fw 150gal Diary/Build

[rob28]

So I decided to start a diary/build thread for my 150gal tank. The reason behind this is that im hoping lots of people chime in with their expertice and ideas, especially people that can help with live plants and driftwood....etc.

I want my tank to look the same as it would if you hung over the side of a boat and dipped your head in. very natural. I realize that the pvc pipeing that i have in there isnt natural, but i plan to cover it with something.....ie paint or whatever i can find that is SAFE.
Ive already made a mistake that cost me alot of work, and thats another reason i need people to chime in.....i hate doin a job twice, especially when it involves 150 gallons. so here are the fist pics to start the diary.

 

[rob28]

new tank 001.jpg
new tank 002.jpg
new tank 003.jpg
these pics are from when i first brought the tank home. its a 150gal acrylic tank with acrylic stand and canopy.

 

[rob28]

J 002.jpg
this is that big mistake that i made. I was very excited when i brought the tank home. I didnt have that much money at that moment, so i ran to my local hardware store and grabbed play sand. Big no-no. It took 3 days to finally see through it and even then the sand was gross looking. I ended up emptying the tank and discarding the sand.

 

[rob28]

new new tank 001.jpg
Before i emptied the tank of the nasty sand and water, i ran to the local pool supply store and bought four fifty pound bags of pool filter sand. the sand came to just over 25 bucks with taxes and is a very nice tan color. i rinsed the sand and threw it in and filled with water. i have 2 fluval 405 canister filters but i am considering one more just because i love how clear one made my 55 gal.
in this pic, you can see pvc piping. i bought 2 5ft sections of 1 and a half inch pipe, four 90 degree elbows and 2 tee sections. the bottom half pretty much mirrors the top except for the fact that its wider, burried and the pipes that run to the front of the tank are angled up to come out of the sand. this is a hiding spot/habitat for my future fire eel. i havent figured out what to cover the pvc pipe with yet to make it more natural looking, so please chime in with any ideas.

 

[rob28]

new new tank 004.jpg
this is a side shot of the pvc pipe home for the eel.

 

[rob28]

new new tank 005.jpg
this is basical;ly where im at. i only have a few small rocks and a few fake plants. im just putting them in there for now until i can get better decor.
i plan on a planting half the tank with a low light/maintainance set up. ive been researching it here on the site. (purr-box) has a really good sticky that has been very helpful, but i dont know what kind of plants to buy. i have an idea in my head of what i want it to look like but dont know how to ask for the plant types.

 

[black hills tj]

That's a very nice tank and stand. I really like the PVC piping idea for the fire eel. With some creative plant, driftwood, and rock placement you can easily cover that up IMO. Maybe you could coat the PVC in sand, and it might stand out a little less.

 

[black hills tj]

new new tank 005.jpg
this is basical;ly where im at. i only have a few small rocks and a few fake plants. im just putting them in there for now until i can get better decor.
i plan on a planting half the tank with a low light/maintainance set up. ive been researching it here on the site. (purr-box) has a really good sticky that has been very helpful, but i dont know what kind of plants to buy. i have an idea in my head of what i want it to look like but dont know how to ask for the plant types.

Once you decide which plants you are looking for check around AA, FR, and plantedtank for the plants you want. You will be able to get them much cheaper than purchasing them from a store.

 

[rob28]

That's a very nice tank and stand. I really like the PVC piping idea for the fire eel. With some creative plant, driftwood, and rock placement you can easily cover that up IMO. Maybe you could coat the PVC in sand, and it might stand out a little less.

i was thinking of that but am not sure what to use to do that. i dont wanna use something that leaches into the tank and klills my fish

 

[black hills tj]

i was thinking of that but am not sure what to use to do that. i dont wanna use something that leaches into the tank and klills my fish

You could brush some 100% silicone onto the piping, and then pour the dry sand over it.

Also, you may need to literally aim a powerhead into the "caves" to flush out any debris once in a while.

 

[rob28]

You could brush some 100% silicone onto the piping, and then pour the dry sand over it.

Also, you may need to literally aim a powerhead into the "caves" to flush out any debris once in a while.

thats why i didnt glue the pvc. i wanted to be able to take it apart easily for maintainance or lost fish lol

 

[rob28]

i was also wondering if there was such a thing as a seaweed wrap that i could wrap the pipe with. i saw some air tubing that had some plant wrap on it and you couldnt even tell that it was tubing.

 

[black hills tj]

i was also wondering if there was such a thing as a seaweed wrap that i could wrap the pipe with. i saw some air tubing that had some plant wrap on it and you couldnt even tell that it was tubing.

It would take some time and effort, but you could get some moss(java, christmas, flame, etc) and wrap it around the tubing. It might be pretty neat when it grows out!

 

[rob28]

It would take some time and effort, but you could get some moss(java, christmas, flame, etc) and wrap it around the tubing. It might be pretty neat when it grows out!

thats if im able to not kill it!! lmao

 

[Jnam]

Totaly against everything i believe in!!! J/k the airline tubing you are thinking of is coated in a fake plant. I used it once it works great. The same idea can be applied to you PVC. Take the fake plant and attatch it to the PVC with some fishing line. Something long and leafty, the Silk variety works better then the plastic cheap kind. Lastly try the live plant route, but with moss and low tech low light set ups it takes a while for it to grow out.

 

[rob28]

Totaly against everything i believe in!!! J/k the airline tubing you are thinking of is coated in a fake plant. I used it once it works great. The same idea can be applied to you PVC. Take the fake plant and attatch it to the PVC with some fishing line. Something long and leafty, the Silk variety works better then the plastic cheap kind. Lastly try the live plant route, but with moss and low tech low light set ups it takes a while for it to grow out.

right on!! thanks for the heads-up.
i plan on tryin to grow some short (grass looking??) plants and something that grows 3-4 inches tall. im still trying to figure out what that would be but....

 

[rob28]

so here is a nice piece of driftwood that i picked up. i like it because of how tall it is and the claw-like top. i plan to get a few smaller pieces to lay out or stack along the bottom along with some rock formations.
driftwood 001.jpg
driftwood 002.jpg

 

[black hills tj]

That's a neat piece of driftwood! Is it malaysian?

 

[rob28]

That's a neat piece of driftwood! Is it malaysian?

to be honest, i dont know.

 

[Jnam]

NICE DW if it is malaysian be prepared for some tannins. Did it sink right away when you put it in the tank?