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

[ceeej31]

Do it with your 90g Colin! Your Atabapo biotope would look fantastic with one of these. No reason to wait bro. My 120g is going to be an Orinoco drainage tank. That's why I went with the Selvas background. My 120g is a "Mega Flow" tanks so the plumbing is through the bottom. I needed the space in the main "tree/root" thing for equipment.

i would but the overflow is in the way i will be upgrading to at least a 180g eventually so i will probably end up getting one then, i also have a couple other ideas up my sleeve for when i do finally upgrade

 

[JK47]

i would but the overflow is in the way i will be upgrading to at least a 180g eventually so i will probably end up getting one then, i also have a couple other ideas up my sleeve for when i do finally upgrade

Is your 90 glass or acrylic? The 120g is glass so I'm going to cut the overflow towers off and scrap them, then run the plumbing through the bottom back behind the background. You'll see what I mean later on when I get to tank #3.

An upgrade to your Atabapo tank huh?? Please say Uaru Fernandezyepezi and Satanoperca Daemon!!!! that's what I was going to do in the 300 but didn't have the $$$. Ferns don't come cheap...

 

[JK47]

I use over-sized intakes to keep slow swimming and small fish from being siphoned up against or into the intake. Check out aquaticeco.com for their PVC pond inlet strainer. Even my angelfish fry are safe from an FX5's siphon strength.

Thanks for the pics Phil! it would be cool if you could DIY a tree stump over those intakes. Hmmm you just gave me a REALLY good idea! thanks man!

 

[ceeej31]

Is your 90 glass or acrylic? The 120g is glass so I'm going to cut the overflow towers off and scrap them, then run the plumbing through the bottom back behind the background. You'll see what I mean later on when I get to tank #3.

An upgrade to your Atabapo tank huh?? Please say Uaru Fernandezyepezi and Satanoperca Daemon!!!! that's what I was going to do in the 300 but didn't have the $$$. Ferns don't come cheap...

its glass, and i don't trust my self enough to cut out the overflow tower. a pair of daemons are a definite addition for the future, and who knows, if the price on ferns drops i may add a pair of them as well, my idea is that i want a large tank that is heavily overfiltered and understocked, as comfortable as possible for the fish

 

[JK47]

its glass, and i don't trust my self enough to cut out the overflow tower. a pair of daemons are a definite addition for the future, and who knows, if the price on ferns drops i may add a pair of them as well, my idea is that i want a large tank that is heavily overfiltered and understocked, as comfortable as possible for the fish

You and I have the same taste. That's exactly what I am doing with the my tanks as well. No impressive pbass or arowana etc.. I'm going for impressive habitat and lucky fish.

 

[aclockworkorange]

Less talky more picture!

 

[JK47]

Less talky more picture!

Yeah I forgot to catch the thread up to last nights progress. Sorry guys Using the FX5 to empty water from the 220g to the 300g actually worked really well. It took about 15 minutes.





My little wifey is a major trooper. I am not able to get on the ladder so she was helping in a big way. She caught all the fish too. I attached a 3/4" PVC tube to the intake of the FX5 so we could "vacuum" as low as I wanted to go.



The 220g only filled the 300g about half way. The rest was temp matched tap water so 50% WC that the fish used to.





The 220g gettin emptied out. Moving 200 lbs of sand completely sucks... 30" tall tanks with 36" stands is a major PITA.. I love tall tanks and stands when I'm not working on them though so meh..





Finally have both FX5's going. I am not sure when I will get to completing the sump. For now I am just using the FX5's with the water level lowered. I have some acrylic boxes and driftwood to construct first.



Full tank shot! it fugly but it was getting late (this morning lol).. I rang out every sponge filter in the house into the tank before I moved the fish. I also emptied out the sump media (scrubbies and bio bale) and hit the sack.

I had to be up at 7am to move the 220g out.

 

[JK47]

Just finished washing another 50 lbs bag of sand and figured I would add a pic. Lapis Lustre #1C is hands down the best sand I have ever used, ever.. No pool filter sand in this house. It's cool if some members like it but it's not for me, i've tried it and prefer this sand. I don't like the idea of cheaping out on substrate if I want my tanks looking top notch. I keep Geophagus and Satanoperca so a quality sand is mandatory.



Credit: MFK member Modest_Man took this pic of my 220g when he was over last, not me. It shows the sand better than my camera does though

 

[R1_Ridah]

Very nice. I can't wait to see the end result. I'm sure it will look amazing.
The 3D background just adds that missing something to any tank.

 

[Nyvar]

I'm going for impressive habitat and lucky fish.

I have tank envy. Fantastic job.