So I'm going to be selfish and start a thread just for myself, but it can be a learning experience hopefully to others...my 240 gal. setup adventure
The Background:
So I have had a 125 gal. for some time stocked with a M/F pair of Dempsey's, a Rafael Cat (it is big), Blue Gill, Bichir, Pike Cichlid, and the head honcho the Peacock Bass, over a foot long. Being a responsible pet owner, I decided he definitely needed something bigger than the 125.
The 240 was the best choice for me in terms of how much room I had, how much money I wanted to spend, and how big he might get in the future. Also my room is the added remodeled room so it is all concrete underneath, no need to worry about weight!!
My monitor will be the new inhabitant of the 125 gal. his current 55 gal. home will become the sump.
I am going to be adding pics to this thread as I progress so check back from time to time...
Shopping:
I found a 240 acrylic tank with stand and canopy and lights. The setup is old and was just sitting in the dude's garage. I paid $500 for the stand and canopy and tank all in sound condition, you could find better deals probably if you look around (maybe could have negotiated with the guy?) I paid another $100 for the light setup and another $100 for a submersible pump which I decided Im no longer going to use, it'll go to my pond since the Beckett crapped out on me. Took two pickups to get it all home with a tarp to cover the tank and lots of ratcheting tie-downs and bungies. Barely stuck out of the S10 with liftgate down. Even though it's acrylic she's still heavy same with the stand almost busted my vertebrae lol. 3-4 people needed to handle it all.
The Stand:
Again it looks good, but I want it to look great...the outside walls are particle board, don't know if I should A.) Replace with real wood $$$ B.) Just repaint and salvage, least time consuming/economical C.) Maybe add thin layer of real wood on top of particle board? It is heavy and bulky so I am going to disassemble it before I bring it into my house. I will reassemble inside my room.
The Tank:
It is in good condition, no problems as of what I can see now standard 240 acrylic with overflow built into the middle...tank is dirty and dusty I am going to clean it and re-buff to get the scratches out. Hopefully problems won't appear!! There are a lot of predrilled holes, I won't be using a lot of them so I need to plug those up, still deciding on where I want the returns/how many outlets?
Filtration:
Thinking of using my 55 gal. tank as sump...I measured the inside of my stand (95" by 17"). 55 gal. measurement is 48.5" by 13.5" so it'll fit without being overcrowded and I have room for whatever else I want to put. Water pump selection still researching but I want something quiet, reliable and energy efficient, my budget is ~$150 max.
Lighting:
I paid $100 for my light setup which consists of: an older model IceCap Model 660 ballast, harness with waterproof endcaps, jumper wires if I decide to run 4 lights, 2x4' & 2x3' AQUASUN VHO-1 bulbs (old but they still work). The previous owner ghetto-rigged this setup, I had to steal my shoplight wire cord and 3 prong plug to make it work. Also added some automotive wiring loom to protect the wires. I'm thinking it might be too much light we'll see once I have it set up, maybe 2x4' lights is okay??
Canopy:
About the only thing that can really be cleaned up and used, but I am going to touch this up too. Probably the easiest thing to do!!
The Background:
So I have had a 125 gal. for some time stocked with a M/F pair of Dempsey's, a Rafael Cat (it is big), Blue Gill, Bichir, Pike Cichlid, and the head honcho the Peacock Bass, over a foot long. Being a responsible pet owner, I decided he definitely needed something bigger than the 125.
The 240 was the best choice for me in terms of how much room I had, how much money I wanted to spend, and how big he might get in the future. Also my room is the added remodeled room so it is all concrete underneath, no need to worry about weight!!
My monitor will be the new inhabitant of the 125 gal. his current 55 gal. home will become the sump.
I am going to be adding pics to this thread as I progress so check back from time to time...
Shopping:
I found a 240 acrylic tank with stand and canopy and lights. The setup is old and was just sitting in the dude's garage. I paid $500 for the stand and canopy and tank all in sound condition, you could find better deals probably if you look around (maybe could have negotiated with the guy?) I paid another $100 for the light setup and another $100 for a submersible pump which I decided Im no longer going to use, it'll go to my pond since the Beckett crapped out on me. Took two pickups to get it all home with a tarp to cover the tank and lots of ratcheting tie-downs and bungies. Barely stuck out of the S10 with liftgate down. Even though it's acrylic she's still heavy same with the stand almost busted my vertebrae lol. 3-4 people needed to handle it all.
The Stand:
Again it looks good, but I want it to look great...the outside walls are particle board, don't know if I should A.) Replace with real wood $$$ B.) Just repaint and salvage, least time consuming/economical C.) Maybe add thin layer of real wood on top of particle board? It is heavy and bulky so I am going to disassemble it before I bring it into my house. I will reassemble inside my room.
The Tank:
It is in good condition, no problems as of what I can see now standard 240 acrylic with overflow built into the middle...tank is dirty and dusty I am going to clean it and re-buff to get the scratches out. Hopefully problems won't appear!! There are a lot of predrilled holes, I won't be using a lot of them so I need to plug those up, still deciding on where I want the returns/how many outlets?
Filtration:
Thinking of using my 55 gal. tank as sump...I measured the inside of my stand (95" by 17"). 55 gal. measurement is 48.5" by 13.5" so it'll fit without being overcrowded and I have room for whatever else I want to put. Water pump selection still researching but I want something quiet, reliable and energy efficient, my budget is ~$150 max.
Lighting:
I paid $100 for my light setup which consists of: an older model IceCap Model 660 ballast, harness with waterproof endcaps, jumper wires if I decide to run 4 lights, 2x4' & 2x3' AQUASUN VHO-1 bulbs (old but they still work). The previous owner ghetto-rigged this setup, I had to steal my shoplight wire cord and 3 prong plug to make it work. Also added some automotive wiring loom to protect the wires. I'm thinking it might be too much light we'll see once I have it set up, maybe 2x4' lights is okay??
Canopy:
About the only thing that can really be cleaned up and used, but I am going to touch this up too. Probably the easiest thing to do!!
