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If I had a 220 Gallon Aquarium, I would stock....

On my way to getting my dream aquarium...

122K views 1K replies 53 participants last post by  djembekah 
#1 ·
We have a 20, 35, and 2 x 55 gallon tanks. Today we took the plunge and put a 6 foot, 125 gallon tank with stand on layaway. It will be our last tank.



It'll take a couple of months for me to pay off the tank, stand, heaters, filter, etc which gives me plenty of time to figure out what kind of substrate I want, whether or not I am finally going to try live plants, and what kind of fish to keep. Actually, i'm not even sure what kind of filter to get yet.

Our current tanks are very colorful and artificial looking (think Vegas, tacky but entertaining) as you can see in these pictures:





I'm thinking I would like the new tank to look more natural. We're going to use it as a room divider in our basement so it will be visible from both sides of the tank, we won't be using a background. So far I'm leaning toward some Balas, Barbs, and Loaches, if the tank is big enough.

Can't wait to get the sucker home and set up! Going to be a long couple of months. My 3 year wedding anniversary is July 18 and I'm hoping to have it then, as this is my anniversary gift.
 
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#83 ·
The background is a DIY 3d background we made from a 8 foot by 2 foot by 3 inch thick piece of styrofoam We made it in 3 sections carved out the rocks and cut it on the rock line in 3 pieces then we put thin layers of cement on it we used Quickcrette quick setting cement and we added their colors to it after 3 coats of cement and playing with the colors you have to soak it for probably a month before adding fish its siliconed into the fish tank we soaked our in our spare tub first because you have to keep changing the water untill the cement cures because the ph will go up at the begining one of our pieces was to big for our tub so we bought a cheap kids pool and soaked it outside. It was a fun project and kept us busy while we were buying eveything else for the aquarium after a few weeks we installed in the aquarium and I drained and filled the aquarium every 3 or 4 days for the first week and then once a week the ph rising slows after the first few days of soaking there are lots of ways to build your own depends how creative you want to do it I took pics of the process but there are lots of links and you tube videos. We have fish in the tank now ph is stable. No if I can get my lights and plants and algae figured out I will be laughing its my first planted tank and new and the lights I bought I think are geered for a salt water tank
 
#84 ·
Wow, it turned out great! My wife and I have been scouring the internet looking for ideas and she really likes that 3D rock look. I'll show her yours when she gets home from work.

We're not that creative, probably have to buy a premade one, lol.

I like to indulge my wife whenever something strikes her fancy because she lets me blow all our money on fish stuff. Anything I can do to keep her interested is great.
 
#90 ·
Oh yeah, it's going in the basement. We should get it, we plan on being there as soon as they open. We would have gone today but the sale doesn't start until tomorrow morning.

I'm going to have to be patient because I need to buy the substrate, heater, filters, etc on Wednesday so I get the double points. That will put me up to $100 store credit, which I'm going to need.

I just hope we have enough money to get the bare minimum to fill it with water and start cycling. (substrate, heater, filter). If we don't we'll have to wait another couple of weeks while it sits empty in the basement.
 
#91 ·
So I got it, they deliver it on Wednesday. I forgot to bring my camera, but I found two pics online, one of the stand, and one of the tank/cover/lights and I morphed them together with my fabulous Paint skills, lol.



72x24x30

Can't wait for it to get here and start setting it up.
 
#93 ·
Ya for big tanks!!!!! :blueyay: I am SO happy for you!! And your Photoshop skills are pretty darn good too!! Can you get it up and running to cycle while you get your heater and gravel later? Start with filter and water if you have to. That way you are not delaying anything. Or move your existing filter over to run tandem to the new one.
I'm so excited and it's not even mine! I got to get a life!!

On my big tank... I called them in Newmarket and the tank is NOT on sale. She said try between Xmas and New Years. Ya right. Any way I told hubby to get the old massive TV stand level so that I can make an earlier decision if I want to. Wish we could tell what direction the studs go but the basement ceiling is completely finished even in the Furnace room. :frustrated: At least I'm looking at an outside wall.

Keep us posted !!
 
#94 ·
Thanks guys! I can probably afford substrate, one heater, and one filter on Wednesday. I figure that will be enough to get me cycling and next month I'll add another heater, air pump and powerhead. Plus some decorations.

Edit: Jackiebabie, have you tried using a stud finder?
 
#96 ·
I actually meant Joists... not studs... but no I have not tried that. I will ask hubby if he has one. Why they sealed up the ceiling in the furnace room is beyond me... unless they were hiding something... bad electrical? Shiver....
Please keep us posted!!
 
#99 ·
I bought 2 stainless steel heaters from them plus one of my pumps Plus half my substrate big ALS didn't have enough I get my stuff in 2 days
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The ONLY things I'm not getting there is airline tubing (because they don't have black) and substrate because I'm going to redeem my points towards the price of the substrate at Big Al's which will save me half. Oh, and live plants and background, because they don't sell them. Actually the only background I can find for a 30" tank is solid black/blue. Lame.

My final order from Pets and Ponds is

2 filters, 2 heaters, 2 decorations, Air pump, Marina Aquavac (the Python is actually cheaper at Big Al's, but the Aquavac is allegedly more durable), airstones, filter media, suction cups and thermometers. Basically everything. I'm not placing the order until Wednesday when the stand and the aquarium have made it safely to my basement. I'm paranoid. Pets and Ponds ended up saving me around $160. This order taps us so if I bought this locally I would have had to wait a month for half of it.
 
#100 · (Edited)
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Did you decide what kind of fish you are going to put in your tank yet? Are you still going with a planted tank? I used fluorite for my tank because it's planted I had to buy 10 bags which was $250 plus you have to rinse all the dirt out of it which was horrible still now when I move plants around my water goes all murky
 
#101 ·
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Did you decide what kind of fish you are going to put in your tank yet? Are you still going with a planted tank? I used fluorite for my tank because it's planted I had to buy 10 bags which was $250 plus you have to rinse all the dirt out of it which was horrible still now when I move plants around my water goes all murky


I'm going to go with Java fern, Java moss and Anubias because I believe they can live in regular substrate. I'm going to go with balas (no backing out now, they had an order in last week and were selling them for half price so I bought some and I'm storing them in my 55 until the big one is cycled). They're tiny right now, smaller than my mollies.

Probably house barbs with them, and either yoyo or clown loaches.

What have you decided on?
 
#102 ·
I have nine golden zebra loaches right now in there which I absolutely love they are very very active and do dance thing. I also have seven dwarfs rainbows for my small school of fish. I am going to the school of Boesemani rainbows 6 clown Loaches which are on sale at big Al's in Scarborough for 3.99 this week don't know if my husband can pick them up because he works the city sometimes, if not I'm sure they willI be on sale at at different big als next weekend. I'm looking for another fish still I was thinking of the school of redline torpedo barbs
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#103 · (Edited)
Clown loaches and rainbowfish, both awesome choices! I might try clowns in my new tank,

They're supposed to deliver the tank in about 10 hours. Yesterday afternoon when the boy was at school we took all his toys out of the basement and filled the spare room (that intrigued him when he got home). And moved everything else to one side of the basement to make room for the delivery guys.

Last winter we had the walls drywalled. Knew we were getting a big tank since I started this thread in May, and still didn't get around to painting the walls. Oops! Oh well.





I should have got pictures of the disaster that was the basement before we cleared out a room full of toys, pulled up the old carpet and moved all the furniture.

The next time you see this room, it should be full of fish tank.
My camera and photography skills are both garbage. These pics are at the same time, in the same light, standing in the same place, just turned from one side of the basement to the other.
 
#106 ·
You will have to put a big chair in thee so you can stare at fish tank,
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LOL. When the furniture is put back, the couch will be directly across from the fish tank. It used to be along the wall under the window. There used to be a big desk where the tank is going. It's in the space between the pictures. Back when I smoked, I would have been down there every 45 minutes looking at the tank. But I quite a year and a half ago.
 
#107 ·
Watching the count down...... how many more hours and minutes....?
Congratulations on quitting smoking! That is a big deal. And all that "smokes" money can buy fishies!!!!
We're waiting.....................................
 
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#108 ·
I put on 40 pounds when I quit smoking, which I never lost, so I'm going to die sooner now anyway.

I think the tank is on its way. The store just called, they thought we were going to go pick up some supplies this morning, and they were going to follow us home. But our plan was to pick up supplies once we knew the tank was successfully in our basement.

So I think they are bringing it now.
 
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