Making my 150g dream tank a reality

[RedDwarf]

Okay thanks for the info on the lights.
As for the plants, you can use hot glue inside a tank? Really???



Thanks

Well I wouldn't use it on the live plants but on stuff like sphagnum moss it should be fine.

You just got to love those eheim 2260/2262 filters. I have 2 on my 300 gal which would be considered over stocked by anyone and I only have one running because I need to replace an O-ring and all the fish are as happy as can be. I can only imagine how clean your tank will be with one happy Midas living in there.

 

[Natalie]

WOW.... now I'm envious.... Tell me how you like it as I'm leaning towards purchasing another Eheim filter...

There's one thing I know for sure, I have to buy a TON more filter media for this thing!

You just got to love those eheim 2260/2262 filters. I have 2 on my 300 gal which would be considered over stocked by anyone and I only have one running because I need to replace an O-ring and all the fish are as happy as can be. I can only imagine how clean your tank will be with one happy Midas living in there.

He better be happy, I'm putting a lot into this tank. What media do you use in your Eheims, if you don't mind my asking?

 

[RedDwarf]

This is what I pack my eheim with, from the bottom up

lower lattice screen (the one with the longer standoffs)
4.5L of eheim ehfimech
1" layer of eheim ehfifix
9L of Seachem pond matrix
2" layer of eheim ehfifix
4' layer of Soft-N-Crafty poly-fil
upper lattice screen (one with the shorter standoffs)

One thing I recommend you put on all O-rings is silicone oil or grease, you can find the silicone oil in hobby stores that sell Remote Control Cars, they use it in the shocks (the heavier the weight the better). The silicone helps lubricate the O-ring and help it seal better and also extend the life of the O-ring. A little goes a long way so use it sparingly.

You carefully press down on the top of the filter lid making sure you position the handles so they don't hit the sides of your stand and the return line is pointing in the right direction for your return line.

The way I prime the filter is to hook everything up and connect a line to the canister drain tap and run water into it at a fairly slow rate so you don't cause pressure leaks. Once the air is purged from the filter you can turn off the water and then after closing the tap, remove the water line from it and if your water level is high enough for the intake to function properly just plug in the filter and it should be good to go.
I would service the filter whenever you see a dramatic drop in pressure from the return or lots of particulate mater floating in the water.

 

[crazysteve]

I think I changed my mind about 20 times on backgrounds today. This is a tough decision to make! Because I'm finding it difficult to visualize the type of look I want, I took to the internet for some inspiration and found a few pictures.

I loved both of the above "Amazon" type habitats, especially the second. Granted, they are both public aquaria with much more water volume than I have, but seeing these made me have a revelation.

I can't even see a background in either of these setups!

If I want to maximize on swimming room for my guy, I probably need to stick with the thinnest, least obtrusive background that still provides texture and interest.

Designs by Nature Chimba

Designs by Nature Bulu

Both of these backgrounds are about 3" in depth. I can still hide tank equipment behind the background, but wouldn't lose as much swimming room as I would with, say, the Aquaterra Amazona, which takes up a lot of room in a tank. To get an idea of just how much room the Amazona takes up, take a look at R1_Ridah's thread of his 180g setup. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4461639&postcount=11

I still think it's the most beautiful background that can be bought, and I would buy it if I had much smaller fish, but one of the reasons I chose a 2' deep tank was to give my fish lots of room. So the saga of choosing a background continues...

i cant find a nice back ground for a 300 gal

 

[GhostShrimpMan]

Holy crap, you guys. This Eheim filter is massive. There's no way pictures can describe it, other than using a person as a size reference. Here's yours truly struggling to hold this thing off the ground!

Yep, this oughtta do it!

WOW! Never knew they were that big!

 

[12 Volt Man]

massive

 

[fishbum]

Good choice with the 2262. I love mine.

 

[elting44]

Looks like a shop-vac!

My old man said the same thing when his fx5s were delivered. Pictures don't do them justice, they are big!!!

getting closer and closer to up and running.... It is inspiring me to get my 135 going, I still have a ton of work to do...

 

[JK47]

Holy crap, you guys. This Eheim filter is massive. There's no way pictures can describe it, other than using a person as a size reference. Here's yours truly struggling to hold this thing off the ground!

Yep, this oughtta do it!

Wow Natalie your pretty! You gotta lucky hubby and a lucky midas!

Have you decided on how to hide the Eheim hoses? Bright green is not easy to hide. I am looking forward to your opinion on it, I want one of those as well. I'm jealous!

 

[honda237]

Holy crap, you guys. This Eheim filter is massive. There's no way pictures can describe it, other than using a person as a size reference. Here's yours truly struggling to hold this thing off the ground!

Yep, this oughtta do it!

WOW, i knew it was big, but i didn't realize just how big it was. That is massive and Very cool.

Can't wait to see this thing finished.