Making my 150g dream tank a reality

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Natalie;4577483;4577483 said:
150g might not seem like a "monster" tank to many people, but it is to me! I am finally getting my dream setup for my midas cichlid.

I found a Tenecor stand and canopy on CL for cheap and in great condition. The stand is 60x24x30 and the canopy is 7" in height. Next to my 40g, the stand definitely looks monster to me. :)

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One of my dogs likes it too:

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Today I ordered the tank! 60x24x24 from Midwest Custom Acrylics. It will be here in 3-4 weeks! It'll be my first acrylic setup and I couldn't be more excited about it. Chris and I discussed the design of the tank on the phone. I am so glad I went with this company rather than a cookie-cutter type place. It'll be built with exactly the features I'm looking for.

The tank won't have overflows because I'll be installing a 3D background. It'll be pricey but this is my dream tank afterall. ;)

I have been trying to decide on a background and I can't make up my dang mind. Possible choices include:

AquaTerra Rainforest:
ATRainforest.jpg


Designs By Nature Chimba:
DBNChimba.jpg


Pangea Rocky IV:
PangeaRockyIV.jpg


AquaTerra Amazona (by far the most expensive, but look how beautiful):
ama_1.jpg


Other than the background, decor will include PFS or a similar colored sand, and some stumpy driftwood and maybe a fake plant or two. I want to keep it simple and natural and focus the attention on the fish and background.

I'll eventually have two canisters on this tank but will start out with one, either a Fluval FX5 or an Eheim 2260 or 2080. Intake tube will be hidden behind the background, and I'll drill a few holes in the background to transfer water behind it. Output will probably be a spraybar located in front of the background. The heater will also be hidden behind the background, and I'm toying with the idea of adding BioBalls and a powerhead behind the background for added bio filtration.

I have LED lights on all of my tanks, and I love them. I'm considering two of the Ecoxotic Retrofit Panorama Modules (8000K/453nm) to install into the canopy, but I haven't seen many people on the forum who have them. I always like to see a few good reviews before I purchase something.
http://www.ecoxotic.com/panorama-led-modules.html


Oh yeah! I forgot to mention the little tyke who will have this tank all to himself. Introducing my 4" midas.

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I realize that there are many stocking options for a 5x2x2 tank, but midas are my absolute favorite species and I've always wanted to devote as much space as I could to one. I feel like they enjoy the extra space too and tend to mellow out with more room to swim around. I've seen way too many 13" midas in 55g that are furious 24/7. I want a happy fish. :)

Now I just have to sit back and wait for the tank to arrive!
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"nice. i def. like the look of the last background "


i must say i like the way she thinks...thats pretty rad... i was thinking about going that route with my 100 gallon with a 3D background... im with you in the fact that i cant figure out what exactly i want to do !!
 
JokerIndustries;4616719; said:
i must say i like the way she thinks...thats pretty rad... i was thinking about going that route with my 100 gallon with a 3D background...im with you in the fact that i cant figure out what exactly i want to do !!
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The scary thing is that I was never able to make up my mind 100% but ended up purchasing everything anyway. :) I thought about it for weeks and eventually drove myself nuts. Hopefully your decision will be easier to make than mine!


Guys, the tank has been shipped!!! It'll take 3 business days to get to the local terminal, where I'll pick it up. Woohoo!
 
I also have a 150 and purchased the aquaterra 3d slimline background, they don't make em as tall as the tank but I was able to get several extra pieces to puzzle cut and add to the back of the tank. Since I am going through the process of moving I don't have the tank set up yet! But will add pics as soon as I am done!

I am so excited for your set up! Take lots and lots of pics!
 
I'm probable the only one here that doesn't like the 3d backgrounds (maybe its because I have a 90 gal with aqua Terra canyon rock in it) takes up to much room. I would suggest an algae scrubber to keep it cleaner. Also I purchased wood from http://www.manzanita.com./aqwood.htm and soaked for a month in the tub, still to this day turns my water brown...so about 3 months underwater, I do love the wood and would purchase from them again. GL on the set up
 
kmill;4618128; said:
I'm probable the only one here that doesn't like the 3d backgrounds (maybe its because I have a 90 gal with aqua Terra canyon rock in it) takes up to much room. I would suggest an algae scrubber to keep it cleaner. Also I purchased wood from http://www.manzanita.com./aqwood.htm and soaked for a month in the tub, still to this day turns my water brown...so about 3 months underwater, I do love the wood and would purchase from them again. GL on the set up
Click to expand...

Yes, that's why I decided to go with one of the thinnest 3d backgrounds I could find. And thanks for the tip about the wood... no worries there, I like tannins!
 
Okay I've got some good news and some bad news!

Which do you want first? ..... The bad news? Okay.

The tank got shipped to the wrong city. I live in Florida. It's currently in Lexington KY. Why did it go there? Because the billing address was there. I told them the shipping address was in FL, but it still got shipped to the wrong place. Luckily, my family lives in Lexington and my dad is going to pick up the tank, inspect it, and bring it down here in two weeks when my family comes for Thanksgiving. But still.... argh.

The good news is that the Eheim 2262 and background are here-- yay!

I didn't take any pictures of the filter because I haven't unpacked it yet, but I'm thrilled with the background.

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It's difficult to make backgrounds look good in pictures, because it always looks like the shaded areas are really fake. Trust me, it looks awesome in person!

The best part about this background is that it's TWO inches thick, which is skinnier than the advertised THREE inches. It gives my midas an extra inch of depth for swimming!!

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I'm very happy with the decor at this point. So now I have to make a few phone calls to arrange for my dad to pick up the tank.
 
Awesome background, cant wait to see it in the tank!!
 
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