Started From The Bottom Now We're... Still On The Bottom...

[Phillydubs]

Phew! Where to begin... I warn you, this may be long and drawn out a tad, sorry if I babble, but I guess it is my tank journal after all! Lol!

Anyways, I started this a few weeks back with all intentions of posting the progress and pictures as I went along. Well, as for most of us, work, kids, family and life itself seemed to interrupt more than I would have liked. I had a lot of this written and my computer decided to crap out on me and I lost it all... So, here I am... A bit more backwards than I was hoping but, never the less, I felt the need to share and hope you all enjoy.

For those of you who I know, have chatted with or have followed any threads or postings of mine you may know about my current 55 gallon and I tried to take on a possible breeding pair. My buddy Rich who took the pair off my hands posted his take over in my thread. Long Story Short, I gave the breeding a try and it this time in my life, it just wasn't for me. It was fun to try but just not for me now... Maybe one day down the road I will dive back in but, not now! I was happy to have a friend take them on, now that they were going to a good home and to a caring person who was going to work with them properly.

So... Even at the time of the purchase of the possible pair, I was bitten by the bug. Not that I was out of the hobby or anything but just wanted more! We all know this feeling and have been there... Unfortunately, again, like many of us... I had limitations... Space, time, energy and well $$$$... The itch started with the pair and wanting to try my hand at breeding and then stretched into another set-up, a single or similar strain tank, something bio-topey. I said let me get a tank going in my house, I have a big basement, an empty tank and no fish at home. My son absolutely shares my love, even at 2 years old all he talks about is "ish" as he calls them, he wants to see fish, be around fish and lights up when he see's fish. So naturally I thought, why not a tank at home for us both to enjoy. As fast as that progressed it quickly stalled as my basement is a mess of storage as we move and renovate. You see since Hurricane Sandy struck, it hit me hard both personally, financially and on a business level. Since then I have been swallowed by renovations, rebuilding and a lot of work both at work and at home. So when I started to draw up the positives and negatives, to have a tank in the basement where I can't enjoy it to the max and would probably have to move or work around as I finish the basement just didn't seem ideal. So I said, maybe it is wise to do it right one time and finish the basement and then set it all up properly. With that out the window, the itch was there. At this point I had been researching strains and ideas, I had bugged sponsors and fellow members with questions and I had started to narrow down choices...

With the empty space now, where my breeding tank had been, some cash in pocket from recouping that investment, I said well, as the title plays, started on the bottom, why not continue... Now my space even there is limited and I had to select wisely and research what could really be done. I went through all the glass tank options and again, I was limited. My attention turned to acrylic. I had never had an acrylic tank and I plan to design and set-up a nice big salt water tank in my home den (don't worry, there will be nice discus in my man cave basement, the wife loves reefs and who is to tell the wife no when she gives you the go ahead to attack salt in a big way, but this is again far off). So, I research I make calls and I find the acrylic tank I want, price that works and I am ready to go, except... there is a 2 month wait!!! Just when you think you are on to something and boom...

At this point I was already narrowing down some strains and I thought I was locked in until the itch grew wild, yea wild, I wanted to try wilds again. A few years back when I was getting going w discus I had the 1-2 of everything tank because I couldn't make up my mind. Included in that tank were a few wilds from John. I always had an affinity for them but felt I didn't give them the proper care or setting that they needed way back when. I was still learning all this, making mistakes and being hard headed (somethings will never change). So after bugging the likes of Miranda, James, Eric, etc. I finally said, sorry and thanks but I need to ride this wild itch.

Great , right? Ready to dive on in, but that again presented problems, after peppering many members here and thank you all for your feedback responses and input. I don't want to name people individually but you all know who you are who provided me with much insight and info. I always hate to be the guy who asks questions and doesn't heed the advice or doesn't go with it. In some ways I felt like I was that guy this time around, because I did go against some advice in some ways and I sure do hope that doesn't bite me in the you know what anytime soon. But I felt like I took a collective of info and sorted it all out and tried to take pieces of each to work with.

Back to the tank, so the 2 month wait is dropped on me and I am scrambling a bit. I've had a lot of talks with John and really honed in on what I wanted and loved his offerings. It could be the bug/itch again or truth, but I felt like this wild season, in my few years here in the hobby was just at a high. I saw so many great fish come in from John, Mark and others that it made me want to be apart of it and ride the wave. I came across a steal of a deal from a local guy on a practically brand new 40 breeder with big thick glass tops and painted for $60. With my space and options at this point limited, I ran with it. I built out the base of my stand a bit to support it all around and really secure it. I know that a 40 is on the small side and not ideal and still feel that way, but again, I did it. I still have intentions on the bigger acrylic and will prob head that way so I figured if anything this made a great transition spot for them until I decide what to do.

With the tank cleaned and in place, I started to decide on a scape and how it would look. I came across another local on CL selling some really cool pieces of wood. They were a great size, very branchy and twisted and I felt they fit just what I wanted, so I picked them up. I have wanted to try sand for a while and I figured no time like the present. Wilds and sand seem to go hand in hand and I thought it would give me the experience of working with it. So last weekend the tank was fully cleaned, sand was cleaned out and the wood was placed and the sand added. I went with an aquaclear 110 and have been playing with the flow a bit. I was going to use an established sponge to seed the tank once my order arrived. I had some work commitments and couldn't take a delivery for a bit, then John was away and had some hiccups so it took a little bit to try and coordinate and let me tell you the waiting was hard!

Never the less, yesterday, I received my order from John!

3 curipera red discus lg.
2 alenquer semi royal red lg.
3 L-201 inspector lg.

The package arrived in great shape, the packing was great, the bags were warm and sealed and the fish made the trip exceptionally well. Today, barely 24hrs after being in this tank, you would think they have lived there for years. I was really expecting them to be very skittish, shy, hiding and scared, but it could not be further from the opposite. They are out and about, very curious, eating already and forming a tight pack. They all seem to move as one and are a true joy to watch already! After all the back and forth and decisions and angst, I could not be happier with my choices and the way things are going so far!

Again, sorry for the long winded write up and thanks for reading! I also again want to thank those who provided me great detailed responses and info as I made this decision. For those of you who gave me great advice that I didn't put into play just yet, don't hate me! I promise it will come in handy soon, I love learning and growing in this hobby and look forward to years and years of more fun with this addiction, I mean hobby

I will start posting some pics as I did document it all start to finish here so you can see the tank come together from start to finish!

Phillydubs

[Phillydubs]

Here are some pictures to show all I have blabbed about...This is the tank when I first got it alone on the stand... As you can see, clear hang over and not going to work as is....IMG_8463.jpg

[Phillydubs]

With the help of my friend and co-worker and the promise of grabbing him a nice big lunch, we built this...IMG_8468.jpgIMG_8469.jpg

[Phillydubs]

With the tank now fully supported and secure, I went on my hunt for wood/branches... To my surprise I found these nice piecesIMG_8477.jpgIMG_8478.jpgIMG_8479.jpg locally on CL and for a real steal of a deal if you ask me!

[Phillydubs]

Once purchased and picked up, I brought them in, cleaned and soaked them and started to play with the placement in the tank...IMG_8541.jpgIMG_8542.jpgIMG_8543.jpgIMG_8544.jpgIMG_8560.jpgIMG_8561.jpgIMG_8562.jpg

[Phillydubs]

I played around with different placements and set-ups. The pictures make the tank look more full and crowded then it really is, or so I think... Once I found a placement I liked, I cleaned and added the sand!IMG_8563.jpgIMG_8564.jpg

[Phillydubs]

And of course, then came the water!IMG_8565.jpgIMG_8566.jpg

[Akili]

Great Job Phil, looking forward with it's new additions.

[rickztahone]

Very cool Phil. I know those bad boys look really nice in there though, so show off the discus pics already!

[Debow]

I like the wood looks like 3 little trees under water. That's going to be a nice biotope. What is your lighting going to consist of ?

[Phillydubs]

I have no lighting yet and haven't even thought about it... I am open to suggestions though! Any recommendations ?

[Phillydubs]

Rick- I loaded all the pics at work and never got to post I will in the am. I was thinking of finally bringing my nice camera to work and trying to take a few decent pics !

[rickztahone]

Rick- I loaded all the pics at work and never got to post I will in the am. I was thinking of finally bringing my nice camera to work and trying to take a few decent pics !

You've had a NICE camera all along?!

[Debow]

Well if your not doing plants a nice low light maybe spot light style with shadows and shimmer? Something like a pendent light like the Kessle A160we its small compact and dimmable. Cost less than there 360 model. Or the current satalite led plus they came down in price and I still use mine for other tanks.

[Phillydubs]

How much am I looking at price wise ? Ball park?

Yea rick I told you I have a few nice cameras... Well my wife does!!! Lol