# 120P: "Long Island"



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Looks like an awesome start, I will be following this to see how it looks in a couple of months. Interesting to read about how you use the Echo/Smart stuff!


----------



## brooklyntankster (May 23, 2020)

This looks amazing. Great job! I will be following.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Thanks for the kind words.

The Rasboras have settled in and are exploring the tank. I do have one problem however. I have 5 silver tipped Tetras. Two are pale and three are a darker gold. The gold ones are bullies. They bully the pale ones and one in particular bullies the other gold ones. 

I blew it. I had originally planned to rehome them when I netted everyone for the move. I relented, due to laziness and thinking that with more space they might chill. Wrong!

They are bullying the Rasboras, especially if they venture into the middle of the tank which the tetras seem to have chosen as their turf. I would love to pull them but having run into this with a white cloud in my old 75g I know how hard it can be to catch one in a well planted tank. Bummer.


----------



## greenguppy (Dec 31, 2020)

Very nice setup. I have never had a planted tank so don't know how hard it is, but when I am going to catch a very fast fish in a big setup I usually feed some flakes that will get all the fish to the top and quickly dip my net in and scoop out the fish. Hope that helps.

Sent from my KFONWI using Tapatalk


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

greenguppy said:


> ...when I am going to catch a very fast fish in a big setup I usually feed some flakes that will get all the fish to the top and quickly dip my net in and scoop out the fish.


Thanks. I will try that. Previously I put food in a net and waited until the fish ventured in but that took a loooooong time (days) as the fish had to get used to the net.


----------



## NotThePainter (Dec 17, 2020)

A big net is your savior. Get the kind with the black mesh, it looks like a nice inviting safe cave. Put it in the tank and let it open up but don't move it around. 

Then, the scare hand comes into play. Herd the fish with the scary hand. It wiggles, it thrusts, and look, a nice safe cave!

Scoop.

It takes time and patience. You can also do it on water change day, with 50% they have less room to run. 

But, do you like them? I had tiger barbs in my first adult tank. Mean little jerks. I later found out that I just didn't have enough. If you get a larger group they just interact with each other. Google around and find out.

Oh, great tank, before and after!


----------



## NotThePainter (Dec 17, 2020)

Oh, and how is the inline diffuser working out? I had read that they aren't that effective on large tanks.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

NotThePainter said:


> A big net is your savior. Get the kind with the black mesh, it looks like a nice inviting safe cave. Put it in the tank and let it open up but don't move it around.
> 
> Then, the scare hand comes into play. Herd the fish with the scary hand. It wiggles, it thrusts, and look, a nice safe cave!
> 
> ...


I am pretty tired of their endless chasing. Feeding time is the worst. They very seldom nip but I do like "peace in the land". For me the tank is like a mediation. There is enough aggression and stress in the world and especially here in DC already! So I do not think that I would risk adding more. I was hoping that adding the glowlight rasboras would chill them but that has not worked.

When I had to remove a white cloud "jerk" from my old tank I did just as you suggested. It took a while but worked.

Regarding the diffusor. In my reading I had found that they could be used on tanks much larger than mine but probably just not with the CO2 efficiency of the Cerges and Riggs. I had also seen a number of the YouTube greats like George Farmer use them so I felt safe. The bubbles are very fine and I have mostly easy, low light plants in the tank. I get a 1 point pH drop with about 2 bubbles per second so I am happy. 

Thanks for the kind words about the tank!


----------



## NotThePainter (Dec 17, 2020)

mourip said:


> I am pretty tired of their endless chasing. Feeding time is the worst. They very seldom nip but I do like "peace in the land". For me the tank is like a mediation. There is enough aggression and stress in the world and especially here in DC already!


Then it is time to go! I loved my cichlid tank, but I couldn't take the aggression (nor all the poo!) So I eventually tore it down. Got crap for credit at the LFS, should have rehomed them on facebook.


----------



## Reginald2 (Mar 10, 2009)

That sure is a pretty tank. I like your hardscape too.

I've moved most of my stuff over to smart plugs as well, but I think you may have just convinced me to get a few more for the filter.


----------



## yondertank (Sep 7, 2009)

Great start, agree with the others, very nice hardscape!


----------



## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

Nice start to the tank! I am seriously debating getting a waterbox 4820 (this tank?) because it is available now vs waiting an unknown time for a uns 120p. How is the quality of the tank? 

Is the oase 600 producing enough flow for you? I am also debating filtration, whether to go canister filter and reactor or sump with a hang on back overflow.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

minorhero said:


> Nice start to the tank! I am seriously debating getting a waterbox 4820 (this tank?) because it is available now vs waiting an unknown time for a uns 120p. How is the quality of the tank?
> 
> Is the oase 600 producing enough flow for you? I am also debating filtration, whether to go canister filter and reactor or sump with a hang on back overflow.


Yes. I have the 4820. It took almost two months to get it. When I was shopping I could not find any 120P's in stock anywhere. I would have bought the stand from them but I wanted one that was not so high as to make access tough. The Archaea is a bit shorter.

So far the 600 seems fine. I kept the 250 from my old tank thinking that I would need it but am just keeping it for backup for now. Plus I only have one filter to clean 

I debated over the sump and hang-on overflow but decided that the Biomaster is quiet, has a built-in heater and the great removable prefilter so I went with that.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Video. I have since added 20 Glowlight Rasboras who are very active and do not hide. My Pygmy Cories are shy and mostly come out when I feed. Too bad as I really enjoy them.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Some glamour shots...
Oase Biomaster 600 Thermo. Love it. I installed a pull out shelf to make cleaning the prefilter easy.
CO2 atomizer working well. I tried a Griggs but it made too much noise. The heater and pump are on separate cords but both plugged into the same smart plug.










Great regulator by @Bettatail working well. The solenoid is on a Kasa smart plug also.
Jebao dosing pump is waiting for the reservoir to arrive. I plan to just use premixed Thrive and dilute it to give a daily morning, pre-light dose.









Plants are doing great with very little algae. Buce is flowering. Shrimp are now multiplying after a baffling start where adults were dying. Rasboras are wonderful and are still schooling in open view all day long. Wish I could say the same for the Pygmy Cories. I have to sneak into the room to see them!

I may pull the giant sword in the back left. I feel that it is out of balance with the rest of the scape. Also trying to figure out what would take it's place, tall but not needing frequent trimming and will fit in with the easy care low light tankmates.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Can Spring be near?

I setup my Jebao doser today. I am using liquid Thrive mixed with some APT in a 5L reservoir with RO water. I am diluting the fertilizer to give a calculated conservative daily dose mixed with 100ml of RO. I figure that the added RO water will help with top-off.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Rapid transit...


----------



## Dan Knowlton (Jan 9, 2009)

What are you using for substrate? That pic of the shrimp and nerite looks amazing!


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Dan Knowlton said:


> What are you using for substrate? That pic of the shrimp and nerite looks amazing!


Thanks. They are racing along on pool filter sand that makes up the first ~6" in the front of the tank, forming "The Beach". It is really just meant to form an open area where fish can be seen and where feeding can happen. The rest of the tank is a mix of Seachem Fluorite and Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum for the rooted plants...

For the photos I have moved from my iPhone to my camera. which is a Sony 7R using a Leica R 60mm Macro. Still trying to figure out how to avoid flare from the LED lights.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

I remembered to turn off my pump so that I do not get "shooting star" CO2 bubbles in my shots!

Things are mostly going well except for the beginning of some BBA. In my last tank it was always the hardest to keep away. About a week ago I turned the lights up by just 5% and turned on the auto doser. I will probably need to push some Easy Carb on the affected areas during my weekly water changes today. Otherwise starting to really fill in.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Starting to fill in nicely. Used a bit of EasyCarbo with my last water change and the BBA has lost it's momentum. The autodoser is running like a clock, which I guess it is 

I have a daily dose of Thrive mixed with 100cc of RO water that goes in an hour or so before the lights go on. The reservoir is 5 liters so this is pretty much hands free now. Hopefully the Thrive will not settle to the bottom too much.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

A couple of current pics. The Val in the back is creating a nice screen but is starting to take over with lots of runners. It has also produced two extremely long white extensions that look like they may end up as flowers. My guess is that they are ~48" long. I think that I may eventually remove the Val once the Rubin swords get taller. I also am starting to have way more shrimp that I had planned for. My guess is that there could be 100 in there with lots of juveniles. Last week I probably pulled 20 shrimp out of my Oase prefilter when I cleaned it. I think that I may post for a local pickup of a couple of dozen (Washington DC)


----------



## vijay_06 (Apr 11, 2017)

Just came across this thread and subscribed to it. The scape seems to be filling in nicely and it looks very nice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

mourip said:


> A couple of current pics. The Val in the back is creating a nice screen but is starting to take over with lots of runners. It has also produced two extremely long white extensions that look like they may end up as flowers. My guess is that they are ~48" long. I think that I may eventually remove the Val once the Rubin swords get taller. I also am starting to have way more shrimp that I had planned for. My guess is that there could be 100 in there with lots of juveniles. Last week I probably pulled 20 shrimp out of my Oase prefilter when I cleaned it. I think that I may post for a local pickup of a couple of dozen (Washington DC)


Looking really great! Scape, fish, and those proliferous shrimpses. 
Vals tend to get a bit of a nuisance when they do really well... trying to take over. Same can be said for certain large swords. Have you looked into 'Vesuvius'? I couldn't really get that to grow, but it may look great in your tank if you are looking to replace the Vals. Crinum calamistratum is also very showy in the background (with awesome smelling flowers, if they can poke out of the water).
Nice pics. I just got back into Sony, with an A7C, I like the compactness. Pretty good images too.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Wasserpest said:


> Looking really great! Scape, fish, and those proliferous shrimpses.
> Vals tend to get a bit of a nuisance when they do really well... trying to take over. Same can be said for certain large swords. Have you looked into 'Vesuvius'? I couldn't really get that to grow, but it may look great in your tank if you are looking to replace the Vals. Crinum calamistratum is also very showy in the background (with awesome smelling flowers, if they can poke out of the water).
> Nice pics. I just got back into Sony, with an A7C, I like the compactness. Pretty good images too.


Thanks. A week or so ago I trimmed the ends of the Val and pulled a few runners out. I will see how the leaf ends turn out but visually it is working. Earlier I did pull the very large sword out and replace it with another Red Rubin. The Rubin look good to me and work with the reddish colored wood. I also bought some Hygrophila Pinnatifida and planted it on the back side of the wood on left side where the sword was removed. 

Thanks for the tips on other background plants. I will check them out.


----------



## Nicecook (Mar 31, 2021)

mourip said:


> A couple of current pics. The Val in the back is creating a nice screen but is starting to take over with lots of runners. It has also produced two extremely long white extensions that look like they may end up as flowers. My guess is that they are ~48" long. I think that I may eventually remove the Val once the Rubin swords get taller. I also am starting to have way more shrimp that I had planned for. My guess is that there could be 100 in there with lots of juveniles. Last week I probably pulled 20 shrimp out of my Oase prefilter when I cleaned it. I think that I may post for a local pickup of a couple of dozen (Washington DC)
> 
> View attachment 1028423
> 
> ...


Great tank!! Can you share your daily schedule with intensity using the dimmer for your Twinstar light?
Thanks!!


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Nicecook said:


> Great tank!! Can you share your daily schedule with intensity using the dimmer for your Twinstar light?
> Thanks!!


Here is what I last wrote down. It may seem odd but according to posts I have read if one does not use the first and last settings as a "0" my particular model timer may not work properly. With these settings it works perfectly. Looking at it now I cannot remember why I have the 5pm setting. As I have very little algae I may turn it up a bit more soon. I am have problems with my new Hygrophila pinnatifida which is leggy, yellow and has some holes in the leaves, which seem short to me. Everyone else seems happy and growing well.

1. 10am 0%
2. 10:01am 10%
3. 11am 45%
4. 5:00pm 45%
5. 7:01pm 10%
6. 8:00pm 0%


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Hygrophila Pinnatifida not doing as well as my other plants. Auto-dosing Thrive daily at recommended amount. Adding a small amount of Excel with it. Other plants doing well.


----------



## Nicecook (Mar 31, 2021)

mourip said:


> Here is what I last wrote down. It may seem odd but according to posts I have read if one does not use the first and last settings as a "0" my particular model timer may not work properly. With these settings it works perfectly. Looking at it now I cannot remember why I have the 5pm setting. I also may have turned the daytime setting up to 45%. As I have very little algae I may turn it up a bit more soon. I am have problems with my new Hygrophila pinnatifida which is leggy, yellow and has some holes in the leaves, which seem short to me. Everyone else seems happy and growing well.
> 
> 1. 10am 0%
> 2. 10:01am 10%
> ...


Thanks for sharing. About the 5 pm setting being the same as the 11 AM might be because at one point you have different settings between those 2. Those dimmers are tricky however I do not have any issues staring mine at more than 0%. This is what I have now:

MOONLIGHT FOR 15 MINUTES (F2)
1 - 12 PM - 30%
2 - 2 PM - 40%
3 - 4 PM - 50%
4 - 6 PM - 40%
5 - 8 PM - 30%
6 - 10 PM OFF
MOONLIGHT FOR 15 MINUTES (F2)

Hygrophila pinnatifida - Mine looked like yours a few weeks ago but seems to do better now. The issue right now for me is Cryptocoryne Wendtii Brown that I have on wood is not doing that good, decreased lights 1-2 weeks ago since this one is low-moderate. Will see if it gets better in a few weeks.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Thanks. I think that I will boost a bit for a couple of hours as a "mid-day sun".


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Feeding time in the inadvertent shrimp tank...










These are the bigger ones. Normally the "beach" is populated by their kids!

If I sneak up on the tank the Pygmy Cories are there too...


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Hygrophila Pinnatifida has changed it's mind and is doing very well. I will probably need to start trimming it now that is seems to be attaching to the wood. Photos to follow soon.

I am now trimming the tips of the Val and that seems to be working well. They are not melting and keep growing.

I am finding local takers for my shrimp which are still proliferating. The tank has found a good balance.

I would like to add more fish but feel that may start me on a fresh cycle of rebalance. Currently I have 18 Glowlight Rasboras, 12 Pygmy Cories, 5 Silver Tipped Tetras and 3 Otos for my 75g tank. Plus some Nerites and a LOT of shrimp.


----------



## EmotionalFescue (Jun 24, 2020)

Did you end up increasing the light a bit for the hygro?


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

EmotionalFescue said:


> Did you end up increasing the light a bit for the hygro?


I did, but just by a bit. Probably 5%. I think that my original issue was just having patience while the plants had a chance to acclimate.

I think that they are a great looking plant. I love the leaves. Once they are firmly rooted on the wood I may trim them way back to get a more thick look as in some of the more legendary Amano tanks.

Thanks.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Tank is starting to fill in and headed toward "jungle" territory. Hygrophila is doing well and now even needs to be tamed a bit.

I had a brief problem with my lily pipe skimmer "bobbing" to the point of pulling in air to the filter but I moved it closer to the filter output and the oscillation stopped.

I would like to add one more small school to Tetras but hate to tip the balance which is pretty good currently.


----------



## gjcarew (Dec 26, 2018)

Pretty sure those are trigonostigma espei AKA lambchop rasboras and not glowlight tetras 

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk


----------



## EmotionalFescue (Jun 24, 2020)

Looks fantastic. So clean!


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

gjcarew said:


> Pretty sure those are trigonostigma espei AKA lambchop rasboras and not glowlight tetras


They were sold as GlowLight Rasboras. They do certainly look like Lambchop Rasboras though...

The are very active, school continually and always in view. Great fish. They must have been tank raised as they always approach when I move toward the tank. Food please?


----------



## gjcarew (Dec 26, 2018)

My mistake, I thought you had written glowlight tetras!

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk


----------



## AquaScaper77 (Oct 23, 2020)

mourip said:


> View attachment 1026620
> 
> 
> View attachment 1026621
> ...





mourip said:


> Tank is starting to fill in and headed toward "jungle" territory. Hygrophila is doing well and now even needs to be tamed a bit.
> 
> I had a brief problem with my lily pipe skimmer "bobbing" to the point of pulling in air to the filter but I moved it closer to the filter output and the oscillation stopped.
> 
> ...


Hi this is so beautiful. Can you tell me those orangey-brown stones? I am getting Frodo stone, and have most of the, acquired but still need some driftwood. The ones I want from GLA are out of stock, but any river wood would do, so long as it's bigger. Maybe I shouldn't go with river wood. Who knows. I see you mentioning your tetras. I am planning on the following:

40 ember tetra
40 chili rasboras
40 cherry shrimp
40 amano shrimp
3 or 4 otos
6-10 pygmy corydoras.

I have 90 gal. I wonder if this is too much? The only other ones I thought about were some threadfin rainbows as a centerpiece fish because most everything else will either get too big or mess with my shrimp or my tetras. Someone was saying another type was also nice called pearl gourami but I don't know if this fish is big enough to bother the other fish or shrimp. Someone recommended a Congo tetra too, but I am not sure. You have any suggestions here for like a center piece fish or if I am over stocking?


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

AquaScaper77 said:


> Hi this is so beautiful. Can you tell me those orangey-brown stones? I am getting Frodo stone, and have most of the, acquired but still need some driftwood. The ones I want from GLA are out of stock, but any river wood would do, so long as it's bigger. Maybe I shouldn't go with river wood. Who knows. I see you mentioning your tetras. I am planning on the following:
> 
> 40 ember tetra
> 40 chili rasboras
> ...


Sounds like a good start. For a big, but still manageable, tank a 90 seems like a good choice. Most of the work is setting it up and then during the first few months while it settles in and you find a good balance. Be careful with some of those centerpiece fish that you are considering. Some will eat the small shrimp and possibly even the Amanos.

The rocks are from around my yard. We have lots of them just below the surface. I had used similar ones before. I soaked them in bleach, scrubbed them, and then soaked them in fresh water with Prime. I also bought a couple of bags of smaller rocks online and gave them the same treatment.

I got my wood from Ebay. It was not cheap but has worked well. Once i determined how to best position them, I drilled a hole in large pieces of slate and then used a stainless wood screw to attach to the bottom of the wood. Be sure to counter sink the hole in the slate so that the screwhead does not protrude. I also put filter floss between the slate and the tank bottom.

Be sure to start a journal and keep us updated.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Added 10 Rummy Nose Tetras today. Settling in nicely.

The shrimp are multiplying like crazy. My tap water must suit them. I seem to have the opposite problem from most who post here! I started with 12 and now have probably 10x that easily.


----------



## EmotionalFescue (Jun 24, 2020)

Am I remembering correctly that you were considering some predator fish to help control the shrimp population?


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

I am hoping that the Rummy Nose may take a liking to shrimp fry 

Also, today I am netting some adults to give to a local aquarist.


----------



## EmotionalFescue (Jun 24, 2020)

mourip said:


> I am hoping that the Rummy Nose may take a liking to shrimp fry
> 
> Also, today I am netting some adults to give to a local aquarist.


Nice. I just recently spoke with the owner of a local fish store, and was pleasantly surprised when he said he would _always_ take extra cories. I love those fish have been gun shy since they breeded so much. Good to have a release valve for easy breeders!


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

The tank is in really good balance currently. The autodoser and CO2 seem to be in a "sweet spot". The tank has gone a bit "jungle" and is a little short on identity but I enjoy the more "natural" look. 

The new Rummy Nose are doing well. They school and enjoy surfing the filter flow.

I pulled out all of the Val which I now look at as a weed and replaced it with a new weed, Hygrophila. The Red Rubin swords are bigger than I would like but do work well as a background.


----------



## EmotionalFescue (Jun 24, 2020)

Tank looks great! 

Man, it feels like it'll take ten years for my red rubin's to get that big!


----------



## gjcarew (Dec 26, 2018)

Love those swords. They're criminally underutilized.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

gjcarew said:


> Love those swords. They're criminally underutilized.


I would agree. I underestimated how big they would be. I will turn myself in tomorrow 

The Pygmy Cories do love hiding in them however!


----------



## gjcarew (Dec 26, 2018)

LOL I meant underutilized in aquascapes in general, not by you. I love the coffeefolia too.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

The Coffeefolia has been great. The one on the far left currently has two flowers.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

New Anubias flower...









And a Buce flower in the lower left.
Red Ruben swords and crypts in the background...


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

The tank is still doing well. The Buce is to a point where I am starting to take some trimmings and attach them to other locations.

The Oase filter has slowly developed an unacceptable hum. I have tried cleaning the impeller and it's housing and also put some padding beneath the filter body but have made no progress. I finally contacted Oase. They have been great. First they sent me a new impeller and when that did not help they are now sending me a new pump head. If that does not work I am going to try using an external DC pump after turning off the internal motor and removing the impeller. I could probably use a bit more flow anyway and I may even spit the return to a second lily pipe. We shall see...


----------



## underH20garden (Dec 19, 2017)

mourip said:


> The tank is still doing well. The Buce is to a point where I am starting to take some trimmings and attach them to other locations.
> 
> The Oase filter has slowly developed an unacceptable hum. I have tried cleaning the impeller and it's housing and also put some padding beneath the filter body but have made no progress. I finally contacted Oase. They have been great. First they sent me a new impeller and when that did not help they are now sending me a new pump head. If that does not work I am going to try using an external DC pump after turning off the internal motor and removing the impeller. I could probably use a bit more flow anyway and I may even spit the return to a second lily pipe. We shall see...



nice tank just read through the thread! always nice to see tanks fill in. that is alot of shrimp! 

not good news about the biomaster 600 as that is what I got for the WB 2420 hopefully Oase gets you sorted out.


----------



## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

mourip said:


> The tank is still doing well. The Buce is to a point where I am starting to take some trimmings and attach them to other locations.
> 
> The Oase filter has slowly developed an unacceptable hum. I have tried cleaning the impeller and it's housing and also put some padding beneath the filter body but have made no progress. I finally contacted Oase. They have been great. First they sent me a new impeller and when that did not help they are now sending me a new pump head. If that does not work I am going to try using an external DC pump after turning off the internal motor and removing the impeller. I could probably use a bit more flow anyway and I may even spit the return to a second lily pipe. We shall see...


Not great news about the hum. How loud is it? I noticed my much smaller oase 100 thermo developed a low hum after a year or so of use but its a much smaller filter so it just went from completely silent, to barely audible.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

minorhero said:


> Not great news about the hum. How loud is it? I noticed my much smaller oase 100 thermo developed a low hum after a year or so of use but its a much smaller filter so it just went from completely silent, to barely audible.


It is a 60 cycle hum that I can hear when I enter the room. Due to the low frequency it gets amplified even more near the room corners. It is definitely loud enough for me to want to fix it. Aside from that I love the filter. The removable prefilter and built in heater are great.

Oase is sending me a replacement head under warranty. They have been pretty great to work with...


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Update for fixing the hum. 

The Oase is a mixed blessing for me. The prefilter is wonderful, as is the built-in heater. The real life flow is low for my tank based upon the old rule of thumb but my results have still been good. The Oase pumps have been widely criticized for allowing air to enter and cause noise and burping. I have not had that issue but my pump still has more vibration noise(hum) from the head/motor than I want to live with. Oase sent me a new impeller and even a new head but it has not cured the issue. That was a stumper. 

I am now going to try a new external Fzone 800 DC controllable pump. I tested it yesterday using a big bucket and it was essentially silent. It is capable of much more flow than I currently need but I can always dial it back. I am hoping that this will be a really good solution. Strong pump, a prefilter, an internal heater, and quiet. I will try it with and without the impeller in place. I may need the impeller to push air out of the Fzone when it gets introduced during filter maintenance.

I think that the rule of thumb often quoted for tank turnover is questionable and probably too high unless you are pressing the limit of your critter load. I imagine that for a ~75G one could even use one of the smaller, less expensive Biomaster Thermo filters with a good external pump since with a heavily planted tank the filter is mostly doing water polishing anyway. I will report back on my results. 

Thanks to @minorhero and @EmotionalFescue for their tips.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

I spent an hour cleaning my filter tubes, lily pipes and hooked up the new pump.

This works great! I have the Oase turned off with the impeller left in place. The pump was inexpensive so if it dies I can just turn the Oase back on until a replacement arrives. I did run it for a minute to purge air after the maintenance. I have my inline CO2 diffusor place just before the external pump. The controller is set at about 60%. This gives me a bit better flow without pinning my fish to the glass. Crypts at the opposite end of the tank sway in the flow. My surface skimmer is calm and is not being pulled in too far.

It is DEAD QUIET! The only sound I can hear is my tinnitus.

This seems like the best of all worlds.









Cable management and a better pump base coming soon...


----------



## EmotionalFescue (Jun 24, 2020)

A convert! I love it!!

Seriously, I feel like canister + external pump is a very powerful and flexible combination. Glad it's working out as you planned.


----------



## gjcarew (Dec 26, 2018)

I might need to steal this idea. I have no idea why the Biomaster 600 is so much louder than the 250 out of the box. It's not an issue right now but where my tank is will eventually be a guest bedroom and it seems loud enough to disrupt someone's sleep (or at least annoy them).

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

I found the same thing. My previous 250 was pretty quiet as long as I cleaned the prefilter weekly but the 600 is just too much.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

EmotionalFescue said:


> A convert! I love it!!
> 
> Seriously, I feel like canister + external pump is a very powerful and flexible combination. Glad it's working out as you planned.


I think that an enterprising manufacturer could do well by making a modular unit that was a simple filter vessel with integrated heater, primer, and pre-filter which could be easily used with any external pump. This simple filter would contain no motor. This design would allow you to choose a pump that met the needs of your tank exactly. DC controllable pumps are ideal as they allow you to dial in the flow.

The issue with ADA style filters is that, although they are beautiful and built like a tank, they force you to put your heater into the tank, or worse, inline. They also are missing the really great feature of the Oase filters which is their removable prefilter. Did I mention that if the motor burns out you are not looking at buying a whole new head or the entire filter... and you are not locked into a particular brand of pump.

Just my 2 cents. YMMV. I do realize that others here have been happily and effectively running conventional filters for years...


----------



## EmotionalFescue (Jun 24, 2020)

I almost did all the filtration from scratch in my 5' tank using 1" port commercial water filter housings. In the end I decided it would be too expensive to justify since I had a FX4 already. Some day...


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

My concerns about increased flow through my surface skimmer lily pipe proved to not only be unfounded but actually the opposite from what I expected. I figured that the increased flow would tend to pull the skimmer down or cause it to bobble but the opposite happened. I got more flow through the bottom of the intake. So much so that I had to rotate the below surface adjustment to decrease the flow there so that I would get the skimming effect. Go figure! Must have been due to the flow characteristics of the pipe itself, with increased flow favoring the bottom draw?


----------



## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

Love how your foliage is growing in!!! Such a cool looking tank. Your shrimp village is also adorable. They seem so happy on their little beach.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

LidijaPN said:


> Love how your foliage is growing in!!! Such a cool looking tank. Your shrimp village is also adorable. They seem so happy on their little beach.


The beach is looking a bit different these day. I would like to say that it is just shrimp being careful about Covid but the truth is more likely to be that my Rummy Nose "like" them. Most are now hanging out on the broad Red Rubin sword leaves. Let's put it another way. I no longer have an overpopulation problem...


----------



## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

mourip said:


> The beach is looking a bit different these day. I would like to say that it is just shrimp being careful about Covid but the truth is more likely to be that my Rummy Nose "like" them. Most are now hanging out on the broad Red Rubin sword leaves. Let's put it another way. I no longer have an overpopulation problem...


At least the rummynoses are getting high style fine dining in a very lush decor  Poor shrimpies. Hopefully they can hide successfully enough in the jungle to maintain their numbers at least. It looks epic though, the wild overgrown look. It's like my dream tank.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

An update: post trimming of the unruly and wildly growing Red Rubin Swords in the background.
The shrimp are still less conspicuous, having moved from the "beach" to the sword leaves. They evidently have little enthusiasm for being eaten by the Rummy Nose Tetras.
The addition of the external pump remains a blessing. All I hear in the room now is my tinnitus...


----------



## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

I do understand their lack of enthusiasm lol. I’m dying to add a honey gourami to my setup but I worry whether my other microinhabitants (shrimpies and boraras) would show similar lack of enthusiasm and end up forever in hiding. It’s quite cool at the moment to see them strutting around like they own the place, which they do.

Your jungle is still beyond stunning. Any idea how many plant species in there roughly?

Are those lambchops? How are you finding them in terms of personality?


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

They were sold as "Glowlight" Tetras Rasboras but certainly look like what I see sold as "Lambchop". Very similar.

I have not counted and am not certain but given that I have several variety of Buce which I assume are one species I doubt that I have more than 10 species. Mostly I have Buce, Crypts, Sword, Java Fern and a couple of others. Mostly undemanding and slow growing.

The tank is a bit over one year old now.


----------



## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

mourip said:


> They were sold as "Glowlight" Tetras but certainly look like what I see sold as "Lambchop". Very similar.
> 
> I have not counted and am not certain but given that I have several variety of Buce which I assume are one species I doubt that I have more than 10 species. Mostly I have Buce, Crypts, Sword, Java Fern and a couple of others. Mostly undemanding and slow growing.
> 
> The tank is a bit over one year old now.


It’s really lovely. There’s a specific vibe to the slow growing plant tank. Like a submerged rainforest. Stems don’t give that vibe.

Well glowlights they’re definitely not? I think they’re not even tetras.... my guess would be lambchop rasbora or harlequin rasbora, those two are pretty similar... it’s so weird how much stuff gets casually mislabeled by stores in this hobby.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

LidijaPN said:


> It’s really lovely. There’s a specific vibe to the slow growing plant tank. Like a submerged rainforest. Stems don’t give that vibe.
> 
> Well glowlights they’re definitely not? I think they’re not even tetras.... my guess would be lambchop rasbora or harlequin rasbora, those two are pretty similar... it’s so weird how much stuff gets casually mislabeled by stores in this hobby.


Oops. Yes. I meant Rasboras...


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Spring...


----------



## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

Is the flower from the coffeefolia?


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Yes. I have several of them and they flower frequently.


----------



## ddiomede (Feb 21, 2011)

I hope my tank looks half as nice as yours does! Everything looks so healthy and lush. 

The light definitely seems tuned well because the colors all look really good and well balanced.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

ddiomede said:


> I hope my tank looks half as nice as yours does! Everything looks so healthy and lush.
> 
> The light definitely seems tuned well because the colors all look really good and well balanced.


Thanks. I think that the Twinstar lights are especially good with bringing out the reds.


----------



## Mr.Submarine (10 mo ago)

mourip said:


> The rocks are from around my yard. We have lots of them just below the surface. I had used similar ones before. I soaked them in bleach, scrubbed them, and then soaked them in fresh water with Prime. I also bought a couple of bags of smaller rocks online and gave them the same treatment.


Can you elaborate on what you did when you soaked the rocks in bleach? I just bought a ridiculous number of rocks from Home Depot and am trying to sort out what I need to do to make them ready for aquarium use. Did you make a diluted bleach solution and leave the rocks in there for a few days before scrubbing, etc.? If so, how much did you dilute the bleach? Thanks!


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Mr.Submarine said:


> Can you elaborate on what you did when you soaked the rocks in bleach? I just bought a ridiculous number of rocks from Home Depot and am trying to sort out what I need to do to make them ready for aquarium use. Did you make a diluted bleach solution and leave the rocks in there for a few days before scrubbing, etc.? If so, how much did you dilute the bleach? Thanks!


Sure. I first scrubbed the rocks, especially those from our garden that had soil on them. I then soaked them for at least a day in a dilute solution of unscented bleach. Next I rinsed them well. I then soaked them for another day in water with some Seachem Prime to make sure all of the bleach was gone. When I first started up my tank I put some bags of carbon in the cannister filter as well as some Purigen.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

New residents added this week. 7 tank bred Julii Cories. 4 are very active and are surfing the inlet. The other three seem to be hiding in the jungle but do come out to eat. I am hoping these new guys will encourage my large group of very shy Pigmy Cories to come out more often.


----------



## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

When you say tank bred you mean you bred them yourself?


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

LidijaPN said:


> When you say tank bred you mean you bred them yourself?


I have not had any fish reproduce in my tanks. Definitely shrimp! ...but not fish.

There seems to be two basic types of fish you can buy, wild caught and tank("farm") bred. The tank bred fish are raised by a breeder and do not go through as stressful a journey to the store or being caught in their natural habitat. I have been trying to buy tank bred fish as they seem less shy, eat flake food readily, have not been diseased and adapt to my water conditions more easily.

Thanks for asking.


----------



## Mr.Submarine (10 mo ago)

mourip said:


> I have not had any fish reproduce in my tanks. Definitely shrimp! ...but not fish.
> 
> There seems to be two basic types of fish you can buy, wild caught and tank("farm") bred. The tank bred fish are raised by a breeder and do not go through as stressful a journey to the store or being caught in their natural habitat. I have been trying to buy tank bred fish as they seem less shy, eat flake food readily, for me have not been diseased and adapt to my water conditions more easily.
> 
> Thanks for asking.


I have had a similar experience with “farm” bred fish. Some online retailers will tell you whether the fish are wild caught or tank bred.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

I have not check in here in a while so I thought that I would update. For some reason my external pump started making a lot of noise. It was not mechanical but sounded like a lot of air was being trapped and causing churning or cavitation.

Today I decided that the only reason that I could think of was that I had placed my inline CO2 diffusor after the filter but before the pump. So I replumbed the diffusor to place it after the pump. Voila! Dead silence again.

I had briefly tried a reactor but it was a pain to get quiet and to re-prime my system when I opened my filter. It was well built and had a bypass but did not work for me. So now I am looking for other options. One thought I had was to simply still use the diffusor but put an "absorption" chamber after it. This might allow more time for the bubbles to diffuse and become inconsequential. Here is what I am considering. Another option is to just use one of those whole house RO chambers that many use as the basis for a reactor.


----------



## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

mourip said:


> I have not check in here in a while so I thought that I would update. For some reason my external pump started making a lot of noise. It was not mechanical but sounded like a lot of air was being trapped and causing churning or cavitation.
> 
> Today I decided that the only reason that I could think of was that I had placed my inline CO2 diffusor after the filter but before the pump. So I replumbed the diffusor to place it after the pump. Voila! Dead silence again.
> 
> This brings up a second issue. I am tired of the bubbles, however small, from the diffusor. At the rate necessary for my 75g tank it does take away from the clarity. I had briefly tried a reactor but it was a pain to get quiet and to re-prime my system when I opened my filter. It was well built and had a bypass but did not work for me. So now I am looking for other options. One thought I had was to simply still use the diffusor but put an "absorption" chamber after it. This might allow more time for the bubbles to diffuse and become inconsequential. Here is what I am considering. Another option is to just use one of those whole house RO chambers that many use as the basis for a reactor.


I mean, a reactor is just an area where water moves slower and co2 gets absorbed. Your absorption chamber idea is the same as a reactor. The longer a rex griggs style reactor, the more flow you can pump through it. The more flow and longer it is, the more gas you can absorb. If you were having noise from one previously (was it a rex griggs?) my guess is you were pumping too much gas for its size. Cerges style reactors also work fine. Both will solve your problem if you use the right amount of gas.


----------



## Mr.Submarine (10 mo ago)

Random question: do you keep a lid on your tank? From the full-tank shots posted earlier it looks like probably not. If that’s the case, have you had any issues with fish jumping out? I am working on setting up my first rimless tank, and all of the tanks I’ve had in the past had lids of some kind, so the concept of going without a lid is very foreign to me. But it seems to be pretty common based on what I see here at TPT. Is the rule that no lid is fine so long as you get fish that aren’t known jumpers (hatchetfish, rocket killifish, discus)?


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Mr.Submarine said:


> Random question: do you keep a lid on your tank? .....From the full-tank shots posted earlier it looks like probably not. If Is the rule that no lid is fine so long as you get fish that aren’t known jumpers (hatchetfish, rocket killifish, discus)?


I do not have a lid on the tank. My previous 75g tank had a hood with lights in it. None of my fish are known jumpers but having said that in the space of over a year I have lost two fish and several shrimp. Even with my previous 75g tank with a large old-school wooden hood I had a couple of fish who managed to escape.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

minorhero said:


> I mean, a reactor is just an area where water moves slower and co2 gets absorbed. Your absorption chamber idea is the same as a reactor. The longer a rex griggs style reactor, the more flow you can pump through it. The more flow and longer it is, the more gas you can absorb. If you were having noise from one previously (was it a rex griggs?) my guess is you were pumping too much gas for its size. Cerges style reactors also work fine. Both will solve your problem if you use the right amount of gas.


I had a Nilcog Griggs. It was 24" with a bypass but every time I had to open my filter to clean the prefilter it would allow air into the reactor and it would take quite a while to evacuate it. For this same reason it made priming my filter harder. I am just trying to consider options or variations to suit my situation.

Thanks for your input.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Well I guess that into every life a little rain must fall. I had a Bad Dad moment today that, as embarrassing as it is, I feel that I should mention as a cautionary tale.

Basically while doing some tank cleaning I left the surface skimming piece off of my lily pipe intake tube. I noticed and replaced it yesterday but waited until today to check and clean my Oase removable prefilter. I figured that I just pulled in some extra shrimp and leaves. I always find shrimp in there and they are always fine.

Unfortunately I pulled in 4 fish, all of whom died. 2 Rummy Nose, a Pygmy Cory, and one of the new Julii Cories.

Bummer. Lesson learned and passed on...


----------



## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

Sorry for your fish :/ It’s always painful when we learn our lessons the hard way. But we’ve all been there 😔


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

More lessons. I am away from home for a week. While I was gone the power went out for a couple of hours. 

The good news is that I have a friend coming by every other day to feed the fish and check things out. The bad new is that neither the lights or pump or CO2 returned to their original on/off settings. I was able to turn the pump and CO2 back on remotely once the Internet connection returned but I am not so sure about the lights. Worst case I am home tomorrow and the light are either blazing or off. I thought that the little controller for the lights held its settings but I will now need to test that. I also need to find out what will allow the other devices to default back to their last state and schedule. 

One fix for the pump/heater/CO2 is to bypass the smart plug when I am away. I also may need to experiment with a UPS.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

I have a new CO2 reactor on the way to try out. It looks like ADA styling.

To start I am going to simply put it in line with my current inline diffusor. After trying that I will remove the old diffusor and just use the new reactor. I also may move my heater from my Oase to the reactor to see if it increases flow through the Oase.

I am pretty sure that it will work in my situation. Worst case I will send it back within the vendor's 7 day RMA window. Looks really perfect for someone wanting good diffusion and stuck with a heater inside their tank. Yes, it is a bit pricey

I will definitely report back what I find.


----------



## ddiomede (Feb 21, 2011)

mourip said:


> I have a new CO2 reactor on the way to try out. It is made by GLA and looks like ADA styling.
> 
> To start I am going to simply put it in line with my current inline diffusor. After trying that I will remove the old diffusor and just use the GLA. I also may move my heater from my Oase to the GLA to see if it increases flow through the Oase.
> 
> ...


Before I ordered my NilocG reactor, I reached out to GLA to see when they were expecting their reactors to be available again. They told me that this one was on the way but weren't sure how long it would take. I waited as long as I could and neither this one or the old one came back in stock so I just ordered the Niloc one. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts once you get it.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

ddiomede said:


> Before I ordered my NilocG reactor, I reached out to GLA to see when they were expecting their reactors to be available again. They told me that this one was on the way but weren't sure how long it would take. I waited as long as I could and neither this one or the old one came back in stock so I just ordered the Niloc one. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts once you get it.


I had the Griggs from Nilcog but found that it was a pain with my Oase. When ever I opened the Oase to clean either the prefilter or the main filter air would be trapped for quite a while in the reactor creating a lot of gurgling. It would eventually dissipate but given that I cleaned the prefilter every week it was a pain. That was a deal breaker for me so I went back to my inline diffusor.

The reason that I am still trying out other methods is that I am a clarity freak and would like to eliminate the arguably small bubbles altogether. The new reactor has an air relief valve so I am hoping that it will help with the air trapping.

We shall see!


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

So I have a question regarding the new reactor that I bought. My original intention was to put it after my inline diffusor as an additional body of water to help absorb the CO2 before it entered the tank. I was hoping to basically have complete absorption with no bubbles. I also like that I could put either a second heater in it or move my present heater out of my Oase. Plus it looks cool! I also thought that I would try it without the inline diffusor, as intended.

Now that I have it in hand I am having second thoughts about the way it is engineered. Basically it makes no sense to me. My assumption was that it was a Cerges type reactor. This does not really seem to be the case. CO2 enters the top of the cannister via a nipple, not injected into the input water stream. Also the inlet tube and the outlet tube are both very close to one another and both low in the reactor. Just based on theory it seems like the flow will short cycle and the CO2 will just gather at the top.

As the 7 day return date has passed I am going to experiment with it. One idea is to put an elbow or a length of tubing on the end of the input tube to divert the flow up to the top of the reactor. Plan B would be to leave my inline diffusor in place and not bleed CO2 directly into the reactor. It is very odd to me that with all of the information available online regarding Cerges reactors they would build one this way. I may still try to return it.

Here is a diagram from their included instructions. This is not shown on the website to see when you purchase.










Does this design make sense to anyone? 

@EmotionalFescue?


----------



## EmotionalFescue (Jun 24, 2020)

Your intuition is correct - that doesn't make any sense. If you use that as configured, I think you'll get a big gas pocket at the top with no penetrating flow to break it up. Maybe they designed it that way to be quiet (no churning sound from breaking up gas)?

Almost seems like a stand alone bell diffuser as much as a reactor. If the co2 line went down but the input water pipe did not, it would work like the reactor on my 5' tank.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

EmotionalFescue said:


> Your intuition is correct - that doesn't make any sense. If you use that as configured, I think you'll get a big gas pocket at the top with no penetrating flow to break it up. Maybe they designed it that way to be quiet (no churning sound from breaking up gas)?
> 
> Almost seems like a stand alone bell diffuser as much as a reactor. If the co2 line went down but the input water pipe did not, it would work like the reactor on my 5' tank.


Thanks for the validation. I am going to try to return it. If they won't take it back I will try putting it after my inline diffusor to see if it helps. It will be a pretty expensive way to add a little more diffusion time!


----------



## EmotionalFescue (Jun 24, 2020)

mourip said:


> Thanks for the validation. I am going to try to return it. If they won't take it back I will try putting it after my inline diffusor to see if it helps. It will be a pretty expensive way to add a little more diffusion time!


You're welcome 🙂

Is this one of the new gla reactors?


----------



## Bootsy (Jul 4, 2021)

mourip said:


> Unfortunately I pulled in 4 fish, all of whom died. 2 Rummy Nose, a Pygmy Cory, and one of the new Julii Cories.
> 
> Bummer. Lesson learned and passed on...


im sorry to hear that. I lost a few pygmies from an early batch when they swam or were pulled in to my overflow and got stuck between two layers of sponge. I couldn’t believe it - the spaces seemed way too small. I’ve since concocted a screen and thin sponge layer to keep it from happening again. I think the fish were pretty small and weak when I bought them, but still I hate to lose fish, especially to a mistake.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

While I was writing this reply the vendor sent me a very long explanation about the theory behind the construction and declined to let me return it. To be fair I was a week outside their policy.

I am not so sure that their engineering makes sense but as I now own the reactor I will give it a whirl. Maybe it will be a surprise!

Yesterday I tested the pH of the tank water with CO2, off-gassed tank water, and tap water so I have some benchmarks for comparison.

More to follow...


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Well, I hooked up the reactor and certainly was surprised. Before turning on the pump I opened my quick connect valves and opened the tubing turret(valve) on my Oase. I happily and quickly heard (too quickly) water filling up the cannister. When it reached the top it came gushing out past the "O" ring seal. Before I could get all of the valves closed again I had a couple of gallons of water in my cabinet and on my wood flooring. I had been very careful with closing the cannister as I had read of a similar experience with another user with one of the "ADA" clone filters. I contacted the vendor to return the reactor as I felt that I could not trust it. I did not feel like doing a trial and error thing with getting it properly sealed. I also had doubts about how it was engineered. I have seen it referred to as a "Griggs" but it not designed the same way. The vendor does not refer it as a Griggs.

To their credit, this time the vendor took the reactor back.

I put the inline reactor back in and after cleaning the diffusion element the water is very clear. Bubbles are basically invisible..


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Looks like I have not updated in a while. The tank is in a pretty steady state although I should really rename it "Jungle Tank".


----------



## rzn7z7 (Aug 17, 2013)

Looks good....cut down some of the java fern and sword in the back and I don't think it looks too 'jungly' at all


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

rzn7z7 said:


> Looks good....cut down some of the java fern and sword in the back and I don't think it looks too 'jungly' at all


Agreed on both counts. I remove leaves on the swords nearly weekly. I originally put them in as a backdrop but they are just too big in my mind. The ferns on the right side have grown really well, almost too well. I am getting a bit tired of the "topknot" look. To trim them I would basically need to thin them out. I may remove a bunch from the front and let the ones in rear be the back drop.

I have also thought about pulling out one or both swords and letting the Crypts fill in. I already pulled out one.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Big update: Changes in family life and travel obligations have prompted us to retire from the hobby for now. To that end I will be offering this tank to a local buyer: Washington DC area.

I would like to sell it as a "turn key" setup, with everything that one would need to keep the tank in it's current great condition.

Feel free to contact via PM for details. I will post the ad in Market Place soon.


----------



## Bootsy (Jul 4, 2021)

Good luck and safe travels to you, mourip! And thanks for sharing with us here at TPT.


----------



## trailsnale (Dec 2, 2009)

happy for you @mourip, but sorry to see the tank go. i have several pics on my desktop. best,


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Thanks for the kind words. I have learned alot from this tank and from members here. 

Hopefully I can pick it up again when my situation changes. I would like to try a 6 foot tank!


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

I have a couple of updates. First, I sat down and added up all of my costs that went into setting up the 75g tank over the past two years. It was somewhere between $4500 and $4800 
I mention this for those who are thinking of setting up a large rimless tank and do not have either time or DIY skills, but want the "best" implementation possible. I could have saved some money on the stand by building it but I wanted a furniture grade look. I also chose to buy 90% of my fish and plants online. We really have few, if any, good fish stores nearby our home. I was very happy with what I received but it was costly.

Second thing to mention was that I got a hit almost immediately from an outside website. Unfortunately it was a "cashiers check scam". It took a bit to parse it out but once I added it all up there were so many red flags. Be really careful if you ever get someone who wants to pay by cashiers check, especially if they seem overly eager. A lot of things need to line up before it is safe.


----------



## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

mourip said:


> I have a couple of updates. First, I sat down and added up all of my costs that went into setting up the 75g tank over the past two years. It was somewhere between $4500 and $4800
> I mention this for those who are thinking of setting up a large rimless tank and do not have either time or DIY skills, but want the "best" implementation possible. I could have saved some money on the stand by building it but I wanted a furniture grade look. I also chose to buy 90% of my fish and plants online. We really have few, if any, good fish stores nearby our home. I was very happy with what I received but it was costly.
> 
> Second thing to mention was that I got a hit almost immediately from a Craig's List ad. Unfortunately it was a "cashiers check scam". It took a bit to parse it out but once I added it all up there were so many red flags. Be really careful if you ever get someone who wants to pay by cashiers check, especially if they seem overly eager. A lot of things need to line up before it is safe.


Big tanks are crazy expensive, especially if you want more then an empty glass box a small amount of substrate and a couple of cheap plants. Anytime there's a big tank and it's full of diverse plants and hardscape, I know there is a few thousand dollars involved in getting it to look like that. It's soooooo much cheaper to be in the 20 gallon and under club. 

I recently sold my kids old dollhouse she no longer uses on facebook market place and got, at least, 10 offers for it that were scams. I finally just started every conversation with payment in cash at time of pickup to shut them down before they wasted too much of my time.


----------



## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

minorhero said:


> I finally just started every conversation with payment in cash at time of pickup to shut them down before they wasted too much of my time.


I actually stated that in my ad but I doubt that they really read through it. In my case I believe that they never expected to actually come for the tank. Their plan probably had a twist in it which would try to get money back from me. Luckily I will never know.

My brother tried to sell a sailboat engine on another website and got 13 similar attempts out of 15 contacts! Some even had the same personal email address that my scammer used.


----------

