My new 92G Corner Discus tank Journey!!!

[candymancan]

Ok a few people have attacked me in the past for having my discus in a 44g Pentagon, and I told them iwas buying a new tank when I had the chance. I only had my discus in my other tank for like 5 months.

Well 2 days ago I found a 92g Corner tank for $350 on craigslist.. No light or top, just the stand and tank.. I chewed him down to $250 because the tank is old. 10-12 years he said..

The seals on it though look like brand new.. I cant smear them anywhere.. They are black so its hard to tell with clear silicon when you can see the silicone if its bad or not.. But smearing with my finger tip its holding very nicely actually.. If it weren't an older tank id think it was redone at some point in its life but he says it wasn't... Im going to risk it and im filling it up right now.. He said he was filled fo for the 10 years and didn't sit dry but for a few weeks while he was trying to sell it.. What do you guys think ? I got a good deal didn't I ? I think I did..

I didn't realize though how massive this tank was... It is almost too big lol.. Takes up 1/4 of my bedroom. Im worried about the weight as itll be on the top floor.. but its against 2 walls and one is an outside wall the other is next to my neighbors (im in a townhouse) so it isn't like its sitting against a wall in the middle of the house. People said I should be ok... well see....

Here are some pics of the 2 tanks next to eachother.. I'll take more pictures as I set the tank up.. I have no moneys so I need like 2-3 more bags of Floramax.. The 2 bags I had in the 44g isn't enough.. it just barely carpets the tank lol.. I also can see its going to be impossible to decorate the tank in the back.. lol So im going to set my giant piece of driftwood I found awhile back back there.. I use to have it in my pentagon but it was soo massive. but this tank its perfect.. No top either so im going to have to make one.. And I have no lights long enough for the tank either.. But I have 4 Power Compacts.. I'll just space them accordingly... I need a top though to support them.. So ill have to make a plexi top

Im soooo nervous about my floor collapsing though...

 

[Gillie]

The tank may be 12 years old but it looks like it was never actually set up and the black silicone is a high strength material so as long as it doesn't look like it's breaking down in any way, then you're in good shape.

As for your worries about the floor holding the weight, there should be no problem there either. Joists are rated to support a lot of weight and are bolstered by at least 1 load bearing wall in the middle of the house. this might help a bit
"Your floor was designed to support loads without collapsing using a "safety factor". The "safety factor" in most structures is usually somewhere between 1.5 and 2.0. So, if I tell you that your floor can "safely" support 1000 pounds then that also means that your floor might theoretically fail when it receives a load of 1500 to 2000 pounds."

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[Tigerbarb12]

Wow looks really nice.

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[mikem691]

Looks like you got a good deal. Tank looks like new condition. Just make sure its out far enough from the wall to be off the tack strip for the carpet and the worse think is to fill then realize there isn't enough room to put your filter or hoses.

 

[candymancan]

Yea youre right Mikem691.. I was about to fill it and looked and I was like hmm needs to come forward an inch or two. Its filled up now... I am going to completetly dismantle my 27g hexagon In my bedroom.. The tank is 15 years old and the silicon is in absolutetly abysmal condition.. Im surprised it hasn't leaked yet.. Im going to transfer all the fish from that tank to my 92g tank.. All I have in their are 3 guppies, 3-4 platies.. 4 glowlight tetras, 6 neons, 1 large rainbow shark, an angle fish, and 2 emerald cories.. I think I actually will put the platies in my 10g bowfront, my only issue is the rainbow shark... Hes a good 3-4 inches in size.. and im worried he will chase my discus, he seems pretty aggressive. and I have 2 already in my 55g so I don't wanna mix 3 together..


Once the hexagon is dismantled I will reseal it.. But im not sure if im going to set it back up.. And as for my 44g Pentagon.. its resealed no leaks.. in good condition.. I might sell it.. I dunno... What do you guys think.. ? Sell the 44g and get some of my money back from buying this 92g tank ?


Omg I need to make a plexi top ASAP... I cant light this 92g tank properly lol my 65w Duel power compact light is only 30 inches long.. so I have to rest it on the side for now.


Here is a picture of the tank setup and filled.. I know it looks plain.. but I don't have enough plants yet lol.. and I need 2 more bags of substrate. My driftwood needs to soak.. Sadly it sitting outside for like 5 months its become buoyant again so I had to stack like 6 pieces of slate on top of it lols.


My fish are still in my little Rubbermaid tub.. I used white vinager to clean it.. and im letting the water circulate with prime for a bit before I put the fish back in.. I don't think I cleaned EVERY bit of vinager out of the tank because I couldn't reach in the back... Do you think itll be ok if I put them in the tank ?


As for the seals again.. yea I tried to push on them really hard to peal them off the glass and they wouldn't budge.. so they seem good.. The tank looks new yea, but it deff was used it still was full when I got it and it was used for African cichlids and Oscars and those type of fish.. I didn't disinfect it with bleach.. I did wash it out with the hose thuroughly though and wipe it down with white vinager. The stand has a few scratches and stuff on it, and I had to put some small pieces of wood under the front of the stand to make the tank level.. it was leaning slightly forward.. Just like my pentagon.. so the floor or house must be uneven a little

.

 

[candymancan]

My only issues right now are.

A. I need a new heater... I have only 100-150w heaters in my all main big tanks.. My 44g pentagon had a 150w that heated the water just fine to 84-86f... But this tank is 2x the size.. So I took my 200w heater outa the 55g and swapped the 150 in it. Im hoping the 200w will be able to heat this tank propery..

B. I need to make a plexi top... I have Enough lights... but they are all 65W power compacts.. So they are only like 21 inches long.. and the tank is 49 inches long, and 35 inches deep on all corners.. So itll probably take all 4 of my power compact lights to light the tank properly.. Hense the top... My duel PC orbit fixture was sitting a piece of wood I put on top to light the tank, but messing with my canister filter the light FELL in the tank while on... lol still works but I unplugged it and ima let it dry out.

C. The other issue I have a Eheim 2217 canister filter.. I was using on the 44g pentagon... but the spray bar was too strong for that tank so I made the spray bar holes slightly bigger.. to lower the spray output so it wouldn't be so darn strong.. But now.. with this massive tank.. The flow seems a really nice gentle.. flow.. I can see particles swirling in the tank... but it doesn't seem strong enough I dunno ill have to see.. I don't like how the tank only has 1 inlet to clean debris in the water.. It just doesn't seem like enough.. Im going to have to put a smaller HOB on the other side to add more mechanical filtration I think

D. Im broke... and my substrate is like 1/3 inch thick lol not enough for my plants and I can see through it !! GRR lol

 

[mikem691]

I would do glass instead of plexi unless you glue some support on it. Plexi tends to sag on a tank that size. It also won't allow enough light to penetrate it.

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[candymancan]

Oh yea your right.. I forgot.. I made a plexi hood for my 27g hex and its fine... sags slightly.. but with 6 corners only 18 inches it wasn't an issue.. I guess it depends on how thick the plexi is too..


I wonder if they sell all glass tops for a 92g Bowfront For now I think I might have to buy some kind of net to keep my fish from jumping out of the tank, I hear discus can jump.. I dunno.. I will have to buy some long pieces of wood or something temp in order to get my lights on for now..

 

[Mebbid]

My only issues right now are.

A. I need a new heater... I have only 100-150w heaters in my all main big tanks.. My 44g pentagon had a 150w that heated the water just fine to 84-86f... But this tank is 2x the size.. So I took my 200w heater outa the 55g and swapped the 150 in it. Im hoping the 200w will be able to heat this tank propery..

B. I need to make a plexi top... I have Enough lights... but they are all 65W power compacts.. So they are only like 21 inches long.. and the tank is 49 inches long, and 35 inches deep on all corners.. So itll probably take all 4 of my power compact lights to light the tank properly.. Hense the top... My duel PC orbit fixture was sitting a piece of wood I put on top to light the tank, but messing with my canister filter the light FELL in the tank while on... lol still works but I unplugged it and ima let it dry out.

C. The other issue I have a Eheim 2217 canister filter.. I was using on the 44g pentagon... but the spray bar was too strong for that tank so I made the spray bar holes slightly bigger.. to lower the spray output so it wouldn't be so darn strong.. But now.. with this massive tank.. The flow seems a really nice gentle.. flow.. I can see particles swirling in the tank... but it doesn't seem strong enough I dunno ill have to see.. I don't like how the tank only has 1 inlet to clean debris in the water.. It just doesn't seem like enough.. Im going to have to put a smaller HOB on the other side to add more mechanical filtration I think

D. Im broke... and my substrate is like 1/3 inch thick lol not enough for my plants and I can see through it !! GRR lol

Nice tank! I've been wanting a corner tank about that size for a while now.

A - Eheim Jager 300w heaters are great and affordable heaters. I use one on my 110g reef system and couldn't be happier. Aquatop heaters are a bit cheaper, but I have about a 50/50 success rate with them.

B - A lid is tough for that, dunno what I'd do for that. Maybe check a glass shop for a thick strip of glass big enough to span the tank. I'd be worried about plexo glass because it bends with little effort, it could slip in and drop the lights in the tank unexpectedly.

C - You could plug a hole or two in the spray bar. That would serve to increase the flow through the open ones. Either that or shorten it up.

D - Have you thought about sand? Pool filter sand from Menards is $10 per 50lbs. 2 bags would give more than enough depth in that tank and is a nice natural brown color.

There is also a silica sand there that's a nice white, it's a bit dirty and a pita to clean but looks nice. I used to use it with my Mbuna.

 

[mikem691]

Google serch aga versa top. They have the 92 gallon corner top.

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[candymancan]

I use sand in my African cichlid tank.. Isnt quiet as fine as pool filter sand though.. Its Argonite from carib sea.. I like the white look and I have debated on using that in this tank, but I already dumped all the floramax in and im pooped after hauling this thing around and tearing down my old one..I actually aggravated an old back injury. My lower disk and I feel like im crippled it hurts to stand straight or even raise my leg to put pants on.. So I gotta take it easy Maybe down the road.. For now ima just get 2-3 more bags of Floramax and call it a day...


For my lights, until I can save up more money.. What im going to do is go to lowes.. They sell these thin long pieces of wood they are thin and small but strong and come in various lengths.. Im going to get like 4 of them and line them length wise of the tank and 2 depth wise for support.. And separate them by like 18 inches and this way I can lay my lights on them. 2 of my 65w PC lights are ghetto made. Using an 2 old 55g T8 fixtures I gutted and I stuffed a duel 65w PC ballast inside one and added a 80mm fan to it. and zip tied the lights inside.. It looks weird.. but its been working fine over my 27g tank for like a year now.. Since im going to tear down that tank soon.. I can use those 2 lights combined with my Orbit 2x 65w fixture, to have 4 65W PC bulbs over the tank. That should deff make it plenty bright. Its hard to explain what I mean but ill show you guys tomorrow when I buy the boards im talking about..


For heaters I realized I don't need a heater in my 27g hexagon.. My bedroom is literally always 76-78f due to having 3 fish tanks and my computer on, and its a small room, plus being on the top level it holds a lot of heat.. Even in the winter I keep my ceiling fan on.. The tank never gets cold.. I took its heater out and added it to the new tank.. So I have 2 heaters now 1 150w and 1 200w. Water temps are now at 82f last I checked. and the heaters are starting to shut off so I think im good.

What I ended up doing with my filtering was I put in one of my Top Fin Interal 40 filters.. It uses 2 sponges for mechanical filtration and has a chamber where I put a 100ml bag of Purigen and a big bag full of phosguard. It has a spray bar on it and adjustable flow 178GPH and it added the flow I needed in the tank and the extra mechanical filtration.




Im starting to wonder who likes the tank more.. My discus, or my neon/cardinals lol..

 

[Autumnsky]

Great upgrade!! ALL the fish will really be happy with the additional space.

You can also focus your plants and best plant growing light to one side.

What about the grid material for florescent lighting aka egg crate? Not too costly and will keep fish from jumping out too. I found some at the ReStore Habitat for Humanity for $1.00 for a full sized panel. You can cut it to make the best fit.

Very exciting news!

 

[Mebbid]

Great upgrade!! ALL the fish will really be happy with the additional space.

You can also focus your plants and best plant growing light to one side.

What about the grid material for florescent lighting aka egg crate? Not too costly and will keep fish from jumping out too. I found some at the ReStore Habitat for Humanity for $1.00 for a full sized panel. You can cut it to make the best fit.

Very exciting news!

I use eggcrate over my reef tank, the only problem is it isn't really trustworthy enough to support the weight of lights.

 

[mikem691]

pricey its at the bottom
All Glass Aquariums (Aqueon & Aga) Glass Canopy Tops

 

[candymancan]

Yea $100 that's almost 50% of what I paid for the tank and stand lol... Maybee when I get more money.. Im pretty crafty so Im making my own lid.. I have a extremely busy day today so I was only able to finish part of it.. I purchased some screen window material and 4 long narrow pieces of wood at the flooring section in lowes.. I got 4 more bags of floramax, and 4 pretty big sized black lava rock chunks.. which I haven't put in yet


What I did was build a square frame with the 4 pieces of wood.. Deep enough to rest my lights on.. It isn't pretty... Mainly it isn't pretty because 2 of my Power compact lights I made myself using an old 55 gallon tanks T8 hoods. I had these two lights over my 27g hex.. But I don't care much about my hex im going to tear it down soon... I don't have the window screen on the square frame I made yet but here is a picture of it. You can get the idea of what I did and im going to do.. As I said right now It isn't pretty I just made it real quick to add my lights.. Now my tank is pretty much fully lit up.


Functionality over looks, this isn't the final product again only half done.. I worked 12 hours today so I don't have the energy to finish it

 

[typierre29]

Splendid indeed!


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[Bbush]

Amaze balls!!! I just picked up a 55 gallon for my baby discus. I've been following your posts. Inspired indeed. Keep up the good work bro.


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[candymancan]

Ok what do you guys think of this ? Instead of using window screen mesh.. I was thinking to myself... Why do that ? The frame im building to hold my lights could also hold some glass. or plexi...


Here is my idea.. See the old glass lid and plexi piece of have left over laying on top ? I wouldn't use those I would just go to lowes and have them cut a piece to fit that middle section for me.. And I made two side slits you can see with the wood at an angle so the sides are covered as well, I would just cut some plexi or something for them.. And all I have to do is use some silicon or something on the pieces and glue them to the wood, assuming silicon sticks to wood.. If not some other kind of glue.. I haven't figured out what ima do the back though there is still a good gap back there.. The front gap im leaving alone purposely so I can actually feed my fish without having to lift all my lights and hood out of the way. The evaporation on this tank is crazy.. Ive already had to fill 2 gallons in the tank in the last 2 days so I need a glass lid to stop that.


Here is pic of my work so far and the idea I have. What do you guys think. ?Should I go for it or no ? Im by no means a good carpenter or what not so this is the best I can come up with lol.. Note those pieces of glass/plexi on top is just laying there to give you an idea of what im talking about.


Should I use glass ? Or do you guys think a mesh would be better ?

 

[Fishobsessed7]

Following...


Fishobsessed7

3 tanks and counting! (6 if you count the bettas)

 

[Gillie]

Why don't you leave the top open and suspend the lights above it? It would likely be less frustrating than making a top for that beast.

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