. It's noteworthy to mention that during advances, especially later in the war. "The Kings Prick", As the Golgo was lovingly referred to by the regular soldiers. Wasn't just advancing in front of the soldiers, but also 'covering' the rear. The biggest problem with the Golgo was that it was a far from flexible armored unit. It had little to fear from enemy aeroplanes, soldiers and armor. But was an easy target for enemy artillery, so when G0l-g0's were deployed the Ottotchians had to ensure they had artillery superiority. When losing this superiority, the Golgo's had serious problems, because of its terrible top speed running away was hardly an option. So usually crews were evacuated and the tanks blown up to prevent enemy capture. A very costly routine when the Ottotchian army had to retreat. Armament: 1: Mya-120 3: Tor-tor autocannons 2: Bulm 1: .43kg Sann37 Crew: 17 1: Equester (commander) 2: Driver/engineer 11: Gunners 1: Spotter 2: Radio Operators Manufacturer: Royal Daimo War Factories (RDWF) Engine: Magnum 44 ltr. Top speed: 7km/h

[thetankproject]

LWaC 1tt0 "Lance" The LWaC, sometimes referred to as "the pancake", for its low profile. Was designed by a foreign company for the Ottotchians to encounter and combat enemies at greater lengths, especially to actively hunt enemy tanks. Its low profile, and reasonable speed made it an very hard vehicle for enemy guns to hit or pin down, and its own armament, the famed imported S&W Dimlak "Horse-cutter". Performed extremely well against enemy hard points and armor. On paper it was a great combat vehicle, especially in a 'lone wolf' role. however the Ottotchians saw themselves too honorable to employ themselves with "hit-and-run" or "hunting" tactics. So the LWaC was grossly misused at the front lines as an overall combat tank. It still performed adequately but as soon as enemy tankers made up the disadvantage in distance the tank became more or less worthless and quickly immobilized or decimated. The Ottotchians tried converting the tanks with a more 'versatile' set of armament, but this only resulted in an overall loss of effectiveness. Before the end of the war the tank was phased out. The LWaC wasn't a complete loss because of the exclusive design from S/W. Thanks to this the Ottotchians were able to sell the tanks at a hefty profit to countries who did see it's potential. Armament: 1: S&V Dimlak "Horse-Cutter" Crew: 4 1: Equester 1: Driver/engineer 2: Gunners Designer: Slotveld/Vosboom Pantzerwerken Manufacturer: Royal Daimo War Factories (RDWF) Engine: Top Speed: 28 km/h

Trivia: The first confirmed kill by a LWaC was one not even in combat. It's devision was ambushed by a Motozambadjanese spearhead and Cub 23 was in it's warming up routine whilst in cover in a tree line. When a MEQ.2 drove at full speed against the LWaC's protruding barrel, the Smokepot's turret was completely ripped in two. Killing the entire crew.