125 - Took Forever But Here It is!

[tbrown]

Ok, so no pictures (I know, I know). The tank is doing good. Running outside in the sunlight grew quite a bit of algae. I'm scraping and draining it tonight then painting the back and finishing the plumbing tomorrow. It should be ready to come inside Saturday if everything goes as planned but my wife's friend has decided she needs us as often as we're available....

 

[Stang67]

Ok, so no pictures (I know, I know). The tank is doing good. Running outside in the sunlight grew quite a bit of algae. I'm scraping and draining it tonight then painting the back and finishing the plumbing tomorrow. It should be ready to come inside Saturday if everything goes as planned but my wife's friend has decided she needs us as often as we're available....

Your not available.

 

[tbrown]

Oh yeah and I was looking at fish today. I think I'm going to add a Kole Tang or Brown Tang once the tank is established and ready for fish.

The plan is Saturday the tank comes inside and gets saltwater mixed. Once I have the water mixing I'm going to add the starts bacteria and live sand and the rock that's been soaking. I'll give it a couple of days and start adding snails, give it a few more days and get some hermits. After probably 3 weeks to a month (maybe sooner depending on water tests) I'll add some Green Chromis (2 or 3). If everything is still looking good I'll add my existing Clownfish. Slowly I'll start transferring fish and corals over the course of 2 to 3 months. I'm thinking the Tomini and Algae Blenny will be my last transfers. I'm hoping I can find a Brown Tang about the 2 month mark, add that and then transfer the Tomini shortly after.

 

[tbrown]

Your not available.

I totally told my wife that. We went to the lake last Friday and lunch on Sunday. She wanted to go to the lake again tomorrow - I said no so we're going over to hang out and swim in the afternoon instead... Then Monday we're going to the lake and Thursday we're going camping up north for the weekend. All with her and her boys.

 

[tbrown]

Wow... I just ordered the stuff from Algaebarn and when I submitted, they took the $50 gift card from my account and still billed me for the full amount including the $50... I contacted them so we'll see how this goes.

 

[Jedi1199]

The plan is Saturday the tank comes inside and gets saltwater mixed. Once I have the water mixing I'm going to add the starts bacteria and live sand and the rock that's been soaking. I'll give it a couple of days and start adding snails, give it a few more days and get some hermits. After probably 3 weeks to a month (maybe sooner depending on water tests) I'll add some Green Chromis (2 or 3). If everything is still looking good I'll add my existing Clownfish. Slowly I'll start transferring fish and corals over the course of 2 to 3 months. I'm thinking the Tomini and Algae Blenny will be my last transfers. I'm hoping I can find a Brown Tang about the 2 month mark, add that and then transfer the Tomini shortly after.

Why add bacteria? Isn't this an upgrade from a running tank?

 

[tbrown]

Why add bacteria? Isn't this an upgrade from a running tank?

Sort of... I'm setting up the 125 and then in 4 or 5 months I'm tearing down the 75. So it's a slow transfer over.

 

[Jedi1199]

Sort of... I'm setting up the 125 and then in 4 or 5 months I'm tearing down the 75. So it's a slow transfer over.

OOHHhhh I getcha.

Let me add this. I started my 55g with 2 large pieces of rock from an established tank and it skip-cycled no problem. I wouldn't add a full fish load, but a few fish and a couple good chunks of rock from your 75 and you should be good to go without the bottled stuff. You could also add fish from day 1. Just don't go all crazy and add 3 dozen 8" fish all at once.. lol

 

[tbrown]

Ok. Tank is scraped and draining. We're on track to paint tomorrow.

 

[tbrown]

OOHHhhh I getcha.

Let me add this. I started my 55g with 2 large pieces of rock from an established tank and it skip-cycled no problem. I wouldn't add a full fish load, but a few fish and a couple good chunks of rock from your 75 and you should be good to go without the bottled stuff. You could also add fish from day 1. Just don't go all crazy and add 3 dozen 8" fish all at once.. lol

Well my biggest issue right now is I'm treating the 75 for stupid bryopsis so I don't want that rock going in just yet. I had considered that. I do have the 5 gallon and pretty much all of that rock is going to end up in the 125 but it's less than 10 pounds.

 

[Jedi1199]

Ok. Tank is scraped and draining. We're on track to paint tomorrow.

Nice.... I am painting tomorrow as well, but I'm painting the stand, not the tank. I am going to use a sheet of the stuff from the LFS for the background. Probably going to use the blue side as I think it makes the fish stand out better.

 

[tbrown]

Nice.... I am painting tomorrow as well, but I'm painting the stand, not the tank. I am going to use a sheet of the stuff from the LFS for the background. Probably going to use the blue side as I think it makes the fish stand out better.

We used a tealish green on the convict cichlid tank - it makes everything pop!

 

[Jedi1199]

Well my biggest issue right now is I'm treating the 75 for stupid bryopsis so I don't want that rock going in just yet. I had considered that. I do have the 5 gallon and pretty much all of that rock is going to end up in the 125 but it's less than 10 pounds.

Yeah. I feel you there my friend.. NONE of the rock from the 32 will be going into the new 135 for the exact same reason!!

 

[Jedi1199]

We used a tealish green on the convict cichlid tank - it makes everything pop!

Want a good laugh? When I first set up my 180, I had the black side of the background facing the tank. I added a couple domino damsels... They blended in so well with the background that all you could see was a pair of white dots moving around.. LOL

 

[tbrown]

I do have that 80 pounds of rock started cycling already as well. It's going in the tank pretty quick after the saltwater is mixed, I've got 40 pounds of live sand from Petco, and I've got another 30 pounds of old sand from the first 75. I'm adding enough"dead" stuff I don't want to risk a huge ammonia spike without seeding with some bacteria.

 

[tbrown]

Want a good laugh? When I first set up my 180, I had the black side of the background facing the tank. I added a couple domino damsels... They blended in so well with the background that all you could see was a pair of white dots moving around.. LOL

We paint most of our tanks black. My wife wonders why it takes sooo much light to make them not seem dark.

 

[Kenneth Wingerter]

Wow... I just ordered the stuff from Algaebarn and when I submitted, they took the $50 gift card from my account and still billed me for the full amount including the $50... I contacted them so we'll see how this goes.

AlgaeBarn's customer service is awesome, they'll definitely do you right.

 

[billyocean]

I went dark blue as well with mine

 

[billyocean]

Just posted this in another thread..lol

 

[Jedi1199]

I do have that 80 pounds of rock started cycling already as well. It's going in the tank pretty quick after the saltwater is mixed, I've got 40 pounds of live sand from Petco, and I've got another 30 pounds of old sand from the first 75. I'm adding enough"dead" stuff I don't want to risk a huge ammonia spike without seeding with some bacteria.

Dang bro.. we are running almost parallel to each other. I have my new rock in a can ready to get wet whenever I get off my lazy butt and start my WC. lol

Since it is also time to clean one of the canisters, I will be dumping all that into the can with the rocks and toss in a powerhead to keep the water moving till I am ready to get the new tank going.

I already have 60 gallons of water ready to go, will be making another 60 this week.

The only thing that is putting a stop on getting the new tank wet next weekend is the sand I just ordered wont be here for about 10 days. grrrrrr