Slowly Upgrading 55 To 75 Gallon

It's wet it's wet it's finally wet!

 

It's wet it's wet it's finally wet!

The whole house could have been wet if jenmur used the old tank. Lol

 

Dave125g. Yes! Took forever but yep! It has begun. I am hoping to be able to have fish in by Tuesday. So far shoulder is co operating. I wanna fill the tank today.

IceForever. There were a few times I just disappeared for a few weeks here or there. Oh wow!! I would have never considered lava rock or fabric mesh! Awesome! Yeah I have to break this up. Schedule of dog walking, plus I don’t wanna overdo it and mess up my shoulder and make it hurt for 2-3 weeks because I was a dork.

Ulu. I know! Finally! Hehehehe.

Ok. I should be able to post another update later today with tank filled!! I’m still trying to imagine how I want plants and driftwood to be. My 2 pleco caves should arrive today as well

 

IceForever. There were a few times I just disappeared for a few weeks here or there. Oh wow!! I would have never considered lava rock or fabric mesh! Awesome! Yeah I have to break this up. Schedule of dog walking, plus I don’t wanna overdo it and mess up my shoulder and make it hurt for 2-3 weeks because I was a dork.

Ok. I should be able to post another update later today with tank filled!! I’m still trying to imagine how I want plants and driftwood to be. My 2 pleco caves should arrive today as well

lol it’s funny you say that. I bought the tank end of November and then ended up with compressed discs at work, so I’m just now finishing everything up, haha.

Also ran in to issues when building the stand because Home Depot’s saw cut my wood crooked and the top wasn’t true and flat so I ended up stuck trying to figure out how to level out the top without rebuild the entire stand

but I’d rather that than having my glass crack and leak bc there was a 1/16th inch gap between a corner of my tank and the stand.

you can imagine all you want, but we all know it might change completely once you actually start placing things, lol!

 

lol it’s funny you say that. I bought the tank end of November and then ended up with compressed discs at work, so I’m just now finishing everything up, haha.

Also ran in to issues when building the stand because Home Depot’s saw cut my wood crooked and the top wasn’t true and flat so I ended up stuck trying to figure out how to level out the top without rebuild the entire stand

but I’d rather that than having my glass crack and leak bc there was a 1/16th inch gap between a corner of my tank and the stand.

you can imagine all you want, but we all know it might change completely once you actually start placing things, lol!

Oh wow! Ouch! I have a frozen shoulder. Yay car accident.. Heheh.
Oh my goodness! I wish I could build a stand but I bought one instead. But yeah I still had to stick something wood underneath one side of the tank to make it more even. And it has remained so the entire time filling it!!
Yeah there is every chance I’ll change my mind a million times this weekend!
But I have finished the filling process and sand process!! I did add the last 20lb bag of sand.

 

Oh wow! Ouch! I have a frozen shoulder. Yay car accident.. Heheh.
Oh my goodness! I wish I could build a stand but I bought one instead. But yeah I still had to stick something wood underneath one side of the tank to make it more even. And it has remained so the entire time filling it!!
Yeah there is every chance I’ll change my mind a million times this weekend!
But I have finished the filling process and sand process!! I did add the last 20lb bag of sand.

View attachment 649181

Looking good!

 

Looking good!

Thanks! Sunday I should be able to put in heaters and set up bigger canister!! Then if I’m lucky and the heaters get the tank to 79-80* I may still be able to get plants and fish in by Tuesday!!
Thinking of moving my one piece of mopanI over before everything else. The one by the sponge filter.

 

Oh wow! Ouch! I have a frozen shoulder. Yay car accident.. Heheh.
Oh my goodness! I wish I could build a stand but I bought one instead. But yeah I still had to stick something wood underneath one side of the tank to make it more even. And it has remained so the entire time filling it!!
Yeah there is every chance I’ll change my mind a million times this weekend!
But I have finished the filling process and sand process!! I did add the last 20lb bag of sand.

View attachment 649181

do you mean you had to shI'm it to make the water level in the tank?

bc you should always shI'm between the stand and the floor, not the tank and the stand. If you shI'm between the tank and stand you can cause pressure on the glass and it can even sometimes cause it to crack.

btw what kind of angel is that? It’s gorgeous

 

do you mean you had to shI'm it to make the water level in the tank?

bc you should always shI'm between the stand and the floor, not the tank and the stand. If you shI'm between the tank and stand you can cause pressure on the glass and it can even sometimes cause it to crack.

btw what kind of angel is that? It’s gorgeous

Yeah. Had to shI'm to make level. Did it between stand and floor of course.
I have two Angelfish. A pearlscale paraiba I’ve named Azriaphele. Who is a bit of a jerk.




And Crowley, my black blusher.




Gonna be getting me 6 more Angelfish from someone highly recommended by Bizaliz3

 

Just got the smaller of the two canisters set up and running. Heaters just got plugged in after sitting in the water for 45 minutes. Had to order a new bigger canister since parts were lost. But now we sit here and wait and cross our fingers the tank gets to 79-80* by tomorrow afternoon!

Aannnddd the canister is defective. It has a leak. So I can't do anything set up wise until Wednesday

 

Ok. Canister defective. Leaking from bottom now. So I put in my sponge filter to make some water movement. Hopefully the water moves enough to warm up by tomorrow afternoon

 

So sad!!! Where did you get the canister?

 

So sad!!! Where did you get the canister?

Chewy. Two years ago. So they can’t send a new one for free. However I did order the bigger one and it should be here tomorrow. And I can use the canister that is on the 55 for now. David ordered the parts for the other big canister. But I dunno when that will arrive.
BUT the sponge filter is doing it job!! The temperature in the 75 gallon is about 79* this morning!! So hopefully this afternoon I will move the majority of the plants and driftwood! Depending how I feel I will move fish tonight or tomorrow. I don’t don’t to overdo it.

 

Driftwood and plants have been moved over to the 75!! The fish now hate me. A lot I’m sure of it. But after my chiropractor appointment I’ll start moving them over as well once I get the light set up.

 

Here is this 75 with all the driftwood and plants moved in and the light on.




And it took me almost 1 1/2 hours but I got all the fish in!! The hardest to catch were the tetras! I got most of the cories in quite easy. And I just carried Bananas cave upright so he had water to breath between the 55 and the 75!




I have the filters from the 55 running in the 75 currently. I’m getting a new canister tomorrow and I’ll check it and then hook it up. Getting more Angelfish Friday.

 

Jen, if you had bottom drilled that 75 you could have had a lovely sump underneath there that doesn't leak. You can use anybody's pump and anybody's filter supplies in a generic sump.

When you buy a canister you pretty much have to buy their parts or buy a new canister.

But like diamonds, sumps are forever. Once you figure it out you too will be a devotee.

Of course you can still have a sump but without drilling the tank you have to rely on siphons.

Siphons can suffer failures, but I think they are more reliable than many plastic canister filters.

If you think you need more drainage or you just want an extra siphon for safety, you can just add one to the system without drilling the glass. I had to make a another hole in the plastic sump lid last time I did that.

I could bore you for hours, but this is just one of those things people have to find out on their own. It took me over 40 years!

 

Ulu. I have heard about sumps but I have no clue how to set them up. I know they are the best kinds of filters from what I have heard.

 

IMO, on a 75 you could do just fine with 2 air-sponges and 2 HOBs. Having a canister allows you to hide the filtration (as a sump will, which is a plus, although a "display" sump is also a bonus IMO.)

Now I have air-sponges in every system. Zed the betta has 3 tiny ones in a 5! Felix the 11" Oscar has 2 (currently the hideout of 4 small mollies) plus 1 in the sump. The indoor/outdoor system has 2 huge ones hidden behind the plants. I have three 5" ones in my fry tank/sump, and they serve as a 24/7 feeding station.

Some folks think them too ugly, but the fish like them. They grow algae, which fish eat, and the algae grows tiny snails etc, which the fish eat. They grow BB of both aerobic and nonaerobic, so I'm turning waste and unconsumed feed into food. Plus I love the bubbles.

But they don't "disappear" in the tank unless you paint the back black. Also, Felix literally bit some chunks from the sponge until he figured it out.

 

I love the new setup!! I bet you do too with the extra width.

 

Ulu. If this new canister is crappy I’m buying another AquaClear 110 HOB. I don’t really care if I see my filtration as it’s just part of having fish. I have having my sponge filter as well. So do my fish.

tfreema. Thanks! It’ll clear up and hopefully the swords will grow bigger and I’ll get a bunch more crypts!! I do like the 75 a lot better than the 55. Though I was very happy with my 55 and thankful I got it.

 

Got 7 Angelfish babies from online person Bizaliz3 told me about. They arrived safe and sound. I floated them to temperature match and then slowly added tank water. Then put them in. Tank light still off, but I’ve seen all the babies swimming. I’ll try to take pictures with lights on.

2 Smokey paraiba pearlscale
2 pinoy paraiba pearlscale (I think she said they were pearlscale)
1 blue zebra
1 blue ghost
1 blue leopard

 

Congratulations! Those are some really nice varieties. Cannot wait to see pictures after they settle in.

 

Ok. Angelfish babies. Let’s go.

Pinoy paraiba pearlscale




Pearlscale paraiba




Blue ghost




Smokey blue




Blue zebra




Blue leopard

 

Love love love them all!!

 

New angel babies are the bomb! 8D

 

tfreema. They are all gorgeous!! I wish I could keep them all, but I doubt I will.

Ulu. I can enjoy the small cuteness until they become adults and I have to decide who to keep and who to give away.

I do have a couple of friends who can take one or two Angelfish. I am planning on keeping Crowley and whoever get along with him. Cuz Crowley is my baby.

My new canisters have leaked. So I got another AquaClear 110 HOB for the 75. So I’m running 2 AquaClear 110 HOBs, a small SunSun canister that does 264gph, and a sponge filter. The two HOBs could do the 75 themselves. But more filtration always good. Plus the canister has good bacteria built in.

 

Too bad about the leakage. Plastic things can shrink with age and heat, causing a poor seal on the lid. Some do have better plastic than others. Most dislike UV rays.

Sometimes you develop a pressure leak in the lid or hose because the outflow is restricted.

My real issue with most canisters is that, to be 100% safe, you need to put them in a tray or sump in case they start to drip and you don't notice. That sump should hold whatever could siphon from the tank until the suction hose draws air and stops siphoning.

 

I think Jen has been AWOL 2 months too long. Those Angels should be getting big.

JENNYYYYYY!!!!!

 

I think Jen has been AWOL 2 months too long. Those Angels should be getting big.

JENNYYYYYY!!!!!

I agree! I mentioned her in the thread on people we haven’t seen in a while.

 

Agreed!!