'Dream' Tank Build

So it's finally happening. I found a good deal on a large tank and I am setting up my 'dream' tank. I write 'dream' because as we all now, this is today's dream tank and there will be many more dreams after this!

I have been casually searching for a larger tank for about 6 months but started to look more seriously about 3 weeks ago. At that time, my hardest semester in vet school was nearing its end and I REALLY wanted something to do on my last and longest school-break ever (4.5 weeks). I reached out to sellers on Facebook and Craigslist about a variety of tanks -- many were priced beyond what I was willing to pay or had defects that I was not comfortable with at this time (i.e. leaks, major cracks, damaged braces). I also looked at a number of tanks that were not the size that they were advertised. My current largest tank is 40 gallons, which was sold to me as a 55 gallon. The tank is a unique size and I did not measure the tank (lesson learned, I ALWAYS measure now).

Then, this past Friday (12/27/19), the haunted doll tank was listed on facebook for $100. I wanted a tank between 100-150 gallons and this was advertised as 110 gallons - perfect. I sent the seller a message asking about dimensions and if there was any damage. No damage and the tank was about "60 inches long and 54 inches tall including the stand". This did not help me much and I was somewhat confused by the measurements given. I shared the link with a local friend (bizaliz3) and she was skeptical about the size of tank, figuring it to be a 75g. I figured, at least I could go, take a look, and measure the tank as I had done on a number of other occasions. When I got to the house, the owner took my boyfriend and I into the basement. The tank was massive, measurements came in at 60" x 18.5" x 26" (L x W x H). I was pretty excited at this point and then the seller told me that she lowered the price to $75 because there were some scratches -- she also felt bad that she did not notice them at first and did not want me to feel like I was misled. The scratches are minor and do not bother me. I did the calculations and the tank is ~125 gallons and I ended up paying $74 for the tank and stand as neither of us had change for my $20.

Now, the tank had not had water in it for ~2 years. Owner said some friend of hers had this tank as a big saltwater setup and that friend broke her new TV and was going to give her the tank for only $200 since he broke the TV. She said she never ended up paying him and never ended up stocking the tank as her son was born so it was just a decorative glass box during that time. She finally decided to list it online as she was redoing her basement. She did have a 55 gallon upstairs full of water but no fish. I knew/know I was taking a risk getting a tank that had been sitting empty where I was not CERTAIN it held water. For $74, I was willing to take the risk as the tank looks phenomenal. It was dirty, but seams looked great, braces are intact, no cracks/chips in the glass, no signs of repair, and there were no hard water/salt buildups outside of the tank (they were plentiful on the inside). I will be testing to see if the tank holds water today or tomorrow.

Here is the picture of the tank from the listing (p spooky doll if you ask me).

 

Wow, that's a monster. I really hope it works out for you and doesn't need a load of repair work... Because that sounds like a steal of a deal !! Good luck, looking forward to lots of progress pics!

 

Enjoy! What are you going to put in it?

 

Wow, that's a monster. I really hope it works out for you and doesn't need a load of repair work... Because that sounds like a steal of a deal !! Good luck, looking forward to lots of progress pics!

Yeah, it is massive! I am planning to renovate my basement in the next year and wanted the big tank down there but I changed my mind after having to carry it out of someone else's basement!

I am mostly finished cleaning it -- I will do a final clean once it is sitting upright on the stand. BUT I am throwing around the idea of do I just reseal it? There is a sticker on the bottom of the tank saying it was built in January 2007. I have no clue if it has since been resealed. The seals look and feel great but I do not know if I want to risk it. But then I also don't know if I want to risk my inexperience with resealing! Hmm...

 

That is a great buy, the only negative thing for me is being an old guy is the water changes, besides that you struck gold.

 

Enjoy! What are you going to put in it?

I am SO excited. I have not decided on all my plants yet and I am working on acquiring a nice, large piece of Malaysian driftwood. I will be moving over everyone from my deceptive 40 gallon tank and adding some fish. Below are my planned fish:

• 5 Angelfish
• 12 Rummy-nose Tetras
• 1 Albino Bristlenose Pleco
• 6 KuhlI Loaches
• 6 Peppered Cory
• 6 Boesmans Rainbowfish
• 4 Botia Kubotai/Burmese Loach

 

That is a great buy, the only negative thing for me is being an old guy is the water changes, besides that you struck gold.

Fortunately, my Python siphon makes water changes very easy! I have a 17g upstairs as well but the python does not reach any water source from where the tank is located and hauling a 5 gallon bucket up there stinks. This large tank will definitely be well within reach of the tub!

 

So I did not take as many pictures of the tank before I started cleaning as I should have. There were a lot of old stickers to remove as well as lots of old gunk and grime. Below are some pictures I took part way through cleaning when I realized, hey, maybe I should document this. There is also a bonus picture in there of one of my helpers

 

Here are some pictures of the seals. I think they look pretty good but if anyone has experience with resealing, I would love your input. If you think it will be worth my while, I will definitely start looking into resealing! First picture is from outside the tank, second picture is from inside.

 

Looks great. Great buy. That’s cheap. Sitting for 2 years without water is no big deal. I had a 75 that's 20 years old sat in my garage empty for 4 years and mines fine. I live in NYS too so the temp swings are big.
Seals look great. They are clean and clear. Means the tanks likely not that old.

 

Looks great. Great buy. That’s cheap. Sitting for 2 years without water is no big deal. I had a 75 that's 20 years old sat in my garage empty for 4 years and mines fine. I live in NYS too so the temp swings are big.
Seals look great. They are clean and clear. Means the tanks likely not that old.

That's awesome to hear! I've been patiently looking at tanks the last couple months so I hoped my eyes were somewhat keen at evaluating the quality of a used tank! Other than some seriously minor scratches, the tank looks phenomenal.

 

Nothing you can do about scratches. See if they are on one pane of glass and put that at the back so the viewing lanes are scratch free.

 

If you have any doubts you can fill it outside and do a water test. If it holds drain it and bring it inside.

 

If you have any doubts you can fill it outside and do a water test. If it holds drain it and bring it inside.

That's the plan for tomorrow, fingers crossed all is good!

 

That's the plan for tomorrow, fingers crossed all is good!

Your profile says Minnesota. How warm is it up there? My wife is from there!

 

Your profile says Minnesota. How warm is it up there? My wife is from there!

The real question is, how COLD is it up here! It has been all over the place these last couple weeks. Down to -20F with wind chill 3 weeks ago, this weekend an awful ice storm, then Sunday rain and all the snow was finally melting. Today, 5 inches of snow and countingead: no clue why I moved here!

 

The real question is, how COLD is it up here! It has been all over the place these last couple weeks. Down to -20F with wind chill 3 weeks ago, this weekend an awful ice storm, then Sunday rain and all the snow was finally melting. Today, 5 inches of snow and countingead: no clue why I moved here!

But it is beautiful in the summer and fall! We spend a few weeks each summer in Crosslake at my in-laws lake cabin. I just cleaned my tank outside yesterday and it was 80°. I’d trade places with you in a heartbeat!

 

So yesterday I reinforced the stand that came with the tank. I am sure the stand would have been *fine* but I wanted the peace of mind. I added some 2x4's to the corners as well as to the center of the stand and I replaced and added additional braces above these to support the center of the tank/distribute the weight. I also added a bottom inside the stand to put things on as I didn't want to put equipment directly onto my floor. I touched up the black paint on the parts of the stand that were painted and then painted the parts that were unpainted. Today, I will be added shelving on the inside to help me organize my fish tank equipment.

Here are some pictures of the stand as I was working, the newer looking wood is what I added (in case it wasn't obvious).

 

But it is beautiful in the summer and fall! We spend a few weeks each summer in Crosslake at my in-laws lake cabin. I just cleaned my tank outside yesterday and it was 80°. I’d trade places with you in a heartbeat!

See I LOVE the warm weather -- except for the humidity but warm + humid are usually a package deal. I did all my cleaning inside because we had to shut the hose off months ago due to the cold

 

See I LOVE the warm weather -- except for the humidity but warm + humid are usually a package deal. I did all my cleaning inside because we had to shut the hose off months ago due to the cold

I hate hot and humid, which it is here 9 months of the year. I just live in the wrong state!

 

Here is the painted stand as well as the stand and tank in its final location in the living room. I have started adding some water but stopped as my boyfriend is coming home with black vinyl for the back. He will also be cutting some acrylic for me later this week to make custom hinged canopies for this oddly sized tank.

 

Today I stopped at a local hardware store chain (Menards) and grabbed 2 bags of black blasting sand. I have 1 bag sitting in my garage so I will hopefully start the fun process of washing the sand later today. I also got some additional driftwood for the hardscape today! I attached a bonus picture I just took of my 40g. The fish and plant residents will all be moving to the 125g when it's all set up.

 

Never a bad thing to make it stronger. You’ll never regret it.

 

Never a bad thing to make it stronger. You’ll never regret it.

Absolutely! I figured a couple dollars of 2x4s would go a long way giving me peace of mind and ensuring the setup is stable. It also allows me to add some features to the stand like shelving, velcro mounted power trips, and a magnetic strip for holding aquascaping tools!

 

Here is the painted stand as well as the stand and tank in its final location in the living room. I have started adding some water but stopped as my boyfriend is coming home with black vinyl for the back. He will also be cutting some acrylic for me later this week to make custom hinged canopies for this oddly sized tank.

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Looks good! What kind of paint did you use for the stand?

 

Looks good! What kind of paint did you use for the stand?

I used Rust-Oleum Spray paint that I picked up at Home Depot. I had seen another stand painted with this and I liked the look. It was super easy to work with as well, which was an added bonus. It only took a can for this stand but it had already been painted in some places. I also got the can that said water resistant to help with any potential incidental water contact!

 

Much has changed since Monday! After a water test, tank held water without a problem for over 24 hours! Below are pictures of the plants, driftwood, and rocks I put in. The water is still a bit cloudy despite the obscene amount of time and water I spent washing the blasting sand.

 

Here are some tiny modifications I made to the stand. I added a shelf to hold water testing kits, food, and water conditioner. I attached the power strips to the stand using velcro. Finally, I added a magnetic strip to hold my plant tools! Tomorrow I will add some pictures of the residents. Coincidentally, a local guy on the Minnesota plants facebook page posted that he was selling 34 BoesemanI Rainbowfish for $3-6/each depending on size. I will be picking up 4 - 6 tomorrow : )

 

Everything looks great! That’s a sweet deal on Boesemanis!

 

Bit of a delayed update! Everyone is moved over and still doing well! Tank is going through a minI cycle (UGH) but with 1 - 2 water changes a day, I am keeping ammonia and nitrites below 0.25 ppm and everyone is happy and healthy. Here are a couple pictures. Pardon the blurry rummy-nose tetras, they never feel as photogenic as everyone else.

 

Congratulations! I bet all these guys will love their new home!

What kind of substrate do you use? Those plants are beautiful!

 

I think you should post the creepy doll on fb for $20, then that wonderful tank will be an even better buy. That's a creepy doll.

 

Congratulations! I bet all these guys will love their new home!

What kind of substrate do you use? Those plants are beautiful!

Thank you! Everyone has loved all the new space, lots of exploring going on that’s super fun to watch.

Substrate is black blast blasting sand — sold at all Menards stores but I’ve been told you can also get blasting sand at Tractor Supply and/or Fleet Farm. Great stuff and I’ve been using it in all my tanks for ober 2 years now. It looks nice, the plants do great, and all my bottom dwellers love sifting through it (currently have paleatus corys, kuhlI loaches, and botia kuboti/botia angelicus — all love it)! Half of these plants are from my 40 gallon but the rest were new investments when I splurged for this tank

 

I think you should post the creepy doll on fb for $20, then that wonderful tank will be an even better buy. That's a creepy doll.

Luckily the doll was not included, I probably would have had nightmares with that thing sitting somewhere in my house

 

Luckily the doll was not included, I probably would have had nightmares with that thing sitting somewhere in my house

Looks great. That doll is a religious symbol. I’m assuming you bought the tank off of people from India?

 

Looks great. That doll is a religious symbol. I’m assuming you bought the tank off of people from India?

Nope haha, they were definitely not Indian but interesting to know about the doll. I’ll have to research that more!

 

Unfortionly in my county here in Maryland water is not cheap, so the python wastes a lot of water while removing it. I do use it for my fill-ups from the utility sink on the other side of the basement. So I use the old fashion way of siphoning to 5 gallon buckets and about 10 steps to the bathroom where the get dumped into the toilet. My three tanks require 50 gallons to be dumped, but at 78 it becomes a PITA every Wednesday. Now dumping over 100 gallons would ruin my day.

 

Unfortionly in my county here in Maryland water is not cheap, so the python wastes a lot of water while removing it. I do use it for my fill-ups from the utility sink on the other side of the basement. So I use the old fashion way of siphoning to 5 gallon buckets and about 10 steps to the bathroom where the get dumped into the toilet. My three tanks require 50 gallons to be dumped, but at 78 it becomes a PITA every Wednesday. Now dumping over 100 gallons would ruin my day.

I lived in Maryland for most of my life -- Mt. Airy, Columbia, and Rockville! My mom still lives in Rockville.

I use the python to drain the water but I do not attach it to the faucet if that makes sense. To get the flow going, I suck on the end (kinda gross but oh well) and then just let it drain passively into the bathtub. I then hook up the python to the sink in order to refill the tank, that way I am not wasting any water!

 

In the future, I may have to use a small in-tank pump to transfer the water to a shower stall in the basement bathrooms which is about 10 or so feet away. For right now I`ll stick with the exercise.

 

Fortunately the minI cycle passed uneventfully! I have, however, had some other ups and downs with the tanks.

I had 3 angelfish in my 40G tank and then a lone angelfish in my 17G tank. The lone angelfish was a runt that I got from Bizaliz when I got a couple other angels from her a while back. Fortunately, the runt caught up in size and I felt comfortable moving him to the 125G with everyone else. Unfortunately, he has been a total jerk. He decided to pair up with one of my other angelfish and has been nasty to the other two. One of the other two unfortunately did not make it, even after I separated the jerk into a breeder box. I reached out to Bizaliz because she lives close by and she suggested more angelfish could help disperse his aggression. Unfortunately he was still a jerk so he is back in the 17G temporarily. FORTUNATELY, I have 8 new angelfish

Below are some of the new guys, absolutely stunning fish and I am so lucky Bizaliz lives close by AND trusts me with some of her most stunning fish!