restoring older 55 set up, advise please... [Archive]

February 16th 06, 03:00 AM

Hi Group,

I posted a few weeks ago about my 29 gal nice tank set up which is now
home to 6 small clown loaches. They are doing very well but hide almost
all the time and they have lots of cover for security. Thanks for the
help on that to the fine group here.

I picked up a 55 gal set up for only $50! Yeehaa! It's an older one
with a center brace and thick plastic frame / molding at top and
bottom. It all came with; wooden stand / cabinet in need of speckle
repaint, gravel, lots of plastic plants, ornaments, rocks, two smaller
fluorescent lamps, one medium fluoroscent lamp, two air pumps, heater,
and a whisper 60, but no hood. It all needed LOTS of cleaning due to
nasty Arizona water deposits. It looked like they just let it all
evaporate out! Cleaned so far is tank, filter, and heater. They are
loookin' nice!

One side of the tank has no silicone bead inside so I plan to reseal
the whole thing just to be thorough and safe.

Q: do I cut out the old silicone from all corners before doing the
reseal? Do I do the same and reseal under the top fram / molding?

Live update! Tank is filled outside and top frame is leaking.

Q: If I want to be a cheap-0 what is a good way to make (or buy) a hood
that I can put the two 10 gal lamps on top of? I want it to look clean
but not fancy. PetCo here has a 55 fluorescent hood for $100, Ouch!

Thanks as always, best wishes, Karl.

Charles

February 16th 06, 04:18 AM

On 15 Feb 2006 19:00:42 -0800, wrote:

>Hi Group,
>
>I posted a few weeks ago about my 29 gal nice tank set up which is now
>home to 6 small clown loaches. They are doing very well but hide almost
>all the time and they have lots of cover for security. Thanks for the
>help on that to the fine group here.
>
>I picked up a 55 gal set up for only $50! Yeehaa! It's an older one
>with a center brace and thick plastic frame / molding at top and
>bottom. It all came with; wooden stand / cabinet in need of speckle
>repaint, gravel, lots of plastic plants, ornaments, rocks, two smaller
>fluorescent lamps, one medium fluoroscent lamp, two air pumps, heater,
>and a whisper 60, but no hood. It all needed LOTS of cleaning due to
>nasty Arizona water deposits. It looked like they just let it all
>evaporate out! Cleaned so far is tank, filter, and heater. They are
>loookin' nice!
>
>One side of the tank has no silicone bead inside so I plan to reseal
>the whole thing just to be thorough and safe.
>
>Q: do I cut out the old silicone from all corners before doing the
>reseal? Do I do the same and reseal under the top fram / molding?
>
>Live update! Tank is filled outside and top frame is leaking.
>
>Q: If I want to be a cheap-0 what is a good way to make (or buy) a hood
>that I can put the two 10 gal lamps on top of? I want it to look clean
>but not fancy. PetCo here has a 55 fluorescent hood for $100, Ouch!
>
>Thanks as always, best wishes, Karl.

I'd remove all the silicone that I could without disassembling the
tank, then recaulk the seams.

cheap light, a shop light from Home Depot of Lowe's.

NetMax

February 16th 06, 04:49 AM

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hi Group,
>
> I posted a few weeks ago about my 29 gal nice tank set up which is now
> home to 6 small clown loaches. They are doing very well but hide almost
> all the time and they have lots of cover for security. Thanks for the
> help on that to the fine group here.
>
> I picked up a 55 gal set up for only $50! Yeehaa! It's an older one
> with a center brace and thick plastic frame / molding at top and
> bottom. It all came with; wooden stand / cabinet in need of speckle
> repaint, gravel, lots of plastic plants, ornaments, rocks, two smaller
> fluorescent lamps, one medium fluoroscent lamp, two air pumps, heater,
> and a whisper 60, but no hood. It all needed LOTS of cleaning due to
> nasty Arizona water deposits. It looked like they just let it all
> evaporate out! Cleaned so far is tank, filter, and heater. They are
> loookin' nice!
>
> One side of the tank has no silicone bead inside so I plan to reseal
> the whole thing just to be thorough and safe.
>
> Q: do I cut out the old silicone from all corners before doing the
> reseal? Do I do the same and reseal under the top fram / molding?

New silicone does not stick to old silicone, so it is always a question
as to where to end the new bead. I would cut away any imbrittled
silicone from the inside and lay a fresh new bead down.

> Live update! Tank is filled outside and top frame is leaking.

Top frame don't normally leak, unless you have a capilary action going
on. Might be a leak on the sides, under the top frame? Once cause is
isolated, cut away old silicone (remove top if possible, but often it is
not) and add more silicone.

> Q: If I want to be a cheap-0 what is a good way to make (or buy) a hood
> that I can put the two 10 gal lamps on top of? I want it to look clean
> but not fancy. PetCo here has a 55 fluorescent hood for $100, Ouch!

Glass plates and then you can fit a variety of hoods on (which just slide
around on top). I pick up dual flourescent lamps systems, complete with
ballasts at reno stores. It isn't pretty, so eventually I get around to
making a nicer wooden box around them.

ps: plastic plants, air pumps, and probably the ornaments and gravel are
what I usually leave in a box somewhere.

have fun!
--
www.NetMax.tk

> Thanks as always, best wishes, Karl.
>

Mr. Gardener

February 16th 06, 01:51 PM

On 15 Feb 2006 19:00:42 -0800, wrote:

>Hi Group,
>
>I posted a few weeks ago about my 29 gal nice tank set up which is now
>home to 6 small clown loaches. They are doing very well but hide almost
>all the time and they have lots of cover for security. Thanks for the
>help on that to the fine group here.
>
>I picked up a 55 gal set up for only $50! Yeehaa! It's an older one
>with a center brace and thick plastic frame / molding at top and
>bottom. It all came with; wooden stand / cabinet in need of speckle
>repaint, gravel, lots of plastic plants, ornaments, rocks, two smaller
>fluorescent lamps, one medium fluoroscent lamp, two air pumps, heater,
>and a whisper 60, but no hood. It all needed LOTS of cleaning due to
>nasty Arizona water deposits. It looked like they just let it all
>evaporate out! Cleaned so far is tank, filter, and heater. They are
>loookin' nice!
>
>One side of the tank has no silicone bead inside so I plan to reseal
>the whole thing just to be thorough and safe.
>
>Q: do I cut out the old silicone from all corners before doing the
>reseal? Do I do the same and reseal under the top fram / molding?
>
>Live update! Tank is filled outside and top frame is leaking.
>
>Q: If I want to be a cheap-0 what is a good way to make (or buy) a hood
>that I can put the two 10 gal lamps on top of? I want it to look clean
>but not fancy. PetCo here has a 55 fluorescent hood for $100, Ouch!
>
>Thanks as always, best wishes, Karl.

48" Compact fluorescent 130 watts for 46 bucks. Their shipping charges
are high - around $15 I think. I haven't purchased from them yet, I've
made a few email inquiries and their response was timely. I didn't buy
from them because they didn't have daylight bulb in stock and I was
too impatient to wait. I'll probably buy from them soon, for one of my
smaller tanks.

http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=9

-- Mr Gardener

[email protected]

February 16th 06, 07:19 PM

NetMax wrote:
> New silicone does not stick to old silicone, so it is always a question
> as to where to end the new bead. I would cut away any imbrittled
> silicone from the inside and lay a fresh new bead down.

Thanks, will do and will do the whole thing with out disassembling.

> Top frame don't normally leak, unless you have a capilary action going
> on.

I think it is because I had it way overfilled (to the very top) to see
if level dropped. It won't normally be *that* full.

>Might be a leak on the sides, under the top frame?

I think I have that too, I'll just cut away and resel all sides top and
bottom to be uniform, thorough, and safe. Tank is outside now with a
trail of water running from it over night.

>
> > Q: If I want to be a cheap-0 what is a good way to make (or buy) a hood
> > that I can put the two 10 gal lamps on top of? I want it to look clean
> > but not fancy. PetCo here has a 55 fluorescent hood for $100, Ouch!
>
> Glass plates and then you can fit a variety of hoods on

I should have said "home made cannopy" as I have a couple lights to put
on it.

Q: Any web sites with plans ideas to make a simple but clean cannopy
from wood or glass or whatever. I can't imagine how to make glass
plates that have a space for (hang on back) filter, heater, etc... I
have lots of cats that are mezmorized by the fish so i can't have very
big gaps at top of tank.

> ps: plastic plants, air pumps, and probably the ornaments and gravel are
> what I usually leave in a box somewhere.

Hmmm, I find that interesting because if I were to go to WalMart (or
pet/fish store) and bought (about 15) plastic plants, (about 12 med)
rocks, and (about 6) ornaments this stuff would cost well over a
hundred or closer to two hundred bucks! These were not dingy from
algae, just sandy which cleaned off very well.

Thanks all for the fabulous ideas so far, it's going well, the stand is
"tightened up" and repainted with speckle, filter and heater are clean
and been "test" running all night outside. Gravel, plants and ornaments
are clean and ready for the new home.... STay tuned for more "Live"
updates!

GodSpeed, Karl.

NetMax

February 16th 06, 07:35 PM

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> NetMax wrote:
>> New silicone does not stick to old silicone, so it is always a question
>> as to where to end the new bead. I would cut away any imbrittled
>> silicone from the inside and lay a fresh new bead down.
>
> Thanks, will do and will do the whole thing with out disassembling.
>
>> Top frame don't normally leak, unless you have a capilary action going
>> on.
>
> I think it is because I had it way overfilled (to the very top) to see
> if level dropped. It won't normally be *that* full.
>
>>Might be a leak on the sides, under the top frame?
>
> I think I have that too, I'll just cut away and resel all sides top and
> bottom to be uniform, thorough, and safe. Tank is outside now with a
> trail of water running from it over night.
>
>>
>> > Q: If I want to be a cheap-0 what is a good way to make (or buy) a hood
>> > that I can put the two 10 gal lamps on top of? I want it to look clean
>> > but not fancy. PetCo here has a 55 fluorescent hood for $100, Ouch!
>>
>> Glass plates and then you can fit a variety of hoods on
>
> I should have said "home made cannopy" as I have a couple lights to put
> on it.
>
> Q: Any web sites with plans ideas to make a simple but clean cannopy
> from wood or glass or whatever. I can't imagine how to make glass
> plates that have a space for (hang on back) filter, heater, etc... I
> have lots of cats that are mezmorized by the fish so i can't have very
> big gaps at top of tank.

Regarding the glass plates, many pet shops sell plastic strips, 3" wide,
sold by the foot. You attach that to the glass, and make cut-outs for your
equipment. The glass panel 'grid' includes some fixed plates with a small
glass 'shelf' to hold the other plates, which slide, angle or are partials
with the aformentioned plastic strips. I have some designs on my web site,
but my server is down right now. Visiting an LFS will give you some ideas
on their construction. They are quite cat-proof.

>> ps: plastic plants, air pumps, and probably the ornaments and gravel are
>> what I usually leave in a box somewhere.
>
> Hmmm, I find that interesting because if I were to go to WalMart (or
> pet/fish store) and bought (about 15) plastic plants, (about 12 med)
> rocks, and (about 6) ornaments this stuff would cost well over a
> hundred or closer to two hundred bucks! These were not dingy from
> algae, just sandy which cleaned off very well.

Usually (ime) free tanks come with huge rainbow coloured flourescent gravel
and plastic plants which only remotely look like plants ;~). I do have a
box of plastic plants which I dig into periodically, to hide some feature in
a dimly lit corner. I prefer silk plants if they will be more visible, but
whatever works for you.
--
www.NetMax.tk

> Thanks all for the fabulous ideas so far, it's going well, the stand is
> "tightened up" and repainted with speckle, filter and heater are clean
> and been "test" running all night outside. Gravel, plants and ornaments
> are clean and ready for the new home.... STay tuned for more "Live"
> updates!
>
> GodSpeed, Karl.

Charles

February 16th 06, 09:07 PM

On 16 Feb 2006 11:19:14 -0800, wrote:

>
>NetMax wrote:
>> New silicone does not stick to old silicone, so it is always a question
>> as to where to end the new bead. I would cut away any imbrittled
>> silicone from the inside and lay a fresh new bead down.
>
>Thanks, will do and will do the whole thing with out disassembling.
>
>> Top frame don't normally leak, unless you have a capilary action going
>> on.
>
>I think it is because I had it way overfilled (to the very top) to see
>if level dropped. It won't normally be *that* full.
>
>>Might be a leak on the sides, under the top frame?
>
>I think I have that too, I'll just cut away and resel all sides top and
>bottom to be uniform, thorough, and safe. Tank is outside now with a
>trail of water running from it over night.
>
>>
>> > Q: If I want to be a cheap-0 what is a good way to make (or buy) a hood
>> > that I can put the two 10 gal lamps on top of? I want it to look clean
>> > but not fancy. PetCo here has a 55 fluorescent hood for $100, Ouch!
>>
>> Glass plates and then you can fit a variety of hoods on
>
>I should have said "home made cannopy" as I have a couple lights to put
>on it.
>
>Q: Any web sites with plans ideas to make a simple but clean cannopy
>from wood or glass or whatever. I can't imagine how to make glass
>plates that have a space for (hang on back) filter, heater, etc... I
>have lots of cats that are mezmorized by the fish so i can't have very
>big gaps at top of tank.
>
>> ps: plastic plants, air pumps, and probably the ornaments and gravel are
>> what I usually leave in a box somewhere.
>
>Hmmm, I find that interesting because if I were to go to WalMart (or
>pet/fish store) and bought (about 15) plastic plants, (about 12 med)
>rocks, and (about 6) ornaments this stuff would cost well over a
>hundred or closer to two hundred bucks! These were not dingy from
>algae, just sandy which cleaned off very well.
>
>Thanks all for the fabulous ideas so far, it's going well, the stand is
>"tightened up" and repainted with speckle, filter and heater are clean
>and been "test" running all night outside. Gravel, plants and ornaments
>are clean and ready for the new home.... STay tuned for more "Live"
>updates!
>
>GodSpeed, Karl.

Canopy plans:

http://www.ahsupply.com/diy.htm

For the back where the heaters and air lines go, you can buy just the
plastic part that goes with the normal glass tops. I got some from
either

www.petsolutions.com

or

www.thatfishplace.com

I can't remember which.

Mr. Gardener

February 18th 06, 12:25 PM

On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 10:15:59 GMT, "Zathoros"
> wrote:

>>
>> 48" Compact fluorescent 130 watts for 46 bucks. Their shipping charges
>> are high - around $15 I think. I haven't purchased from them yet, I've
>> made a few email inquiries and their response was timely. I didn't buy
>> from them because they didn't have daylight bulb in stock and I was
>> too impatient to wait. I'll probably buy from them soon, for one of my
>> smaller tanks.
>>
>> http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=9
>>
>> -- Mr Gardener
>
>I didn't get my lights from them, but I bought an overflow from them a few
>months ago. I haven't gotten arround to plumbing it yet, though I do have a
>29g aquarium I am going to use as my sump. The prices on their overflows and
>sumps are very good. Assuming you don't want the kind of sump you can put
>more creatures in.
>
>http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=36
>
Their prices are almost too low - low enough to make me cautious.
Though they do make up for it some with their high shipping fees. I
got the feeling from the emails we exchanged that they are growing
much faster than they had anticipated.

-- Mr Gardener

URBANFLAGE

February 19th 06, 10:30 PM

Mr. Gardener

February 19th 06, 11:21 PM

On Sun, 19 Feb 2006 17:30:43 -0500, "URBANFLAGE"
> wrote:

> wrote in message
ups.com...
>> Hi Group,
>>
>> I posted a few weeks ago about my 29 gal nice tank set up which is now
>> home to 6 small clown loaches. They are doing very well but hide almost
>> all the time and they have lots of cover for security. Thanks for the
>> help on that to the fine group here.
>>
>> I picked up a 55 gal set up for only $50! Yeehaa! It's an older one
>> with a center brace and thick plastic frame / molding at top and
>> bottom. It all came with; wooden stand / cabinet in need of speckle
>> repaint, gravel, lots of plastic plants, ornaments, rocks, two smaller
>> fluorescent lamps, one medium fluoroscent lamp, two air pumps, heater,
>> and a whisper 60, but no hood. It all needed LOTS of cleaning due to
>> nasty Arizona water deposits. It looked like they just let it all
>> evaporate out! Cleaned so far is tank, filter, and heater. They are
>> loookin' nice!
>>
>> One side of the tank has no silicone bead inside so I plan to reseal
>> the whole thing just to be thorough and safe.
>>
>> Q: do I cut out the old silicone from all corners before doing the
>> reseal? Do I do the same and reseal under the top fram / molding?
>>
>> Live update! Tank is filled outside and top frame is leaking.
>>
>> Q: If I want to be a cheap-0 what is a good way to make (or buy) a hood
>> that I can put the two 10 gal lamps on top of? I want it to look clean
>> but not fancy. PetCo here has a 55 fluorescent hood for $100, Ouch!
>
>Someone in the group mentioned making a lamp hood from a plastic rain gutter
>with end caps from the home depot. sounded like a neat and cheap idea.
>
>Brad
>
That must have been me. It's a cheap way to go, and if you put a
little care into it, it looks nice. I couldn't get the rain gutter in
less than 10 foot lengths, but that was less than 5 dollars. Next time
I'm going to lightly sand the outside of it before spray painting it,
to help the paint cling tighter. The 2 socket light bulb holder with
the chain switch was about two bucks. I drilled a single hole for the
stem and chain and the nut that came with the sockets screws it right
tight to the gutter hood. Drs Foster & Smith sell three different
temperatures of full spectrum mini compact fluorescents. 10 watts
equals 50 watts of good quality light. I'm proud of my design.

-- Mr Gardener

Charles

February 26th 06, 10:48 PM

On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 08:51:31 -0500, Mr. Gardener
> wrote:

>On 15 Feb 2006 19:00:42 -0800, wrote:
>
>>Hi Group,
>>
>>I posted a few weeks ago about my 29 gal nice tank set up which is now
>>home to 6 small clown loaches. They are doing very well but hide almost
>>all the time and they have lots of cover for security. Thanks for the
>>help on that to the fine group here.
>>
>>I picked up a 55 gal set up for only $50! Yeehaa! It's an older one
>>with a center brace and thick plastic frame / molding at top and
>>bottom. It all came with; wooden stand / cabinet in need of speckle
>>repaint, gravel, lots of plastic plants, ornaments, rocks, two smaller
>>fluorescent lamps, one medium fluoroscent lamp, two air pumps, heater,
>>and a whisper 60, but no hood. It all needed LOTS of cleaning due to
>>nasty Arizona water deposits. It looked like they just let it all
>>evaporate out! Cleaned so far is tank, filter, and heater. They are
>>loookin' nice!
>>
>>One side of the tank has no silicone bead inside so I plan to reseal
>>the whole thing just to be thorough and safe.
>>
>>Q: do I cut out the old silicone from all corners before doing the
>>reseal? Do I do the same and reseal under the top fram / molding?
>>
>>Live update! Tank is filled outside and top frame is leaking.
>>
>>Q: If I want to be a cheap-0 what is a good way to make (or buy) a hood
>>that I can put the two 10 gal lamps on top of? I want it to look clean
>>but not fancy. PetCo here has a 55 fluorescent hood for $100, Ouch!
>>
>>Thanks as always, best wishes, Karl.

>
>48" Compact fluorescent 130 watts for 46 bucks. Their shipping charges
>are high - around $15 I think. I haven't purchased from them yet, I've
>made a few email inquiries and their response was timely. I didn't buy
>from them because they didn't have daylight bulb in stock and I was
>too impatient to wait. I'll probably buy from them soon, for one of my
>smaller tanks.
>
>http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=9
>
>-- Mr Gardener

Based on your post, I got one of their lights, 130W 48 inch. I like
it, I would get this model rather than the all-glass one for about
twice as much. Body appears to be powder coated aluminum extrusion
rather than plastic. Massive remote ballast.

It came with the 50/50 lamps, half white, half actinic. I don't care
for that combination, it killed the color in my yellow guppies.

Mr. Gardener

February 26th 06, 11:12 PM

On Sun, 26 Feb 2006 22:48:05 GMT, Charles >
wrote:
>>
>>48" Compact fluorescent 130 watts for 46 bucks. Their shipping charges
>>are high - around $15 I think. I haven't purchased from them yet, I've
>>made a few email inquiries and their response was timely. I didn't buy
>>from them because they didn't have daylight bulb in stock and I was
>>too impatient to wait. I'll probably buy from them soon, for one of my
>>smaller tanks.
>>
>>http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=9
>>
>>-- Mr Gardener
>
>
>Based on your post, I got one of their lights, 130W 48 inch. I like
>it, I would get this model rather than the all-glass one for about
>twice as much. Body appears to be powder coated aluminum extrusion
>rather than plastic. Massive remote ballast.
>
>It came with the 50/50 lamps, half white, half actinic. I don't care
>for that combination, it killed the color in my yellow guppies.

Hey, I'm really glad to hear this. Thanks for testing out this new
company and product, before I sink my own money into one. Or two. Or
three.
Glad it worked out for you.

-- Mr Gardener

[email protected]

March 6th 06, 03:12 AM

Hi again fish group!

Hope I'm not forgetting anything.... I finished the 3 sturdy cabinet
type stands and they were all made from scrap (construction site) wood
and cost about $20 each total! I painted them base coat lt gray with
splatter (black, white, almond, burgundy paint from the arts and crafts
Yenta store) over top. I used a HVLP auto type air spray gun and med
thin paint and very low air. This pattern makes scrap 2X4's and chip
borad look like the fancy "city store" stuff, not to toot my own horn
but they turned rather well. I coppied the pattern from my used 55
stand and one of the 55 stands has open sides so the kitties can travel
through and under. I may even have a "through the bottom" window for
the cats to mess with the fish! =^o^= ha ha...

The used 55 now has the 6 small clown loaches, a pokastumas, and one
Botia Dario/Queen Botia. I replaced the (home dopot, it had fools gold
and what nots) gravel with a dark brown natural look sportin' the
seasoned AC50 and the new AC110 with Aqua Chargers bio stars. For the
Clowns I added 2 tsp @ 5 gal aquaruim salt to the 50/50 mix of tap
water and RO/Water Store water. The 55 has many hiding places and three
"layers" of hiding from voodoo root, log ornaments, rocks, and plants.
They like it very much, especially their (under ground railroad) hidden
back path in rear of tank, you never know where there going to pop up
from. They are finally all schooling together, this is as good as it
gets!.... For now.... They eat mostly frozen blood worms.

The 29 Gal tank has 2 small Spotted Green Puffers with the "seeded"
semi seasoned Whisper 60 and AQ Chargers to boost the surface area. I
added 3Tbs @ 10gal "Oceananic" to tap water for the puffers over
several days. I got a fine white gravel for the "psuedo" marine look.
Fake coral and what nots on the way soon, and of course 30% Weekly
water changes planned for several weeks to come. They eat mostly frozen
blood worms and krill bits. They look so much better than when they got
out of the store!

Keep in mind PHX AZ has very hard water with lots of minerals and what
nots.

The other 55 gal tank and lamp I've been holding onto for about 20+
years is now empty on its stand opposite the Loach tank in the kitchen
area. Since I have not made the cannopy yet my 13lb black cat fish is
back! I have no idea what's going into this other 55 yet as I have time
to think about that.

Any/all comments or ideas please chime in! I have to get back to my
pinball stuff because my buddies playfield is ready for me to clear
coat, rub out, and re-assemble that I owe to him. I'll check into my
fishy pals here but my plans are mostly just maintenance for a few
months now.... Back to pinball! Its a win win... :)

I'll check in from time to time and also would like to say what a
pleasure it has been to spend my time and learn lots from present and
past history. You're a great gang here! :) Thanks for having me...
Karl.

> Thanks as always, best wishes, Karl.
>

GodSpeed and God bless our troops over seas.

NetMax

March 11th 06, 10:34 PM

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi again fish group!
>
> Hope I'm not forgetting anything.... I finished the 3 sturdy cabinet
> type stands and they were all made from scrap (construction site) wood
> and cost about $20 each total! I painted them base coat lt gray with
> splatter (black, white, almond, burgundy paint from the arts and crafts
> Yenta store) over top. I used a HVLP auto type air spray gun and med
> thin paint and very low air. This pattern makes scrap 2X4's and chip
> borad look like the fancy "city store" stuff, not to toot my own horn
> but they turned rather well. I coppied the pattern from my used 55
> stand and one of the 55 stands has open sides so the kitties can travel
> through and under. I may even have a "through the bottom" window for
> the cats to mess with the fish! =^o^= ha ha...

How about some pictures?

> The used 55 now has the 6 small clown loaches, a pokastumas, and one
> Botia Dario/Queen Botia. I replaced the (home dopot, it had fools gold
> and what nots) gravel with a dark brown natural look sportin' the
> seasoned AC50 and the new AC110 with Aqua Chargers bio stars. For the
> Clowns I added 2 tsp @ 5 gal aquaruim salt to the 50/50 mix of tap
> water and RO/Water Store water. The 55 has many hiding places and three
> "layers" of hiding from voodoo root, log ornaments, rocks, and plants.
> They like it very much, especially their (under ground railroad) hidden
> back path in rear of tank, you never know where there going to pop up
> from. They are finally all schooling together, this is as good as it
> gets!.... For now.... They eat mostly frozen blood worms.

...and a picture of that 'hidden back path' too

> The 29 Gal tank has 2 small Spotted Green Puffers with the "seeded"
> semi seasoned Whisper 60 and AQ Chargers to boost the surface area. I
> added 3Tbs @ 10gal "Oceananic" to tap water for the puffers over
> several days. I got a fine white gravel for the "psuedo" marine look.
> Fake coral and what nots on the way soon, and of course 30% Weekly
> water changes planned for several weeks to come. They eat mostly frozen
> blood worms and krill bits. They look so much better than when they got
> out of the store!
>
> Keep in mind PHX AZ has very hard water with lots of minerals and what
> nots.
>
> The other 55 gal tank and lamp I've been holding onto for about 20+
> years is now empty on its stand opposite the Loach tank in the kitchen
> area. Since I have not made the cannopy yet my 13lb black cat fish is
> back! I have no idea what's going into this other 55 yet as I have time
> to think about that.
>
> Any/all comments or ideas please chime in! I have to get back to my
> pinball stuff because my buddies playfield is ready for me to clear
> coat, rub out, and re-assemble that I owe to him. I'll check into my
> fishy pals here but my plans are mostly just maintenance for a few
> months now.... Back to pinball! Its a win win... :)
>
> I'll check in from time to time and also would like to say what a
> pleasure it has been to spend my time and learn lots from present and
> past history. You're a great gang here! :) Thanks for having me...
> Karl.

cheers Karl. I hope you can post a link to pictures sometime, after the
pinball game is finished of course ;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

>> Thanks as always, best wishes, Karl.
>>
>
> GodSpeed and God bless our troops over seas.
>

[email protected]

March 14th 06, 02:06 AM

Due to overwhealiming demand...Here's a couple pics just to give a
flavor of the thing:

http://photos.yahoo.com/hondaruehs

They are in the "Fish Sutff" album... Thanks for the interest.

Best, Karl.

NetMax wrote:
> cheers Karl. I hope you can post a link to pictures sometime, after the
> pinball game is finished of course ;~).
> --
> www.NetMax.tk

NetMax

March 14th 06, 04:16 AM

Very nice. The stand has a granite feel to it, and the design of the
sides is unique (nice). You have to spatter paint the light cover though
(imo). With that nice a canopy, the faux-wood plastic strip-light really
stands out badly :p The inside of the tank looks great!
thanks!
--
www.NetMax.tk

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> May I add that each pic has a description area with interesting
> notes...
>
> wrote:
>> Due to overwhealiming demand...Here's a couple pics just to give a
>> flavor of the thing:
>>
>> http://photos.yahoo.com/hondaruehs
>>
>> They are in the "Fish Sutff" album... Thanks for the interest.
>>
>> Best, Karl.
>>
>> NetMax wrote:
>> > cheers Karl. I hope you can post a link to pictures sometime, after
>> > the
>> > pinball game is finished of course ;~).
>> > --
>> > www.NetMax.tk
>

Mr. Gardener

March 14th 06, 12:15 PM

On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 23:16:35 -0500, "NetMax"
> wrote:

>Very nice. The stand has a granite feel to it, and the design of the
>sides is unique (nice). You have to spatter paint the light cover though
>(imo). With that nice a canopy, the faux-wood plastic strip-light really
>stands out badly :p The inside of the tank looks great!
>thanks!

Yup. The granite feel is what really caught my eye. Nicely done.

-- Mister Gardener

NetMax

March 19th 06, 01:32 PM

> wrote in message
oups.com...
<snip>
>
> Q: Any ideas what to put into this tank? I'm leaning towards cat fish
> and irredecent sharks.. Or mayby some of those bright yellow
> (Chichlids?) that are so curious and frindly when you look at them... I
> don't want fish that are going to eat eachother, I've done the Pirahana
> thing yearsa ago and evil fish are not my thing anymore... :(

A chorus of corys would work. Might be small for ID sharks, as they are
quite active and do get big. Those bright yellow cichlids could be
Labedochromis caerelus [or Labs] (sp & memory, neither if which is
great), or maybe Neolamprologous leleupis [or Lemons]. Both are diggers,
more so the Labs, both are omnivores but will generally only go after
very soft leafy plants iirc. Both are territorial, and somewhat
argumentative with each other (more so the Lemons). Not really community
fish, these guys need a bit more tailoring of their environment and
tank-mates, ymmv.

> Q: I made the frame all the way around all side including the back...
> Problem: my filter and heaters are sitting on top of the frame and are
> too high... How does one get them to fit well, do I have to cut away
> the back section of cannopy? This is the first one I've made so I have
> no idea.... I may cut it away the needed length and put in a flat
> aluminum brace in it's place for support... Yes?

Yes, when I make canopys and frames, I typically don't do a section of
the back, or I don't do the back entirely and extend the sides a little
further back to hide peripherals. Another option is to switch to
canister filters. These are much more compatible with custom work, and
let you slide the tank & stand back, closer to the wall.

Don't think about raising HOB filters. There is a decrease in flow,
greater risk of not restarting after a power interruption, and you need
an output ramp or the noise & evaporation will be much more annoying.
--
www.NetMax.tk

> Thanks agian for all the interest and flood of requests for pics!
> GodSpeed, Karl.
>

Mr. Gardener

March 19th 06, 02:05 PM

On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 08:32:52 -0500, "NetMax"
> wrote:

>A chorus of corys would work.

A chorus! I like that. Better than a gaggle or a pack or a flock. And
in my tank where corys are the feature, they would be the choir,
rather than simply the background chorus.

-- Mister Gardener

[email protected]

March 19th 06, 08:36 PM

NetMax wrote:
> > Q: Any ideas what to put into this tank?

> Those bright yellow cichlids could be
> Labedochromis caerelus [or Labs] (sp & memory, neither if which is
> great), or maybe Neolamprologous leleupis [or Lemons]. ymmv.
>

The four I got are actually "Msobo Pseudotropheus" and two "Spotted
Pictus" cat fishes. All are small, about 1.5" long or so... They seem
to hardley interact at all, the yellow guys look good but don't do
much, they miss the food alot too as they are too excited. I'm thinking
the irredescent sharks will be too big and jumpy for this tank. Sorry
but I think the shape/look of Coreys is not my cup of tea either :(.

---------------

> > Q: I made the frame all the way around all side including the back...
> > Problem:
>
> Yes, when I make canopys and frames, I typically don't do a section of
> the back,
> canister filters. These are much more compatible with custom work,
>

I'll trim one half of the frame back. I like the canister filters but I
would rather buy 3 AC110's for the same pirce. I call that more bang
for the buck.

------------------

> Don't think about raising HOB filters.

Good point, I did not even consider that.

---------------

> www.NetMax.tk

Cheers, Karl.

P.s. The Clown Loach tank is getting along very well. When I leave the
lights off there are always a few (and also the Botia Dario guy) out
and about during the day and when I feed all six come out like crazy!
They sure are fascinating little critters...

NetMax

March 20th 06, 03:20 AM

> wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> NetMax wrote:
>> > Q: Any ideas what to put into this tank?
>
>> Those bright yellow cichlids could be
>> Labedochromis caerelus [or Labs] (sp & memory, neither if which is
>> great), or maybe Neolamprologous leleupis [or Lemons]. ymmv.
>>
>
> The four I got are actually "Msobo Pseudotropheus" and two "Spotted
> Pictus" cat fishes. All are small, about 1.5" long or so... They seem
> to hardley interact at all, the yellow guys look good but don't do
> much, they miss the food alot too as they are too excited. I'm thinking
> the irredescent sharks will be too big and jumpy for this tank. Sorry
> but I think the shape/look of Coreys is not my cup of tea either :(.

Metriaclina sp. msobo heteropictus, males start yellow and then turn blue
with stripes, females stay yellow. I think these are herbivores, plant
eaters, so if I'm right, you'll need to adjust their diet accordingly.
These characters can be quite aggressive for their size. You'll have fun
;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

>
>> > Q: I made the frame all the way around all side including the
>> > back...
>> > Problem:
>>
>> Yes, when I make canopys and frames, I typically don't do a section of
>> the back,
>> canister filters. These are much more compatible with custom work,
>>
>
> I'll trim one half of the frame back. I like the canister filters but I
> would rather buy 3 AC110's for the same pirce. I call that more bang
> for the buck.
>
> ------------------
>
>> Don't think about raising HOB filters.
>
> Good point, I did not even consider that.
>
> ---------------
>
>> www.NetMax.tk
>
> Cheers, Karl.
>
> P.s. The Clown Loach tank is getting along very well. When I leave the
> lights off there are always a few (and also the Botia Dario guy) out
> and about during the day and when I feed all six come out like crazy!
> They sure are fascinating little critters...
>