Setting up my new (free) 65 gallon. pic heavyish
- Thread starter loogielv
- Start date
heh. It was probably more like "wow, those turtles have been dead for like 2 months. Maybe I should get em out of there. Wow, the stand is rotting like it ate a dead turtle. maybe I should...hey, sweet. 80% humidity up in that *****"Pharaoh;2599578; said:Well, then you could take a stab at why the put a humidity guage in the tank but didn't pay any attention to it while the stand was rotting away. I guess they never thought to use it after installing it.
thanks! as far as the cleaning, i got it pretty clean. in the pics you can see there's some left over stains on the sidesXilomaniac;2599640; said:
You can only really see them at an angle and the reason I missed them is because when its spotty wet (as opposed to filled completely) they are invisible. A razor blade or a good scrubbing when I drain the water will get em. Nothing too bad.
As far as your problem, I may get reamed for this, but I have used every single chemical known to man when cleaning an aquarium and have never had a problem. I'm talking gasoline, kerosene, thick scrubbers, soap, cascade hard scrubbing detergent (might scratch). Do whatever you have to, dont tiptoe around it. if you get it clean, then you can worry about getting the chemicals out later. if not, then you still have an unusable tank. you've lost nothing.
when using soap you can get away with about 7-10 rinses before it's all out. kerosene etc. anything that would kill if swallowed basically you should do close to 50 rinses just because. personally i would shy away from kerosene or gasoline as neither really make a great cleaner. I would't hasitate to use something like lime away or goo gone or any super strong, super poisonous chemical. I'd rinse it like 50 times, full water changes etc then leave some feeder goldfish in there for several weeks just to be sure.
edit: one more thing, when using anything stronger than soap, you need to do about 10 rinses with soap before doing your 50 rinses. ie: if you use an industrial cleaner and it actually works and gets it pretty, I would then do about 7 complete scrubbings with soap as if it was still as dirty as when you started. Then i would start the 50 water only rinses (maybe 10 rinses with some vinegar added). The idea is to get the stronger stuff out by using weaker stuff then eventually get the weaker stuff out by using even weaker stuff (like water and vinegar to get out soap etc)
sorry for lack of updates. I was cleaning the garage all weekend. I'll get more pics tonight and update on the filtration.
in response to buying a new fluval and taking it back, i'd be all about it, but i dont know if any stores will still have the 404 on the shelves. I've been so busy i haven't had a chance to swing by pet* (co and smart
buying a 404 online really takes away my return chances...
in response to buying a new fluval and taking it back, i'd be all about it, but i dont know if any stores will still have the 404 on the shelves. I've been so busy i haven't had a chance to swing by pet* (co and smart
buying a 404 online really takes away my return chances...
ok, been awhile and i'm sorry for the lack of updates. I know it's not monster or anything, but you've all shown some interest and it wouldn't be right to not at least keep you up to date. I had been taking pics, just not having the time to get em uploaded and all that. anyway, here's deallyo.
For some reason none of the pics from this time frame are showing up. I'll get new ones uploaded. it's nothing fancy, so i'll just write it out.
After setting up the tank and filling it, after the leaky filter debacle, I went and purchased 5 feeder goldfish for a total of $1.26.
I threw a small Duetto filter in there until I could work out the Fluval action.
Just planning on using the feeders to cycle the tank, and mostly because I can't STAND to look at an empty tank, my plans were thwarted by my kids. Apparently feeder goldfish are the most awesome, coolest, most awesome, fishiest fish on the planet, and we now have PART of our future inhabitants.
Total cost thus far for entire setup: $1.26
Then a friend told me about a friend of theirs that has had a couple strokes and is having open heart surgery in a few days and needed someone to take his fish for him. I couldn't call myself passionate if i didn't take these guys. It's not their fault and while I didn't want them, (4 Gouramis and 2 Plecos) I knew i had no choice.
When I went to pick them up, i was astonished at the quality of this persons tank. He was in a wheel chair, but even that was no reason for the amount of neglect these fish were having to endure. I would estimate the water hadn't been changed in nearly 2 years. It was pond green. I lifted some decorations out the whole thing flooded with about 3 inches of algae. It looked as green as grass and about as thick. It was really awful. The pleco is about 9 inches due to the wondrous food he had available, and the other isn't a pleco, but some form of a smaller cat fish i guess. no idea. pics coming of him too.
I talked him into letting me keep his tank (it'll get its own thread in a week or so) 50 gal bow front with stand, lights, filter and heater (and a tub of fish food)
I then was told about another person who had 2 large goldfish in a 10 gallon. They had rubbed their fins down and some of their scales off from the sides of the tank, so i rushed over and picked them up. About 6 inches and about 4 inches. The first few pics of these guys are MIA too. I have recent ones, but let me get through the story.
With the recent additions and a small duetto filter doing the house cleaning, i knew i was in for it if i didn't handle the filtration situation with a manifestation of... something that rhymes with *ation.
So... off to Pet* (smart or co. you choose) The fluval 404: nowhere to be seen...The fluval 405: standing proud on the bottom shelf above a $220 price tag...
For those that dont know the Fluval 405 parts are interchangeable for the most part with the 404. Really the only thing they changed is the motor housing clips and hose attachments to hold the hose over the edges of the tank.
I quickly snatched up the 405 and after taxes paid $237.
Cost so far: $238.26
I planned on just testing the seals and such on my 404 and then taking back the 405. They assured me I had 90 days to try it out. I was back in Pet* in under 10 minutes with a 405 that looked strangely like a 10 year old 404. But it had the 405 sticker right on it, so it had to be the 405 right? RIGHT!
Cost so far: back to $1.26
I took pics of my now strangely new looking 404, but again, those are MIA, so let me just show you the pics i DO have.
Some of the new inhabitants:
The orange and the silver ones top left are 2 of the feeders. The bigger orange one bottom left is the one from the 10 gal. You can see she's missing her top fin and some of the missing scales on her side.
The white one on the bottom facing the larger goldfish is a kissing gourami i think. The other gouramis are from the guy getting surgery soon.
Here's a blurry pic of the small catfish guy dead center in the pic. He sorta blends into the nasty gravel. the 3 in the background (top right) are feeder fish. (trust me, there's 3 there. you make out the white/orange color of the 3rd) The catfish is around 2 1/2 inches..mayyyybe 3. Of course the giant pleco is upside under the wood. More on him later.
Here's another, sorta blurry. The camera couldn't focus on him cuz he's somewhat transparent and blends so well
Here you can see one of the gouramis hiding in the back in a little cave thing i setup.
He's watching you...quit touching yourself.
Ok, orange/white feeder in the center. All white goldfish that shared the 10 gal with the larger one from the first pic and the large pleco plastered to the underside of a fake wood decoration i got out of the 50 gal bowfront (that the pleco used to be housed in)
I didn't do alot to clean it, just rinsed it some, so there's more algae on it than in my whole tank, so he basically lives on it. He's really skittish and if he's not under there just walking by makes him swim nearly full speed straight into the glass. He makes me nervous he's gonna bust the glass.
A good size comparison of the larger goldfish vs a feeder. Note the missing fins on top?
A shot of the feeding corner. They all hang out in this corner for most of the day. Stupid fish
Another community shot. You can see the pleco giving us the evil eye from under the log and you can really see the rubbed scales on the large goldifsh
Here i was just trying to see if i could take a decent, non blurry pic from up close
meh. a half success i guess
More massive pleco
Oh i guess i did get a non blurry pic of the catfish. Anyone got any ideas?
Ok a few FTSs. You can see the intake from the fluval "404" in the left corner and some airline in the center. and output from the "404" on the right.
trying to get their eyes to light up from the flash. thought it was co0.
Hardly monster, but I made the thread seem as though it was. It certainly was monster for me only spending $1.26 and about $6 for 2 trips to Pet*
For some reason none of the pics from this time frame are showing up. I'll get new ones uploaded. it's nothing fancy, so i'll just write it out.
After setting up the tank and filling it, after the leaky filter debacle, I went and purchased 5 feeder goldfish for a total of $1.26.
I threw a small Duetto filter in there until I could work out the Fluval action.
Just planning on using the feeders to cycle the tank, and mostly because I can't STAND to look at an empty tank, my plans were thwarted by my kids. Apparently feeder goldfish are the most awesome, coolest, most awesome, fishiest fish on the planet, and we now have PART of our future inhabitants.
Total cost thus far for entire setup: $1.26
Then a friend told me about a friend of theirs that has had a couple strokes and is having open heart surgery in a few days and needed someone to take his fish for him. I couldn't call myself passionate if i didn't take these guys. It's not their fault and while I didn't want them, (4 Gouramis and 2 Plecos) I knew i had no choice.
When I went to pick them up, i was astonished at the quality of this persons tank. He was in a wheel chair, but even that was no reason for the amount of neglect these fish were having to endure. I would estimate the water hadn't been changed in nearly 2 years. It was pond green. I lifted some decorations out the whole thing flooded with about 3 inches of algae. It looked as green as grass and about as thick. It was really awful. The pleco is about 9 inches due to the wondrous food he had available, and the other isn't a pleco, but some form of a smaller cat fish i guess. no idea. pics coming of him too.
I talked him into letting me keep his tank (it'll get its own thread in a week or so) 50 gal bow front with stand, lights, filter and heater (and a tub of fish food)
I then was told about another person who had 2 large goldfish in a 10 gallon. They had rubbed their fins down and some of their scales off from the sides of the tank, so i rushed over and picked them up. About 6 inches and about 4 inches. The first few pics of these guys are MIA too. I have recent ones, but let me get through the story.
With the recent additions and a small duetto filter doing the house cleaning, i knew i was in for it if i didn't handle the filtration situation with a manifestation of... something that rhymes with *ation.
So... off to Pet* (smart or co. you choose) The fluval 404: nowhere to be seen...The fluval 405: standing proud on the bottom shelf above a $220 price tag...
For those that dont know the Fluval 405 parts are interchangeable for the most part with the 404. Really the only thing they changed is the motor housing clips and hose attachments to hold the hose over the edges of the tank.
I quickly snatched up the 405 and after taxes paid $237.
Cost so far: $238.26
I planned on just testing the seals and such on my 404 and then taking back the 405. They assured me I had 90 days to try it out. I was back in Pet* in under 10 minutes with a 405 that looked strangely like a 10 year old 404. But it had the 405 sticker right on it, so it had to be the 405 right? RIGHT!
Cost so far: back to $1.26
I took pics of my now strangely new looking 404, but again, those are MIA, so let me just show you the pics i DO have.
Some of the new inhabitants:
The orange and the silver ones top left are 2 of the feeders. The bigger orange one bottom left is the one from the 10 gal. You can see she's missing her top fin and some of the missing scales on her side.
The white one on the bottom facing the larger goldfish is a kissing gourami i think. The other gouramis are from the guy getting surgery soon.
Here's a blurry pic of the small catfish guy dead center in the pic. He sorta blends into the nasty gravel. the 3 in the background (top right) are feeder fish. (trust me, there's 3 there. you make out the white/orange color of the 3rd) The catfish is around 2 1/2 inches..mayyyybe 3. Of course the giant pleco is upside under the wood. More on him later.
Here's another, sorta blurry. The camera couldn't focus on him cuz he's somewhat transparent and blends so well
Here you can see one of the gouramis hiding in the back in a little cave thing i setup.
He's watching you...quit touching yourself.
Ok, orange/white feeder in the center. All white goldfish that shared the 10 gal with the larger one from the first pic and the large pleco plastered to the underside of a fake wood decoration i got out of the 50 gal bowfront (that the pleco used to be housed in)
I didn't do alot to clean it, just rinsed it some, so there's more algae on it than in my whole tank, so he basically lives on it. He's really skittish and if he's not under there just walking by makes him swim nearly full speed straight into the glass. He makes me nervous he's gonna bust the glass.
A good size comparison of the larger goldfish vs a feeder. Note the missing fins on top?
A shot of the feeding corner. They all hang out in this corner for most of the day. Stupid fish
Another community shot. You can see the pleco giving us the evil eye from under the log and you can really see the rubbed scales on the large goldifsh
Here i was just trying to see if i could take a decent, non blurry pic from up close
meh. a half success i guess
More massive pleco
Oh i guess i did get a non blurry pic of the catfish. Anyone got any ideas?
Ok a few FTSs. You can see the intake from the fluval "404" in the left corner and some airline in the center. and output from the "404" on the right.
trying to get their eyes to light up from the flash. thought it was co0.
Hardly monster, but I made the thread seem as though it was. It certainly was monster for me only spending $1.26 and about $6 for 2 trips to Pet*
not bad for a free tank, i wish my friends would give me their tanks. dont let billy mays know you used orange glo, that guy is crazy about oxiclean.
you best be jokin...mrhayeshimself;2665820;2665820 said:
Billy Mays been pimpin and slangin orange glo before oxi was a twinkle in his eye!
loogielv;2665848; said:
Great Odin's raven! you're right....I hope Billy doesn't see this, last time he sent the shamwow guy after me and he sucked up all my tank's water.
