90 gallon build/rebuild.

[Mogurako]

After almost a month of of battling bacteria blooms and more recently ammonia spikes I have decided to sell/ give away my fish ( anyone in the Seattle area need fish?) an completely strip and rebuild my tank from the ground up. What I plan to do it:

-Reline all the interior silicone.
-Scrub the bejesus out of the glass and decor to clean it.
-Build a DIY 3D rock background and use it to conceal my filter in and out.
-Re-plumb my filter intake and out take to fit behind the background.
- Repaint the outside plastic pieces on my tank
- Sand and refinish my stand.
-Add an in-line heater to filter return.
-Upgrade lighting ( will need your guys help with this)
-Possible DIY Co2 reactor if I go the planted route.

I figure all that will take about 2 months and will give me plenty of time to figure out what stocking plan I want to go with. My ideas are African cichlid/ cat tank with a reef made in the same style as the background. A mix of South american cichlids and a few hardy live plants, Or a large planted community.

I will be posting updates on my progress, I plan to start as soon as I find a new home for my fish. I'll post a picture of the tank to show what I'm starting with.

 

[carey]

Very cool. Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. lol
Should look brand new when your done!

Good luck

 

[Mogurako]

Yea it's gunna be a fun and loooong project. It was a used tank so it needs a little TLC, I'm actually a little depressed that I'll be out of town this weekend and can't start on it.

On a side note anyone knowing if minor scratches in the glass on inside of tanks can be fixed?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Yea it's gunna be a fun and loooong project. It was a used tank so it needs a little TLC, I'm actually a little depressed that I'll be out of town this weekend and can't start on it.

On a side note anyone knowing if minor scratches in the glass on inside of tanks can be fixed?

If the scratches aren't too deep use regular tooth paste (not gel lol), a soft cloth with a circular polishing motion and it should take them out. I'd also suggest you start in a discrete spot as a test. This technique worked for me, but YMMV.

I was warned that deep scratches should be left alone and in some cases concern over the strength of the glass can be compromised by some deep scratches.

 

[Mogurako]

Thanks Mr Limpet, the scratched aren't to deep so I'll give that a try. The back of the tank has less scratches so it will become the new front ^_^

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Thanks Mr Limpet, the scratched aren't to deep so I'll give that a try. The back of the tank has less scratches so it will become the new front ^_^

Yep, that's what I did. Only the (viewable) side had scratches that I wanted out.

 

[Mogurako]

One thing I just thought of, how on earth am I going to keep my filters "seeded" for like 2 months so I don't have to start from scratch? The only other tank I have is a 10 gallons.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

One thing I just thought of, how on earth am I going to keep my filters "seeded" for like 2 months so I don't have to start from scratch? The only other tank I have is a 10 gallons.

Put the filter in service on a $10 plastic tub (they work as tanks too ) and seed it with shrimp or something is my best suggestion. Of course I'm guessing the 10g won't be big enough to hold the media from the 90g lol.

 

[Mogurako]

I have a Eheim 2217 and a Penn-plax cascade 1000 I believe it is ,those poor little shrimp will feel like they are in a tsunami! I'm sure my gf will love a plastic tub full of water in the living room and the look I'll get when I say " but Mr. Limpet suggested it" *insert angry gf eye roll here*

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I have a Eheim 2217 and a Penn-plax cascade 1000 I believe it is ,those poor little shrimp will feel like they are in a tsunami! I'm sure my gf will love a plastic tub full of water in the living room and the look I'll get when I say " but Mr. Limpet suggested it" *insert angry gf eye roll here*

Put it the bathroom and make a hot tub out if it lol. With that much filter, I'm outta ideas for you.

 

[Joyler]

I'm in Edmonds/Seattle what kind of fish?

 

[Mogurako]

Put it the bathroom and make a hot tub out if it lol. With that much filter, I'm outta ideas for you.

LOL! I'll add a couple 300watt heaters while I'm at it.

@ Joy, PM sent.

 

[Mogurako]

So I have enlisted some help from some friends who a little more artistically inclined than me and we came up with a concept for an open top African tank with a water fall that looks like water is running down the shore and into the "lake" there will be not "cichlid reef" in front of the background instead there will be caves, and over hangs in the background. Big ideas I know but well see how much of it we actually accomplish. My only major engineering challenge comes from tryin to light the tank and keep dust/hair out of the water. Concept sketches to follow.

 

[Joyler]

Wow! Really excited! Love the idea of running water in a tank

 

[Mogurako]

We figured out that we have to just use a pump for that and not a filter because both filters we be high-flow and I'd be sacrificing to much water flow. So both spray bars will still be uses to create water flow and the "water fall" will cause surface disturbance.

 

[Joyler]

We figured out that we have to just use a pump for that and not a filter because both filters we be high-flow and I'd be sacrificing to much water flow. So both spray bars will still be uses to create water flow and the "water fall" will cause surface disturbance.

Are you going to use filter media? Or how will you filter?

 

[Mogurako]

Are you going to use filter media? Or how will you filter?

I have two canister filters that will provide all the filtration the water feature will just be for looks/ to help turn up the waters surface more.

 

[Joyler]

Sweet deal!

 

[Smitty]

Do you really have to keep the filters running to keep the media alive? If the purpose of the media is to keep the good bacteria then it should be sufficient to just take it out of the canister and then keep the media wet (like in a bucket or something) and keep feeding it every so often.

 

[Mogurako]

Do you really have to keep the filters running to keep the media alive? If the purpose of the media is to keep the good bacteria then it should be sufficient to just take it out of the canister and then keep the media wet (like in a bucket or something) and keep feeding it every so often.

I think the purpose of keeping them running is so you can feed the BB. If my tank was only down for a day or so I could just make sure the media was wet then it would be fine, but alas that isn't the case.