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**Updated w/Pics** Big Project tonight...

4K views 27 replies 12 participants last post by  Capt. 
#1 ·
So I'm going a bit crazy tonight and doing something I"ve been putting off for a long while now....

I'm redoing several tanks. Here is what the current plan entails...

1.) Remove all the Wood from the 45 Gallon
2.) Strip all the Java Ferns from the wood
3.) Plant the Java Ferns in the 135 Gallon
4.) Clean the wood by hand with a toothbrush
5.) Add the wood to the 90 gallon tank (set one or two pieces aside for the 30 Gallon)
6.) Plant Anubias all over the new wood in the 90
7.) Move Aquaclear 500 from 45 gallon to 90 Gallon
8.) Remove Aquaclear 300 from 90 Gallon
9.) Replace Aquaclear Mini on Convict Tank with Aquaclear 300
10.) Move Botia Modesta's, Helodes, and Eos to 90 Gallon
11.) Remove Slate from 30 Gallon
12.) Remove remaining sick fish from 30 Gallon and euthanize (they are beyond saving)
13.) Remove Plants from 20 Gallon and 45 Gallon
14.) Plant 30 Gallon tank with spare plants from other tanks and add remaining wood
15.) Retrofit all lights from the 20 Gallon into single strip for 30 Gallon hood
16.) Move Skunk Loaches, Gold Gourami, and Rasbora's from the 45 Gallon into the 30 Gallon
17.) Drain the 45 Gallon in Prep for River Tank setup
18.) Drain the 22 Gallon and move to fish room (to be the Q Tank)

Its going to be a crazy night...
 
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#2 ·
Maybe I don't want another tank. :) Right now I have a 55g and a 3g and it's enough to keep my busy. Actually, the only thing I do to the 3g is feed the fish and replace the yeast mix and filter media once a month.

Good luck with all of that! Wow...
 
#3 ·
Wow. I don't know how you do it, Gareth. I have enough trouble keeping my attention divided between three tanks.

Can't wait to see the end results though. Your tanks always look great.

I hope you're not planning to pull an all-nighter and get it all done at once, are you?
 
#5 ·
I've had a few late nighters lately (understatement) but not because of tank re-dos. We just moved, and I had to paint 4 apartments...don't ask.

I hope you have supplies to keep you going through the night.

Good luck. It looks like the euthenizing will be the least fun. I hate having to do that. What is your preffered method? I heard freezing small fish in water is quite humaine, that's what I do when I have to.
 
#8 ·
I had to euthanize a fish yesterday. :( First dead fish in a LONG time. I used the freezing method, though several people immediately told me it wasn't very humane and that I should have used the clove-oil method. :icon_roll
 
#9 ·
Jeez, Gareth, sorry for turning this into the "euthenization thread"!

Back to the evening's project... how come you're removing all the java ferns from the wood? If they're the pieces I'm thinking of, they looked so lush! And why scrubbing the wood with a toothbrush? Some sort of algae? Or just to remove all the root systems?

Oh, and totally O/T, but Colin, every time I see your name, I hear Hugo Weaving saying "Mr. Anderson".
 
#10 ·
Well I do "not" want any ferns in my 90 gallon.. that tank is for Anubias only... heh.. I want to have the Anubias Nana cover all the driftwood so Java fersn just wouldnt look right mixed in with them

The ferns actually look better in photo's then they do in person at the moment.. that tank is low light, low tech so the plants have been growing slowly and have started to look pretty ratty. Still nice plants.. just, old...

If I move the ferns to the 135 with the CO2 injection, better lighting they should take off again.. they are still great plants to have in there as they will produce new baby plants pretty quickly.

I'm scrubbing the wood to remove the roots just as you stated..
 
#11 ·
Oh...My...God... Its now 1am and I am done.. mostly.. phew...

So here is what I did!

1.) The redone 30 Gallon... its very rough... I don't have all the plants in yet... Remember the Panasonic Screw in CF bulbs I had over the 22 Gallon tank? Well I modified an old canopy for this tank and managed to fit all four of the 23 Watt Bulbs into it! (the brown "scorch" marks are from 10+ years of loyal service from the "doner" hoods I used to make this, I will be repainting them white)





2.) The 90 Gallon with Extra Wood



http://aquafiend.plantedtank.net/images/sitephotos/90G/90g05_big.jpg

3.) The 135 Gallon with 2 extra 40 Watt Light Bulbs and new Java Ferns (extra lights were a spur of the moment thing.. I had them just laying around and I figured with CO2 on the way.. why not)




http://aquafiend.plantedtank.net/images/sitephotos/135G/135g11_big.jpg
 
#12 ·
That's awesome Gareth. I'm really impressed. :)

Amanda (if that is your real name ...), I've uttered those four eternal words "my name ... is Neo" far too many times, so you're definitely not alone. I'm just glad my first name isn't Thomas! :eek:
 
#14 ·
Hehe, looks fun.
I'm also undergoing a new project.
-Bought home a 30gl hex Oceanic + stand
-Scolded by my wife because the wood color didn't match.
-Stripped the coating, restained and recoat.
-Paint the tank's rim with enamel paint.
-Bought 2 Fluorex flood light for the lighting. Each uses 65watts screw in PC 6500K (you might want to know for further project:proud: )

I'll compose a journal and post it here next week.
 
#16 ·
Thanks Guys :)

It was a hard nights work and I'm certainly feeling it today... but I think it was worth it. The loaches look WAY happier in this tank.. and now that the Skunk Loaches and Sun Loach have been moved into the 30 Gallon the tank is acting a little less frantic.

Surprisingly, the eels appear to love the company! They have been out playing with the loaches since I introduced them.
 
#17 ·
So the 90 has loaches and 2 eels? Any plans for mid to topwater fish?

I really love the wood that you have in the 90 but for me to do something like that it would probably cost over $200 from the stores around here (Toronto). Do you find all the wood locally? It's a great colour and everything goes well. The anubias, sand, and driftwood are an incredible combination.
 
#18 ·
That is all Mopani.. meaning.. yes.. I paid for it..

There is about $400 worth of wood in there.. remember the tank is 3' x 2' x 2' so it takes a lot to get the wood to within 6" of the front glass...

The Loaches swim all over the tank, but I might add a school of Barbs.. Haven't decided what species though.. maybe just Tiger Barbs... I'll have to think about it.
 
#19 ·
It sounds like the best possible tank for a school of tiger barbs, nothing in sight they can pick on.
 
#24 ·
pufferfreak said:
dude that 90 ROCKS!! I love the depth look it has, now all u need in there is some top water schooling fish, might i suggest marble hatchetfish?
Hatchet's are out... I don't like mixing fish from different geographic area's.. its just a personal preference. The Hatchets wouldn't last long anyway...

If Anything I'll be adding barbs.. I need something a little nippier to survive these loaches.
 
#26 ·
dude that 90 ROCKS!!
Couldn't agree more. I just added another piece of mopani to my 20 gal, love the look of it.

I really love the wood that you have in the 90 but for me to do something like that it would probably cost over $200 from the stores around here (Toronto).
Which stores have you looked for it in? I get mine from big al's, (lawrence & kennedy), usually about 10-15 bucks ea. I only needed to fill a 20 gal though.
 
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