Making my 150g dream tank a reality

[Natalie]

Hi Natalie,

I cant wait to see the tank; I love the background you chose, thanks to your thread I decided on using the Pangea Rocky lV on my upcoming 195 gal build. I told JK47 that you both have been lifesavers with your threads. I cant wait to see it finished.

Good Luck!

Oh and that filter is HUGE!! I'm so jealous!

Hi Mikiblu, thanks for your comments. I saw your thread about your new tank-- what a neat footprint! I think it would be so great to have a 36" deep tank. I'll have to go back to that thread and go through it again, you've got some great ideas. I love the Rocky IV background, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

nice filter

haha makes my eheim 2250 look small!! congrats!

Thanks guys! It's still sitting in its box, looking impressive. I need to finally put it together.

So my family's coming down tomorrow and the tank will be here! Tonight I drained and moved the tanks so that I can put the 150g where it should be. Right now the room is in that dreaded in-between stage where there are two running tanks and one huge stand and a bunch of equipment sitting in the same room. Ugh, it's a headache to be in there. I can't wait to get the 150g up and running and sell the 29g or 40g... can't decide which.

The no-brainer would be to keep the 40g breeder for my convict rather than the 29g, but there's an interesting story about him (if anyone wants to hear it, haha). Four months ago, he jumped out of his tank during a water change and hit the tile floor after a 5-foot drop. He couldn't swim normally after that. I had access to take x-rays of him and lo and behold, his swimbladder wasn't visible. He had either ruptured his swim bladder or damaged the nerve that inflates it. Recovery from either of these can take up to a month and half. Long story short, it's been four months and he's not better. He spends most of his time lying on his side on the tank floor (bare bottom tank). Whenever I walk into the room, he leaps up onto his chest and swims around begging for food. If his appetite and attitude weren't so great, I'd euthanize him. But I just can't at this point.
So my convict (the one in my avatar) has been in hospital mode for the last four months. I don't know if he'll ever get better, but as long as he's eating so voraciously, I'll keep going with him. That's why I'm thinking it might be best to keep him in the 29g rather than bumping him up to the 40g. For one thing, I have limited room in my house. The 150g is going to take up a lot of room. And the con doesn't move around very much at all, except when he begs, so I think the 29g would be sufficient for him. Of course, I change my mind every day on whether to give him the 29g or 40g. I want to give him the best life I can, but at the same time I have to be practical and the 29g is enough room for him, especially in his compromised state.

 

[JK47]

Hi Mikiblu, thanks for your comments. I saw your thread about your new tank-- what a neat footprint! I think it would be so great to have a 36" deep tank. I'll have to go back to that thread and go through it again, you've got some great ideas. I love the Rocky IV background, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.





Thanks guys! It's still sitting in its box, looking impressive. I need to finally put it together.

So my family's coming down tomorrow and the tank will be here! Tonight I drained and moved the tanks so that I can put the 150g where it should be. Right now the room is in that dreaded in-between stage where there are two running tanks and one huge stand and a bunch of equipment sitting in the same room. Ugh, it's a headache to be in there. I can't wait to get the 150g up and running and sell the 29g or 40g... can't decide which.

The no-brainer would be to keep the 40g breeder for my convict rather than the 29g, but there's an interesting story about him (if anyone wants to hear it, haha). Four months ago, he jumped out of his tank during a water change and hit the tile floor after a 5-foot drop. He couldn't swim normally after that. I had access to take x-rays of him and lo and behold, his swimbladder wasn't visible. He had either ruptured his swim bladder or damaged the nerve that inflates it. Recovery from either of these can take up to a month and half. Long story short, it's been four months and he's not better. He spends most of his time lying on his side on the tank floor (bare bottom tank). Whenever I walk into the room, he leaps up onto his chest and swims around begging for food. If his appetite and attitude weren't so great, I'd euthanize him. But I just can't at this point.
So my convict (the one in my avatar) has been in hospital mode for the last four months. I don't know if he'll ever get better, but as long as he's eating so voraciously, I'll keep going with him. That's why I'm thinking it might be best to keep him in the 29g rather than bumping him up to the 40g. For one thing, I have limited room in my house. The 150g is going to take up a lot of room. And the con doesn't move around very much at all, except when he begs, so I think the 29g would be sufficient for him. Of course, I change my mind every day on whether to give him the 29g or 40g. I want to give him the best life I can, but at the same time I have to be practical and the 29g is enough room for him, especially in his compromised state.

Super happy for you! It's going to be a long night waiting for you I bet.. That's sad about your convict. Good on you though for puttin in work on a common fish instead of just replacing it. The 29 gallon is probably more than enough, in his state. If it were me the only reason I would step it up to the 40 breeder would be dilution. Fish heal/live better in clean water and the less the overall water volume the higher disolved oganics (depending on your stock/maintanence schedule). I think 40 breeders are a neat footprint in case you ever get him a tankmate?

 

[Natalie]

Super happy for you! It's going to be a long night waiting for you I bet.. That's sad about your convict. Good on you though for puttin in work on a common fish instead of just replacing it. The 29 gallon is probably more than enough, in his state. If it were me the only reason I would step it up to the 40 breeder would be dilution. Fish heal/live better in clean water and the less the overall water volume the higher disolved oganics (depending on your stock/maintanence schedule). I think 40 breeders are a neat footprint in case you ever get him a tankmate?

Thanks for your thoughts, Justin. Yeah I just don't know about that little guy. He was my first cichlid, and I'm attached to him. I do 100% water changes once a week. He knows what to expect: he gets netted and placed in a bucket, I drain the tank, scrub away the algae, then add back new water and 300 grams salt. He takes everything in stride. I feed him as much as he'll eat because he was initially anemic after his swimbladder ruptured, and it takes a lot for fish to overcome anemia. Despite multiple feedings a day, nitrates are never more than 5.0 just before water changes. I don't see him getting a tankmate, he's so vulnerable. I miss the good old days when he kicked some butt.

 

[MrTungau]

nice. the environment looks natural. the fish must be happy. invest huge money huh.

 

[Bazinga]

now, since there was a mistake on their behalf with the shipping of the tank, shouldnt they still have to bring it to your door? not you have to go get it at another location

 

[Natalie]

now, since there was a mistake on their behalf with the shipping of the tank, shouldnt they still have to bring it to your door? not you have to go get it at another location

Initially we agreed that the tank would be shipped to the closest shipping terminal, because that way I could have the freedom to pick it up at my convenience. Also, for warranty purposes they recommend inspecting the tank before you sign for it because once it's out of the shipper's hands, they aren't liable for any damage. That's easier said than done when a shipping guy is standing at your door waiting for you to sign so he can go on his way. At the shipping terminal I'd be able to take my time with inspection.

The tank was shipped to a shipping terminal in KY (the acrylics co. accidentally sent it to the billing rather than shipping address). Luckily my dad picked it up there for me and is driving it down during the family visit. The guys at Midwest were really apologetic and offered to re-route the item directly to me, but my dad and I decided he would pick it up.

 

[JK47]

Thanks for your thoughts, Justin. Yeah I just don't know about that little guy. He was my first cichlid, and I'm attached to him. I do 100% water changes once a week. He knows what to expect: he gets netted and placed in a bucket, I drain the tank, scrub away the algae, then add back new water and 300 grams salt. He takes everything in stride. I feed him as much as he'll eat because he was initially anemic after his swimbladder ruptured, and it takes a lot for fish to overcome anemia. Despite multiple feedings a day, nitrates are never more than 5.0 just before water changes. I don't see him getting a tankmate, he's so vulnerable. I miss the good old days when he kicked some butt.

Meh, he might not be at his fighting weight but I love "handycapped" fish. Better personal connection. I have a very stunted BN pleco (found him alive in a filter as a juvie) that gets the 125 gallon in the garage to himself, a mate and a glass banging swordtail waaay past it's life expectancy and whatever other species I want to learn about.. All my cool species and buddies always hang out and have a beer over that tank for some reason. To each his (or her) own I guess. I always thought your convict was the nicer iv'e seen.

Have you put any thought into lighting? Sorry if I missed it but I am at that step and kid of scratching my head now on 3 tanks.

 

[Natalie]

Meh, he might not be at his fighting weight but I love "handycapped" fish. Better personal connection. I have a very stunted BN pleco (found him alive in a filter as a juvie) that gets the 125 gallon in the garage to himself, a mate and a glass banging swordtail waaay past it's life expectancy and whatever other species I want to learn about.. All my cool species and buddies always hang out and have a beer over that tank for some reason. To each his (or her) own I guess. I always thought your convict was the nicer iv'e seen.

Have you put any thought into lighting? Sorry if I missed it but I am at that step and kid of scratching my head now on 3 tanks.

Haha, your pleco has the life! I am a sucker for misfit fish myself. My con was always a little skittish towards me but now he is so charismatic. You would not believe how this fish begs for food. I can't wait to show my family tomorrow.

As for lighting, I purchased two Ecoxotic retrofit panorama modules. They're really slim and screw right into the underside of the canopy lid. I love the look of LED especially the Marineland ones I currently have on my 29g and 40g, so I'm hoping these turn out just as nice. If I sell the 40g, I might keep the Marineland LED strip and combine it with the two Ecoxotic ones.

 

[Mikiblu30]

Sorry about your Con Natalie, but with a "mom" like you, I say he's the luckiest convict in the world. I can't wait to see the tank I'm so excited for you.

 

[RedDwarf]

So today is the big day Natalie. I'm excited for you .

Sounds like your convict is in the best hands possible and the 29 should be great for it unless you really want the potential to scape the tank like crazy.

Now remember to pay attention to the family to.