Getting bored again. Need new project.

chefkeith · Post by **chefkeith** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:52 pm

Here's the most recent video of my fishroom-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RFXmVSeQUs

I'm thinking about converting the paludarium tank back into a fish tank. One reason being, is that I have raised 15 more boesemani rainbowfish and it will eventually get overcrowded. 1st, I was thinking about re-homing these young rainbowfish, but if I convert the paludarium back into a fish tank, then I won't have to re-home them. In other words, my fish are getting tight on space and the Paludarium is taking up some valuable space.

Right now the paludarium is only about half filled with water and is occupied by 6 kuhli loaches, 6 bristlenoses, 100's of snails, cherry shrimp, and plants. It's a 190 gallon tank and will need to be broken down completely if I do convert it. Also in the tank has about 200 #'s of driftwood and 400 #'s of Eco Complete substrate. It would be a major job to get everything out. I'd also have to build a new tank stand so that the tank will be high enough for a water bridge.

wasserscheu · Post by **wasserscheu** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:39 pm

Great fishroom. Lots of oportiunities to find a project. Can you keep thepaludarium setup by enlarging the tank to the top? I mean Move the paludarium stuff to higher level so you can raise the water lavel. Perhaps get a uset tank cut the bottom out and put between the tank and paludarium top... I have no idea though whether it works out with the space. Is it possible to just slide some bricks (or so) underneath the feet of the stand to raise it (using car jacks or so).

irab · Post by **irab** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:28 pm

Man you got some nice tanks. How big is that river tank

chefkeith · Post by **chefkeith** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:44 pm

Wolfram- Thanks.
I'll definitely have to build a new stand to get the aquarium higher off the ground. I've been wanting to do this for about 2 years. I just wasn't physically able to get everything out of this tank until now because of back and shoulder problems. I'm physically OK right now. Knock on wood.

I like the idea of trying to keep the paludarium aquascape. There is plenty of room inside the acrylic hood for me to do that. I just need to raise everything inside that tank up about 6". Hopefully, I can set the driftwood up on top of a big PVC pipe cave to do that. I'll work on that idea Tomorrow and take some pictures of the possibilities.

irab- Thanks. The river tank is 8' x 2' x 16", and 160 gallons.

irab · Post by **irab** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:53 pm

In the video that tank looked like it was 10 ft long. Still very nice tank

chefkeith · Post by **chefkeith** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 5:11 pm

Good news-
Today, I got some lumber and cut it for the new stand.
I also tore apart the old concrete/foam loach island that was in the river tank so that I can re-use the pvc caves. I'll probably paint the pvc caves black with some Drylok.

Bad news-
My camera is not working. I can't figure out what's wrong with it. I just got some fresh new batteries that are fully charged too. It turns on, but there the digital screen is dark and has a bright line on the top, like the shutter won't open all the way.

Keith Wolcott · Post by **Keith Wolcott** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:43 am

Nice video chefkeith. I hate to see you give up the paludarium, since it is such an interesting experiment, but I understand your space difficulties. Sorry about your camera. I hope that you can get it working. Good luck on the stand.

chefkeith · Post by **chefkeith** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 12:39 pm

Keith- After seeing Vancmann's plant set-up, I think I could do something similar with this tank.
http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=18649

chefkeith · Post by **chefkeith** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 4:59 pm

I am so forgetful, so I'm off to Home Depot again.

I'm going to get some jack posts to reinforce the floor joists a bit more. I almost forgot to do that.

I also forgot that I have a web camera that I can take pictures with.

Keith Wolcott · Post by **Keith Wolcott** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:43 pm

Yes, Vance's system is really nice and is versatile so it could be added to almost any system.

chefkeith · Post by **chefkeith** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:02 pm

Got the 190g tank empty. It took me 10 hours total to remove the plants, driftwood, fish, shrimp, and gravel.

It was really tough trying to get the cherry shrimp out, I probably killed about 100 of them, but there were hundreds of them in there. There were also planaria everywhere in the the gravel. When I get the tank set back up, the loaches will be feasting on all the critters that will be in the gravel.

In the 5 years I've had this tank I never stirred or turned the gravel. To my surprise, the snails and planaria kept the gravel from getting any anaerobic dead spots. There were plant roots everywhere also.

I'm about half way done on my punch list. I'll work on the new stand next.

I took some videos, but the files are too large to upload. I'll have to figure out a way to compress them or something.

chefkeith · Post by **chefkeith** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:48 pm

Moving the aquarium was no problem. I just slid it about half way off the stand, tilted it to the ground on it's side, and lifted it off the stand. Then I modified the old stand, then I put the aquarium back on the stand the same way I got it off.

Here's a pic-

The tank looks so much bigger now that it's about a foot higher off the floor than it was before. I feel like I just got a brand new tank.

I'm debating on what to do next. I could fill up the tank and have it fish ready by the end of the night or I could reinforce the floors in the crawlspace now. It's hot outside and I'm tired already, so I don't feel like crawling around underneath the house. I'll eat dinner and decide then. Actually by the time I'm done eating, it will probably start getting dark outside. I guess that decides. I'll probably put the gravel and plants back in the tank, and fill it up with water about half way. That sounds like the best thing.

Keith Wolcott · Post by **Keith Wolcott** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:03 pm

It's looking good!

chefkeith · Post by **chefkeith** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 10:11 pm

I'm done for the night, but I got most of the gravel back in and the tank is about half full with water. I connected a canister filter also. To my amazement some of the cherry shrimp that got buried alive in the gravel survived the move. I doubt they survive the loaches though.

chefkeith · Post by **chefkeith** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:20 pm

I went in the crawlspace and found out that most of the reinforcement posts I put up 5 years ago were completely loose. Some were providing no support at all. No wonder why my floors aren't level anymore. Good thing is that there was a pre-existing support beam in the center of the house with 6- 2x10's on concrete blocks running across the full length of the house, about 28 ft. That needs to be shimmed up also because the blocks are somewhat loose too.

Keith W. - I'm going to try it kind of like you did. Did you nail the 2x10's together to help get them in place?

This is what I'm referring to-

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Getting bored again. Need new project.

Getting bored again. Need new project.

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