New House-Reno-Tank

[Nano]

Hey all, after an absence on here of really a few months, (well ok the odd post.)
and no tank since January, I've been rather busy.. We bought a house back in April, and everything was good except we needed to sign the final papers-

this is where the plan went bad. The owner of the house was in long term care, so the house had been vacant for some time. We went to our realtors office and he got a phone call in the middle of the meeting saying the home owner had passed away. So with out his final signature the deal was dead.. The house that was so close to being ours was now in Limbo. Turns out his brother was the executor of the will, but didn't have power over the house!?? Great so needless to say we both had our hearts pretty set on this house so we kept our offer in for the time but were free to withdraw anytime. we continued looking all the way into the first week of July and nothing was right, no where felt as much like home as this house. July 10th in the evening I get a call for our Realtor, letting us know the house was now settled through all the legal junk and was ready to be transferred into our names at anytime. so we naturally were very excited, and jumped over to sign again. we took possesion july 26th.

then the renos started- after working 18-20 hours for 3 weeks on my own (regular day job, and renovating) I did this. sorry the first pic is a crappy panoramic shot

Mama And Ava
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/fe7dfdf1-7505-4610-aec0-6e2e87643923_zps6849ad05.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/fe7dfdf1-7505-4610-aec0-6e2e87643923_zps6849ad05.jpg.html)
and then the mess
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM00498_zps33373504.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM00498_zps33373504.jpg.html)
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM00502_zps95db3dc1.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM00502_zps95db3dc1.jpg.html)

Thought I uploaded more "during" pics but I guess not heres some more

Here you can see I've started rebuilding the kitchen cabinets on one side, I still have to do the doors, counters and backsplash, as well as the other half of the kitchen, but I'm running on fumes, and the wife is happy so its time for a break.
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM00646_zps62578e50.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM00646_zps62578e50.jpg.html)


So I'm waiting on my tablesaws motor to come in for replacement (35 years old bound to die some time) So I started this-
lucky I'm handy with a skill saw I beefed the stand up since a bit more as well
I should also add that a lot of the materials used for the stand and casing are from the wall and other demo pieces, there was a lot of good wood, so I figured I may as well use it, and keep the tank "green" lol.
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM00604_zps3b35e3c4.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM00604_zps3b35e3c4.jpg.html)
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM00610_zpsb81cd4c3.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM00610_zpsb81cd4c3.jpg.html)
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM00618_zps1b1a00d8.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM00618_zps1b1a00d8.jpg.html)


Styrofoam background started, tomorrow I start the cement on it
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM00639_zps460d86ed.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM00639_zps460d86ed.jpg.html)
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM00638_zpsa7eac3b9.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM00638_zpsa7eac3b9.jpg.html)

The tank is currently in the garage strength testing the stand, and checking for leaks etc, as the tank was custom made, but there was a seam with quite a few bubbles in it so rather be safe then sorry, especially after new floors have been put in.

As for what the plans are for it right now- its in the freshwater section so that should answer that question.. as for the kind of fish haven't decided, probably cichlids or something small and schooling- tetras etc just for some color in the house.

Filtration is a used Ehiem Ecco (can't remember the size)
Power Head is a tunze 6015
heater is an inline by hydor
and lighting is still in the air, since it will probably be fish only- maybe fake plants. I will be getting LEDs most likely but probably just a couple panorama pros.
Oh yeah - the tank
36"Lx24"Wx16"H so just shy of 60g. 3/8 Glass beveled and drilled to accept 3/4" bulkheads

anyways glad to have a tank again be it fresh or salty- thanks for looking guys and its nice to be back

[IanWR]

Very nice size tank. Will be great for when you decide to convert it to salt. :). In the meantime, my suggestion for fish would be African cichlids. They have the colour and behavior that can rival some saltwater fish. Plus if you have water like ours (Saskatoon area), it comes out of the tap at about 7.8 ph, just right for rift lake cichlids. Save your ro/di for the inevitable saltwater tank. There are lots of great plant friendly LEDs now, add a few anubias, and you're away to the races.

Keep us posted!

- Ian

[Nano]

Thanks, I had to shut down the old reef due to school and upcoming move/renos so I may get back into it once I'm through school but for now fresh is so low maintenance and simple. Probably just do cichlids as I've kept them over 10 years on and off. Just want a bit of color and then the rest to be simple- aquascaping and plant work(if any)

I will keep posted. Not like theres much happening compared to salt but what ever lol.

[Dearth]

I loved the tetras especially the neon and X-ray tetras great schooling fish and had the added bonus of looking great under most lighting conditions also ran with a couple of bronze and albino cories for detritus control

[Nano]

I loved the tetras especially the neon and X-ray tetras great schooling fish and had the added bonus of looking great under most lighting conditions also ran with a couple of bronze and albino cories for detritus control

Thanks for the suggestion I used to keep tetras when I was young lol and I've always thought about getting them again. So simple

[Nano]

Lol not many veiws here. But I suppose its freshwater ;)

Anyway the rocks turned out great, but I screwed something up along the way and was having problems with the cement coating cracking... so I pulled them here's how they looked.

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM00654_zps07261f6b.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM00654_zps07261f6b.jpg.html)

To my surprise they actually were quite convincing especially up close. But once they were submerged for a few days the cement was starting to crack. Even after applying drylok. M guess was I didnt let the coats cure between each coat properly.

So I change my mind and went with driftwood. Kept it open. And decided I will keep only a handful of choice Aulonocara Cichlids, one type ime that have never touched plants except to move them. So I picked up 3 show quality males a few days ago and am waiting for them to settle before adding more. Keep in mind this tank will only house them for a year until we move up to a larger tank in the basement. Here is the tank as of today- still waiting on lights so I'm rockin and old t12 light I had kickin around.

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM00749_zps284dcdc4.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM00749_zps284dcdc4.jpg.html)

[kien]

Well, I'm viewing it, but admittedly I don't have much to say about it. It looks nice and you clearly know what you're doing so carry on :-)

Also, white stand rock!

[Nano]

Well, I'm viewing it, but admittedly I don't have much to say about it. It looks nice and you clearly know what you're doing so carry on :-)

Also, white stand rock!

Lol. Thanks kien. It may get more interesting if I decide to put a couple plants in. But we'll see. For now it keeps me sane while I go to school so what ever works

[kien]

Lol. Thanks kien. It may get more interesting if I decide to put a couple plants in. But we'll see. For now it keeps me sane while I go to school so what ever works

I can appreciate that! I had several freshie tanks that helped to keep me same during school too. I have to say, it is quite remarkable what you can get in terms of fresh water fish these days. Even guppies are surprisingly colourful. My son has a couple of "flame tail" guppies that are almost as colourful as my Hawaiian flame wrasse. Also, if I could, I would put a crap load of rummy nose tetras in my reef! We also have tonnes of colourful shrimp in our little fluval freshwater tank.

[Dearth]

If you get fresh water plants stay away from the surface mat plants those basturds grow very very fast and can take over your tank in no time flat

I also like the look of the "Wood" if you decide to get catfish I would make a cave for them but face it so you can see them nothing worse than not know if they are alive or not :lol:

Keep it up

[Nano]

ok so heres a few pictures.
My LEDs came in but they are the wrong colors. oh well we'll see if we can fix the this or not but I may just add a blue strip in instead.

anyway, 2 - 12k panorama pros is all it takes to light this puppy, no big light bills for me! Jelly? ;)

I wanted to ditch the canopy I had built but needed something to mount the lights in so I whipped this up at work in literally 40 minutes so excuse any design flaws :P

K so heres some pics

mocked up with wood strips to mount to vs. having to weld a bracket in with tapped holes.
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM007511_zpsf6e31ab8.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM007511_zpsf6e31ab8.jpg.html)
Painted lights are in
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM007531_zpscd6b2ac5.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM007531_zpscd6b2ac5.jpg.html)

a few different angels now
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM007561_zps3117b0cd.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM007561_zps3117b0cd.jpg.html)
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM007581_zpsfdce32cf.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM007581_zpsfdce32cf.jpg.html)
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM007591_zps5c06f9e5.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM007591_zps5c06f9e5.jpg.html)
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM007601_zps958fc9a6.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM007601_zps958fc9a6.jpg.html)

oops forgot to add. my view from the couch
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/CAM007621_zpscee81ee6.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/CAM007621_zpscee81ee6.jpg.html)

[Scythanith]

I like the lighting enclosure, it looks very clean from the outside!

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

Like your entire setup...especially those skinny legs of the canopy. .very sleek. Looking :cry:

[Nano]

I like the lighting enclosure, it looks very clean from the outside!

Thank you eventually I will be refinishing the stand and the "skin" I made is just temporary and I will be doing it to match the light.
Glad ya like it.
Like your entire setup...especially those skinny legs of the canopy. .very sleek. Looking :cry:

Thanks Eli they're actually just screws lol but they are nice ones :P

[Nano]

Sooo.. turns out driftwood is bad for cichlids. Did not kmow that. Apparently lowers the ph in turn affecting their health. Ok. So I picked up some granite from the landscaping place in town as granite is the rock most common in lake malawi. Blah blah...

Here we go. This is better then before and now I'm off to the races again. Picked up a few nice fish as well and have a few more lined up for tomorrow. Anyone going the the A.C.E. auction?

Here is the tank sorry not the greatest pics
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/DSC_0300_zps5586a386.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/DSC_0300_zps5586a386.jpg.html)http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/DSC_0318_zpsf201672a.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/DSC_0318_zpsf201672a.jpg.html)
http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/DSC_0314_zps87361843.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/DSC_0314_zps87361843.jpg.html)http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h401/thehobdenmarina/DSC_0315_zps19209184.jpg (http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/thehobdenmarina/media/DSC_0315_zps19209184.jpg.html)

[xblade]

That light looks real good..Tank looks great with the rock(needs more) :)
How are the fish getting along? That's a rough crowd...

[gregzz4]

Lookin good Kenny
I really like that light surround and how it looks on the tank from a standing perspective
I hated how my light glared in my face when sitting so I eventually build a pseudo canopy

You could add back the driftwood without any issues
I had piles of it in my 125g and no issues keeping it above 7.0
All you have to do is keep an eye on your pH and use alkaline buffer (http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=sc-albf0600)
Or better use SeaChem Cichlid Lake Salt (http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=sc-cls0700)
Even better still use SeaChem Malawi/Victoria Buffer (http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=sc-mvb0600)
And if that doesn't take care of the driftwood issue, you could use SeaChem Tanganyika Buffer (http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=sc-tlb0500) here and there. But watch it as this stuff is powerful and will raise you pH quite high (over 9.0 if you're not careful)

I recommend using the Malawi stuff, along with the Lake Salt, as it's blended for your fishies and will really help with attitude and color

[Nano]

Been a while. But a quick post. Couple new wild caught show males some new rock work, and thats about it. Going to be finishing the basement soon and then I'll be building a new larger cichlid tank. I have a few wild juviniles and a bunch of nice males growing out, so when I get to it I will have a good stock list. Anyway, a few that I have got wild caught recently. Anyone who has kept cichlids in the past can appreciate this list.

Aulonocara jacobfreibergi "otter point, lemon jake, eureka red"
Aulonocara maylandi & kandeensis
Lwanda sp.
Protomelas "mara rocks"
Aulonocara masoni
Those are just my wild caughts, then I have a bunch of F0-F1 choice males. Can't wait for them to all grow out. Here's a tank vid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8v3oapyfoU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The fish in this vid are the only larger ones so far the rest are juvie males in the 55 in the basement growing out.

New tank plans are for a 150. Stoked.

Thats all happy holidays folks