Well, I did it! Turned the 10g into a 20g tall! All I did was get a new 20g tank at Petco since they have them on sale $1 per gallon, and transferred everything in it! All the copepods made it and are alive as well, my son and I were sitting there counting them!
Hubs cut a piece of solid wood to stabilize the tank since it ended up hanging over the edge of the solid 70's repainted and repurposed table that we've been using for the stand. He also cut a piece of plexiglass to set on top. For now, the hood from the 10g is sitting on the plexiglass for light. I am going to try to find a light for the tank or DIY one (wasn't gonna pay $41 for a new hood or $39 for a strip light!!), and Hubs is going to make a lid/top for it similar to the one on our 65G, and paint it with the stone paint like we have on the table.
Everything is testing great, so we also added a Chocolate Chip starfish! (this tank will NOT be a reef) The damsels are definitely enjoying themselves in a house twice as big! It is still clearing up from all the stuff I stirred up, but here are a few pics!
nice work!!! if you are going to get coral eventually just hold off on the light until you can upgrade but for now if you want to get more out of that hood here is an idea i came across a little while back
strip the hood out
paint the inside white
(it looks like incandecent type fixture) add in two 50/50 bulbs
keep the plexy in place and rock with it!!!!
a buddy tried this recently and it really looks good....
Kitten - its essentially the same tank as my 10g... just took everything, all the equipment, sand, rock, fish, inverts, and water, and transferred it into the 20g after I made sure it was clean! Then yesterday eve I added the starfish!
Bear - I am gonna save all the fancy lighting, corals, etc for the big tank. I for sure want to keep this tank a FOWLR so I can have some non-reef-safe stuff in there, like that starfish. The whole family has been dying to have a fat starfish like this one, but they're not reef safe, so I never got one for the big tank. Since I expanded the little one, now I have some room for some more interesting stuff that we can't have in the soon-to-be-reef tank!
I don't wanna strip out that hood, because as soon as i get some different lighting in place I think we may sell the 10g, or put it up somewhere and keep it just in case I need it for a hosp tank or something. Not exactly sure what kind of plans we are going to do for it... thought maybe we could DIY a light strip and attach it to the hood after he makes it. I'm glad my Hubs is so handy!
So these aren't the greatest pics due to glare from the bay window... but here are some pics I just shot a few mins ago. The dust has finally settled and the water is nice and clear again.
My new little buddy!
Stuck the cam around back of the tank and finally got a shot of his topside lol
Yeah so far he seems to like to stay near the top of the tank. I did a lot of reading about those stars today and I guess sometimes they can get food off the surface of the water?? He stayed in that front corner all day till about an hour ago, now he's making his way across the front glass to the other corner. So interesting watching a new creature!
Is there any other inverts (that can get along with the turbo snail and star) that anyone can suggest thats not reef safe to put in here? I guess I want to purposely put things in this tank that aren't reef safe since I can't have them in the big tank.
Also... is there any other semi agressive fish I can get to put in there without having to remove the damsels that anyone can think of?? To be honest, these 2 have been with me since I first started into my salty adventure, and I'm a little attached to them. Not to mention they seem to be LOVING their new home since its twice as big.
Finally got our hood and home made light/reflector made. It still needs some decorative trim but it looks a million times better. Going to try out one of those 50/50 CFL's from Zoo Med soon and see if i can get some more Coraline going in here. Also have a new piece of rock in the corner. I'm also considering taking out that ugly ass Petco powerhead and get a stylin' Koralia Nano. I look at this tank all day since its right next to the TV and I really hate looking at that powerhead. That Fiji Blue Damsel is who is always re-arranging the sand, lol.
Bear - I ended up giving the 10g to my sister... upgraded her FW tank from a 5g to 10g, her fish are SOOO happy and she loves it!
things worked out awsome...a royal gramma might work out for the tanks foot print...have you considerd a pencil urchin or a decorator crab...a purple reef lobster...lotsa good stuff to put in there...serpent stars..sand sifterstarts...linkia stars...cowries...coral banded shrimp..arrow crabs...i like em all....
Yeah I have 2 koralia evolution 750's in the big tank, we only got that Petco one because it was in budget for that moment, but it will just be my circulation for making saltwater after I receive the new Nano.
Yeah I have 2 of them actually, the other one serves an excellent dual purpose in the big tank, as it circulates the water better in the sump's refugium, and the airhose hooked to it helps suck the air out of the top of the overflow box! The one in the 20g however liked to clog often due to that turd butt Fiji Blue Damsel that likes to re-arrange the sand all the time! LOL
I received the new powerhead last night and hooked it up this morning, pics after the sun goes down! Its a lot smaller than I thought it would be...but that's even better! The fish really seem to be enjoying it, I think since it has a broader outflow and not blasting them like the other one did. (even though it is a higher GPH: from 180 to 240) They have been hanging around in the front of the tank a lot more and seem much happier! Not to mention its so much nicer to look at. YAY
Just wondering, how did you cut that plexiglass? I've heard it's pretty brittle and will shatter. I am in need of a 20G Long lid and am planning on making a plexiglass one if possible. Any hints?
mjbn, I don't have a plexiglass lid anymore since I learned about the oxygen/gas exchange. The lid that is on there is treated wood that has been painted. However plexiglass does not shatter from my experience. We have scored it with a box knife and then broke it apart on a table edge. The easy way to do it though is with a wet saw like you use for cutting tile.
I guess I should take a pic of the inside of the hood so you guys can see the home made light fixture and reflector too. Posted via Mobile Device
Badx... This tank is going to be fowlr only. I don't want Patrick to eat them!! Posted via Mobile Device
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