Time for an upgrade!!!

Galail52 · Jan 12, 2020

So about 3 weeks ago, I came across a Facebook ad for an aquarium, stand and sump for an incredible price. The stand was in rough shape but everything else looked fantastic. The tank is a DSA 105 drilled with what I assume is a custom build stand and an eshopps 200 sump. With the help of my uncle, we picked everything up from a reefer in the neighborhood and have been working on it ever since.

The first weekend, I spent gathering materials to fix up the stand. I also got the tank and sump all cleaned up and double-checked silicon to make sure it was all good. Also began the sanding process on the stand to strip it both of the vinyl cover that was put on and clean up areas that were already missing the vinyl.

Last weekend, I spent shopping for paint and getting my first coat of black paint on. Didn't do anything else, just relaxed a bit.

This weekend I gathered most of my plumbing pieces, got the inside flex sealed and painted white, and finished up the black exterior. The stand looks fantastic now. The doors need another coat of black next weekend and then I'll be putting on some polyurethane to protect and add some more gloss. Got the tank water tested this weekend as well which lifted a huge weight off my shoulders knowing that it's good.

I've got 3 more weeks until I can get it set up and put water in it and can't wait to do it. I'll be moving my 40-gallon breeder into this. I still need some more rock, but everything else is sitting here waiting to go in and just teasing me.

Today, I picked up 6 blue-eyed cardinals that are currently hanging out in a QT tank waiting for their new home with their other tankmates which include 2 clowns, a yellow tang, a melannarus wrasse, a ruby fined wrasse, an emerald crab, and a serpent star. They'll also most likely be joined by a tomini tang.

Plan for next weekend is to put on the polyurethane coating and get the plumbing finished up. Then a quick water test and then it will sit taunting me for 2 more weeks.

Sidvicious · Jan 12, 2020

Tagging along and interested to know what the incredible price was?!?!

The Aquatic Arsenal · Jan 12, 2020

Stand looks great!

Galail52 · Jan 12, 2020

Sidvicious said:
Tagging along and interested to know what the incredible price was?!?!

$250

lpsouth1978 · Jan 12, 2020

For some reason the pics are not showing for me. I know this is all in my garage, but if I can't see them, I am sure there are others who can't too.

Galail52 · Jan 12, 2020

Let's try photos this way.

Tank build 2020 105

Explore this photo album by Trenton Southard on Flickr!

flic.kr

Galail52 · Jan 26, 2020

Alright. I suppose I should probably update this. The last 2 weeks have been productive. Finished up painting touchups and the spray-on polyurethane coating for the exterior of the stand. That was 2 weeks ago. Last weekend, Uncle and I got the plumbing mostly finished and throughout this last week I made a few trips to Ace to get the various PVC fittings we missed or changed. We did have a piece of PVC explode in the saw which cut my Uncle's finger up pretty good. As of Friday, the plumbing was finished. Last weekend we also made some improvements to the sump. Siliconed a few pieces of acrylic in to make a filter sock holder that was watertight to force water through the socks instead of around them. Very impressed with ourselves for this. I ended up with a hole saw slicing my thumb pretty good during this. Highly recommend trying it. I did end up scrapping the back glass clean of the old paint because it was flaking off pretty badly and got it repainted. Looks amazing now. The tank was moved on the stand to the side yard to fill with water and get the water test going. Had a very small leak out of the return pump tubing. Got that switched up and now I'm 100% leak-free! The tank is now draining. This build has been fun and officially has our blood and sweat in it, quite literally. Gratefully, no tears.

Galail52 · Feb 11, 2020

Well, now that everything is set up and running. It's time to update this.

3 weekends ago, I received my red-sea DIY rimless tank cover. My uncle and I got that all put together and it's 99% tight as far as the netting goes, but it fits and keeps fish in so that's all that matters.

2 weekend ago, my parents finally closed on the new house. Tuesday of that week was spent moving the tank over. Wednesday it sat. Thursday I got the RODI setup. It filled itself throughout Thursday with the help of a float switch. Thursday night I got the majority of the salt in the tank and let it mix overnight. Friday was spent rinsing sand and getting it in. Saturday was finally time to move the rock from the brute cans and my old tank. By end of day Saturday, everything was moved into its new home.

Sunday, while out grabbing a few parts to finish off my uncle's new tank, I stumbled upon some lyretail anthias and decided I had to have them. So in went 1 male and 3 females. As did my planned fire fin tomini tang. After a short scuffle between him and my yellow tang, everyone now seems super happy especially since their first few rounds of food have come and gone.

Now I'm focused on tuning my skimmer in to get the right skimmate from it. My aquaticlife t5 hybrid will be here tomorrow to go over the tank with either 2 or 3 AI Hydra 26's. Hopefully next week I can get my MP40 ordered up and swap out my Jebao SOW 8 or 15 to help keep my anemone as safe as possible.

Side note, I discovered first hand just how sticky carpet anemones can be. I went to get this guy put in the tank and ended up with my entire index and middle finger stuck to his tentacles. I had some assistance from my uncle and a credit card to finally get him off. The good news, I don't have any reaction to anemones haha.

Eventually, I will get some better photos of the fish and corals in the tank. Loving the new tank though. Best purchase so far.

Galail52 · Apr 4, 2020

Clearly I'm terrible at updating this in a timely manner. Also not great at remembering to take pics of things as they happen.

I have upgraded my lighting to a T5-LED Hybrid with the aquatic life 48" fixture. Everything seems to be really enjoying that. Did that 2 months ago.

I've also introduced some lyretail anthias to the tank. 1 male with 3 females. Following them, a sailfin fairy wrasse was added because I loved his blue chin. Fantastic specimen.

I also finally got a start on my clean up crew and have added a variety of snails and another larger emerald crab. My melanaruss wrasse has only gotten to 2 or 3 of them so far.

My torch garden seems to be coming along very nicely. I will probably stick with what I've got for now and just let it all grow out.

Between my yellow tang and Tomini tang, the aggression was getting a little too intense so tough decision had to be made. My yellow tang was removed from the tank and now has a happy home at the local fish store waiting for a home more suited to him. He was replaced with an awesome Midas blenny to keep some yellowish color in the tank and then a sleeper banded goby.

Lastly was my recent deal from AquaSD. Got a large baby blue haddoni that finished his Cipro treatment yesterday and is enjoying his first full day in the tank. Hoping he ends up liking the spot I cleared out for him but only time will tell. My other haddoni has migrated to the valley between rock structures and seems to be content there.

Mastiffsrule · Apr 10, 2020

Hey,

Just checking out the build. looks good. Nice score on the tank and the stand came out great. Good call on rehoming the yellow. My thought would be once the yellow got to big he would throw off the balance of the size of everything. Right now everything seems to fit just right in regards to size.

looks great.