Took the leap!

GoingPostal

Active member
All you people and your new tanks made me jealous. I'd already priced out a AGA 125 but my pet store got the new Oceanic brochures so I had her check on their 135 too. So guess what's on it's way!!! Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to pay for the tank and remodeling my living room around it, I want to add new carpeting and paint before the tanks all set up and running. ARRRGGGHH, gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Anyways, my stepdad the handyman is going to build my stand to my specs, not sure what those are yet so lots of reseach ahead. I also had the pet store order in some of the live rock through their supplier just to check it out, came in today, looks pretty nice and alive, no smell at all!! It's their aquacultured stuff so I'll be buying mostly that for new rock I think. I'm so excited but it won't be here for a couple weeks so I have some time to prepare. I'll keep everyone updated with pictures as the build progresses. Tiffany
 
Thats awsome congrats. If you can I would consider a metal stand I have one for the 125 and I don't think I would ever go back to a wood one. If you want I could take some pics of it.
 
Keep in mind that if you build your own stnad for that tank, you void the warranty. Kinda sucks. If you build it, build it like a tank. That's how I did mine.

Oceanic and AGA cost some big bucks new. When I was in the market for a new 240g tank, I found one about 4 hours from where I lived. It was an Oceanic and I got it for $500, plus extra plumbing. a year after setting it up, it developed a small leak in the bottom corner, like the silicone had sprung a leak. I was in a rush to find a replacement. Oceanic wanted $1200 just for the tank alone. I ended up (and was very happy with) purchasing a 240g from Glasscages.com......

I had to pick it up from the shipping dock, but I had a truck at the time and lots of help. Shipped to my door was $900. I had oversized drains put in to accomodate my Sequence 5800gph return pump I purchased.

So, you're going to be selling an Aqua Pod then huh??
 
Nothing like really taking the "leap"!! You are going to put my 75g to shame!! Be sure to post photos of your progress - maybe I can get some ideas from you since I am the "green" one :-) GOOD LUCK with the build!
 
No that Aquapod is mine! I love that little nano!! And it's in such a nice spot, but I will clear it out a little I think, now we will have plenty of room for all the corals. The tanks costing me $500 and this paychecks the best I'm going to get for a while so I might as well go for it now. I have to buy one more light, all the equipment and lots of rock. I'm thinking part Marco rocks because I like the shape and part aquacultured stuff from the pet store.
 
Boy, this site can be so slow some days and then wham, big news and you miss it and feel waaaayyy out of the loop.

Merry Christmas to you and CONGRATS!! I know I'm going to feel my 75 is small with all these big builds going on. However, I can only indulge myself so much without feeling guilty. I'm a "bank" for two teenagers (well, pretty much 14 and 12 yrs) too ya know! I'm just going to have to enjoy my 75! How much is that marco stuff? I could use some rock too although I hope to be aquascaping this week and with Christmas arriving, my extra cash belongs other places. Still, I'm curious.

I still want to catch Blue Zoo's invert sale too. Hmm.....
 
SO this rock that you suggested, James...is really Fiji rock that needs to be cured and it will become live rock?!?! (dumb questions gallore!!!)
 
The rock I suggested is dry rock. Another source, other than MarcoRocks. I have two sources that can pick it up if you wanted to avoid shipping costs, as they are located in the cities. And yes, all rock will become "live" if you seed your tank with good, living, live rock.

Stop it with the preface of "this is a dumb question"... I'll let you know when it is a dumb question. I'll start banging on the "dumb question" buzzer!!

An example of a dumb question would be this:
"James, I was going to give you a 750mL bottle of Jack Daniels for Christmas, but read that I can dose it in my tank and it makes my corals grow better".... That would be a dumb question for obvious reasons. First and foremost, it's common knowledge that I'd do better than your corals if I dosed it rather than them!!
 
Oh, I would be interested in getting some of this "dry rock". If you feel it is good...I will also need to get a bit more live rock to put with it and what I have for the 75g at some point....I need to refresh my brain on Meleev's on how to cure rock again.
 
I got 25lbs of the dry rock and love it it looks just like regular live rock but it is dry and weights ALOT less you can get 25lbs for 64.00 I would recommend it. if you wanted some I know a few reefer down in the cities that come up here all the time and would have no problem bringing some up,to here anyway them we would have to figure out a way to get it to you way up in BFE!!!!LOL

Anyway let me know
Garrett
 
I checked out that eco-rocks, looks pretty cool. I'm planning to kill most of my rock because there's hydroids on some, they haven't really been an issue but I don't want them spreading all over 135 gallon of tank. Plus hopefully I can dip all the corals and such to not introduce flatworms into the new tank.


I'm going to order a 40 breeder for a sump and we're planning on building a peephole into the stand and put that acrylic 20 gallon tank in the bottom with a mantis. You guys have to help me on the plumbing because we have NO clue on how to do it.


This is going to cost me a fortune I think. Still have to buy a pump, skimmer, 250 watt pendant for the middle, plumbing parts, etc, etc, etc. I'm hoping for it to be up and running by the DRS frag swap so I can bid on some nice show pieces.

Mr. James that 33 is going to be a qt for my big fish, I want a kole tang for sure and maybe a magnificent foxface, after it's up for grabs. It would make a sweet clam tank though. I'm hoping to buy a couple crocea from clamsdirect.com for the new tank.
 
If you do clams, you will absolutely need MH lights and you will have to thing about calcium/alkalinity/magnesium levels. You will also have to think about what you plan to feed them.

I would be more than happy to aid in the plumbing. I have done it before on several big tanks.

How many overflows in your new tank and what size are they??
 
I know there's two overflows but not sure on the size yet, guess I'll measure when it gets here. I'm going to put my two 150 watt halides on the two ends and the 250 in the middle, clams will go under this one. Some of the reading I've been doing now says you don't have to feed them, that they will do fine with just light. Can't trust the experts when they keep changing their story. But I still have a lot more research time before I get clams anyways.
 
How deep is the tank?? If it is deeper than 24", a single 250w light probably won't do very well. A 400w will be much, much better.

As far as feeding, I am from the school where I feed everything in my tank. The ocean is inundated with food floating around. Fish swim through plankton and food is obviously readily available at all times, other than just light.

I read of people feeding everything from phytoplankton to chunks of shrimp. I plan to grow phyto, rotifers and pods. I plan to try clams again, but this time have dedicated tank to just them so there aren't any predator issues.
 
When will the tank arrive? I can't wait to see pics. Your setup sounds so cool. So many things I wouldn't dream of trying yet. But, plumbing, since Jason has that under his belt, I'm sure he'd be glad to lend a hand.

We have a Little Giant pump that we don't need. Let me know if it might work for you. I'll have to look at the model. It wouldn't pump the 8+ ft up to the tank but works perfectly otherwise and it's pretty powerful too.

My new tank is so quiet. I could just stare at it all day. I just don't feel I will ever need anything bigger than what I have. Its' wonderful especially now that it has a better variety of softies in it! Merry Christmas to me!
 
by blennieluvr
We have a Little Giant pump that we don't need. Let me know if it might work for you. I'll have to look at the model.

What model or specs do you have on it?? I may be interested.
 
The tank is 24" deep but they will be in the rockwork so I'm not too worried about it, no way am I putting 400 watters over my tank. That's way more light than needed for my softies and lps not to mention the cost in electricity. I would like to do three separate rock piles with lots of open sand space. I do feed quite a bit though, I'm still looking at skimmers because I don't really want a super good one that's going to make the water too clean, need to leave food in there for the gorgs, clams and dusters. Maybe one of those new Octopus extremes.


And I don't know when it's getting here yet, tried to go down to the store today to pick up some snake food and they were closed. :( We got a $20 gift cert to the store for Xmas, that's not really going to make a dent in my bill but it's the thought that counts I guess. Now I have to figure out what color to paint my living room before we set the tank up and make it impossible to do.
 
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