superjohnny Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Well after much deliberation I made a big move. I've been working on a 10g and finally got that up and running, but this is much bigger This is going to be a very long thread and it's going to take me many years to finish. Here's what I got so far. It's a freakin' mess folks. One well messed up fishtank. Current equipment list: 72g RR bowfront glass aquarium ~60lbs live rock (not bad rock really) 48" tube strip light 2 Aquaclear 802 powerheads (only 1 works) 1 very pissed off damsel 10g sump with Rio 1700 return (not working yet) ...and a very sore back 2 big fans blowing to dry out the inside of the stand, which is wet. Need a new impeller assembly for one of the powerheads and some new filter socks. The tank hadn't been cleaned in well over a month from what I can tell; nasty nitrate problem I'm sure. As soon as I can I'll get the skimmer working on it. More to come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Hey nice tank, thats gonna be a lot more room! Keep us updated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronjunior Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 That looks like the 135 gallon used setup I bought, but I don't think the guy had done cleaning or water changes in years! It only made sense as to why the fish were mysteriously dying one by one except for the apastasia! When I pulled out the coral bottom, there was the most disgusting sludge, like runny wet clay. The substrate fouled my water but good like yours when put back in with high nitrates; my ocean clear canister cleared it up nicely overnight... except of course for the nitrates, that would be too good to be true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjohnny Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 I know exactly the sludge you're talking about Ronjunior. Smells nice doesn't it? (laugh) It was supposed to come with a niger trigger, but there was no trace of 'em. I'm sure he was damsel and aptasia food and then one of those nasty brown gloopy clumps. Such a shame to waste a beautiful animal like that. I think before I do anything I'm going to get a reasonable sump. Maybe a 20L. The cabinet is only 12" wide on the ends so it has to be narrow. I think it'll be FOLR until I can afford a fixture of t5's or a pair of 150w MH's. Upgrade path... Sump Skimmer Fish Lights I'm tossing around the idea of cutting some 1" bulkheads for CLS. I just SO can't afford that right now, but it's one of those now or never things. Some little voice in the back of my head says, "Do what Impur is doing! Follow him!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronjunior Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I know exactly the sludge you're talking about Ronjunior. Smells nice doesn't it? (laugh) It was supposed to come with a niger trigger, but there was no trace of 'em. I'm sure he was damsel and aptasia food and then one of those nasty brown gloopy clumps. Such a shame to waste a beautiful animal like that. I think before I do anything I'm going to get a reasonable sump. Maybe a 20L. The cabinet is only 12" wide on the ends so it has to be narrow. I think it'll be FOLR until I can afford a fixture of t5's or a pair of 150w MH's. Upgrade path... Sump Skimmer Fish Lights I'm tossing around the idea of cutting some 1" bulkheads for CLS. I just SO can't afford that right now, but it's one of those now or never things. Some little voice in the back of my head says, "Do what Impur is doing! Follow him!" I feel for you, it's tough on a budget, but in the past month, I'm learning quickly to do it right the first time, or I'll just be redoing it again...in my case of substrate, replacing again and again. The sump is another story that I think needs to be well planned out. I've got an extra 55 gallon tank that I'm considering using. Problem is, I'll have to cut a hole in the end of my stand to fit anything over 3 feet into the cabinet, I think....if I'd thought it out right, I could have done it in the end by the wall where nobody could see the hole, but it's already shoved up against the wall(booboo). I think I saw a small plexiglass tank for $30 on the consignment page on Saltwater Fantaseas that may work for you, check it out. As for poor fish, it's definately a shame. I saw some big bones when I took out his rock, but heck if I knew what it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Do it! Do it!! You'll be happy you did in the end. Really its a minimal cost at the start, cut the holes, install bulkheads and just plug the bulkheads till you are ready with the CL pump and rest of the plumbing. Total cost to get the CL drilled would only be roughly 20 bucks including the bulkheads and holesaw. Let me know if I can help out in anyway. Miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjohnny Posted October 31, 2006 Author Share Posted October 31, 2006 I like to DIY, but that's beyond my comfort level. Know anyone who'll do it locally for a reasonable fee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Not up north, hopefully someone here will chime in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Check with Joel at Waves or Travis at Upscales about drilling the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjohnny Posted November 1, 2006 Author Share Posted November 1, 2006 Thanks for the input Michael, but I think I'd rather put that $$ into some lighting or a skimmer. I called Upscales and they said they don't and they don't know anyone who drills glass tanks. Joel is $50 for the 1st hole, $20 each additional. So it'd be a ~$150 job. Considering I don't yet have a skimmer or lights I think I could put that $150 to better use. I've been working on killing off the aptasia and filling it up. This morning I found a bunch of snails on the glass and a really small hermit crab making his way through the rocks. Hopefully I'll get a 20L sump set up this weekend. After that's done I'll start working on a decent lighting setup & skimmer. On the horizon... 1) Make sure my old house can support all the electricity it'll take to run this setup. My electrical wiring has been a little spotty (1928 house & all). I'd like to run a dedicated 20 amp fuse to this electrical outlet before I work on item #4 2) Get a decent return (not the Rio 1700 I have currently, maybe that can run the skimmer). Thinking Eheim or Mag 7/9.5 would be good here 3) skimmer 4) lights. T5 or MH? I like the idea of lower power consumption of t5 lighting and the less frequent bulb replacement. A single 250w or 150w MH pendant would probably light most of the tank sufficiently though and allow me to keep LPS & softies. Oh yea, #5: A fish would be nice Speaking of which, I gotta get rid of that damsel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjohnny Posted November 2, 2006 Author Share Posted November 2, 2006 Got it filled up with water and put my little CPR Bakpak skimming away. I'm doing daily 5g water changes to get some of the mulm & crap off of the the sand and rocks. Still have aptasia, but I'm killing them with boiling water as I find them. Wildlife is starting to pop-up here & there. Found a litle starfish just growing back 3 of his 5 arms and a red-leg hermit who's making a home out of a snails shell. Here are some updated pics... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjohnny Posted November 2, 2006 Author Share Posted November 2, 2006 I had someone contact me about a 20L they have been using as a sump. Evidently it is partitioned out and pretty nice (from what they've said). I just have no idea how I'll get it under the stand. Can't go in from above, can't take out a side pannel (still only 8" of clearance), I have trouble getting the 10g in through the front. I do want a bigger sump though (so I can take down my 10g and put it's contents as a refugium). I guess if I need to I can take the whole system down into a garbage can or 2 and take the center brace out of the back, install the sump, re-add the center brace and put everything back. Lot of work right there, but I'm nothing if not willing... Sold my old digicam so hopefully I can find a decent skimmer for ~$145. After I get a skimmer I think it will be ready to start adding livestock. Thinking a convict tang would be cool, but maybe I'll start with a goby & wrasse or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 The coralife super skimmers are in that price range and get good reviews. You could get the larger one used for pretty cheap on RC. Tank is coming along. Thats an asternia star, it will eat your corraline algae. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjohnny Posted November 3, 2006 Author Share Posted November 3, 2006 Great. Scraping coraline is a b!tch of a task. Not sure I have enough light to grow much coraline though... That's not good. I just wonder what they were when it was set up @ the person's house. High enough to kill a trigger for sure. nitrates are @ 20ppm, ammonia @ .25 Went into WWP today to sell back some FW plants. They ripped me off and that didn't make me feel good. They did have a few nice SW pieces, but nothing to die for. A pair of skunk clowns caught my eye. Need to wait for the *trates to come back to low earth orbit 1st. The want to add a bunch of livestock to a new tank didn't stop some other guy there. He was buying live rock, fish and snails all in 1 shot (for his 4.5g tank i think i overheard). Somebody's going to have a headache in a few days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippin61 Posted November 4, 2006 Share Posted November 4, 2006 The coralife super skimmers are in that price range and get good reviews. You could get the larger one used for pretty cheap on RC. Tank is coming along. Thats an asternia star, it will eat your corraline algae. can you come over and tell that to mine? please? (laugh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltfreak Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 Thanks for the input Michael, but I think I'd rather put that $$ into some lighting or a skimmer. I called Upscales and they said they don't and they don't know anyone who drills glass tanks. Joel is $50 for the 1st hole, $20 each additional. So it'd be a ~$150 job. Considering I don't yet have a skimmer or lights I think I could put that $150 to better use. I've been working on killing off the aptasia and filling it up. This morning I found a bunch of snails on the glass and a really small hermit crab making his way through the rocks. Hopefully I'll get a 20L sump set up this weekend. After that's done I'll start working on a decent lighting setup & skimmer. On the horizon... 1) Make sure my old house can support all the electricity it'll take to run this setup. My electrical wiring has been a little spotty (1928 house & all). I'd like to run a dedicated 20 amp fuse to this electrical outlet before I work on item #4 2) Get a decent return (not the Rio 1700 I have currently, maybe that can run the skimmer). Thinking Eheim or Mag 7/9.5 would be good here 3) skimmer 4) lights. T5 or MH? I like the idea of lower power consumption of t5 lighting and the less frequent bulb replacement. A single 250w or 150w MH pendant would probably light most of the tank sufficiently though and allow me to keep LPS & softies. Oh yea, #5: A fish would be nice Speaking of which, I gotta get rid of that damsel. OMG! There's living animals in there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjohnny Posted April 24, 2007 Author Share Posted April 24, 2007 This tank is long since gone. I sold it and got an Aquapod. The damsel did get caught in one of the power-heads and die though. The red-leg is doing fine in my AP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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