# 65 gallon tank upgrade - 5/20 Wild Angelfish!



## XMX (Jan 5, 2011)

Nice job on the stand!


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

very nice! i like your moss mountain! im thinking of adding a few of those to my tank to give it some depth


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

XMX said:


> Nice job on the stand!


Thanks! It's not perfect, but it it could hold up a truck and was much cheaper than buying retiail. Hopefully I'll get to work on it a little more tonight.



problemman said:


> very nice! i like your moss mountain! im thinking of adding a few of those to my tank to give it some depth


Thanks! Unfortunately I don't plan on moving the moss mountain/tree to the new tank. The java moss is a big pita. It gets in the Glosso and grows and makes it look nasty. I'm going to try and put a little more "scaping" into the 65 since it has more depth to work with. The plan is to have the new driftwood on the left side of the tank branching out, covered in either anubias or java fern, and maybe some taiwan or Christmas moss. Then along the back on the tank will be the straight vals. The right side will be mostly open with some stems in front of the vals. At least that's the plan anyway :icon_cool


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

ok, a little bit to update. First some goodies came in the mail









Return will be in the back corners of the tank. Going to aim one at the front glass and the other along the back glass to try and create a circular water movement. Hopefully this will disperse CO2 well and keep detritus suspended decently. Didn't get a chance to install the CO2 diffuser because I was working on this....









Had to apply another coat of filler to the top seams due to small cracks. The wood filler was too course, so i ran out and got some Bondo to fill the small cracks. Also applied the first coat of Killz to the bottom shelf and one side of the door. Hopefully tonight I can do the last of the sanding and Killz the whole thing.


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

Finally got the joints satisfactory. Primer applied









Plan to get the first coat of paint on tonight. I also tested out the 2026 again. Still leaking from somewhere. I think it's from the output connection. Time to break out the superglue...


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## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

Great pics, great looking tank! Thanks!


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

Thanks! Hopefully the new one will improve on the old one.


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

Well I didn't get the tank setup this weekend, but I did get the stand 100% done, plumbing installed and leak tested, and all electrical accessories installed. Also got the Eheim 2026 leak fixed, so I will be running both canister filters. I would post pictures of all this, but i left the memory card at home :thumbsdow


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

ok, big updates! First the stand got painted and I gathered supplies for plumbing









And here we are hard at work. Nothing like a good brew to go along with aquarium work :icon_cool









The stand finished and leak testing the plumbing









And I picked up this gadget after learning about it on a couple reefing websites









It basically a power strip that allows you to shut off individual devices without unplugging them. Perfect for turning off pumps during water changes, etc. Here it where I chose to Install it









Backside of the stand with plumbing and heater.









For those of you wanting the hingeless look, this is what I used. Got them from Lowe's









So that was Sunday. Then last night the big move was completed. First sourced a loyal helper.









Last shot of the 38 gallon before it was dismembered









Slid the old tank out and put the new one in its place. The width difference is very noticeable here. This is about 7 pm









Then I got to work. Sorry for the lack of pictures during this part, but i was somewhat busy. All the plants went in the blue rubbermaid bin in the above pic, along with tank water and some excel and Hydrogen Peroxide to hopefully kill off any remnants of BBA. Then the substrate was moved over and I added another 20 lb bag. Filters were hooked up in the new tank and then the fun of catching the fish began. And this is what I ended up with at 1 am.

















Excuse the crappy angles ,the old tank was in the way when I took these. And here is the equipments. 









The canister on the right isn't quite in its final place, i ran out of tubing and the old stuff is a little short. I'm going to pick up more today and get it slid back to the side. You will also notice the CO2 bottle is gone. Well between the floor of the stand being a couple inches higher, and the overall stand height an inch or so lower, I ran out of height inside the stand to keep it. For now its next to the tank. I will play with arranging to see if I can squeeze it in.

The good news is that it's finally setup and the floor was still dry when i left for work this morning :thumbsup: Some items i'm still going to tweak:

1. Get CO2 tuned in. I left it pretty low so I didn't gas out the fish while at work. I'll slowly bump it up until the drop checker is slightly yellow and fish don't complain.

2. Play with flow. I didn't play with the filter outputs much. Right now they are both aimed at the center of the front glass. I need to play with them to get good flow around the tank. Good news is that those outputs are VERY easy to adjust. The filter that was on the old tank is gunked up from junk being stirred up during tear down and fish netting, so i'm sure it isn't flowing 100%. I'm going to leave it this way for a couple weeks until my biofilter has leveled out.

3. Tweak the scape. I'm pretty satisfied with the left side, but I think the right side needs some work. Might just need some edward scissorhands type trimming on the stems. We will see when things grow in.

Enough babbling. Any questions/comments/concerns?


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## spyke (Oct 14, 2010)

Love the sweet shut off strip....ingenious! What are you doing with the old tank...wish you would have left it up and just started a brand new tank in this one...


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

Thanks! It's empty in the garage. Probably going to sell it. I don't like the dimensions on it too much, plus i cut the center support brace off of it in my earlier aquarium keeping days and now i'm paranoid about it haha. I have a 10 gallon and 5 gallon in addition to this tank, so I have plenty more to take care of.

Everything looked happy and healthy today. Turned the CO2 up some. Replanted some anubias that broke loose. 

Here are the cory fry in the 5 gallon. They are about 5/8" of an inch now. 









Going to give them another week or so and then put them in the 65 gallon. I also found 3 more fry while emptying out the 38 gallon. Put them in the 5 gallon, too.


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

Well this is quite the monologue. I forgot to mention I ordered a new light fixture a couple days ago. The bulbs in the current fixture are who knows how old, and this new tank has glass tops which are cutting light intensity A LOT, mostly from condensation I believe. I figured for near the same price as new bulbs for my current fixture, I could try one of the Odyssea T5 fixtures that seem to be a VERY good bang for the buck and have decent reviews. I got the 4X39W model, which should give me plenty of light, even with the glass tops. I was in the LFS picking up tubing to move that second canister filter, and low and behold they carry Gieseman bulbs, which I've always heard good things about their Midday and Aquaflora on planted tanks. I picked up the Midday and since they didn't have the aquaflora I got the Current version of it. I'll be sure to post comparison pictures.

Last night I put in the longer tubing to get that second filter back into it's hole. I went ahead and cleaned the pads while I had it out. Flow seems improved from the cleaning. With the extra room freed up I was able to fit the CO2 bottle back under the stand, which is always a plus. Updated pics of the equipment to come.

All livestock seem to be doing well. In fact the tetra seem to be out in the open more than they used to be, which is really fun to watch them swim together schooling. I have a theory now why they used to hide out in the back of the old tank: mirrored background. The 38 had a mirrored background and possibly they thought their reflections were a bigger school of fish to swim with. Who knows.

New FTS soon!


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## TankZen (Jan 31, 2011)

Looks nice!! I like that power strip with easy shut offs...cute pup! Dog's are always the best company for these kind of projects!


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## spyke (Oct 14, 2010)

I put that same light fixture on my 40b iwagumi ( http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...um/128153-spykes-40b-iwagumi-diy-ada-ish.html )...and I have the smaller quad bulb on my 29, and i love them...they are really simple, cheap and even fixable for the dumbest of fishkeepers. They put out a lot...did you get the one with 4 cords? or just one....if you have the 4 cords you can put them on separate timers and have a really nice sunrise/sunset for the tank. but i have the one with only one cord and it stinks.


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

TankZen said:


> Looks nice!! I like that power strip with easy shut offs...cute pup! Dog's are always the best company for these kind of projects!


Thanks! You can get the power strip at Guitar Center if they are around you. It's $30.


spyke said:


> I put that same light fixture on my 40b iwagumi ( http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...um/128153-spykes-40b-iwagumi-diy-ada-ish.html )...and I have the smaller quad bulb on my 29, and i love them...they are really simple, cheap and even fixable for the dumbest of fishkeepers. They put out a lot...did you get the one with 4 cords? or just one....if you have the 4 cords you can put them on separate timers and have a really nice sunrise/sunset for the tank. but i have the one with only one cord and it stinks.


I don't think it has 4 cords, but it says "individual cords for each function", so we shall see. It's this one:









We shall see on Wednesday!

Updated FTS. Going to keep the latest on the first page, too.









And the equipment:









I'm very happy with the progress so far. I adjust the filter outputs today and got them just how i want them. The left filter goes along the back wall, and the right filter is aimed at the middle of the front glass. This makes a nice circular flow and keeps everything suspended decently. I've also almost got the co2 dialed in. I haven't made the fish gasp yet, but the drop checker is a bright green. In the FTS you can see the mist created by the UP Aqua diffuser.


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

The Odyssea light fixture arrived yesterday. For $80 shipped I'm really impressed. It has 2 bulbs on each ballast and a set of moonlights (3 plugs). It doesn't have individual reflectors for each bulb, but the output is plenty without them for my tank. Hopefully it will be reliable. Here are some pics with different bulbs. I wish I had a better camera so I could freeze the settings for a more accurate color comparison, but I'll work with what I have.

Here is the 6700K bulbs that came with it. I put in the Geisemann Midday and couldn't tell a difference from these bulbs, which makes sense because i believe it is rated at 6500K.









And here is 1 6700K and 1 Current Freshwater (pink) bulb









And here is 2 6700K, 1 Geiseman Midday, and 1 Current Freshwater









Overall the pink Current bulb really brings out the reds, which is a nice addition to the 6700K bulbs. I may try a 10000K down the road to try and pop the blues in the fish a little better.

Here is some other random pics. Some of the pics looks excessively grainy, but it's just the CO2 mist created by the Up Aqua diffuser.









Cory fry in the main tank



























That's it!


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

SWEET setup man... does the "mist" annoy you?


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

Thanks! I wouldn't say it annoys me, but it's worth it. IMO the pros outweigh the cons for this CO2 distribution. It's cheap, inline (nothing in the tank), efficient, and doesn't reduce flow. Assuming it lasts awhile, the mist is the only negative.


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

*Updates!*

Way overdue for updates! I was out of town for a couple weeks and left the girlfriend in charge. We all know how that goes... But overall everything is going well. I think the tank is going through a small cycle. Diatoms are showing up and some blue/green algae from nitrate not being pumped out by the nitrogen cycle. Also bba because the new co2 diffuser doesn't like the CO2 cylinder running low on pressure. So that's the bad news. Good news is CO2 is now refilled and i'm in town for the foreseeable future. The angels are happy, they spawned both weeks i was gone. My male is a player! He was "assisted" in egg sets from the two separate females. The first set got eaten, the second got the the wriggling stage, but then got eaten when i tried to re-plant the anubias they were on. Whoops! The good part about going out of town is I stopped at this awesome store in Knoxville called "Aquarium". Picked up some livestock I was looking for:
Male, also got a female and they already seem to be pairing up









Marble hatchets, horrible pic









And some new pics of the other residents


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

Long time, no updates! A lot of little changes have been going on. I experimented with CO2 diffusion to get rid of the "mist" from the UP Aqua inline diffuser. Found that putting it ahead of a PVC reactor installed on my lower flow canister filter did the trick. Only thing left equipment wise i'm going to change is to put a spray bar on the left side of the tank instead of the black loc-line "fan" output. I think this will help keep the surface cleaner by working oils and stuff towards my surface skimmer more efficiently. 

The diatom algae went away with time. I'm currently working through some spirogyra and short hair algae. Tetra algae killer has all but gotten rid of the spirogyra. The hair algae will probably go shortly after in my experience. Now that my CO2 is almost dialed in, i'm spot treating BBA and it should disappear. I also just switched from a modified EI fert routine to PPS-Pro. No good reason really, just wanted to see what would happen :red_mouth

All but one of my marble hatchets jumped out of the 1" gap my glass covers leave in the back. Not going to get anymore until i get a piece of plexiglass cut to fill that gap. I picked up 2 wild Red Spot Scalare angelfish from a shop in NC. I also found another female Apisto locally.

On to the (crappy) pictures!

Latest FTS









Left Side. I'm most happy with this side.









Right Side. Still major collectoritis. 









From the end









2 new wild P. Scalare from Fish Warehouse in Hickory, NC

















New Female apistogramma cacatuoides









here is my male trying to get to her lol, along with my other female. he has been going bonkers. i think he's in love lol.









Cardinals and Rummynose









Crypt Wenditit 'Red' added to tank









Also added Anubias Nana 'Petite'









Is this Limnophila aromatica or Pogostemon stellata?









I've always liked Clinopodium cf. brownei. Very unique plant.









I see this guy about once a week









Attention whore









Cories. Fry grew out enough in the 5 gallon to add back to main tank. Still have one left in the 5 gallon.









Spirogyra at its worst. Pretty much gone now









Goodnight!


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## do00ber (Dec 17, 2010)

Beautiful tank keep up the good work I wanna see how you eventually change the right side since you wanna..even though it looks good as it is :-D


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## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Awesome Angels!


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## GitMoe (Aug 30, 2010)

Thats a great tank. I wanna build a similar stand for an 11.4 tank I have thats just sitting a closet making me sad.


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

Thanks guys! Unfortunately i don't have good news to report. Somewhere in adding the several new fish my angels picked up some kind of disease. It has claimed the oldest ones so far. the two new wilds are still doing ok and eating. Hopefully i can get them cured before it takes hold too bad. Of course all this treating has taken a toll on the plants too due to the high temps and salt. They are still doing ok, though. Hopefully i'll be through this in the next couple weeks.


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