Rebuild and recovery of a dead tank

[jason2459]

So, for the biggest news is that the plan to upgrade at a later date to a 120-150g tank has been bumped up a bit. I found a great deal that I couldn't pass up and picked up another dead tank I will be able to recover. I got a 180g with Stand and Canopy! The previous owner just let it sit and die. It was just rock and algae in a murky soup. I didn't take the rock or sand and will replace that.

I filled it up with water and there is a small slow leak so I will be pulling all the silicone and resealing it. The stand and canopy are in pretty good shape structurally but will need to sand it down and repaint it. Probably Black. Then I need to drill three holes in the back of the tank and I would like to put in a coast to coast overflow. The current hole is 2" and I'm probably going to cap it for now and potentially use it in the future for a closed loop system.

This certainly came a lot faster then I thought it would and bigger. So, I'm really glad I got the sump and plumbing done already.

 

[jason2459]

Here's some more pictures of the sump I put together. The BM Nac5e is still kicking butt and one of my favorite skimmers I've had.

The Ranco. I siliconed the probe end to protect it.

The RKL in the basement controlling the ATO, skimmer, return pump, and backup temp gauge. I have the ranco set to 77, the RKL set to 80, and the heater itself set to 82.

The CPR filtersock holder. I like that it has a top and doesn't allow splashing or salt spray to leave the tank.

 

[jason2459]

I have started sanding the stand down and have the bulk heads in. Now I need get some hole saw bits for my drill.

I've been thinking of some fish stocking for the 180. I'll transfer everything over I have now. I'd love to have a Naso blond tang but wow they get big. Even for a 180 I think. I don't think I want any fish that could get over 10".

Current:
Pair False Perc. Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) with Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus bellulus)
Pair Longfin fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis)
Mystery Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus ocellatus)
Starry Blenny (Salarias ramosus)
Shark Nose Gobby (Elacatinus evelynae)


What I'm thinking of getting:
Pair Bellus Angelfish (Genicanthus bellus)
Pair Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto)
Blue Caribbean Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
Richmond's Wrasse (Halichoeres richmondi)
Christmas Wrasse (Halichoeres claudia )
Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas)

I would like to get a Dersa Clam and expand on the corals I have now (Softies and LPS).

 

[thebkramer]

Hiya!! :bounce3:

from a 55g to a 180g!!! SO JEALOUS!!!! :frog:

Love the list
I feel ya on the Naso.. thats one big *** fish!!! :lmao:
I see a Starry Blenny in that list!!! teeeheheh You'll love him!! but he can be very territorial.. against anyone!! hahhahahahah so noone better come near his nook!! not that he has teeth to hurt them!!!
With that size tank.. have you thought about getting a pair or three even of the sharknose goby?? they are such neat little buggers & would be really cool to see more than one working on a fish at a time!! I thought about buying a second myself.. but just don't think its a good idea..
I love the Wrasse combo too!!! The Xmas Wrasse is one awesome looking fish! One day I'd love to do a wrasse tank with the Xmas, Fairy, Mystery & the Lunar Wrasse I love how the Lunar rushes to the sand and buries himself :lmao:
Maybe you'll get one and I can dream through you like I did with the Mandarins :lol2:

I can't wait to follow this all along and see the end result!!
Awesome work Jason!!! :bounce3:

 

[jason2459]

Thanks! It will be kind of slow with the limited time I have. I have made some more progress on the sanding front. The majority of it is done but have to get in the groves now and that will be a pain. I decided that I will be staining the stand and canopy as I really liked how the current 55g stand/canopy turned out.

I'm all ready to try out Vinegar dosing now as the shapelock pellets are starting to wear off.

The Bubble Magus NAC5e is still producing awesomely. To bad I will have to upgrade the skimmer when the 180 gets put it. The NAC5e was a perfect match for my 55g and super quite too.

 

[Aquarist007]

Hi Jason, its been awhile since I checked in here. Glad to see your system doing so well

 

[jason2459]

Hey Scott, thanks. Noticed you weren't around the forums for awhile. Glad to see you back. I think the best thing I've done for the tank was the carbon feeding via the shapelock. Its really allowed me some more wiggle room in my tank maintenance and feedings.

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[nick4203]

nice pick up on the 180 just spent the last day and a half at work reading all this lol think i finally ready to step up from my cichlid tanks need to start collecting lights skimmer and some return pums and other odds and ends but alot of good info in here on this thread

 

[Joe0813]

sorry about your house in the flood.... nice way to bounce back though

 

[jason2459]

Thanks nick4203. Good luck on the cichlid tank. Those are some beautiful fish.


Joe0813, life has certainly changed a lot since loosing everything in that flood. New house, new kids, new tank, new job, new state, new everything really. Like a totally different and new life. BTW, that avatar is hilarious.

 

[jason2459]

I don't post much in this thread about what I'm doing with my other tank but I finally got a new Mantis Shrimp in. Not one that I was expecting but he's really beautiful. Unfortunately I have been unable to get a picture of him as he's constantly on the move. I also hope he makes it through the next molt.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1802722&page=6

 

[Aquarist007]

Hey Scott, thanks. Noticed you weren't around the forums for awhile. Glad to see you back. I think the best thing I've done for the tank was the carbon feeding via the shapelock. Its really allowed me some more wiggle room in my tank maintenance and feedings.

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I know what you mean, I have np pellets on 10 of the systems I maintain and the maintenance is alot less time consuming. On my own, I don't even have to scrape the glass anymore.

I went out today and bought the same Hanna phosphate checker. I am thinking on getting one for nitrates too.

 

[jason2459]

I really like the hanna phosphate checker but still use API for the other basic stuff as they are easy and reliable enough for me and the range they test in are the ranges we are looking for in our tanks. For Mg I'll use salifert but all Mg tests are susceptible to a lot of noise.

Things are moving pretty slow on the 180 as I've been really busy with family stuff and work. Plus, I've been gone on vacation the past week. While I was gone I think World War III happened in the 55g. I don't know what happen but when I got back I can't find one of my clown fish, both the long fin fairy wrasses have disappeared as well, and the mystery wrasse was found on the floor. Which all really really sucks. Everyone else looks fine. No idea besides the mystery wrasse possibly flipping out for some reason and went on a mass killing spree and committed suicide. I do have a screen on the back of the canopy but unfortunately I haven't fixed it since removing a lot of HOB stuff so it's loose.

This changes my planned fish list now because I can get shrimp again and I love various shrimps in the tank. The mystery wrasse took them all out except the tiger pistol shrimp. I also went out and got some shrimp just because I can now and picked up a pair of Kaudern Cardnils because I really liked them and needed something to pick me up.

Inhabitants I have left:
1 False perc clown (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Yellow watchman (Cryptocentrus cinctus) paired with a tiger pistol shrimp (Alpheus bellulus)
2 Kaudern Cardinals (Pterapogon kauderni)
Starry Blenny (Salarias ramosus)
Sharknose Goby (Gobiosoma evelynae)
2x Blood Red Fire Shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
3x Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni)

bunch of blue leg hermits and various snails


So.... what I'm interested in getting into the 180 now.
Female Bellus Angelfish (Genicanthus bellus)
1 Smaller False perc clown (Amphiprion ocellaris)
Royal Gramma Basslet (Gramma loreto) (try to find a mated pair)
Midas Blenny (Ecsenius midas)
Pair of Carpenter's Flasher Wrasses (Paracheilinus carpenteri)
Pair of Blue Star Leopard Wrasses (Macropharyngodon bipartitus)
trio of Ignitus Anthias (Pseudanthias ignitus)

Still going back and forth on a Tang. So far I'm liking in order of preference:
Blue Caribbean (Acanthurus coeruleus) (like to get a juvi to watch the color changes)
Powder Brown (Acanthurus japonicus) or Whitecheek (Acanthurus nigricans)
Convict (Acanthurus triostegus) (This one keeps going back and forth between second and third place.)
Chevron (Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis) (juvi again to watch the color changes)
Naso Blonde (Naso elegans) (Only listing it because it's my favorite but gets to big and needs a bigger tank. I want to keep one tang and have it be under 10". )

I might post in the reef fish section to get some feed back.

 

[jason2459]

Finally making a little more progress. The canopy is painted and so are the doors for the main stand. I got some glass ordered to make an external overflow using beananimals setup behind the tank. I decided to go with painting it black instead of staining as I found out there were several types of woods used on the stand and some of it wasn't so nice looking. So, black paint it is.

I've decided on a couple tangs and another fish which I never expected. First I've never been a big fan of the foxface fish but I was at a LFS and fell in love with a Magnificent Foxface

For the tangs I would love a school of convicts like this picture but I will settle for just one I guess

Then the other tang I can't wait to watch the transition of a juvi Chevron tang

To a full grown adult

 

[jason2459]

Finally have the stand and hood completed.

Now I still need to strip out the silicone and redo that. Plus add put together the external overflow and attach it to the tank. I have the glass already cut to do that. So, getting closer.

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[jason2459]

Finally got all the silicone scraped out. That really sucked and too k a long time. I got rtv108 silicone to reseal it and a 3/8" x2" cut of glass to go along the entire back bottom to give it a double seam that shouldn't leak any more. Used some painters tape to make a nice straight seam. Now to work on the external overflow and water test it in a week after the silicone is fully cured.



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[jason2459]

Looked at a bunch of different fish with the Wife and she really liked a blue spot jawfish and a copperbanded butterfly. I've have a CBB before and was able to keep it alive for a year or so before I lost it in a flood along with the entire house (from a river not the tank... reference first page in this thread) . She also liked the Tennenti Tang. While watching a video from SDGuy I got to see a full grown Tomini and wow I fell in love. I really liked the contrast of the colors of the body, anal fins, and tale. So, planned fish list has changed up a little again.

I made a collage to get a visual. The top row I already have.
Yellow watchman, clown, stary blenny, 2xkauderni cardinals, and a sharknose goby.

What I'd like now starts at the second row and in about the order I'd add them.
Magnificent foxface, CBB, 3x redtail flasher wrasses, Tenneti tang, 3x Redhead solon fairy wrasses, female bellus angel, male Blue Star Leopard Wrasse, Blue Spot jaw fish, Tomini tang, and a royal Gramma.

 

[jason2459]

To make my new tank more of a tank I'm putting in brackets in all corners top and bottom front and back. Made with 1/2in 3"*3" right triangles with the tips notched out so not to touch the inner seam.

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[Dustin1300]

Glad you made lemonade when life gave you lemons!

Id agree on the fish except the wrasse as they can become very aggressive down the road.

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[jason2459]

Thanks. You think the set of fairy and set of flasher wrasses will become too aggressive? Between each other or with the other fish?

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