You gave it a good run! Can’t wait to see how you put together the 120!
Is this the end?
- Thread starter esoxlucius
- Start date
Looking forward to the new setup!
mom sure you will love the new setup just as much
mom sure you will love the new setup just as much
Well, yesterday was the big start date. Everything went swimmingly. Half my stock from the 180 went to my LFS, and the other half are in my tote. They'll be in there for roughly a week.
My 180 was then totally dismantled so it is basically flat packed now. The styrofoam I used on the base was stuck to it so I left it on! I did it alone and it was very easy. The knife I had was a long bladed craft knife, with lots of spare blades. These things are like scalpels, extremely sharp. I changed out the blades every so often so to keep the blade razor sharp throughout the procedure.
Below are a few pictures as I was going along. You'll notice the black paint on the rear panel just peeled off. The paint I use for painting tanks is simply an exterior paint designed for wood and metal. Goes on easily with a roller, and six years later, as you can see, comes off even easier.
I'll be salvaging the doors and a few panels from the old stand and the rest will be burnt.
The wood burner goes in this week and my new 120 will be set up next weekend all being well.
My 180 was then totally dismantled so it is basically flat packed now. The styrofoam I used on the base was stuck to it so I left it on! I did it alone and it was very easy. The knife I had was a long bladed craft knife, with lots of spare blades. These things are like scalpels, extremely sharp. I changed out the blades every so often so to keep the blade razor sharp throughout the procedure.
Below are a few pictures as I was going along. You'll notice the black paint on the rear panel just peeled off. The paint I use for painting tanks is simply an exterior paint designed for wood and metal. Goes on easily with a roller, and six years later, as you can see, comes off even easier.
I'll be salvaging the doors and a few panels from the old stand and the rest will be burnt.
The wood burner goes in this week and my new 120 will be set up next weekend all being well.
Just a quick heads up on the bombsite, lol. The fire is in, they finished it today. So as we speak there is a lovely fire burning and the house is lovely and toasty. I'll not post pictures of the fire yet because some decorating needs to be done first, but photos will follow asap. It looks awesome, the wife and I are made up.
Now, as for my new 120g tank? Well my missus suggested that we don't set the new tank up in the living room at the side of the fire, as originally planned. She said, "she wants the living room back and that all things fishy need to be in the same room as my 360g". So, I did a bit of measuring up and there is an alcove where it fits beautifully.
As I'm writing this I'm just doing a fill and leak test. All good so far. The plan is to run it through the night and tomorrow, hopefully scape it and put the fish straight in. All my mature bio media will give me an instant cycle.
Fishman Dave
is coming over Sunday to take my old flat packed 6x2x2. That's it for now, more info and pictures to follow.
Now, as for my new 120g tank? Well my missus suggested that we don't set the new tank up in the living room at the side of the fire, as originally planned. She said, "she wants the living room back and that all things fishy need to be in the same room as my 360g". So, I did a bit of measuring up and there is an alcove where it fits beautifully.
As I'm writing this I'm just doing a fill and leak test. All good so far. The plan is to run it through the night and tomorrow, hopefully scape it and put the fish straight in. All my mature bio media will give me an instant cycle.
Fishman Dave
is coming over Sunday to take my old flat packed 6x2x2. That's it for now, more info and pictures to follow.
Speaking from the perspective of a wood-heat enthusiast...you are going to love that thing! There is nothing...absolutely nothing...that quite compares to the look, the feel, the smell and the sound of a woodfire heating your home. And splitting wood carries an almost Zen-like calmness with it that does the soul good.
But I must admit that one aspect of your latest post is somewhat disappointing to me. I have always thought of you as a kindred spirit, a true warrior-monk-aquarist, someone who fully appreciates and embraces the aquaristic art. When you answer a question that has been posed on MFK, it is from the practical, pragmatic viewpoint of a doer, rather than a mere poser...someone who has been there, done that, and has the T-shirt. Your answers and comments are all obviously based in experience and common sense. It's a refreshing change from the wannabes with a 10-gallon tank, a couple of guppies...and all the time in the world to scour the internet for the exceptions to the rule that they then hold up and say "See? SEE? There is such a thing as albino algae (or fish that subsist on tofu, or friendly puffers, or...whatever...)! It says right here that they have discovered it living in a thermal vent at the bottom of the Marianas Trench! I'm not sure how it got into my living room, but that's definitely what's growing in my tank!!! I knew it wasn't just fungus..."
No, I can always rely on good ol' Esox to impart some wisdom, the straight scoop as it were...even if your native language is a bit difficult to translate at times...
Or at least I thought I could...but now, I'm less certain. You say that your wife has laid down the law about tanks in the living room, and you have acquiesced. Okay, I get that...they must be occasionally humoured. Fine...happy wife, happy life and all that...
But...you also state that you found a nook in the same room as your other tank, into which this 120 will fit nicely. Great, I'm glad that worked out so well...but I must ask...
...why wasn't there a tank in that spot already???
I await your explanation with bated breath and keen anticipation...
But I must admit that one aspect of your latest post is somewhat disappointing to me. I have always thought of you as a kindred spirit, a true warrior-monk-aquarist, someone who fully appreciates and embraces the aquaristic art. When you answer a question that has been posed on MFK, it is from the practical, pragmatic viewpoint of a doer, rather than a mere poser...someone who has been there, done that, and has the T-shirt. Your answers and comments are all obviously based in experience and common sense. It's a refreshing change from the wannabes with a 10-gallon tank, a couple of guppies...and all the time in the world to scour the internet for the exceptions to the rule that they then hold up and say "See? SEE? There is such a thing as albino algae (or fish that subsist on tofu, or friendly puffers, or...whatever...)! It says right here that they have discovered it living in a thermal vent at the bottom of the Marianas Trench! I'm not sure how it got into my living room, but that's definitely what's growing in my tank!!! I knew it wasn't just fungus..."
No, I can always rely on good ol' Esox to impart some wisdom, the straight scoop as it were...even if your native language is a bit difficult to translate at times...
Or at least I thought I could...but now, I'm less certain. You say that your wife has laid down the law about tanks in the living room, and you have acquiesced. Okay, I get that...they must be occasionally humoured. Fine...happy wife, happy life and all that...
But...you also state that you found a nook in the same room as your other tank, into which this 120 will fit nicely. Great, I'm glad that worked out so well...but I must ask...
...why wasn't there a tank in that spot already???
I await your explanation with bated breath and keen anticipation...
Lol, yes, from a fellow aquarist point of view the fact that I "found" some room for a 120g tank is rather disappointing. Because, as you said, there should have been a tank there already!
My wife, as much as I love her, can be a rather peculiar and stubborn creature at times. The top and bottom of it is, is that she doesn't share my passion, not one bit. I've tried unsuccessfully on many occasion to shoehorn her into it. I've let her pet and feed my GG, I've allowed her to choose some fish for my com tank, but to no avail.
Part of her dislike for the hobby is my own doing really. Originally back in 2015, before I even got back into the hobby, she went out, yes SHE went out to our LFS and picked one of those tiny 10g "kits" up for our youngest lad. I thought, ok, let's see where this goes. Obviously she didn't have a clue what to do so I stepped in........and the domino effect was swift!!! Lol.
I pestered her for a "slightly" bigger tank, she agreed, and a couple of days later my 180g turned up. She wept on the doorstep as the guys brought it up the driveway, lol. Then I said we needed a "slightly" bigger tank to house our fast growing GG. She reluctantly agreed again, expecting the worst, and a few days later a couple of guys were carrying a "pond" up the driveway. I don't think she cried on that occasion, just screamed!
And that is why she doesn't like my hobby, that is why she's drawn the line in the sand and said, "no more tanks". And that my friend, is why I didn't have a 120g set up already in the spot you refer to. There's "nooks and crannies" all over the house for tanks, and if it wasn't for my wife curtailing my enthusiasm they would all be full.
But to be honest she's doing me a huge favour. It's good that she holds me back because I wouldn't know when to stop and eventually I'd turn my hobby into a chore if I bit off more than I could chew.
Well, I was hoping to close this thread off with this post. The photo I should be posting is of our brand new wood burner and my new 120g set up at the side of it, both looking immaculate.
However, as already mentioned in a previous post the wife decided the new tank should go in the same room as my 360g so that is indeed where I put it.
The fire looks amazing, we couldn't be happier with it. But the new tank is a problem, I am far from happy with it. My beardless barbs have become very skittish, and their nervousness is rubbing off on my clown loach. The slightest movement or shadow has them going mad and I hate that in a tank.
Whether it's the smaller footprint tank or the total change in decor (no plants whatsoever, just gravel rocks and wood). I don't know. My plan is to give them a little time. If nothing changes I'm going to throw all my clowns and beardless barbs in the 360. My 120 will become home to my chocolate cichlid then, which by the way loves its new tank, it's like a little puppy at the glass.
So, once I get the 120 to a stage where I'm happy with it I'll post pictures, but for now all I have are before and after pictures of the living room. Believe it or not these two pictures are taken from exactly the same spot. The fire has just changed the room completely.
I only wish I could be showing you pictures of a happy 120 com tank too. Hopefully I'll get there in the end.
However, as already mentioned in a previous post the wife decided the new tank should go in the same room as my 360g so that is indeed where I put it.
The fire looks amazing, we couldn't be happier with it. But the new tank is a problem, I am far from happy with it. My beardless barbs have become very skittish, and their nervousness is rubbing off on my clown loach. The slightest movement or shadow has them going mad and I hate that in a tank.
Whether it's the smaller footprint tank or the total change in decor (no plants whatsoever, just gravel rocks and wood). I don't know. My plan is to give them a little time. If nothing changes I'm going to throw all my clowns and beardless barbs in the 360. My 120 will become home to my chocolate cichlid then, which by the way loves its new tank, it's like a little puppy at the glass.
So, once I get the 120 to a stage where I'm happy with it I'll post pictures, but for now all I have are before and after pictures of the living room. Believe it or not these two pictures are taken from exactly the same spot. The fire has just changed the room completely.
I only wish I could be showing you pictures of a happy 120 com tank too. Hopefully I'll get there in the end.
