My discus dream tank journal

[ChloroPhil]

Hey folks,

I just fell into a fantastic opportunity for a tank like I've been dreaming about for years. It's a custom made 72x30x24 inch, 225 gallon aquarium with a custom built stand, canopy, and 60 gallon sump. The original owner is a reef enthusiast who really took his time to make sure the tank was built and set up right. It's going to be a month or two before I get everything settled down and planted but I wanted to get the journal started now. :)

Lighting will be 6x 55 watt AH supply retrofits fitted lengthwise front-to-back. I'm considering attaching them to an aluminum frame that can be raised and lowered for maintenance or adjust concentration as needed to fight algae or slow growth. The goal is to illuminate the rear of the tank more and leave the front as algae free as possible. I've never kept a tank with a sand front but it seems to be a good idea with this one. I really don't want to have to maintain a huge mass of HC or Glosso.

One of the things about this tank that excites me so much is it's pre-drilled for a closed-loop. No need to rig some ghetto over-the-back spraybar like I've had to in the past. This is going to be 100% pure CO2 reactor love. *glee!*

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/tankarrive1.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/tankarrive2.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/tankarrive3.jpg


Closed Loop
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/bulkheads.jpg


Acrylic sump
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/sys4.jpg


Since the tank was originally a reef the owner had the sump built with a separate refugium area. With two downdrafts from the overflow this is going to become a place to breed fish, store cuttings, and/or grow things out for flowers. It's the full section in the left-rear.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/leaktest2.jpg

The other nice touch is the electrical work. Everything's wired into the panel of outlets and then hooked into the DJ stations. No more having to unplug pumps, heaters, or other misc. stuff during maintenance!

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/epanel2.jpg

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/epanel7.jpg

I hope you enjoy following this journey as much as I'm going to.

Regards,
Phil

[danwpc]

Wow - that looks like a serious labour of love! Looks very well constructed!

Can't wait to see how you put it all together!

[blkrob]

Looks like it will be a fabulous tank when you're done. I have a 135g retro fitted with the same lighting. You are so right, I wish I had thought the canopy through better. I have to remove the entire thing in order to trim and pull plants. I have a middle brace that prevents me from being able to raise the entire top at one time. My back is currently out due to this! I look forward to seeing what you do. This may be something I truly follow. Thanks for sharing.

Robert

[rickztahone]

i love the electrical part of this tank, that is such a great idea! i will follow this thread closely. great tank!

[yikesjason]

So, you are going discus this time? I am looking forward to it.

[GODSNAKE73]

all i have to said is wow!!!!!!!

[rwong2k]

wow, must follow thread,
the refugium looks pretty awesome,

this is my dream tank too!

[darkknight87]

Very nice tank. Hope you do enjoy it :D

[Scribbles]

Wow, that is a dream tank! Super sweet set up. I look forward to following this thread.

Chris

[Eddie]

Very nice set-up! Can't wait to see it develop into a masterpiece!

All the best,

Eddie

[Ed13]

Awesome work on that tank and stand!

BUt, 55wPC lights?
This tank is screaming for T5s in my opinion:)

[ChloroPhil]

Awesome work on that tank and stand!

BUt, 55wPC lights?
This tank is screaming for T5s in my opinion:)


Ed,

T-5 would be nice, but then I wouldn't have money to buy fish and plants. :) I've already got the PC fixtures and have had a lot of success with them in tanks of this height.


Jason,

Oh yeah, I finally settled on discus last night while trying to get to sleep. I'd been struggling with water quality issues (Dallas has semi-hard water) and how to best use the space in the tank. After a small epiphany when half-asleep I finally settled on discus. This is going to be fun!


Everyone else,

Thank you for the comments and well wishes. This is definitely going to be a labor of love and a challenge to pay attention to all the details rather than rushing into something acceptable, but less-than-ideal.


Cheers,
Phil

[tcmemphisbbq]

Killer electrical setup, wish mine was that organized LOL - gonna be a beautiful tank...

[mareshow]

you should put one of the smaller species of rays in that tank, its perfect for any one of the three and they'd look gorgeous!

[zamboniMan]

Nice!

Can you put rays in planted tanks without them digging up your plants?

I'm assuming you're going to plant it as you posted in the planted/show tank space?


Josh

[ChloroPhil]

Nice!

Can you put rays in planted tanks without them digging up your plants?

I'm assuming you're going to plant it as you posted in the planted/show tank space?


Josh


I'm not going to put rays in here, there isn't enough room and I don't want them eating my shrimp. :) Yes, it's going to be heavily planted. However, thanks to the incredible width there'll still be plenty of room in front for the discus.

Here are some of my latest aquariums. They're broken down now to be sold to make the move easier and to pay for the big tank. I've still got a ton of Anubias nana and A. nana 'Petite' available. If anyone needs some for a tank shoot me a PM for prices. All proceeds are going toward getting the best discus I can.

75 Dutch style Angelfish tank
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/TAG2.jpg

90g West African tank
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/90gFTS.jpg

Thanks for watching!

[exv152]

That's gonna be one mother of a killer-tank! You mention shrimp, what other fish do you plan to have?

[ChloroPhil]

That's gonna be one mother of a killer-tank! You mention shrimp, what other fish do you plan to have?

Thank you!

Along with the discus I hope to have [the money to buy] Sterbai cories, Ottos, Green Neon tetras, Marbled Hatchetfish, and possibly another type or two of Tetra. My wife likes Rummynose a lot. They might add a nice brightness to the mix of cool blues and greens of the fish and plants. The discus are going to take up a lot of visual space and I want to make sure the schoalers don't make the tank seem too "busy". The focus should be on the plants and discus.

Regards,
Phil

[darkknight87]

Those are some AMAZINg looking tanks.
Id love to have tanks that were that full of plants but Ive never had any sucess with plants.
THose look great. Im sure this big one will look incredible

[ChloroPhil]

I know it's not that exciting to most of you, but this is the first time I've been able to use all the unions, valves, and whatnot that I drooled over in my former life as an installer. Modular hard plumbing is a thing of beauty and general convenience. With these I'll be able to control the flow to any part of the tank, do an emergency quick drain via the closed loop (CL), and all the other nifty stuff that I've wanted to do for years.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/SwimsWithFishes/PC030026.jpg

At first I'd considered doing a Mazzei CO2 system but then I remembered the AquaMedic reactor I had and thought it best to save money for fish. :D The reactor's going to be plumbed on the intake of the CL to maximize CO2 dissolution and distribution. The CL downdraft tube is going to be teed off with the gate valve in-line with the pump and the reactor on the T like a Mazzei injector, only on the in rather than out direction. The gate valve will give very fine control over direct flow into the pump. The more the valve's closed the greater the flow going through the reactor. Any gas that escapes the reactor will be pulled through the pump's impeller and chopped up before being sent out into the tank. I don't intend to use anything but CO2 to regulate the pH in the tank and that'll be controlled by a Milwaukee SMS122 pH meter/controller.

Both the CL and the sump will be running off Pan World P40-X pumps with an approximate total flow of 700-750gph after accounting for head loss.

Fun stuff,
Phil

[ChloroPhil]

Those are some AMAZINg looking tanks.
Id love to have tanks that were that full of plants but Ive never had any sucess with plants.
THose look great. Im sure this big one will look incredible

Thank you! I love my planted tanks. :)

Success with plants isn't impossible or even difficult to come by, I promise. Just buy my products, follow my proprietary system, and for only $29.95 per month with a low installment fee of $2,000.00 you too can grow plants like the best! Seriously though, start simply and go carefully step by step and you'll get there.

Cheers,
Phil

[lpiasente]

beautiful tanks

[ChloroPhil]

beautiful tanks

Thank you. :)

[yikesjason]

This is going to be such a rock solid tank with that hard plumbing. Maintenance will be a breeze. I am excited just to add a second canister to my tank. It is so MacGyver'ed together.

Are you not worried about the discus eating the green neons? The do make for a nice school though.

[ChloroPhil]

This is going to be such a rock solid tank with that hard plumbing. Maintenance will be a breeze. I am excited just to add a second canister to my tank. It is so MacGyver'ed together.

Are you not worried about the discus eating the green neons? The do make for a nice school though.

Jason,

I know how you feel about adding that second filter! I was the same way whenever I had the chance to upgrade/add hardware. Over time I've realized that my maintenance style and personal aquarium keeping habits favor using a sump rather than canisters. They make maintenance so much easier and I can use them as a collectoritis tank instead of making a mess of the display. :)

The last thing I'll ever do again though is hook canisters up to bulkheads. It was a mistake both times I tried it. ugh


Regarding the schooling fish, I'm not sure about them being eaten. I don't doubt that a huge fish will try to snack on a few of the smaller ones. I'm just not sure I'll be able to grow wilds out to the point where I should be concerned. I'm getting the discus from Hans so I know they'll be good and have a lot of growth potential but in the end they're wild fish and there's no telling how old or what their size potential truly is.

Cheers,
Phil

[yikesjason]

What type of discus did you decide to go with? Are you starting small and growing out in another tank, or are they going strait into the big tank fully planted?

[ChloroPhil]

What type of discus did you decide to go with? Are you starting small and growing out in another tank, or are they going strait into the big tank fully planted?


I'm not sure exactly what I'll be getting. It depends on availability when the tank's ready for fishies. I hope to get some Tefe Greens with good green color and a little bit of red. As far a coloration goes, this is my perfect discus:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/Tefe%20Green%20Discus/wesleydnunder/discus12-21-08057.jpg

It could use a little body work though. ;)

The tank's going to be barebottom with some potted plants while the fish grow out. The big grow-out plan is to make a movable eggcrate divider that'll keep the little ones corralled in a "small" portion of the tank to limit the area that I have to worry about vacuuming. The plants, lights, and soaking wood will be on the other side of the divider. As the babies grow out I'll move the divider closer and closer to the far side of the tank. This'll let them slowly adjust to the higher light and plants. Once they're big enough that I take the divider out that's when I'll do the big aquascape.

The great thing about this tank setup is the ability to control flow almost completely. Opening and closing valves will allow me to dictate the strength of the current based on what the fishies look like they can take. With any luck it'll also help keep the food and poo near the front for easy vacuuming. Having 7-9 discus in an effective volume of 260 gallons won't put a huge strain on the biological filter. I expect that small daily detritus removals will be sufficient in conjunction with 25% weekly WC.

[yikesjason]

That sounds like a masterful plan. How long do you expect to grow them out? Or is that more "play it by ear"?

[ChloroPhil]

That sounds like a masterful plan. How long do you expect to grow them out? Or is that more "play it by ear"?

I'm anticipating 9 months, so probably somewhere around September or October. It'll really depend on the fish though. No matter how big they are if they don't adapt to eating pellets, worms, and other plant-friendly foods the heavy planting will have to wait. I don't anticipate moving for a few years so I can afford to be as patient as the fish need. It'll pay of big time in the end. If things start getting really boring visually I may add sand and some schooling fish to add a little more interest.

[yikesjason]

It seems like lately, you have had a lot of time on the forums. I remember reading about your Hoa Rainforest tanks and not seeing any updates for a long time. Now, you all over the place.

By the way, the Hoa Rainforest tanks were some of my early favorite tanks when I was starting in planted tanks.

[ChloroPhil]

It seems like lately, you have had a lot of time on the forums. I remember reading about your Hoa Rainforest tanks and not seeing any updates for a long time. Now, you all over the place.

By the way, the Hoa Rainforest tanks were some of my early favorite tanks when I was starting in planted tanks.

I'm currently unemployed, trying to sell off all my current hardware, and am bored out of my gourd. :D As soon as all my paperwork goes through for the upcoming job I'll be around less often during the workday.

[discusjoe27]

good luck with the tank, are you in Dallas now, or moving to Dallas? I can't wait to see the tank done, and good choose going with tefe greens, tefe greens where my favorite wild caught discus.

[Cooldadddyfunk286]

Phil, you lucky SOB you...I would kill for a tank like that...ur planted tanks in the past are AMAZING! man, this is going to be 1 HELL of a tank! :D:D

Im tuned in! ;)

take care bro.

[ChloroPhil]

good luck with the tank, are you in Dallas now, or moving to Dallas? I can't wait to see the tank done, and good choose going with tefe greens, tefe greens where my favorite wild caught discus.

Joe,

I'll be moving to McKinney on the 18th. I'm a huge fan of wild greens as well, they're beautiful.



Phil, you lucky SOB you...I would kill for a tank like that...ur planted tanks in the past are AMAZING! man, this is going to be 1 HELL of a tank! :D:D

Im tuned in! ;)

take care bro.

Oh, so I'm an SOB now? Thanks a@&$%le! :D I appreciate the kind words about my previous setups. Growing plants is a lot of fun for me and aquatic ones are even better. I'm horrible about remembering to water terrestrial plants. Thankfully with aquatic plants I don't have to worry about that.


Regards,
Phil

[GrillMaster]

Looks like you have the planted part down pat Phil! :thumbsup:

Excellent planted tanks!

I look forward to seein this one transpire! :D

[ChloroPhil]

Looks like you have the planted part down pat Phil! :thumbsup:

Excellent planted tanks!

I look forward to seein this one transpire! :D


Thanks Mark, I appreciate it. Seeing Hans' Christmas specials has me seriously considering getting adults right from the start. What to do, what do do...

[Larry Bugg]

Phil
Did you see the wilds Hans got in about 1 1/2 months ago. VERY nice and not a bad price.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=74629

I would go with the adults and then you can go ahead and put together one of you aquascape masterpieces!

[House 64]

This is going to be a great thread! Can't wait for the finished tank!

[Scribbles]

Your tanks are amazingly beautiful! Sounds like your new discus tank will be even more magnificent. I look forward to learning alot from this thread.

Chrsi

[Eddie]

Thanks Mark, I appreciate it. Seeing Hans' Christmas specials has me seriously considering getting adults right from the start. What to do, what do do...

Do it Phil, it will set everything OFF!!! Can't wait to see it all finished, with fish in tank.

Take care,

Eddie

[discusjoe27]

the 18th huh? there is a discus breeder with his own shop her in plano that has a mated pair of wild greens for $499.99 want me to see if he will hold them for yeah?

[ChloroPhil]

Phil
Did you see the wilds Hans got in about 1 1/2 months ago. VERY nice and not a bad price.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=74629

I would go with the adults and then you can go ahead and put together one of you aquascape masterpieces!


Larry,

Those are nice fish, but they're not exactly what I want. I promised myself I wouldn't cut corners on this setup so I'm going to have to wait and see what other shipments bring in. Besides, I don't have the tank yet, let alone have it ready for fish. :D

[ChloroPhil]

the 18th huh? there is a discus breeder with his own shop her in plano that has a mated pair of wild greens for $499.99 want me to see if he will hold them for yeah?

Joe,

No thank you, that's too much to spend on two fish. I'm not particularly interested in breeding fish. If I were I'd probably take you up on it.

[ChloroPhil]

Your tanks are amazingly beautiful! Sounds like your new discus tank will be even more magnificent. I look forward to learning alot from this thread.

Chrsi

Thanks Chris, I appreciate the kind words. I look forward to learning a lot while going through this process myself. This is my first truly large aquarium. I've taken care of some large ones before, but I've never had one of my own to care for day-in and day-out. I'm leaning a lot on what Scolley's done in the past. He's one of the guys I look up to a lot when it comes to planted discus tanks.

Cheers,
Phil

[discusjoe27]

Joe,

No thank you, that's too much to spend on two fish. I'm not particularly interested in breeding fish. If I were I'd probably take you up on it.

yeah I couldn't see paying that much for 2 fish either, i'd reather spend 500.00 on new tires for my XB, that is if I had 500.00 to spend for tires.:(

[ChloroPhil]

Do it Phil, it will set everything OFF!!! Can't wait to see it all finished, with fish in tank.

Take care,

Eddie

Eddie,

We'll have to wait and see. If I can't get wilds that I like I'll consider domestics. There are a few non-wild strains that I like but they're becoming fewer and farther between. I guess I'm something of an old school purist when it comes to discus. I like them round, this Bulldog thing is disgusting, and I don't like a bajillion spots. Hans was kind enough to help me out and take a bunch of plants I needed to get rid of so I'll be buying from him when the time comes. I know the fish will be good.

Cheers,
Phil

[rickztahone]

Eddie,

We'll have to wait and see. If I can't get wilds that I like I'll consider domestics. There are a few non-wild strains that I like but they're becoming fewer and farther between. I guess I'm something of an old school purist when it comes to discus. I like them round, this Bulldog thing is disgusting, and I don't like a bajillion spots. Hans was kind enough to help me out and take a bunch of plants I needed to get rid of so I'll be buying from him when the time comes. I know the fish will be good.

Cheers,
Phil

we have a new sponsor that carries wilds ;)
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?p=593837#post593837

[ChloroPhil]

I've already made my deal (Thanks Hans!) and am happy with what I'll be getting. It's hard to say no to gorgeous fully grown Flachen when they're on sale. :D For my needs I think I got one of the best deals I could get. As much as I think I would have enjoyed growing out a school of young wilds, getting a group of adults will allow me to plant much sooner.

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll62/Hans-Discus/new%20stuff/101_3949.jpg

Cheers,
Phil

[yikesjason]

Nice!

How many did you order? Hans must be holding them for you until you get to TX and set up. How long do you expect that to be?

[ChloroPhil]

Nice!

How many did you order? Hans must be holding them for you until you get to TX and set up. How long do you expect that to be?

I bought all 6 he had available. John Nickelson is being kind enough to hold them for me while we get moved and set up. I'm really hoping he gets at least one solid batch of fry out of them for his kindness. Hopefully it won't be more than a few weeks before I can get the fish. With everything else going on and having to wait on a few external factors I'd estimate it'll take two months or so before the tank and fish are ready for the real aquascape. It's going to be a big bare or sand bottomed tank with soaking wood for a while.

Regards,
Phil

[Larry Bugg]

Excellent Phil. Know you will be happy with Han's fish. Know your intent isn't breeding, but you never know..........maybe you will have some fry I can buy from you at the AGA convention next year......................

Can't wait to see pics.

[Eddie]

I've already made my deal (Thanks Hans!) and am happy with what I'll be getting. It's hard to say no to gorgeous fully grown Flachen when they're on sale. :D For my needs I think I got one of the best deals I could get. As much as I think I would have enjoyed growing out a school of young wilds, getting a group of adults will allow me to plant much sooner.

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll62/Hans-Discus/new%20stuff/101_3949.jpg

Cheers,
Phil

DAMN PHIL!!! You are ONE LUCKY SOB!!! The flachens were my favorites!!! Man I cannot wait to see that tank now.

All the best and get to working on that project!!! :D

Eddie

[ChloroPhil]

DAMN PHIL!!! You are ONE LUCKY SOB!!! The flachens were my favorites!!! Man I cannot wait to see that tank now.

All the best and get to working on that project!!! :D

Eddie

HAHAHA, I'm not sure if you'd call it luck or not, they cost a pretty penny. If I hadn't sold off almost all of my current aquarium stuff the money wouldn't have been there and I'd have been one SOL SOB. Right now John's the lucky SOB. They're showing up at his place tomorrow. He's going to have all sorts of time to taint their thinking on planted tanks before they realize their true destiny.

You're going to have to wait on the tank just like the rest of us. I can't get the tank in my place until at least the 19th. :( I promise, I'm working on it as fast as I can!


LOL because I can,
Phil

[ChloroPhil]

Oh snap, I forgot about something....the tank's going to have to cycle! I've been starting tanks fully planted without fish for so long I've forgotten about that hidden, but significant, part of aquarium keeping. Thank God I've got filters running!

We're now looking at 1-1.5 months before the fish will be able to go into the tank. Durrr deee durrrrr

~Phil

[exv152]

Being fully planted may help cut that time down to 4 weeks or even less.

[zamboniMan]

Being fully planted I wouldn't worry about waiting for it to cycle very long (2 weeks tops). Given how much most of us change our water in addition to the plants I think you'd be okay.

Josh

[ChloroPhil]

It's not going to be fully planted for a while. The aquascaping's going to have to wait for the wood I'm considering getting to waterlog and a few other things to happen. It's going to be plants in pots for a while.

Regards,
Phil

[Scribbles]

Those are some beautiful discus, they will look spectacular in your tank.

Chris

[ChloroPhil]

Thank you Scribbles, I think so as well. If they look anything like the photos in real life, sans what appears to be a broken ventral fin in one of them, they're going to be a stunning school of fish. It's going to be very difficult to make a habitat worthy of fish such as these.

~Phil

[poconoboss]

That's an awesome tank, I especially love the electrical work, do you have a schematic as to how it was done?

Better yet can you tell us where you had it built?

Thanks.

[ChloroPhil]

That's an awesome tank, I especially love the electrical work, do you have a schematic as to how it was done?

Better yet can you tell us where you had it built?

Thanks.

I don't have a schematic, sorry. I'm buying the tank from someone else who had all the work done where he lives. If you go to Reef Central and look up DJ power stations or electrical work you should come up with some detailed wiring journals.

Regards,
Phil

[ChloroPhil]

It's in the apartment! I think it looks nice but it does take up a lot of space in the livingroom and my better half is going to need a good long time to adjust to having it there. I owe a huge thanks to John Nicholson and D'Wyatt Green for helping schlep the two ton tank. I couldn't have done it without them!

Pics will be forthcoming as soon as we get all the boxes unpacked.


Cheers,
Phil

[yikesjason]

Awesome!

Buy your wife something nice, maybe something for her hobby. That should buy you some time to get some fish in there. I find my wife falls fast for the fish, even if she is not excited about the tank.

[ChloroPhil]

Awesome!

Buy your wife something nice, maybe something for her hobby. That should buy you some time to get some fish in there. I find my wife falls fast for the fish, even if she is not excited about the tank.

I did just that! She's going to have to wait a couple more days though. She's getting into reef keeping and is getting a nice new pump for her tank equipment gathering. :)

I'm pretty sure she's going to love the discus when she sees them. I can promise she'll go goo-goo over the school of Cories that'll be living in the beast.

[yikesjason]

What type of corys are you going with?

[ChloroPhil]

Most likely sterbai. I've wanted them for years and this is the best opportunity I've got to get a big school. I'm a fan of a couple other species though too. If the sterbai are too expensive I'll go another route.

[DGman]

Phil
It's a really nice tank and it will look even better once it is planted with those Discus in it.
Really it was not that big of a deal to help you out.

D'Wyatt

[ChloroPhil]

Phil
It's a really nice tank and it will look even better once it is planted with those Discus in it.
Really it was not that big of a deal to help you out.

D'Wyatt

DGman...heeeeeeey!

It may not have been a big deal for you, but it was a huge deal to me. :) I'm looking forward to getting everything all set up and ready to go. Catherine and I stopped by Home Despot last night and I saw their little Wet/Dry attachment for the 5g buckets for the first time. Those are perfect for small applications like this! I'll be getting one of them for sure. After that, it's time fur de plumbin'.

Cheers,
Phil

[Finatic]

That is a great looking set up. Combined with your proven planted tank skills, and those beautiful fish, this is going to be a world class display tank!

Cant wait to see it all come together.

[discusjoe27]

less talky more photos :p, can't wait to see photos, or I can take a few photos. I got two digital cameras.

[Larry Bugg]

less talky more photos :p, can't wait to see photos, or I can take a few photos. I got two digital cameras.

LOL. Phil, looks like the guys in Dallas are going to push you harder than we did in Atlanta.

[ChloroPhil]

less talky more photos :p, can't wait to see photos, or I can take a few photos. I got two digital cameras.

Hahaha, not quite. :) I'm going as fast as I want to go; no faster, no slower. The tank and sump got scraped and vacuumed today and tomorrow it'll all get washed down. After that I can start on the plumbing.

I'll take an update pic tomorrow.

Regards,
Phil

[theblondskeleton]

Sounds exciting, Phil! Living the dream! The discus look beautiful! I'm currently saving for some of Hans' Alenquers. It'll be a while on that, though... :( So I'll live vicariously through your thread for a while :wave: Happy Holidays!

[ChloroPhil]

Sounds exciting, Phil! Living the dream! The discus look beautiful! I'm currently saving for some of Hans' Alenquers. It'll be a while on that, though... :( So I'll live vicariously through your thread for a while :wave: Happy Holidays!

Right back at ya! The fishies are still living with John so I'm having to stare at pictures.

I got the stand and sump mostly cleaned out yesterday and today. Home Depot has the coolest thing going these days; a Wet-Dry vacuum attachment for a 5gal bucket for only $20.00!! I think someone in their R+D department is an aquarium keeper. :)

I've got to wait until Saturday to start plumbing. I'm being a good boy and waiting until Christmas to open my presents. :antlers: Next week's going to be fun.

Cheers,
Phil

[discusjoe27]

DGman...heeeeeeey!

It may not have been a big deal for you, but it was a huge deal to me. :) I'm looking forward to getting everything all set up and ready to go. Catherine and I stopped by Home Despot last night and I saw their little Wet/Dry attachment for the 5g buckets for the first time. Those are perfect for small applications like this! I'll be getting one of them for sure. After that, it's time fur de plumbin'.

Cheers,
Phil

little wet/dry attachment? got a web link?

[zamboniMan]

Better yet have you gotten to try it?

[ChloroPhil]

http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardware-Wet-Dry-Vacuums/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5Zb8pi/R-202017218/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Oh yeah, I've had to try it out a few times. The plumbing in this place isn't great. :mad: I'm so glad I had it on hand, we'd have been screwed otherwise.


No pics yet, but I'm almost done with the plumbing fabrication and dry fitting. One more trip to the Despot for a few more adapters and that should be that!


Cheers,
Phil

[zamboniMan]

http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardware-Wet-Dry-Vacuums/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5Zb8pi/R-202017218/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Oh yeah, I've had to try it out a few times. The plumbing in this place isn't great. :mad: I'm so glad I had it on hand, we'd have been screwed otherwise.


No pics yet, but I'm almost done with the plumbing fabrication and dry fitting. One more trip to the Despot for a few more adapters and that should be that!


Cheers,
Phil

That sucks time to find a new place?

[ChloroPhil]

I just moved in. It's not all THAT bad.

[zamboniMan]

I just moved in. It's not all THAT bad.

I dunno if I moved into someplace and immediately had plumbing problems I think I'd be looking into getting a new place.

[ChloroPhil]

It's just a matter of toilet design. Ours discharge more than the bowl can hold so they overflow easily. Now that we're aware of the issue, it's avoidable.


Tank update: I've had to make a few minor modifications to the plumbing design. It's time to make one more (hopefully the last) trip to HD for the needed parts. With any luck this will be the last trip. I'm getting "You've got to go *again*?" from the Dear Wife. Pictures will be forthcoming as soon as everything's glued together.

Cheers,
Phil

[discusjoe27]

It's just a matter of toilet design. Ours discharge more than the bowl can hold so they overflow easily. Now that we're aware of the issue, it's avoidable.


Tank update: I've had to make a few minor modifications to the plumbing design. It's time to make one more (hopefully the last) trip to HD for the needed parts. With any luck this will be the last trip. I'm getting "You've got to go *again*?" from the Dear Wife. Pictures will be forthcoming as soon as everything's glued together.

Cheers,
Phil

at least it wasn't any of this--->:argue: or hunny it's me or the tank.

[zamboniMan]

at least it wasn't any of this--->:argue: or hunny it's me or the tank.

Thats a bad day that is :-p

[smiley]

at least it wasn't any of this--->:argue: or hunny it's me or the tank.

Heard this many a times :D

[Eddie]

Heard this many a times :D

If the boss gave me that ultimatum, I'd be like...WOOHHOOO getting me a 300 gallon! LOL

Eddie

[theblondskeleton]

Not to highjack your thread Phil, but I thought this was relevant. My wife gave me this shirt for Christmas. I think it speaks for itself. If only it were a discus in there...

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q234/theblondskeleton/DSCN0799.jpg

[zamboniMan]

That's awesome ask her where she got it!

[ChloroPhil]

It's got water!!! I've been doing a leak test for the past couple days and remedying a few small drips here and there. With the exception of one super small and slow one that would require serious renovations I'm happy to say it's holding water like a champ. The pumps and sump are quiet and the flow seems to be decent. Unfortunately most of the plumbing had to be glued in place to ensure it set in the position of least stress on the joints so photo taking would be awkward and won't show a lot. I'll get some taken when the lighting's installed. Right now I'm just circulating water to dissolve as much of the residual salt and crap as possible.


John, you're on watch. Breed those fish soon! *grin*

[Eddie]

Sounds good Phil! I am as excited as you, to have some discus in tank!

Take care,

Eddie

[Finatic]

I have to admit, Im pretty excited to see how your tank turns out.

[Finatic]

Not to highjack your thread Phil, but I thought this was relevant. My wife gave me this shirt for Christmas. I think it speaks for itself. If only it were a discus in there...

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q234/theblondskeleton/DSCN0799.jpg

this is awesome, btw, I hope you dont mind, but I put it in my avatar.

Too funny

[scottishbloke]

I want one of those shirts too!!!:D

Totally accurate in my case- I went from 2g planted Betta tank, to 5g Neons, then 10g Threadfin Rainbows, then 55g Mixed Rainbows, and then, inevitably, I had to have the King...90g Discus :D:D:D

Phil, post some more pics soon...can't wait to see your latest and greatest creation in all its glory!

Colin
P.S. Phil, the 90g is doing just great, best Xmas present ever...thanks mate :)

[Eddie]

Actually, a better t-shirt would be if the third cartoon showed the wife holding a suitcase.....since she'd be leaving! LOL


Eddie

[zamboniMan]

Actually, a better t-shirt would be if the third cartoon showed the wife holding a suitcase.....since she'd be leaving! LOL


Eddie

More like the guy holding his tank cuz she kicked him out.

[discusjoe27]

nope it would be more like wooooo hooooooooo sweetie I won the lottery, I think you should go on a vacation. sweetie says what should I pack, husband.
everything get the hell out *****, I'm filling up the whole house with nothing but fish tanks and discus. :);) phil is the aquarium finished yet?

[1nvad3r]

Updates :) ? pics please hehe

[DiscusKev]

Updates :) ? pics please hehe

+1

would love to see the shoal of flachen in the tank :D

[ChloroPhil]

I'm getting the fish after the NADA convention next week. If I remember to get pics of them in there I'll post it up. Updates have been a long time coming.

Cheers,
Phil

[discusjoe27]

I'm getting the fish after the NADA convention next week. If I remember to get pics of them in there I'll post it up. Updates have been a long time coming.

Cheers,
Phil

so I guess DFWAPC will be knocking on your door soon, to see your big discus tank. :D

[roybo]

So if you keep flachen does that mean you have flatulence????? Couldn't resist.
I'm anxious to see pics of that bad boy up and running. I must say that everything looks top notch 1st class!

Regards,
Roy

[Larry Bugg]

It's been 9 months since Phil last posted.

[Herbicidal]

I read through all the posts and hoped to see some updates. Hope everything is OK.

[RudeDogg1]

You could try putting a brick in the systern so it doesnt hold as much water. Thats what we used to do when there was water shortages


It's just a matter of toilet design. Ours discharge more than the bowl can hold so they overflow easily. Now that we're aware of the issue, it's avoidable.


Tank update: I've had to make a few minor modifications to the plumbing design. It's time to make one more (hopefully the last) trip to HD for the needed parts. With any luck this will be the last trip. I'm getting "You've got to go *again*?" from the Dear Wife. Pictures will be forthcoming as soon as everything's glued together.

Cheers,
Phil