Michigan Cichlid Association
General Category => DIY => Topic started by: Steve on November 12, 2017, 09:25:57 PM
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4 years ago, there was office version 1.0. It was my redo of the basement office with the 265g tank that leaked like an SOB.....it was a year long project. Last year was office version 2.0....it was the 240g acrylic tank, which has been up & great for a year now. But now, this will be....office version 3.0! ;)
Picked up a pair of 120g 4x2x2 tanks today from Keeler with a pair of Ehiem pro 3 filters. Plans are to redo the office where there is an L shape 8ft of tanks side by side one way then the 240g 6ft tank the other. Pic is tonight as it starts (koi needed a winter home for the time being)
(http://imageshack.com/a/img924/4932/qB5ZYx.jpg)
Then in this pic, that 75g tank will be moved and 8ft side & side tanks will take its place
(http://imageshack.com/a/img924/3034/NcYEEp.jpg)
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Sounds like a fun project!
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Nothing cooler than having a pet dinosaur. Just got home with this guy, a Delhezi Bichir. He's about 9"-10" right now. I also picked up an Albino Senegal Bichir that is 4" and once he puts on some size he will be joining the Delhezi in one of the 4x2x2 tanks in this project.
(http://imageshack.com/a/img922/48/gcnRaP.jpg)
(http://imageshack.com/a/img923/4959/FvaoEq.jpg)
(http://imageshack.com/a/img924/9453/SkV8R1.jpg)
Short video of him swimming around. He's a really active guy for a Bichir, swims around a lot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1eoPgnY5Tg&feature=youtu.be
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This project's start was slowed down for a bit due to a big rush of rod orders that had to be done before Christmas for customers. Now that Christmas is pretty much over I finally have some free time to get started on this now :)
The new 12 cup Cuisinart coffee maker I got for Christmas just finished brewing it's first of many pots of coffee so time to grab a cup and get started on this project. Hope to have lots of progress on this thread over the next month or so.
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Sounds good! Looking forward to updates!
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Got a decent amount done yesterday. Got the upright cabinet moved and broke down the 75g bleekeri & spotted silver dollar tank and was able to get that moved over into the rock wall where the Jag tank use to be. The bleekeri tank with the 3D background looks really nice mounted in the rock wall since I made them both pretty much the same colors even though they were not going to be together at the time when I made them.
Probably start moving the things off the wall that the tanks will go up against today and then start measuring and marking out exactly where the tanks will be going in relation to the big 240g tank. Then comes to fun job of moving both 120g tanks again.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/6094/lqFscy.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/1880/64gZQ9.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/6092/Z7MEjy.jpg)
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/7030/cQwMol.jpg)
First of the 120g 4ft tanks and stand is in place and leveled. Next will be starting the stand build for the 2nd 120g tank to butt up next to this one.
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/2848/LNwUVo.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/6802/6AKMyr.jpg)
Got the 2nd tanks stand built and in place now with tank on it. She's a tight fit. Actually plan to pull it back out tomorrow though. On the back left corner there is a slight gap between the very corner of the tank and stand top which I don't like so going to remove and redo the back upper piece so it sits flush. Other than that got some good progress done.
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Didn't get as much done today as I planned too, some things came up and didn't get a chance to work on the tanks or stands, but I was able to get a bit more done on the area. Since I had to move around some furniture to make everything still fit I decided to make a stained wood railing to section off the sitting/viewing area now.
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/8780/MjwgxD.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/5190/y1DX1U.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/6066/PTHbOh.jpg)
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/5225/5jZ32t.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/5117/MpPbNb.jpg)
Lots of progress tonight. Thankfully I have most the building materials now because I went through the Lowes gift cards in record time lol. Still some more trim work to be done but stands are starting to look like something now. Stand on the left will house a 29g QT tank hidden inside it once done.
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Full day of work into the new tanks/remodel today. Still have a lot to do but progressing well. Probably be a while before the next updates as the next step will be building the two 3D backgrounds which will take a bit of time.
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/6977/uXbjFc.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/8797/KRd3ep.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/7968/1gqQQ2.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/8516/KzpolL.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/7568/kPVMlX.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/3963/NXc6y5.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/5055/ypCcQQ.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/230/BuWInj.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/9348/Knktv6.jpg)
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/2213/OF7pbD.jpg)
Well I said I was not gonna work on this for a bit and take a little break, but I should have known I can't stay off of a project once I have one going. So started cutting and working on the 3d background for the first tank today.
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/7400/NI1GZR.jpg)
Blizzard of foam flyin' around the shop today as the first of the 3d backgrounds for the pair of 120's starts to take shape.
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Awesome!
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/1166/WM82fk.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/460/17PGUs.jpg)
Managed to get the hard part (all the carving & burning) of the first background done today. Lots of painting and sealing left but that's much less work than the carving.
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Really liking the way the background is shaped, Steve!
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/7334/U5Owex.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/9854/qdWte6.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/5131/49G0lS.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/7061/CyntIU.jpg)
Paint and shading work on the first 120g background is done. Both these tanks will be planted tanks and I plan to attach some of the live plants to the background themselves so I think the colors I did on the Background should look really good with some nice green vegetation on it.
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Had to take a bit of a break while I waited for the kit of Pond Armor to arrive so I could seal this first background. That showed up today so now have the first of the two BG's sealed. With a little luck I should be able to get it installed for good in the tank and then be able to start adding substrate and plants / wood etc in the next week or so.
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/7251/I9HHwj.jpg)
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Was able to spend a bit of time on the new dual 120g project the past few days. Background is sealed and installed now, tan PFS washed and in, all live plants in this tank. Decided against dual LED fixtures and went with twin bulb flor's with warm color tone and then added two hanging LED 1000lum spot lights for a more dramatic lighting look for the bichirs. Just have to pick up some java moss I bought from the auction next weekend and attach that to the branches and this first 120 will be ready to move the bichirs over so I can start on the 2nd 120g tanks background.
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/406/zlwCNa.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/2870/LfPHZF.jpg)
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Moved the fish into the first 120g 4x2x2 tank this evening. They settled right in and everyone ate with in 5 mins of being moved into their new home so I think they approve. Stock is 2 Delhezi, 3 Geo's, and my polleni/bleekeri. Once my pair of Senegal\s grow out large enough they will go in the tank as well. Drained the other 120g tank and should be able to start the background for that one later in the week.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/4056/wz8pSX.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/9918/jCfXQi.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/6715/biZBwF.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/6235/WKLPHu.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/1559/BoUVxE.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/6905/heYgpF.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/4021/XxTGJS.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/483/LrogLF.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/3619/p3Cn8T.jpg)
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Looks amazing Steve...as usual...how big are the senegal's atm? I have never kept birchirs. Are you going to attempt to bed them? Will the delhezi & Senegal cross? Very cool looking fish mate. Are the geo's all the same species? Is the polleni playing nice with his new friends?
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The Senegals are amazing with how fast they are growing. I've had them about 17 days and they already have grown about 3/4". I'm feeding them NLS 2mm pellets twice a day and doing 75% Wc's every other day so from what I have read up on doing that should get them about 1" growth rate per month till till they reach about 8" then they will slow down. From what most people say I guess there is some captive breeding with bichirs but I don't think it's really an easy think to breed them for the most part so probably won't be any breeding going on with them. Yep geos are all red head topajo I believe the species is.
Polleni is loving life now. he/she has been in a 75g for the past two years with five spotted silver dollars and was doing okay in there, but you can just tell how much happier it seems to be now with the extra width & height on this 120g tank. It doesn't bother anyone and just swims all across the glass and active as can be now.
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Bloody marvelous 🙌
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(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/3018/jM9IxP.jpg)
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/7707/n0O4gf.jpg)
Polypterus tank is looking awesome thanks to the auction today. Nabbed a HUGE bag of anubis, this is only half of what was in the bag, the other half will be going into the other 120g in a few weeks when it is done
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Awesome job!
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Agreed. Nice work on the plants Steve!