[Beza]

So apparently in a moment of weakness it seems I have created a new monster...

I thought I would be a great guy and buy my girlfriend a giant aquarium for christmas, so last week I surfed kijiji and came up with a 75 gal 4’x18"x20” freshwater tank for 350 bucks. I had never had a tank this big before, although I grew a couple of giant freshwater lionhead orandas that lived for over 13 years and earned several degrees and diplomas with me. Yet a tank that size seemed like a great start for what I hoped would be a nice little salt water setup eventually, and the price seemed right.

So I arrived at the guy's house, and there sitting before me was a nice looking tank with 11 various cichlids, including what was apparently a mating pair of T. brichardi, and of course a token pleco. All I wanted was the tank, so I asked if getting rid of the fish was possible, which ultimately wasn't. I asked the guy if he would take 325, and when he accepted I promised to pick it up the next day...

Obviously it turned out the guy was waaaaay too nice, and by the end of that second day he had helped me load the bastard of a heavy tank into my truck, along with a brand new filstar filter, and various accoutrements associated with the freshwater fish hobby.

So I got the thing home, along with all the water from the tank packed neatly into pre-washed rubbermaids that promptly spilled all over myself, the truck, and the house, before being dumped back into the tank itself. I traditionally have this thing where whenever I go flyfishing I will fall into whatever body of water I am attending and develop a rapport with the fish I seek... obviously this curse extends to hobby aquaculture as well. Once the water was in, I set up a bunch of caves and interesting structure (I know trout like structure, so why wouldn't cichlids?) with the plethora of tank litter I had been given, and then introduced the picean travellers to the dawning of the age of a new aquarium... location. I can only assume this is a common joke in the fish community.

After fiddling with the filter for a bit and finding a powerbar to hook everything up to, the system was set up, minus things like food and pH thingies, or fungus and bacteria treatments. I could buy that the next day. The fish seemed happy, especially what appeared to be a nice big C. moorei. Only the brichardi were really shy - they had already found a nice hole in some driftwood that I hadn't even noticed until I spied one poking its head out and then ducking back in when it somehow became alerted to my voyeurism.

The next day I made an enlightening trip to Big Al's (not the big gay boatride from southpark), where I was made to look like a foolish child with a patient fish nerd/ninja as my teacher. I found out a few things, dropped some more cash on a powerhead and some food, narrowly avoided buying yet more fish-cave thingies for around 40 bucks, and headed home again.

After gleefully tearing apart the powerhead box and setting it up, I noticed a box in the corner, along with a plastic bag. Inside the bag was yet another slightly used power filter, and in the box sat more food and chemical treatment than I would need for several months. It's funny how dragging craploads of water up and down stairs can make you forget that you have the stuff you need already, or that the guy handed you several extra boxes of fish food.

...So that is where I now sit, with enough FW crap to tide me over until I can figure out how to afford what will apparently be thousands of dollars for a sweet FOWLR setup. The cichlids appear to be easy to maintain, and immediate plans include building a 3' high stand so I can begin preparation for setting up some sort of sump thingy. In the distant past I apprenticed as a plumber, so I am confident I can pull this off magnificently, although educating myself as to what the hell I am getting into is still ongoing. For the time being, my sweetie will be getting a FW setup after talking to the Big Al's staff, and having them do up a quote for switching the system to FOWLR. The price, along with subsequent defecation in my pants and uncontrollable obscenities flying from my lips were enough to crush my hopes and dreams for the time being.

SO in closing, I would appreciate any help, especially in the form of a list of things to purchase to build up proper equipment for a 75 gal FOWLR tank that 2 animal nerds could live happily ever after maintaining. I can post some pics of the project as it unfolds, particularly whatever crazy stand I decide to build in the meantime.

till then, cheers!