I had built a stand for 8 end out 15s and in my rush I used that stand for the extra tall. I didnt discover that my stand was an inch and a half too wide until I had moved fish around and there was no turning back.
Have you ever loved and hated something at the same time? I loved the size of the tank. I hated the way it was set up.
This is how it looked during its first few months
In the begining there were a mixed bag of fish in the tank. Over time its had Angels, Geophagus, Discus, Wild Angels in it. The only fish that ever lived in the tank long term were two Biotodoma Cupido.
I ended up moving big tanks around and setting up more but the 150 extra tall remained in a state of flux. I wanted to make it really nice but it was lacking something. Among the things I was unhappy with besides the stand were the background, I had painted a sheet of paper black. It looked good for a week then started wrinkling from humidity.
Another tank sale and suddenly I had another 150 extra tall. This one I had a plan for. It was going to be an angel fish habitat tank for Peruvian Black spotted angelfish. I had the group of fish for a few months and I had a plan. Find some really tall wood, something with sticks so that it would appear as though it was a steep riverbank. I had seen some habitat pictures and thats how I wanted the tank to look. I took my time and found the right wood and parts, slowly the tank went up and within the first two months my group of angels that moved in were laying eggs.
This is what that tank looked like during month three. I was tickled with how it looked and how everything worked. I made a heater module that doubles as a Co2 chamber, the tank also has a full stream UV. I spend almost no time working on this tank. Its pretty trouble free.
This is what the two tanks "the twins" look like side by side
When you see the two side by side the first thing I always noticed was that the angel tank was .25 inches higher, and the other stand was too wide and unpainted. I had to fix it but I didnt have the time or space to move the fish and straighten everything out. I also didnt have a plan yet.
ACA 2009 changed all that. Upon walking to the registration room I passed by this.
It was breathtaking! Like seeing a beautiful woman for the first time. I had too have it. Lucky for me I had 15 tanks of fish for sale. By Saturday a deal was struck and the chore of getting it back to Pa started. I also now knew what my plan for the 150 was going to be.
Time passed and work, cars, and other fish stuff always had me doing other stuff so the dream wood sat on my back porch getting a nice weatherd finish. Last year it got Christmas decorated, it holds a beer bottle in the summer perfectly.
As luck would have it I ended up with another 150 this one a 72x18x27. At the same time I had taken down three 50 breeders so I had a big stand that was empty. All along I had been doing small stuff to try and be ready.
Things like pulling the substrate and potting the plants made life easy when the big switch came.
IMF non contact flow sensing switch
First cuts
All cuts made, wood drilled and pinned in place
Rough sized pins
This is the modified stand fitting snug, level and painted
The wood cut down to size and ready to get back in the tank, the tank was painted on three sides with Krylon Espresso brown.
Heat Co2, I was still welding new fittings on my UV light
After plumbing filtration were installed and started
A better view of utilities
Manual and automatic water change valves
I finished adding plant substrate and performed a 90 gallon water change
All of the swordplants and Vals had been potted in the tank proir to its takedown. I pruned and spiffied up the plants before they were rooted in the tank. I intend to let these plants expand and see how things fill out. My hope is that the Vals take off and crowd in the left side of the tank.
After a day of running I put the cap sand over the plant substrate. I got a few bags of this fine carmel colored sand from Mark at Anubias Design, it is by far the nicest texture and colored substrate I have used.
So Its almost done. My Nahmunda Discus will move back home when everything is just right. The moral of this post is its better to have a plan.
Those are some nice tanks.
Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
G
