150g Planted Build Thread

[TommyLiNy]

Well here it goes (finally) my attempt at a big planted tank. Suggestions/Advice/Comments will be greatly appreciated.

So I found the tank/filter combo about a month ago now on CL. Its a 72 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 28 1/2 150gallon. Im going to be running a Rena Filstar XP4 (seeded with media from another Rena). For lighting Im using 2 Odyssea 36" T5HO 4 6700K 156watt fixtures. For a heater I have an Eheim Jager 300watt.

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[TommyLiNy]

There's the tank when I 1st got it home and after a good cleaning. (Sorry gotta work with me 1st time posting pics). I made a stand for it and got it up on it on Saturday. Pic will be below, today I finally got the sand for it which was on back order ( was supposed to be @ my lfs Friday). So now your right along with me, tomorrow Im off so I plan on cleaning the sand and starting to fillerr upp! I using 150lbs of black sand also have a nice DW centerpiece that's been soaking for the last month and half. More pics to come tomorrow as progress continues in the AM... Wish me luck My app keeps crashing Im going to upload on the computer shortly.

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Theres an up close of the tank which is a gray and black speckeled loo to it (thought that was pretty cool) and a shot on just so you can see the size of the tank compared to my couch. A couple of the stand I built outta 2x4s 2x6s and some plywood.

 

[TommyLiNy]

Heres the tank up on the stand, a shot of the 150lbs of sand and the driftwood. Somebodys gonna have to walk me thru this whole uploading pics I cant do more then 4 at a time sorry guys/gals.

 

[carey]

Looking good. so, you just "made" a stand? You throw it in there like its no big deal. lol

I'm curious to see how a 150g planted goes.

I'll be watching

 

[Viper]

Do you have a build thread for the stand? I'm going to look into doing something like this and your's looks really clean and classy.

 

[TommyLiNy]

Looking good. so, you just "made" a stand? You throw it in there like its no big deal. lol

I'm curious to see how a 150g planted goes.

I'll be watching

Haha yea sorry i didnt think about taking many pics when i did that. I took an old dresser a buddy of mine had in his garage (used to hold a drive shaft and other numerous car parts) so I knew it could hold the weight. All I did was box it in the 2x4 frame 2x6 on the top where the tank will sit and slapped so plywood on her lol. I spent more time skim coating with compound/sanding/painting then it took me to build the stand. Cost me 70bucks to make it. Pat myself on the back when I look at it, no bad for a dumb painter lol. And thanks!! Ill be watching yours too

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[TommyLiNy]

Do you have a build thread for the stand? I'm going to look into doing something like this and your's looks really clean and classy.

Sorry I don't... If you read the above post you'll get and idea of how I went about it, and thank you very much!!

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[Mr. Limpet]

Haha yea sorry i didnt think about taking many pics when i did that. I took an old dresser a buddy of mine had in his garage (used to hold a drive shaft and other numerous car parts) so I knew it could hold the weight. All I did was box it in the 2x4 frame 2x6 on the top where the tank will sit and slapped so plywood on her lol. I spent more time skim coating with compound/sanding/painting then it took me to build the stand. Cost me 70bucks to make it. Pat myself on the back when I look at it, no bad for a dumb painter lol. And thanks!! Ill be watching yours too

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That's a great idea and the stand looks like something a high end LFS might sell. Well done!

Beefing it up with 2X4/6's should make last a life time.

Working on my 2nd planted tank, I'll be following as well .

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[Batesy82]

Haha yea sorry i didnt think about taking many pics when i did that. I took an old dresser a buddy of mine had in his garage (used to hold a drive shaft and other numerous car parts) so I knew it could hold the weight. All I did was box it in the 2x4 frame 2x6 on the top where the tank will sit and slapped so plywood on her lol. I spent more time skim coating with compound/sanding/painting then it took me to build the stand. Cost me 70bucks to make it. Pat myself on the back when I look at it, no bad for a dumb painter lol. And thanks!! Ill be watching yours too

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Maybe I am misreading this. Did you brace vertically at the 4 corners and in the center? That is a huge amount of weight to be sitting on a dresser.

 

[TommyLiNy]

Maybe I am misreading this. Did you brace vertically at the 4 corners and in the center? That is a huge amount of weight to be sitting on a dresser.

Corners middel all across the top believe me I know its almost 2000lbs I did awhole lot of braceing wouldnt wanna take a chance with it tipping/cracking the stand. Before I did brace and add plywood the cabinet had 1400lbs of cr@p on it already and it was on 3" legs elevated off the ground. I chopped those off so it sits level on the floor (in my basement). The cabinet is solid oak too i dont know if i mentioned that so it was pretty beefy!

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[TommyLiNy]

Maybe I am misreading this. Did you brace vertically at the 4 corners and in the center? That is a huge amount of weight to be sitting on a dresser.

I have a similar setup to yours only 3 tanks in the wall. A 55g a 48g and a 30g so I've done my research on supporting tanks. Id upload pics but the app won't let me. Ill do it later when I'm back home. 150 has the sand and water in it now will post pics tonight.

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[TommyLiNy]

That's a great idea and the stand looks like something a high end LFS might sell. Well done!

Beefing it up with 2X4/6's should make last a life time.

Working on my 2nd planted tank, I'll be following as well .

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Thanks!!! Thats what my friends were saying when they came to help me lift the tank. Yea this is my second attempt, high light this time probably future CO2 (not sure yet). Ill look for yours too and thanks again I really appreciate the compliment

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Thanks!!! Thats what my friends were saying when they came to help me lift the tank. Yea this is my second attempt, high light this time probably future CO2 (not sure yet). Ill look for yours too and thanks again I really appreciate the compliment

I can appreciate good work like that and with 1200 (whatever) lbs you want a solid base. Being in CA, everything I build is at the 3X rule so it stays together when the big one hits lol.

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[TommyLiNy]

Ok so today is was pretty busy finally get a chance to get on and up load some pics of my progress (for the few followers thank you). I filled it with the sand after a little wash in a pillow case just to prevent floating sand and added the driftwood (which still floats just a lil so added a small rock to hold it down. Finished this at about 1 today So after the tank warmed up for a few hours I added the plants that finally got here @ 6:15ish. I ordered plants from thatfishplace.com on friday and they were supposed to be here today by 1:00 according to fedex. I got 2 huge what I think are crypt wendtii(thats what i ordered lol) I split into 4 nice plants, 2 Ruffled Swords, 2 Marbled Swords (didnt order these) 2 Rotala Rs which i split into 4 plants, 4 what I think are Corckscrew Vals (didnt oreder these either) a green plant i have no clue what it is threw it in my 30 (ill take a pic). I ordered 2 Lace Jave Ferns and 2 Ludwigia Repens and didnt get them so Ill be calling thatfishplace in the a.m to findout what happened to my original order. The plants hat did come were very healthy with nice roots. They came in a bag wrapped in newspaper and the article was the obituaries :O hope thats not a sign of bad things to come lol... Enough heres the pics hope I can fit em all if not ill post another.

 

[TommyLiNy]

Heres pics of the plants...

 

[Batesy82]

Nice piece of DW! Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

 

[TommyLiNy]

A few more of the plants... look ae the roots on some of them. I dont know much about plants but these look pretty good to me.

 

[TommyLiNy]

Finally a FTS and plants in the tanks... Right to left plant list - Marbled Swords and Rotala R. Some what I think are Corkscrew Vals and Rotala along the back. The Crypts I put in/around the driftwood with more Vals and Rotala along the back. Followed by 2 Ruffled Swords. Root Tabs by all the plants and a good dose of Flourish. Still no filter on the tank I need to get some longer tubes, so hopefully this weekend Ill get to that. Anyway theres my book lol, Suggestions/Comments are always appreciated.

 

[TommyLiNy]

Nice piece of DW! Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Thanks, I got it @ my LFS (all my DW came from there) and they only get it in once every year and when its gone its gone. I was there maybe 3 wees before I got my tank when I saw it and bought i right away, they had just gotten it all in like 20mins before I got there and I had 1st dibbs!! I got it for $50 which was even more of a SCORE. I have a few smaller piece in my 55 and that was $60. So I got it before I even had a tank big enough to put it in lol, but I knew I was going big! Thats when I came across my tank on CL, it was the fish gods giving me a sign lol. Thanks once again though! Your DW is awesome too btw, great looking tank!!!

 

[Jason7894561230]

Looks great keep the pictures coming!