New 6ft frontosa tank build

[Steve]

24hrs into leak test and not a drop....
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Even though I know these tanks are both 100% leak free, after what I went through with that 265g tank last year I'm paranoid lol

[mibwb]

I don't blame you Steve....especially all the work you have done and will do..

[Steve]

Lots of wall building hinged door making and paint slingin' going on today

[Steve]

Well 1am and about 12 hrs worth of work done on it today so time to throw in the towel for the night I guess. Still have a lot to do but it's finally starting to take shape now and actually look like I envisioned. Can't wait to finish all the paint and trim work so I can get started on the 6ft 3D background for it. Got some cool plans for that.

[Ron]

This is looking great!

Do you enjoy the process or just the ending? I don't mean that in a rude way, as I envy how fast you get things done, but holy smokes you really move on getting things done quickly! Just left me wondering if you're rushing to get to the end.

[Steve]

Ron I enjoy the tanks when they are done, but honestly I am at my happiest when I have a project going. I've always been a hands on type of guy and I love creating things, drop in a touch of OCD and it makes it where I get bored real easy when I don't have something to work on.

So I enjoy the end product, but when I sit down and the job is done I actually feel a bit sad.

Well got most the paint a and trim work done today, also added some pictures I've taken of my fish and framed them. Rather than just hanging them I mounted them with screws through the frames so they stay right on the door when it is raised to access the lower tank.

Pretty much all that is left now is a couple more pieces of trim and then the 3d background. Probably be a week or so until I have time to start the background so this is how it will sit for a bit now.

[GrizzlysDad]

Those are really looking great Steve.

[Steve]

Got a little spare time today before I start a 3d background for a customer tomorrow so decided to get the lower 75g Bleekeri tank up and running. He now has his own tank but does have a roommate. The big red zebra who is as much of a troublemaker as the Bleekeri is in there with him. They were both in the same tank with my other fish for the past year so they get along together just fine, also put the big 7" Rhino pleco in with them as well.

Hopefully will be able to get to working on the background for the upper frontosa tank with in the next couple weeks. The wood in the upper tank is a piece I picked up at the auction yesterday for it, gonna be a nice fit for that tank.

[Steve]

It's amazing the difference already in the hap&peacock tank now that these two troublemakers have been out of it for a few hours. Couple fish that use to hide 90% of the time are out and about, and now all the fish are using the whole tank and not just certain areas of it like before. I think life in the hap&peacock tank is gonna be a lot happier now

[Ogre44]

Looks really good, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the front tank once it's up and running.

[kodyboy]

Nice looking space!

[Steve]

Finally got caught up enough with customer work that I have time this week to get back on my own tank. Was able to get the background laid out and roughed in today. Now onto the carving stage next. Hopefully will have this tank up and running with in the next two weeks is the plan.

[Steve]

Sleep is overrated burned the midnight oil and spent the past 7 hrs carving away on this. Actually got all the carving done now tonight. Will be dryloking and painting in the morning so way ahead of schedule now. I really wanted this background to have some impact so I did some pretty massive rocks in some area that are as much as 5" thick so it is really going to have a lot of depth/3D look to it. I'm very pleased with how this one is looking.

[danotaylor]

Wowzers mate! What a transformation. That looks absolutely amazing. How do you get the grainy pock-mark detail in the foam? Well done.

I have to ask again; so when is the workshop?

[Steve]

To get the texture I use a heat gun and heat it enough to get the carved foam to wrinkle a bit but keep the gun moving so as to not melt the foam.

Workshop/presentation- With my introverted personality you'd have a better chance of Bigfoot doing that than me