37g Adoption Tank

I'm excited to be adopting this tank and it's inhabitants tonight: Free! Full 37 Gallon Set Up (tank, Plants And Fish)

In anticipation I decided to start this thread and journal it's progress, starting from moving it to my place and re-acclimation. It'll be the largest tank I've owned as well as largest I've torn down and set back up after moving. Luckily, the move is only a few miles, so at least time will be on my side.

Here's my plans so far:

1. Start draining tank into a new 12 gallon cooler and once mostly full place the fish, bubblers, and heater in the cooler for the moment.
2. While remaining water drains into sink/bucket, I'll bag the filter media and possibly some plants if needed.
3. After tank is completely drained, carry the tank with substrate to the car, unplug and load all other equipment into car, and finally load up the cooler with water and fish.
4. Lastly, it's just a matter of driving carefully home and bringing the cooler in first and putting air stones and heater back in to keep them comfy while I set the tank up and acclimate them.

Let's hope this goes through without a hitch! Any suggestions or comments are always welcome.

Current pic of tank:

 

Wow! Lucky you! Sounds like you have a great plan in place. Good luck.

 

Wow! Lucky you! Sounds like you have a great plan in place. Good luck.

Thanks! Yeah, I've been running the plan through my head a million times since yesterday.

Of course, I still feel like I'm forgetting/missing something...

 

That's great! Best of luck!

 

The only thing I can possibly think of is with the cories. When corydoras are stressed they release a toxin that can be harmful to other fish. You may consider keeping them separated for the move if you can. I am not super knowledgeable about moving them, but it is something to consider for sure.

 

The only thing I can possibly think of is with the cories. When corydoras are stressed they release a toxin that can be harmful to other fish. You may consider keeping them separated for the move if you can. I am not super knowledgeable about moving them, but it is something to consider for sure.

Good thinking! It can't hurt to bag them and float in the cooler, but I'd imagine they'd be fine in that amount of water for such a short amount of time. I kinda wonder if it would be worse for them in a small bag though if they release toxins, but people bring them home from LFS in bags all the time so. Guess they'd only poison their selves though and not all the other fish!

Thanks again!

 

Id bag them and secure the bags together in a bucket like wedged but not cramped, but winner !! I love Bolivian rams, never got to keep them though, get the gravel swapped out for play sand its cheap and you will get some sifting activity the rams will love it! Another thread to watch lol you pulled a winner here man.

 

Id bag them and secure the bags together in a bucket like wedged but not cramped, but winner !! I love Bolivian rams, never got to keep them though, get the gravel swapped out for play sand its cheap and you will get some sifting activity the rams will love it! Another thread to watch lol you pulled a winner here man.

Bag them all or just the cory cats? The main reason I'm bringing the 12g cooler is to preserve a good amount of the old water, so I figured just toss the fish in too since I'm literally in walking distance from them.

 

Congrats @greenbon...., er, Nanologist Super exciting! I think your plan sounds like a winner and I'm glad to have another awesome thread to follow. Good luck!!

 

Oh walking distance? I meant like do a few separate bags of individual species and wedge them comfortable in a bucket for say a 30 min drive but id just throw them in the cooler for a little drive like that lol.

 

Way of topic but I gotta know what those plants are called. As I would love to have them

 

I would bring a bucket and put the substrate in the bucket just to make it lighter and re clean it to get all the gunk out of it. Then when you get home hose out the tank so your starting nice and clean.

 

Congrats sounds like you've got everything under control

 

Way of topic but I gotta know what those plants are called. As I would love to have them

I have no idea but I will get all the details tonight!

I would bring a bucket and put the substrate in the bucket just to make it lighter and re clean it to get all the gunk out of it. Then when you get home hose out the tank so your starting nice and clean.

Great idea! Besides being lighter it'll just be safer in general.

I think I'll just replace the gravel with sand as grantm91 suggested. After recently replacing my Betta tank gravel with sand I'm really happy with it.

 

Starting to setup! Got it next to the FOWLR and leveled.

 

Update! Tank is filled and I'm just waiting awhile for the cycled fluval70 to turnover a bunch of the new water. I added about 10 gallons of the old tank water from the cooler to the tank and about to slowly add some cups of the new tank water to the cooler to let them get a feel for it. Since we live so close our water is basically the same which is nice!

Here's some update pics!








Fish are just chillin' and I decided to not switch out the gravel quite yet since I expect a minI cycle and all the old BB I can save the better I think.

 

Well, it's after midnight and I'm exhausted. The fish have been acclimated and seem to be doing great so far!



I also just finished cleaning the Finnex 24/7. It just had a bit of calcium buildup but nothing some vinegar couldn't make quick work out of.




Time for bed. Lights out!

 

Balling !!! Cant believe you got a finnex with it you lucky bonsai. Good point about the bb with gravel its a risky one straight off as bb loves it in there then the filter can't cope and has to catch up it happened to me last Christmas, no harm was done but better avoiding it straight after a move.

 

When I upgraded tanks I switched from gravel to sand I just grabbed a stocking and filled it with about a softball size amount of gavel and left it in the new tank for about 3 weeks. Just a bit of extra insurance for the cycle. Just an idea for whenever you decide to make the switch.

 

Woke up a couple hours ago and still soooo exhausted... got a bit of a headache too but it was all worth it! My new pals seem great this morning. No overnight deaths so that's a great sign so far.

Fed them a small pinch of crushed up shrimp pellets and they went ape over them. I tested the water parameters beforehand and was pleased at the 0 NH3, 0 NO2−, 5ppm NO3- and the pH is the same as my tap and Betta tank at 7.9-8.




Going to a nearby pet store that has driftwood and rocks for freshwater tanks. It's not my usual LFS but it's in walking distance and I trust their selections.

As far as the plants go, the one is a anubias hastifolia I believe and I have no idea (and they weren't sure either) what the other is. Funny enough though they said they got it at my main LFS for saltwater needs, so when I go back for my nano sw fish I'll see if I can find it in their plant tanks. Here's a closer pic of it:

 

It is a very cool plant I look forward to finding out what it is. The tank is looking good, always fun to get bigger tanks.

 

The fish are doing great so far. A bit nippy the first day, especially the neons, but they're schooling again.

I wasn't pleased with the current selection of driftwood at the pet store so I'm waiting to find better options.

I got sand though! Nice I could use something so low cost compared to aragonite/crushed coral for a sw tank. Was told that this stuff is better than some pool or play sands. As long as the parameters stay strong I'll add it next weekend.

 

Is it safe? Obviously you know it is but I mean what is it I can't see on the bag it just says medium, what is its purpose?

 

A quick search from what read on the bag from the pic it's industrial and landscaping sand it also states it's safe for ponds and aquariums.

I was curious about what it was as well

 

A quick search from what read on the bag from the pic it's industrial and landscaping sand it also states it's safe for ponds and aquariums.

I was curious about what it was as well

Yep it's the same as any pool filter or play sand but a couple bucks more in price because it's been sifted/screened better. It's the same silica based sand though. I like that you can choose the grain size too. It was only $5 for this medium grain 50lb. bag. It's a natural light tan color.

 

Cant wait to see it in, it sounds good, I love my play sand but wow rinsing is an un holy ritual man. Id give that a good rinse too as dust clouds are horrid and can be avoided easily.

 

Got some new stones from Lake Michigan. They're in a bleach bath then going to sit in a QT for a few days to cure.

 

Nice to see someone else near the great lakes. I've pulled driftwood and rocks from lake Ontario for my tanks.

 

One thing I've never actually done, I thought about it, getting a shopping trolley from the river and doing a uk biotope.

 

I use rocks from the Lakes too
I have never done a bleach bath though, just poured boiling water over the rocks or washed them under the faucet.
I'd be more afraid that bleach will go into a porous rock and kill my fish.
Make sure to have the sit in treated water (e.g. Prime).

 

I use rocks from the Lakes too
I have never done a bleach bath though, just poured boiling water over the rocks or washed them under the faucet.
I'd be more afraid that bleach will go into a porous rock and kill my fish.
Make sure to have the sit in treated water (e.g. Prime).

It's pretty safe to use bleach as a sterilizer as long as you give whatever you dip in it a few days in treated water. Bleach is the same chemical as chlorine. "Typically liquid chlorine is 10-12% Sodium Hypochlorite where bleach is about 5-6% Sodium Hypochlorite." I just double the amount of Prime I use on the first rinse and let it sit for 24 hours. Then I empty it and refill it with another batch of 2x Prime water. I let this sit for 48 hours with air stones. Then switch the water one last time and after another 48 hours they're good to go.

 

Decided I'm going to move this sucker... not for a week or two though. I didn't have a whole lot of time to plan out where it was going since it was an unplanned tank that I adopted within 24 hours of finding out it needed a new home. I'll make the move when I replace the gravel with sand.

Here's where it is currently in my living room next to the nano FOWLR for simplicity sake when I first got it.



I'll be moving it to this corner of the eat in kitchen where the big bookshelf on the other side of the wall was. Decided to combine the bookshelf with the one in the living room to make room for the tank.



This way it won't be so close to a window also.

 

He's still helping with everything. Making sure those stones cycle...


I removed a few I decided not to keep.

 

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Just be careful of the solo flagfish, I love mine but haven't found them to be among the friendliest... they certainly live up to algae eating reputation thought, mine also east pest snail egg sacs!!!!!!

 

Just be careful of the solo flagfish, I love mine but haven't found them to be among the friendliest... they certainly live up to algae eating reputation thought, mine also east pest snail egg sacs!!!!!!

Yeah, I was worried about the flagfish the most but this one is very friendly and eats algae around the corys while they rest on the leaves. He would definitely be the first to rehome though.

The LFS they got him from already told me they'd take him back but I get no store credit. I'd just trade him for two more albino or bronze cory cats otherwise.

 

Petco is having their $1 per gallon sale so I plan on picking up a 29 gallon tank tomorrow and moving them over to it. It has the same footprint as this tank but 4" shorter and 6 gallons lighter. This will make the switch to sand much easier as well. I'll also be rehoming the two white skirt tetra and the American flagfish.

The main reason for this is that the silicone seals aren't looking the greatest and the plastic brace on the top frame is famously broken. A tank in this condition is a time bomb imo. Here are some pics:



For less than $20 I'm going to restore the 37g like I did the 10 gallon saltwater tank and that will be another project thread in the future.

 

Got a new toy for the tank. The heater currently in it isn't working very well anymore and won't go below 80F. Luckily it's summer and the room stays 75F so I just unplugged it until I got this new one. Went with Eheim Jager of course.

 

Got that in my 120 the 300watt version its amazing for the price, mines like a sword its got to be touching 20 inch.

 

Got that in my 120 the 300watt version its amazing for the price, mines like a sword its got to be touching 20 inch.

Haha! Yeah they're definitely the best heat for your money. Plus they're German like me! My gf asked why I don't pick one with a Limited Lifetime Warranty from Marineland or Aqueon for around the same price. I said it's because they wouldn't need to offer that warranty if they had a quality product that doesn't break and need to be RMA'd. I've read so many stories of them breaking or DOA and people having a heck of a time trying to take advantage of the warranty because both companies have horrible customer support when it comes to fulfilling the warranty. Most people just gave up and bought another brand like Eheim.

Like "Guaranteed piece of " scene in the movie Tommy Boy. Google it if you're not sure what I'm talking about. It has the the S word for "poop" in it so I'm not linking it.

 

I think my hands can tell when they feel a good build I can smell it too, and this is one of them things I knew was amazing for the price, I have a 300 watt marina (Hagen) and its rubbish, the top clogs up it has a poor seal and shows signs of corrosion after 3 months, I've got a better Chinese copy thing in my fry tank, so much for brands, I do like fluval too the canisters are great. Cant help but think the 37 would look nice as sw as its tall I think il have my 32g sw for a lonnng time I have no urge for anything bigger like I did with fw. What do you think you will do long term? You seem to be enjoying your self a lot and are having lots of success.