# 12/22/2005 ***55gal & 150g progress***



## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

I wanted to make a stand for my 55g so I made up some plans of what look I was going for.









Drew out the dimensions









In progress

















Finished. I mounted a 24'' light inside the stand also. The stand ended up costing me $150.










I am moiving on up from a 20g planted DIY CO2 & ODNO Lighting to a 55g Pressurized CO2 & PC Lighting. The 55g was my Fahaka puffer's tank and now he is moving on up to a 150g.

Here is the old 20g









Old 20g & 55g before I found out that he wont allow plants in his tank...

















My old Eclipse 3


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## shuks (Jul 10, 2005)

I like your sand substrate tank. I've never seen plants rooted in sand before, I didn't think it could be done.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

I got my 150g (5'x 2'x 2') brand new w/ glass lids and lights for only $150 









Its got 1/2'' thick glass!









I wanted to make a stand for this tank also, but was kinda scared to because of all the weight it would have to support. The tank alone has to be at least 200lbs. The water after it is filled will weight ~1200lbs for a total weight of at least 1400lbs :icon_frow I didn't really have a design but I was thinking about using 4x4's to build the frame untill I got to HomeDepot and 4x4's 8' long cost ~$9. So I went with 2x4's instead for ~$2.50 8' long.

The finished product. Hopfully it holds...


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## MiSo (Oct 26, 2005)

everything looks great, but the main question on my mind is...

where did you find a brand new 150gallon for only $150?!!!!!!!


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

The stand holds roud: I still need to put up the sides to make it look nice. Also need to orginize all the wires/ equipment. I have 100lbs of gravel in there right now, but I want to get another 50lbs bag.









Here is my soon-to-be 55g planted tank. I got a 48'' Coralife 65w x4 light; a lot nicer looking and bright than my ODNO lighting  I'm using 100% Flourite. There is 4 bags in there right now. I got PetSmart to price match $12.99/ bag. It only took me 3 hours to wash the Flourite :icon_roll This pic was taken ~2 hours after adding water, still a little cloudy. I'm using a 10lbs aluminum CO2 cylinder with JBJ regulator. Right now I have a Boyu CO2 diffuser that sucks  so I am planing on building a in-line CO2 reactor.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

MiSo said:


> everything looks great, but the main question on my mind is...
> 
> where did you find a brand new 150gallon for only $150?!!!!!!!


There was an add on recycler.com for it. The guy had a bunch of new tanks/ stands he got from a buisness that was moving. This was a custom made tank that someone ordered but wasn't on the shipping crate when the company moved. So he got it, and I bought it


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

shuks said:


> I like your sand substrate tank. I've never seen plants rooted in sand before, I didn't think it could be done.


Thanks bro, it didn't last for long after my puffer got ahold of it...


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## Safado (Jul 10, 2005)

Great Photos!!! That is one lucky puffer!


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## Pseud (Oct 2, 2005)

That's an awesome job on the stand. And it came out to cost only $150. Wow. I need to get hold of some plans!


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Pseud said:


> That's an awesome job on the stand. And it came out to cost only $150. Wow. I need to get hold of some plans!


These are the plans. It's all the wood you need for it and then you can just look at the pics to figure out how to put it together. For the doors I just took the peices I cut out of the front and put molding around the sides. I used screws and liquid nails on all the joints. Then used putty to cover all the screw heads and uneaven edges. You can pick up the molding from HomeDepot.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Safado said:


> Great Photos!!! That is one lucky puffer!


Thanks. Yeah, he's only 8'' right now but he will grow to 16'' soon. When I got him 4 months ago he was 3''....


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

I made a CO2 reactor, but I think it has a leak so I have to take it out and figure out whats up. Here it is under my stand:









I have all my extra plants in this tank now. I am working on getting most of the plants I need before I start aquascaping:


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

I love this journal. I love the first stand you made. Keep these excellent pictures coming....


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Thanks :icon_bigg I'm making a bottom to the 150g stand right now so I can put a 20g & 10g under the 150g. I'll post pics when I'm done.


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## Troy McClure (Feb 22, 2004)

::hijack:: It's good to see another Thrice fan here! ::/hijack::

Can you get a close-up of your puffer?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Troy McClure said:


> ::hijack:: It's good to see another Thrice fan here! ::/hijack::
> 
> Can you get a close-up of your puffer?


Yeah, Thrice  

Yeah, I'll try to get one up soon.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

I made the bottom of the stand out of 5/8'' Plywood. 2 coats of flat black & a proctective clear coat for water. It will hold a 10g and a 20g. I'll post another pic when I get it all set up.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

I just snaped some kinda close ups. And I got a shot of him eating one of the two live crayfish I feed him everyday. Enjoy Troy McClure


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Troy McClure... that's rich


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## Troy McClure (Feb 22, 2004)

The handle has a few inside jokes that you have to watch The Simpson's episode "A Fish Called Selma" to understand...

Toofazt - that puffer is so sweet! I'm assuming it's not much of a community fish, eh?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

> Toofazt - that puffer is so sweet! I'm assuming it's not much of a community fish, eh?


No, not at all. Fahaka puffers are one of the most, if not the most aggresive Freshwater fish. They have the greatest personality though; they are really like a small dog how they act. The only fish I have had any luck with him so far are Tiger Barbs becuase they don't get in his "space" and are too quick for him :icon_roll So far he has eaten some Cichlids, a flying fox, and what ever plant touches him as he swims past, he chomps off  Here's a pic of my Aulonocara jacobfreibergi before my Fahaka got it and after... That loss sucked cause I really liked that fish and he was fast too  Now no more fish except Tiger Barbs.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

I am still gathering plants for my 55G and trying to figure out have to aquascape it (harder than I thought!). I got my 20G and 10G under my 150G set up. I have ~70 baby fancy guppies in my 10G now, but after I grow them out the 10G will be a quaritene.








I am labeling all my plugs because there are to many and it is hard to tell what plug goes to what without them.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

OK, back to the planted tank  I got 10 of the 20 Harlequin rasboras that I am going to get. The are small now, but when they are full grown I heard they have brilliant colors. I am also going to get 20 Rummy nose tetras and a Discus to "scare" the Rummy nose and Rasboras into schooling :fish: 








Here is my tank now. I think I am ok with the left side of the tank, but I don't know what to do with the right side... I know for sure that the Tiger lotus isn't going to stay over there. Any suggestions/ comments good or bad? The white stuff in the pic is lots of air bubles post water change.


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## Wö£fëñxXx (Dec 2, 2003)

Nice start, this tank is going to look very good, nice fish selection, half dozen Rams instead of a single Discus would [email protected]$$ roud:

100/150 shrimp would do nicely about now also....

I am glad I have a colony of cherrie's, build a tank throw 100 shrimp in :wink:


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Wö£fëñxXx said:


> Nice start, this tank is going to look very good, nice fish selection, half dozen Rams instead of a single Discus would [email protected]$$ roud:


This is very true.. maybe a even a few more. German Rams are the bomb


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Would Rams mess with small shrimp?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Any one have any suggestions on what to do with the right side of the tank?


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## AussieTanker (Dec 13, 2003)

Hi there ....

i really liked that first stand that you made ... it looks great ... from looking at your pics and the plans ... it looks like there are NO structural frame thick bits of wood that the plywood "hangs" on ... whatever those structural frame like thingies are called ... all the strength comes from the plywood only ... is that right? 

i also really liked the way you labelled all the plugs ... so simple but so clever ... i'm gonna go buy some labels asap ....  

congratulations .... roud:


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## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

hehe, while your cord labels are nice and neat...I just use poor-mans masking tape and a sharpie  The electrical nightmare behind my tank always drove me nuts!! 

Tank is looking sharp!! Is is planted densly enough for now? Of course given some time, things will fill out, but that really isn't that much IMHO. 

Discus vs Rams...I vote for the discus for the big tank!!


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

> i really liked that first stand that you made ... it looks great ... from looking at your pics and the plans ... it looks like there are NO structural frame thick bits of wood that the plywood "hangs" on ... whatever those structural frame like thingies are called ... all the strength comes from the plywood only ... is that right?


The lables I made are just the name printed out from the computer and then wraped in masking tape :icon_bigg 

The 55G stand's only support is the 3/4'' Plywood. It is plenty stong to hold a 55G.


> Tank is looking sharp!! Is is planted densly enough for now? Of course given some time, things will fill out, but that really isn't that much IMHO.


I know it's not very densly planted, but I am just going to wait for the plants I have to fill in more to save on money. I'll see if I need more in a month  

I got the Tiger lotus out of there and put in some Anubias nana var. petite I put around the bottom of the wood. I'll will post some pic's later. Thanks for the compliments roud:


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## Steven_Chong (Sep 14, 2004)

You have to bring me over to see it all sometime man. 

BTW-- what species of tonina is that in there?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

It's Tonina sp. Belem


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

I got ~80 leafs of anubias nana petite. I think I am going to arrage them around the base of the moss covered wood. Here they are on a 5G bucket lid next to a quarter:


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Are you sure those are petite? Some of them look a little large. BTW I suggest more fast growers and less anubias or you will probably have some algae issues. :wink:


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## Jdinh04 (Mar 15, 2004)

I don't think those are nana petites, the leaves are relatively large and nana petite leaves are about smaller than a dime. But they look great.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Is there a difference between "petite" and "mini" anubias? I bought them as "mini".... Is there a "mini"?


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

Mini's are baby nanas? I dunno.. hehe


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Haha. I know they are not nana; they are smaller than that. I have some rizomes with over 20 leafs, so they are full grown...


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

So far the only algae that I have is green spot... I hate green spot :angryfire I planted the anubias "mini" around the base of the moss log how I said and tied some to the wood behind the moss also. I'm also trying out a new lighting schedule; 5hr light on, 5hr light off, 6hr light on. Next week I'm going to get 10 more Rasboras. Any comments would be appriciated :tongue: Here is the tank as of today:


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## ching4ever (Feb 17, 2005)

that's a lot of improve since ur 1st pic. nice scape u having now.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

I'm having problems with white/green hazy water now. I also have green hair algea all over my java moss :icon_frow I don't know if it could be the new lighting period I'm doing, if my nutrients are off, or if it could be from the 2 SeaChem Flourish tabs I put in the substrate... 

top view








side view








algae


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## chinchek787 (Aug 28, 2005)

Try doing a couple water changes, that's what I would do.


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## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

the scape looks great! 

looks like a bacterial bloom/green water outbreak...any chance you have a uv or diatom? 

Get all that hair algae out and I'm pretty sure things will settle down in a bit. 

Your lighting schedule...so you're staggering your light? IMO, the plants need a stead time of light to properly photosynthesize...maybe cut the time down a bit to 9 hours? On at 10 am off at 7pm that way you can see everything after work? Cutting my light down from 11 hr to 9 has really helped GSA/dust from settling back on my glass/driftwood and the plants are doing fine.


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## LoveBoatCaptain (May 18, 2005)

How deep did you put your root tabs? What other sources of iron are you adding to the tank? Looking good - the algae. :fish:


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

i have a 55g same demensions im guessing (4ft by 18in by 21in?) idk something like that.... its a difficult scape so ill be watching urs :icon_bigg im hoping to get most of the stuff set up this weekend so i can really start aquascaping by monday....

also i know u asked about rams... i had amono shrimp in my 10g then got a pair of rams... they got eaten..... and they were pretty big ones too and small rams... then i had some cherries that dissapeared.... dont chance it i would go with discuss i think thats what im going to do too...

Fn


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Georgiadawgger said:


> the scape looks great!
> 
> looks like a bacterial bloom/green water outbreak...any chance you have a uv or diatom?
> 
> ...


No, I don't have a UV or diatom :icon_frow I got all the hair algae out I could, but it's hard to get it out of the java moss. OK, I'll go back to one photo period, 9hr. like you suggest and see how that works out. Thanks, Steve.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

LoveBoatCaptain said:


> How deep did you put your root tabs? What other sources of iron are you adding to the tank? Looking good - the algae. :fish:


I put the root tabs all the way to the bottom of the substrate ~2.5'' The only source of iron I'm using is Greg Watsons Plantex CSM+B with extra Iron Chelate. Thanks, Steve.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Fish Newb said:


> i have a 55g same demensions im guessing (4ft by 18in by 21in?) idk something like that.... its a difficult scape so ill be watching urs :icon_bigg im hoping to get most of the stuff set up this weekend so i can really start aquascaping by monday....
> 
> also i know u asked about rams... i had amono shrimp in my 10g then got a pair of rams... they got eaten..... and they were pretty big ones too and small rams... then i had some cherries that dissapeared.... dont chance it i would go with discuss i think thats what im going to do too...
> 
> Fn


My tank is 48''L x 15''W x 17''H Yes, it does seem difficult to scape; wish I had more depth... Good luck with your set up! Be sure to post pics of your progress  I don't think I am going to go with Rams either, but I don't know if a Discus would be good to put in my tank either. I'm still deciding on a "large" fish. Thanks, Steve.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

OK. This is what happens when you let a planted tank go neglected for 15 days... My green water has gotten out of controll. I can't see 2'' into the tank! So I bought a 9W Coralife TurboTwist UVS. I hooked it up today and hopefully that will take care of my problem... Here are some pics:


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## Clone (Feb 29, 2004)

Did you do those water changes in one day? I'm just wondering because I have a nasty case of GW as well. I have been a doing ~70% water once a day with slow but steady results. I also broke down a bought a UVS which I'm expecting any day now.


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## TheOtherGeoff (Feb 11, 2003)

do the willow branch trick!!!


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## jimmydrsv (Apr 8, 2005)

Lots and lots of bamboo shrimp!!!!!!


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Clone said:


> Did you do those water changes in one day? I'm just wondering because I have a nasty case of GW as well. I have been a doing ~70% water once a day with slow but steady results. I also broke down a bought a UVS which I'm expecting any day now.


Yes I did do the 4 water changes in one day, with a little time between them to let the water adjust the temperature back up. You just don't want a big temp swing. 



TheOtherGeoff said:


> do the willow branch trick!!!


I was tempted to use willow branch in the water, but I like the idea that if I get ick somehow, the UVS will help eliminate them.



jimmydrsv said:


> Lots and lots of bamboo shrimp!!!!!!


Would that aucually work That would be funny with 100 bamboo shrimp all huddled around the water current with their arms out:hihi:


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## jimmydrsv (Apr 8, 2005)

I never had GW before with my bamboo shrimp in the tank. (knock on wood)

I can only think that it would help at the very least.


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## GreenerSideofLIfe (Dec 24, 2005)

TheOtherGeoff said:


> do the willow branch trick!!!


What is the willow branch trick?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

You get a couple of willow braches and put them in your tank. They use the nutrients that the green water needs. So walla; no green water... untill it comes back:icon_wink


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## Ðank (Dec 29, 2005)

How about a tank update? I assume the glosso and stargrass came from this tank, what does it look like now?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

The tank has cleared up 100% Good ol' UVS! I got rid of all my glosso and stargrass because it grew to quickly and was a pain to keep on trimming it. I'll try to get some pics up soon... just sooo busy latley:icon_eek:


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Here you go, Raul-7. These were the best I could get...


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## Takechanmanus (Oct 9, 2005)

Your tank looks nice. I like your stand. I am thinking of using your blue print to build my tank stand. Great job roud: 

Tak


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## Raul-7 (Oct 17, 2003)

Thanks!  It's still too hard to tell, but I'm guessing it's a male from the body shape. 

Great tank, BTW. I really like the 'moss-tree' you have growing there. What species of moss is that?


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Raul-7 said:


> Thanks!  It's still too hard to tell, but I'm guessing it's a male from the body shape.
> 
> Great tank, BTW. I really like the 'moss-tree' you have growing there. What species of moss is that?


Thanks, that 'moss-tree' is out of controll:icon_eek: I need to trim it... It's java moss.


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## toofazt (Jun 18, 2005)

Here's some random pics I took of my tank:


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