my new 180 gallon tank

[chefjamesscott]

hello all this will be my first tank which i have put together with a plan in mind rather than buying someones used tank and then filling it with water

it is 8 feet long and i have plans to put in black sandblasting sand that people use here at the regina aquarium club, going to make interior back wall with pieces of granite im getting from a memeorial place and getting six kigoma frontosa and a l226 pleco from spencer from afishcinado

wondering if i could put eretmodus yanstictus (kasanga, isanga & zambia ) & tanganicodus irsacae (kigoma) gobies in this tank with them

i will be keeping a photo journal for this build and would like ideas if you wish

thanks chef james

[jaysen]

not sure about answering your questions but i would love to see pics when it is up and running.

[cichlidsrextrem]

i hate you lol jk jk its so awsome i want a bigger tank i am totally jealous of ppl with huge tanks your lucky my parents wont let me have ne thing bigger than 55 but i love all my tanks and idk about putting gobies with frontosa but it is possible i guess if there are lots of rocks for the gobies to hide and gobies will tend to fight but in a tank that big i wouldnt worry about it and is it a breeding colony of frontosa????any way enjoy them and that sweet awsome huge tank lol

[chefjamesscott]

ok an update for yall

we got the tank moved into the university and over the next month i will be getting it up an running, here is a video of our restaurant and i will be doing a video journal on youtube of the transformation

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMjMzLeIy5w (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMjMzLeIy5w)

look forward to your thoughts on this as i am considering input as i do this

chef james

[chefjamesscott]

ok had a few details with the partner here at soup r man and he is now out for the count so i placed my 180g and am filling it up today to start to get it ready will post pics in days to come

[grannylvsfish]

I can not wait to see it!!!

[krytan]

You said the tank is 180g and 8' long, my 180g is only 6' long. What are the dimentions of this tank going to be?

[chefjamesscott]

i measured wrong it is actually a 6 footer

[bluemeate]

first 180gal tank or first tank ever?

[chefjamesscott]

my biggest tank ive ever done was a 230g about 12 years ago

i thought i would do this as a build thread so people could see what im putting together and how im planning it out

lights mechatronics uf80a12 with ultraviolet resources international lights 2-fr48t12/uho and 2 fr48t12/bp actinic white vho-1 bulbs

i will initially use visitherm heaters 200w and 100w as the room temp never really changes here and the lights kick off some serious heat i want to see what the water temp runs at without using lots of heat

for filtration im gonna start of with a aqua clear 500 for the cycle of the tank to which i cleaned the sponge from some of my other tanks an put the water from that through the filter for the water when i put it in i use a mix of tetra aqua aquasafe and wardley complete conditioners and will be hitting the water with prime to add a finishing touch to the water and will run the tank with nothing in it

i will be adding on a fluval 304 and a fluidized river bed filter for added filtration i also have 2 aquatech 3ph powerheads i intend to use for water movement i have a dual 6watt air pump that im gonna use to put an air wall at the back of the tank

after much thought i have decided that i will do this tank as a new world river tank with geophagus and gymnogeophagus as a population base

for substrate i have a 70g tank that has a sand bed that is about 1.5 years old that i am thinking of syphoning out to place in this tank dont know about that yet though

[J double R]

what about rehoming all those monster fish from the other tanks?

[Digital]

what about rehoming all those monster fish from the other tanks?


Ding ding ding!

Oh and the tank is going to be great! Update us with pics!

[chefjamesscott]

ok with the other monster fish i dont really have many of them anymore have gotten rid of most as i downsized my stock in getting ready to set up things here and more so as i perceived the coming problems with my now ex business partner better to downsize the amount of fish kept so as to make it easier to keep my 3 columbian shark monsters i have in a 70g at home my red devil is in his 60g and my oscar will be making an appearance here from his 55g as i set up my 140g and my 90g but thats another thread

ok the tank has been treated with much used filter media and came out clear in the viability of the water conditions and was treated as well with the above mentioned treatments so here are some shots of the tank as it is

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04393.jpg

as you come in soup r man this is what you see

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04391.jpg

a side shot from the right of the tank

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04392.jpg

this is the side that will be mostly seen as from the left is where all the seating is

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04394.jpg

this is a slick little air difuser i saw an thought would be nice it is a hydor ario 4 color air spinner that needs no outside pump looks good when the lights are out

NOW BEFORE ANYONE FLAMES ME I MUST SAY I HAVE ASKED PEOPLE WHO BREED FISH FOR A LIVING ABOUT THIS

following their advice and their tricks of the trade on how to make a tank almost instant ready to plant fish in i was able to get this tank ready to roll by using established water from my other three tanks here when i did water change i also did the used filter media from them as well as the prime added with conditioner so please dont flame me on this cause a person i know called spencer jack from the afishiandos does this and gave me advice so in the tank you will see tiny flecks
the tiny flecks are five bleekeri small spot that i placed in ill take a close up shot of them and show ya


http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04396.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04397.jpg

ok so the glass is dirty thats an easy fix more photos to come i am doing a clear bottom but a sunken temple look to the tank will update as i do

[DrNo]

Moving water from an established tank does absolutely nothing to accelerate a cycle. All it does is move dirty water from one tank to another. Good thing you moved the media.... nevertheless, if I were you I'd get ready for a lot of water changes and multiple testing of the tank several times a day as a chemistry spike is more likely to occur than not. If possible, move some gravel, ornaments, etc. from an established tank to accelerate the cycle further.

Quote: "NOW BEFORE ANYONE FLAMES ME I MUST SAY I HAVE ASKED PEOPLE WHO BREED FISH FOR A LIVING ABOUT THIS"

Sorry, but the fact that someone is a breeder doesn't impart special knowledge in the majority of cases IMO... did they recommend you move the tank water?

I like the fact that you set up the tank(s) in the restaurant... I'm sure they generate a lot of interest for your patrons.

[jaylin]

Wait a second ... you're gettin granite from a memorial place???

Ok, that's one I haven't heard before lol!

[jaylin]

Quote: "NOW BEFORE ANYONE FLAMES ME I MUST SAY I HAVE ASKED PEOPLE WHO BREED FISH FOR A LIVING ABOUT THIS"

Sorry, but the fact that someone is a breeder doesn't impart special knowledge in the majority of cases IMO... did they recommend you move the tank water?

Gotta agree with Dr. Vader on this one. There is not a significant amount of bacteria in the water. The bacteria like to stick to things - filter media, substrate, decorations, plants ... even the fish. If there ever is a significant amount of bacteria in the water, you'd see it. The water gets cloudy (bacterial blooms).

[chefjamesscott]

umm i did not say it was just water i moved , try 25% old water mixed with well treated 75% fresh water, filter media from my already established tanks sponges and one layer of much used carbon, with a layer of new carbon, decor from established tanks and the five bleekeri came from one of my tanks here but ill just photodocument this tank as i put it together

in a week or so ill show ya rhonda :eek3: i been planning this tank for some time an have taken much time in the planning of it as can be seen from my first post of this to my actually setting it up including the growing of my fish to put in here ive just kept silent about it cause i felt it best to just do what i have in mind without talkin about it since some times i get taken wrong by some people

im sorry if it seems like im pushing the envelope to some but done lots of checking with others who keep fish and the recipe they gave me for using all established media decor and the water mix has worked for me with another tank that i needed to set up fast so i saw no reason why it would not work here

[Coler]

Using established filter media is absolutely good practice to set up a new tank.

Using water from a tank, it is believed, does effectively nothing, as the bacteria reside on surfaces in the tank and not in the water column.

However, using established filter media, substrate and decor is absolutely good practice and will work when done correctly. To be sure to be sure, as it is difficulty if not impossible to assess how much bacteria you will have imported, monitor water parameters as you always would when adding fish to ensure no spikes and all is golden.

Nice big tank there - got a decor planned out for it ? I think it needs to be a really well laid out tank if its intended as a showpiece in a restaurant as opposed to a pet house. Visitors to a restaurant don't necessarily just love the fish for the sake of the fish y'now. I'd be thinking either heavily heavily planted (take a while to get that right) or for the much much easier option, black background, pale rock & substrate, Malawi tank (mbuna & Peacocks, some larger haps), in order to create a visually attractive display.

[DrNo]

Reading detail must be a lost art... as said previously, it's a good thing you moved the media, some substrate and a few of decorations. I like Coler's designation of these being part of 'good practice'. Moving any proportion of the water or a mix thereof will not significantly assist the cycle to establish.

Please watch your water parameters by testing several times a day and perform water changes as often as needed. Those are some beautiful bleeks. As you know, they are Madagascan. They are greatly threatened in the wild and I would like to see your specimens thrive.

[Star_Rider]

nice start. do heed the advice you have received.


watch the water parameters and keep us posted.;)

[chefjamesscott]

ok so now i have the decor in and its supposed to have a volcano ruin look to it will add the substrate later on in weekend

everything is going good will be doing test an wc tonight rhonda is now comfortable in her new digs she came from a 55g

anyway here is the pics i just took and dont worry i have plans for a monster tank at home and yes i am aware of the long life that rhonda will have which is why i got her she will look so fantastic in my home tank im gonna do in the next year

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04398.jpg

what you see when you enter she surely draws attention from many people

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04400.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04399.jpg

these are two close ups of rhonda i will be leaving the lights off for the next week or so so that rhonda can get used to her new home

[Coler]

nice fish.

any substrate or other decor plans for it (the tank) ?

[faun]

Very nice fish youv'e got there, the tank looks good so far can't wait to see how it looks when you have a substrate in there. Are you going to put a few plants in as well as i think it would look good with a few anubias growing on the ruins.

[chefjamesscott]

what i have in mind for the substrate is a mix of sand , red crushed lava dust and some aqua soil in certain places for the plants to be able to use for growth

i purchased a piece of driftwood last night with some plant called mother or something on it which will make its way into this tank i put in an order for plants from spencer jack which should arrive on oct 14 which i will use in a few of my tanks , the effect im trying to put in this tank is a sort of volcano with the red air tunnel and the ruins and lava rock and the amphora

ill take some pics of it as it is now since i temporarily rehomed some of my other fish to this tank so that when i get my 90g and my 140g up they will go there so right now the population is 1 10" red belly pacu, 1 3" firemouth, 4 3-4.5" green terror , 5 2-2.5" bleekeri small spot and 1 2.5 pacu

now yes im aware of the size a pacu will get and i am prepared for a long term fish friend i am believing that when i build my center piece 4'tall 4'wide and 8' long floor tank in my basement that it will be big enough to home the pacu i might even make the tank 5' wide as the room is 15 ' wide and 30' long it is goin in well ill take some shots an post them later today

[chefjamesscott]

ok here are some shots of whats in the tank now

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04405.jpg

this is on other pacu i have a real small one at this time

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04403.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04411.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04410.jpg

these are just some shots of the green terrors

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04406.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04408.jpg

this is a couple of shots of my firemouth

i have raised all of these fish since they were but 1inch long so im happy to see them growing up now they have a big home an will be moving to the 140g when i set it up

[jm1212]

good to see the pacu has more space...it will be time for a bigger tank soon though.

[chefjamesscott]

i have to say never having owned a pacu before and having heard stories of them this fish kinda frightens me very calm cool an collected fish until the time comes that i do tank maintenance

i would hate to be hit by one of these things in the wild considering the size of them

at any rate tanks been doing fine no one has died in the tank and it time to add my substrate im gonna actually put in some of my used gravel that i have kept from the tanks that i bought and just put it in buckets outside i have a few buckets of natural stone so that will be what i put in

i will be dropping off the jackdempsy and the baby dempsy to the lfs tomorrow as well as probably the firemouth

[chefjamesscott]

well since i came to an understanding that what i was told was columbian shark was actually iridescent i have moved my 3 sharks to this tank so as to get them out of the tank i was amping up salt content on to make it brackish

so here they are was fun tryin to net them they really freak out

this was the only thing i had to move them in

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04566.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04570.jpg

and rhonda did not quite know what to make of them

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04569.jpg

will have to see how the look come monday but at least i got them outta the brackish tank and into fresh

[foofooree]

Those iridescent sharks will grow HUGE!

[chefjamesscott]

oh that i know but by the time they have the need for the larger than 180g tank i should have a forever home ready for them in my basement

at the minimum it will be 5 feet wide 4 feet tall and 8 feet long though if i do my nuts size tank it will run the north wall of my basement fish room and bee 4 feet tall 6 feet wide and about 17-20 feet long on a base of railway ties and cindercrete blocks to make sure it will hold the weight and so i can get underneath to do any plumbing issues that might arise but for sure ill be talking to some of the engineering students that i know here who come to eat at my place at least the sharks home is better than the 55g there were in when i got them

[chefjamesscott]

so tonight im doin the wc here at the restaurant an i notice this on the bottom of the tank

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04697.jpg

im like no way my tank is cracked so i immediately start to rip it apart an get ready to scramble with the retank of my fish and greatly regret not putting the gravel in turns out its just a scratch an not a a crack

rhonda broke some granite

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04703.jpg

this is the chip the scratched the tank

so i immediately pulled all the decor an got to work and here are the pics of the tank as it looks from then to now

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04701.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04705.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04704.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04700.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04707.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04708.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04709.jpg

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC04729.jpg

now to get me some real plants

and to clean the outside of the tank as i messed it goin real fast to change the water cause i thought it had cracked

[DrNo]

oh that i know but by the time they have the need for the larger than 180g tank i should have a forever home ready for them in my basement....

That 'time' is now.... guess we'll see a great build thread for this epic project ASAP.

[SchizotypalVamp]

Nice work! I also look forward to seeing the build thread for your tank soon.

Pet stores sell iridescent sharks and pacus by univerisites, and some students buy them unawares. I would recommend posting about the eventual sizes of these animals(which, of course, are much larger than they are in the petstore usually) in some way. Also something along the lines of "Fish grow to the size of their tank in the way that a human growing up in a tiny cell would be stunted"

[mel_20_20]

Wow!! I'm a newbie... so I don't know what kind of fish Rhonda is. She's really cool, what is she?

[Virtuoso2K12]

good luck with them.

[DrNo]

Nice work! I also look forward to seeing the build thread for your tank soon.

Pet stores sell iridescent sharks and pacus by univerisites, and some students buy them unawares. I would recommend posting about the eventual sizes of these animals(which, of course, are much larger than they are in the petstore usually) in some way. Also something along the lines of "Fish grow to the size of their tank in the way that a human growing up in a tiny cell would be stunted"

Great idea Schiz :thm:

:D

[DrNo]

Wow!! I'm a newbie... so I don't know what kind of fish Rhonda is. She's really cool, what is she?

Hiya Melody :) I think Rhonda is his pacu.

Link from http://www.fishlore.com/profiles_red_pacu.htm


Scientific Name : Piaractus brachypomum

Common Names : Red Pacu
Red Pacu Care Level : Moderate - Difficult (because of adult size) and they need an excellent aquarium filter (http://www.fishlore.com/Filtration.htm).
Size : 12 - 24 inches (30 - 61 cm)
pH : 6.5 - 7.5
Temperature : 75°F - 80°F (24°C - 27°C)
Lifespan : 5 - 15 years or longer.
Origin / Habitat : South America, Amazon River
Temperament / Behavior : Generally peaceful and will take care of themselves against more aggressive tank mates. They may also eat smaller fish species if kept in the same tank.
Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : Egglayer, not common in home aquariums.
Tank Size : 250 gallon (946 liters) minimum but preferrably much larger tanks and ponds. This fish is best left in the wild or in public aquarium displays.
Compatible Tank Mates : Because of their huge adult size there are very few common aquarium species recommended. You would need to keep them with large fish making the aquarium size requirements difficult to attain in the home. One that may potentially be kept with them is the Common Pleco (http://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Pleco.htm) but you would need at minimum a 350 gallon tank to provide both of them with adequate water volume as adults. Arowanas (http://www.fishlore.com/profiles_silver_arowana.htm) are sometimes kept in the same tank as well (must be a huge tank). Sometimes sold mistakenly as the Red Belly Piranha (http://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Piranha.htm).
Fish Disease : Freshwater Fish Disease (http://www.fishlore.com/Disease.htm)
Diet / Fish Food : An herbivore - provide a varied diet with pellet food and frozen food.
Tank Region : Mostly middle
Gender : Difficult to determine. May only be possible to determine gender differences in mature adults. Males may have more red on the belly.

[chefjamesscott]

ok so i been moving some fish around and i had 2 male zebras who were terrorizing their respective tanks so i thought ok ill let you swim with the big boys and i put them in the 180 here is the younger of the two absolutely freaked out by the size of his new tank mates

http://i320.photobucket.com/albums/nn352/chefjamesscott/180build/DSC05351.jpg'

it took him about a week to realize that he was not gonna get eaten by them but was funny to see a bully hide like a coward

[Dwarf Puffers]

Nice. I hate how people with large tanks get flamed more than people with tiny tanks for having too-big fish, especially when an appropriate tank is being made.

Lovin the fish. And Melody, a part on that quote is wrong. See 12-24"? Think 32-40" ;)