Defdad's 75g Blog

[defdad]

I just bought a 75 gallon tank with a stand and sump. My first step will be to redesign the stand so the sump will be hidden. I will be moving the doors to the middle and have the shelves at each end.

I think this is going to be a FOWLR setup so I can get a few of the fish I like that are not reef safe. I currently have a 46 bowfront that is slowly becoming a reef tank. I may be turning that one back to freshwater for my daughter and moving the reef into a square tank, maybe a 40 breeder or something like that.

Tank

Stand

Sump and pump

More to come...

 

[defdad]

My current tank. This is an older picture. For some reason I don't have a newer one. Shame on me!

 

[defdad]

A few pics of the stand mod. Basically what I have done so far is move the center vertical boards outward about 3" to make a 26" center that will be covered by the doors.

Next I will be hanging the doors and cutting down the shelves to go in the outer sections.

 

[Lightsluvr]

Any updates? Following along to watch the build...

Do you plan to ditch the glass lids?

LL

 

[defdad]

Been prepping so I can paint the stand this weekend. I put the doors on temporarily last night and it worked out as planned. I will probably ditch the lids like I did on my other tank due to heat issues and I'm sure it helps the tank breathe better. I'll get more pics up soon.

 

[jksteele010]

Good luck trying to get paint to dry this weekend Maybe it will clear up have no problems soon. What kind of livestock are you planning. I know you said FOWLR, but do you have a fish list yet?

 

[defdad]

I will probably take the stand up to my work to paint in our shop. We have great heaters in it and lots of ventilation compared to my garage. I'm kind of back and forth on the fowlr/reef debate. I was originally thinking about a triggerfish, but after a lot of research I'm thinking maybe not. I hear they don't always play nice. But I really like the looks of them so I'm still debating.

 

[defdad]

Quick Update

Quick Update

I have the stand painted and finished putting it together. It was a busy weekend getting it all setup and transfered. It first moved the old tank because it was sitting where the new tank was going. I didn't have to move it far so I was able to partially drain it and since it is on carpet, I was able to slide it out of the way. I got the 75g setup and filled, then transfered the rock from the old tank. After that was cleaned and setup I transfered the livestock. Then I drained the old tank, sifted through the sand to find all the snails and then washed the sand thouroughly and added to the new tank.

I did have one incident during the whole process. I added a bag of carbon to the sump and I guess I didn't get it rinsed very well. My water got so black I couldn't see anything in the tank. I finally got out my canister filter and hung it over the side and this morning the water is clear and so far no fatalities. I have a few pics I will get up on my next post.

 

[defdad]

Setup Pics

Setup Pics

I snapped a few pics while setting up this past weekend.

 

[defdad]

More Pics

More Pics

Here's a few more pics after filling it.

Still need to get a light fixture and some more rock.

 

[sharky's machin]

Nice job on the stand!

 

[defdad]

Nice job on the stand!

Thanks. I'm happy with how it turned out. Thanks for the great deal.

 

[Fishboy9227]

Really Nice! If you want some chaeto to throw down in that sump, LMK! I have midterms this week but I will try my best to get you some if you need it.

 

[defdad]

New Light

New Light

I got my new(to me) light fixture tonight, a Coralife MH/PC fixture. Thanks again Alberto.

 

[OUPike1833]

Are the glass lids still on the tank?

 

[ExtremeClownfish]

Lights look good man. Keep it up

 

[defdad]

Are the glass lids still on the tank?

Yes, I still have the lids on. My next project is to make a couple of mesh tops so I can remove them. I still have a lot of the mesh material left from the ast top I made, I just need to get the framing material. I have had jumpers in the past so I still worry about that.

 

[OUPike1833]

That is understandable. Good luck with the new tank and continue with the updates.

 

[defdad]

Really Nice! If you want some chaeto to throw down in that sump, LMK! I have midterms this week but I will try my best to get you some if you need it.

I was thinking about putting some in there but I wasn't sure if it would cause a problem with the skimmer pump since there is not a separate compartment for it. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[ExtremeClownfish]

I have a huge clump next to a 2200gph pump and don't have problems. every once in awhile ill get small pieces of chaeto in the display