the 210 gallon in wall project

[Ted]

There is a hobby lobby at 281& bitters. Its on the side with the movie theater just about a block off 281. Not the side with the valerio the other one. I would think they should have it. If not just up 281 from AD on the right before the HEB is a michaels. Just before 1604.

 

[project5k]

that'll work, thanks Ted! When i go back to AD to pick up my tops, i'll hit one of 'em...

so i got up this morning, and the tank is almost completely clear!! woohoo!!!

I sent a txt to my buddy, the one that was gonna hook me up with the free stuff... i think its time i get that live rock over here, but i havent heard back from him yet...

 

[project5k]

so i'm having thoughts about how i want to do my ATO, and i've got it narrowed down to a couple different ideas, one is to use one of the little while floaty valves that i got with my RO, the other idea that i had was to use a toliet valve, they make them with plastic arms now, so no metal there, but i dont know what the rest of the guts inside one look like...

any thoughts? i mean, common plumbing fittings, and adjustable height, what more could you ask for?

 

[daugherty]

i use the little float that came with my ro.

 

[project5k]

mine has a metal screw in it, where the adjustable arm is jointed, i guess i could try and find a plastic screw...

 

[daugherty]

that screw never touches the water. mine has the same thing but it is stainless and still has no rust on it

 

[PRC]

You haven't drowned yourself in your tank have you? Been quiet on your thread. Hope everything is going ok. Looking forward to more pics.

 

[ltljoker]

WOW PROJECT, YOUR TANK PROJECT IS COMING ALONG FANTASTICLY. I AM SO JELOUSE THAT I CANT PUT MINE IN A WALL. AND EVEN IF I COULD I WOULDNT DO IT MYSELF CAUSE I AM EXACTLY LIKE TIM THE TOOLMAN TAYLOR. i WOULD F*CK IT ALL UP IF I TRIED IT ON MY OWN

 

[project5k]

yea, sorry, been busy putting down new flooring in the new spare bedroom, and stuff like that... well, today, in just a couple hours that is, i go and get the liverock and fish from a friend's system thats comming down... so... got my quarentine tank all up and running... all it is is the drilled 20 gallon thats been on my front porch for almost a year, (my pump test tank) and then my original 10 gallon fuge.. another 20 will fit in the bottom of this stand, but i thought that the little fuge was a better use of materials, so now i have a spare 20 on the back porch that i can drill and make into my fuge for the big tank... hehehe

 

[project5k]

ok, got a foxface, a clown, and 4 damsels, all in the q-tank, and about a half a trashcan full of mostely tonga rock... it all came out of a 125 that was just covered in hair algae, so we scrubbed the big chunks off, and and the rest can just die off and be part of the cycle of the new tank.... the way i look at it, coveren in algae or not, free rock is free rock...

the proof:

 

[Bifferwine]

6 fish at once? In a tank you just set up? Are you sure?

 

[project5k]

well, they went into the quarentine tank, no other real options right now, i'm just gonna have to do daily measurements and water changes as needed in the q-tank untill the big tank is cycled... see the thing is that i got the fish and the LR all for free, but it was an all or nothing, and it had to be right then, cause they wanted to tear thier tank down this weekend.. so, i'm kinda just doing the best i can with what i have...

i would agree not ideal circumstances, but.....

 

[Bifferwine]

Ah okay, I see. I thought you went and bought all the fish or something! In that case, you're right, there isn't much you can do.

 

[project5k]

yea, sorry, i probably shoulda explained that better...

oh, and my glass tops came in, so i put thoes on the tank, i like 'em, its a 3 part design, cause i have 2 braces on the top of the tank... that'll cut down on the evaporation...

 

[project5k]

got the SCWD set up today, used a rio 2500 pump that i had to run it for now... just have it going to 2 fixtures in the front top corners of the tank with a short 3 link bit of loc-line...

also dumped in 3 more bags of sand, so its all clowdy again, but my bucket filter seems to be working wonders...

also, i made up some hiding places from some 4 inch and some 3 inch pvc pipe i had for the new guys in the q-tank... they seem to be much happier now, and actually ate incredibly pigly tonight... the foxface apparently really loves mysis and brine shrimp soaked in garlic... and so does all the others.....

 

[project5k]

alrighty, got the last of the bags of new sand in this morning... so the tank is good and clowdy again, but its clearing pretty nicely...

all the new fishy friends have eatn well 2 times now, once last night, and then again today, and the foxface is eating both the mysis/brine shrimps and he's nibbl'n on some algae in a clip i put in there for him...

tested the water in the q-tank, nitrIte and nitrAte are 0 but amonia was about 1.5 mg/l so, i'll be doing a water change on that tank here in a few min...

also took the first "real" measurements on the new tank...
Salinity = 1.027
nitrAte = 0
nitrITE = 0
ammonia = 0

I figure i'll just dump the old water from the water changes on the q-tank into the new tank, that way i'm sourcing the amonia, but i'm not stressing any animals...

 

[Bifferwine]

Looking good! Everything's coming along.

 

[project5k]

do i need a skimmer on the new tank before i put life in there?
i wouldnt immagine there is much of anything for it to pull out right now...

 

[rwynn]

Some people go skimmerless..forever...just watch your parameters and do WCs as needed.

 

[dcantucson]

I would add a skimmer and let it get through its broken in period. I would not go skimmerless on a 210. JMO