Epic Overhaul/Builds: 3D Backgrounds 300g-125g-120g

[JK47]

If it's coraline, try soaking it in a 50/50 vinegar and water for a day and you should be able to get it off fairly easily.

I'd put the tree off center, but I don't much care of precise symmetry. Then again I'm not going to be looking at it everyday either. Go with what makes you and the fish happy.

Honestly I am a tad on the OCD side so I will probably keep it centered. I'll load some pics soon so we can decide. I am taking a quick break right now, 100% of the coraline is off the tank. Now I'm just fighting the overflows. Oceanic siliconed the crap out of these things lol.. I can't even get a razor blade that deep under the tower without the blade breaking. I've gone through 6 so far so I have to be doing something wrong

 

[JK47]

This stuff is not fun.. finally got the back cleaned up though. I am not wasting any effort cleaning the overflows until I get them cut off.

My metal scraper, a razor and my wet/dry shop vac was more than enough to get me here at least.









I didn't notice before but this tank looks like it has a screen type blue background already. I can see bubbles in it now that everything is cleaned up. I'll rip it off and paint the back black with the same paint as I did the 300g. I still have a half gallon or so left.

 

[JK47]

This is what I was talking about with the towers. I figured they would only silicone the outside but they didn't. It's a solid 1" across. About 3/4" on the outside of the tower, like the corner of the tanks but also about a 1/2" on the inside. There are two panels to the overflow towers so there is a little less than a 1/2" between the inner and outer silicone as well. I am cutting myself trying to get on the inside of the towers so I had to stop. I can't risk bleeding right now, it's really frustrating me though..

I'll pick up where I left off tomorrow with a calm head. I switched to plumbing on the 300g for a break. Pics in a sec.



















This is where I stopped on the 120g tonight. I'll have an "Ah hah!" moment tomorrow and figure out how to finish. Tomorrow is the deadline on cutting the towers off and finishing the plumbing on this tank.



Wait till you guy see what I am doing with these overflows. (I can't break them) Your all going to actually LOL.. It's as creative idea though more on that tomorrow. Let's switch gears and go back to the 300g. Hang on just a sec.

 

[West1]

Sweet stuff! Cant wait to see everything else

I noticed you guys pay alot for Prime (about 4-5 bucks more than over here)

 

[JK47]

I am really frustrated so I had to take a chill pill for a minute and focus on something else. Here are some tips for younger/newer members when starting a larger tank. Keep as much soft line as possible. Soft line is flexable now and later. I try, on return plumbing to only have soft (rubber) hose all the way up to the bulkhead fitting. For the in/out bulkhead fittings and loc-line connectors I paid $90. That's allot here locally but keep in mind you only get to plumb once, do it how YOU want it. Others opinions are just that, their opinions. Don't be afraid to go against the grain.

Keep your hoses and hose clamps accessable after the tank is set up. I point each of my hose clamps out sideways so if I ever need to get back behind the tank, a normal screwdriver will fit length wise. Nothing is more frustrating than being on a ladder trying to fix some leaking plumbing and your screwdriver won't fit..





If you have canister hoses like these dual FX5 lines, keep them over the top of your sump lines for easier access. FX5 lines are easier to move than the sump lines because of the quick disconnects.. When you get a big tank against a wall, there is not as much room as you think for stacking hoses on top of one another and moving them even a small distance is not easy.



The little suction cups on the FX5 completely suck... Get the larger ones from the $0.99 cent pile at the LFS and use a larger diameter cup from heaters. It's the little stuff that makes you happy with a setup down the road and this stuff make a difference for me so I like to post it. The heater suction cups are x10 times beter than the stock ones.



I could actually use a little help on this check valve. It was on my 220g but I absolutly LOVE this check vavle. Does anyone recognize it? The markings on it don't really help. I want two more for other tanks. It is 1" ID if that helps?







More ideas on tall tank stuff here in a sec. Hang on.

 

[JK47]

While we are on the topic of random ideas, here goes a few more... I bought extra hoses for another FX5. I actually started plumbing ahead of time because everything was 1" ID. Don't do that, I had to scrap everything I did and wasted a bit of cash... meh, lesson learned...



This is the best insurance policy out there for big tanks. It's an alarm that goes off if water touches both contact points on the bottom. (i.e. - a leak in the canisters of sump). The only time this has gone off was when I used a certain medication and it cause about 12" of unexpected foam. Worth every penny.



I use an old school salad chopper (like todays "slap chop" only without the hooker beating, coked up guy promoting it) and it's maybe $2 at a garage sale. I use it to cut up market shrimp and algae wafers. I keep severums and Uaru who need a veggie based staple. This helps cut up/mix all the NLS pellets, Omega pellets, algae wafers, spirulina flakes etc.. together and give a varried diet, every day not just once a week. (you guys realize we have made it to page 11 and not asked the stock list yet right?) That is too cool!









These are the best thing money can buy for tall tanks. Not only are they cups for moving sand, rocks etc.. they are grabbers too. Get used to long tools if you want to start a tall tank. I wish I could find longer ones.





I use a cheap old Petco brand food can to hang onto the new mixed food. Save some cash, NLS is expensive but you can save a bit of cash by "cutting" or mixing things ahead of time the smart way. Shrimp is REALLY important if you keep geos. It's more important than you might think and shrimp pellets are a great way to mix it in..



This may sound dumb but I watch this stuff rot away in the compost pile. If your down for living green, use your old mechanical pads when planting anything. My wife is big time into garden planting and using old mechanical pads is even better than using fertilizer. Save the recycling plant for beer cans you can plant your mechanical pads. Like it or not this generation and the next better care about ma nature..

 

[JK47]

Sweet stuff! Cant wait to see everything else

I noticed you guys pay alot for Prime (about 4-5 bucks more than over here)

Is that my pic? Wow good eye lol! Bummer on the price. It could be worse, we could live in Australia.. Those poor guys have to pay like x10 time what we pay for everything.

 

[Fish_Savy :3]

awesome !! :]

 

[HULON]

nice justin alot of work but definatly worth every minute for sure i was out of breath just reading it

 

[shyro77]

Justin before your ready to secure your background, try out the black pond foam from lowes or jerrys. It states its completely safe for fish and plants. I just installed one in a 75 experimenting around and i dont think i will use silicone again when securing one into place. A little goes a long ways , and very easy to cut the excess off around the edges, sand doesnt stick to it very well so i just smeared a little silicone on the edges when it was dry and sprinkled sand on it to blend in. When that foam expands it turns the tank and BG into 1 , lol. I think it was $12 and only needed half a can for a 4 footer, might even be cheaper then silicone. Hopefully someone will chime in if i am missing something with the foam?