55 gal adventures

[JennaH]

hi all, im starting the journal for my 55 gallon early. partly due to me having no patience and partly due to the fact that i need lots of help. i got this used tank for pretty cheap but the rims are in cruddy condition so i am planning to remove at least the top one, maybe bottom too?

I got the tank moved to the backyard at my parents house for leak-testing today ( didn't want to do this in my apartment living room!) filled it up and dropped in my driftwood for soaking. no leaks so far! I'm going to leave it full a couple weeks mainly to let my driftwood sink. Then onto removing the rim! ill of course be updating pictures all along the way. im going from a ten gallon to this so i'll have lots of questions im sure
I haven't decided on eurobracing or one wide center brace yet...

if i take the driftwood out and it dries, will i have to soak it again? this seems like a stupid question but im not sure..

sooo... here it is ugly rims and all and my pumpkin i also carved today haha.
I would appreciate any suggestions for cost-effective filtration. (around 100$?) if i do the eurobracing im definitely going to have to go canister, but im not objective to HOB filters either. i was looking at the rena xp2.

[RianS]

nice carving!! Did you use a stencil?
BTW if you decide to derim. i would personally go with two fat center braces due to safety being me main cause. Unless your good with glass and silicone

[JennaH]

nice carving!! Did you use a stencil?
BTW if you decide to derim. i would personally go with two fat center braces due to safety being me main cause. Unless your good with glass and silicone

thx i started out using a stencil- but had to do the 'halloween' freehand cause i couldn't follow the little dots >.<

and i have zero experience with glass & silicone. and i have definitely been leaning more towards just putting in a new 6"ish center brace. i also considered 1 @ each end 1/3 of the way in and maybe then they wouldn't need to be so wide. im still uncertain...

[RianS]

Your Halloween H looks much better than your Happy H.
Did you try the DIY for some imput?
I think if you went with 2 it would allow you to go with skinnier pieces of glass but look into the depth of it since that'll protect you a lot if you drop something on the brace or idk something out of the ordinary happens. like your fish jumping out of your tank in attempt to break your brace.

[dewalltheway]

First off I hope you enjoy your transition from a 10 gal to a 55 gal but be ready in about 10 months or so you will be ready for a deeper tank like a 75 or 90 gallon tank...trust me. Been there done that.

Second...I tried to remove the plastic top off a 10 gal tank and was able to get it off but when I was cleaning it I sliced my hand on the glass because the glass is not beveled and is very sharp. If you do a search or contact the manufacture of the tank, you can get new bottoms and tops I believe.

Third....I would go with Fluval canister filter and you can get a 404 model off ebay for around $80 and they work great. I have had mine for 4 years and still going strong.

Have you thought about what you are going to use for substrate and lighting? I would suggest either going with Eco-Complete or Minerialized Soil. Lighting...T5 lighting with about 2-54watt bulbs. Then there is CO2...you can either do DIY or pressurized.

Good Luck and have fun!

[leaf]

Hey, so that's where all my wood went!
Some of those pieces were presoaked... so yeah they will float again if dried. Smart move if you're going to sink them before you attempt to scape with it. There are tannins that leech out and some fungus might run its course for a couple weeks.

Canisters filters can be had cheaply on ebay. I don't know about $80 for a 404... probably a $40 ship tagged on there! I picked up a 404 for about 130 shipped on ebay the other month and petcos price is like 240 or something stupid crazy.

Anyway, GL jennah. Working around glass can feel overwhelming at times. Whenever you need some plants for your 55 lmk.

[baileyjoliver]

I have little advice to offer for your tank ( I am a Newbie as well), But I can offer advice on Pumpkin Carving. Next time you have trouble seeing the dots rub a little flour on it and the dots will stick out better. BTW Good Luck with your Tank. I hope to start a 110 Gallon next year

[yikesjason]

Originally Posted by dewalltheway

Second...I tried to remove the plastic top off a 10 gal tank and was able to get it off but when I was cleaning it I sliced my hand on the glass because the glass is not beveled and is very sharp. If you do a search or contact the manufacture of the tank, you can get new bottoms and tops I believe.

I don't have a lot of glass experience, just a couple of lids for my hex tank. But I do have a quick tip for you both.
Use a wet stone to bevel the edges a bit. It is very quick and easy.

Good luck

[dewalltheway]

Originally Posted by yikesjason

I don't have a lot of glass experience, just a couple of lids for my hex tank. But I do have a quick tip for you both.
Use a wet stone to bevel the edges a bit. It is very quick and easy.

Good luck

I know this is not my thread but thanks for the tip. After I slit my hand I put the 10 gal away and haven't touched it since. I will have to get it back out and try that.

[topfrog007]

This may sound stupid, but if the rims aren't chipped or broken can you just paint them black or whatever color you choose?

Seems like it would save some time/work.

[Phil Edwards]

Jenna,

If you haven't already made a decision, I'd go with Eurobracing. It'll make catching fish easier.

Regards,
Phil

[JennaH]

I think if you went with 2 it would allow you to go with skinnier pieces of glass but look into the depth of it since that'll protect you a lot if you drop something on the brace or idk something out of the ordinary happens. like your fish jumping out of your tank in attempt to break your brace.

haha oh god, i hope i don't get any crazy fish like that! yea i think im planning to go with 2 4" braces on each end 1/3 of the way in.

This may sound stupid, but if the rims aren't chipped or broken can you just paint them black or whatever color you choose?

yes, if the rims were fine, i would prob just leave them but they have several cracks in them and the brace is warped and cracked also

I have little advice to offer for your tank ( I am a Newbie as well), But I can offer advice on Pumpkin Carving. Next time you have trouble seeing the dots rub a little flour on it and the dots will stick out better. BTW Good Luck with your Tank. I hope to start a 110 Gallon next year

haha yea i tried this but then they just looked like a mess of white dots >.<


oops- running late for work, will respond to rest later. thanks all!!

[JennaH]

Have you thought about what you are going to use for substrate and lighting? I would suggest either going with Eco-Complete or Minerialized Soil. Lighting...T5 lighting with about 2-54watt bulbs. Then there is CO2...you can either do DIY or pressurized.

yup- im hoping to open up t-5 2x54 watt fixture in one of my christmas gifts haha i really want to try this substrate- i saw another person on tpt that used it and it looks really nice. http://www.aquariumplants.com/Freshw...trate_p/ss.htm

[RianS]

Somewhere in the substrate section you'll find that Aquariumplants substrate is just repackaged SMS. I believe that's what they said. Hopefully someone will post and back me up so you don't waste your money.

[JennaH]

sms?