Family Heirloom Gets New Life

[anewbie]

I don't think there is a problem with swordtails with regards to behavior but they are a hardwater fish while the other fishes are softwater. Also the hatchet fishes are jumpers so make sure you have zero cracks in your lid.  The red pencil will fight a lot - not an issue just be aware.

[Lennie]

Ive kept my honey gourami in a community tank with shrimp in it. He has never show i interest to adults

 

my opinion is regarding the ratio. I personally dont like 1m:1f ratio for no pair fish, I would either do 1m:3f in that tank size or only one. Tho you are quite unlikely to face issues as honey gouramis are usually very peaceful

Edited July 16, 2023 by Lennie

[beastie]

I would absolutely avoid the marble hatchetfish, as they will all jump out within 3 months. They dont like boisterous fish around them, are easily startled and given they are super static 90% of the time, they are often victims of curios fishs nipping at them, in this case it would be cardinals, gourami ,swordtails,... Instead, if you must have top dwellers, go for a different nannostomus, like eques, the brown pencilfish, or get more of the red corals, though dwarf would be better.

For CPD I would do way more numbers, even replace one of the other schooling fish with CPD, like the chilli rasboras. I feel the chillis would be too small compared to swordtails, and for the CPD, the consensus here between the keepers is, that their behavior is best if kept in groups of 20 and more. Under 20 they tend to be shy and hidden away. Similar info for the chilli rasboras btw, since we are mentioning shyness.

Given behavior is better when shoals are larger, I would also go with 15 habsorus, or even 20. I have 15 sterbais in a 360 liters, they are barely visible (because I have a large pile of wood on the bottom they like), but when I had just 10 I didnt see them at all. Now with 15 they sleep in the middle of the substrate away from the wood, on the plants, even venture up to the anubias that is below the surface. I havent seen that behaviro with just 10. 

For me less (species) is more (fun) and more (fish of a single species) is always better. I have 50 ember tetras and in the large tank, small fish feel scared in low numbers. There is a difference between 10 embers in a 10 gallon, and 10 embers in a 75 gallons. And you and the fish will suffer from it, because they will be scared, they will be hidden and you wont see them and instead of this amazingly colorful fish mix you have described, you will have visualy empty tank, except the swordtails that have no understanding of the world 'fear', will be more boisterous when feeding and will be the most likely reason all of your other fish will starve/die off stress.

 

Also, final note, livebearers are always hard water fish, tetras, gouramis, pencilfish and corydoras are mostly soft water fish, are you somewhere in the middle ?

How are you going to stock this, I dont see the way the usual recommendations would work for you (shoaling first, most agressive lates approach would have you put all the cpd, tetras, nannostomus,... and keep the swordtails and gouramis last but that is a too large bioload ar once. Most sensitive latest, most hardy first approach would have you put swordtails first and they will be king of the jungle and chase all the cpd/nannostomus/... whatnot later on)

[beastie]

Oh and I know I am all negative nelly here, but I would so not get the swordtails and instead get 5 of the honey gouramis and see them interact and form hierarchy and watch them in a unique environment, since people only have one or two max, but their group behavior is said to be even better. 

Just beware of the stock, whatever is coming from asia breeders in that pale color variety they call "gold" is super sick and noone in europe has them or sells them, I havent seen one here in like 3 years now and those who get the fish from asia breeders always lose them in just few months.... Same reason noone is keeping dwarf gourami anymore, the iridovirus wiped out the asia breeding colonies and everyone is too afraid now 🙂

[JChristophersAdventures]

@beastie No worries. Those are all points to consider. I will be custom cutting an inner lid from clear double wall coroplast to fit snuggly, as swords and hatchets are jumpers (I kept both together in the 90s). It will include extra mini lids that help close off the area where the HOBs flow water back into the tank. The piano lid acts as a second cover that is just far enough above the aquarium rim to mount the lights to the underside. I like this approach as when I lift the front section, the light is automatically lifted off the tank for feeding (or I can lift the back of the lid and the back light will be lifted to service the filters, hoses, etc.)

As for the order of introduction, I will be establishing the tank slowly with plants first using a no fish in cycle, then I will settle in the neos and nerites... once that is good, I will likely do the corys, rasboras and tetras, etc.. I figured the gourami and swords would be last to reduce territorial issues. One nice thing about the swords is how the males and females have essentially the same coloration, so I could always go with females only if I am unable to find a cooperative male.

I would also consider doing a group of female powder blue dwarf gourami although I doubt the honey gourami will be any trouble (yes, I know gourami seem to be plagued with a disease [didn't have that in the 90s that I was ever aware of]), but interestingly enough I had determined from research that there are disease free ones from European breeder/suppliers and that is exactly where my source is getting them from... I have been looking, looking, looking... the honey gourami isn't widely available, as you have stated. I am much more interested in the yellow/gold, versus the reddish or natural silver, but as I believe you've said early on the wild caught ones are healthier, so that could be an option also.

Yes, large schools is definitely preferred all else being equal. I considered a much larger tank, but that would have required huge modifications to the piano (it was 2" shy of holding a 5' wide tank... sigh) and after sketching out what it would look like after such an expansion, it really didn't look like the same piano. So, I may expand the schools a bit here and there as things go along... I do like the idea of more corys for sure as they will only be sharing the bottom with shrimp and snails.

I am counting on some of the fish to act as dithers... we shall see... and, I really don't mind fish hiding so much... I like to arrange the hardscape so they can hide from each other, but they can still be viewed from the front from at least one angle. This is easy to do as only the front panel will be fully visible, along with just about 3 inches back from the front along the sides... the rest will be blacked out. It just works out that way with the piano, but I've had good experiences with fish being more at ease the less glass is exposed to outside movement.

In addition, this room is very dark (the windows are always blacked out, anyway... so the aquarium light is the only light source, so the fish won't be getting startled much by looking out into the room. The piano is buffered from the floor, the piano lid is buffer from the top of the piano and the tank will also be buffered from the piano, all by a very thin, very dense layer of closed cell foam to reduce noise/vibration shocks to the system.  Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by JChristophersAdventures

[JChristophersAdventures]

After patronizing my LFS, went to PETCO and picked up the 75 gallon to set into the piano! Don't know when the tank sale ends, so I was glad to get it sooner rather than later.

I checked over the glass and seals there at the store... it all looked good. Next comes the fill test (fingers crossed).

If that goes well, then it will be time to paint the sides and back, in flat black acrylic paint (will probably give a spritz of clear coat to make it a little more durable)... and finally set it into place!

Give a man a fish? Teach a man to fish? No... give a man an aquarium... then, he can go buy his own fish! lol

[Guppysnail]

Glad to see another step towards completing this fantastic project. 
Aquariums are like Pringles. It rarely ends at 1. 🤣

[JChristophersAdventures]

@Guppysnail So true! I will likely start planning a small fish room after this display tank. Too many tanks like this and our 120+ year old house would likely collapse! lol I will have to finish out an unheated, no insulation garage to do that... it may be awhile.

[Lennie]

I might've missed it if you've shared it somewhere else, but, is there any stocking plan? 🙂 

 

[JChristophersAdventures]

@LennieYes... the post is "Any Thoughts on my 75g Fish List?" This will be a nano tank with the fish ranging from .75-2". Thanks.

[JChristophersAdventures]

Just finished the fill test on the new 75 gallon aquarium! NO LEAKS! I did this while it is still sitting on the floor on top of some interlocking floor mats, because I will still need to paint the sides and back with flat black acrylic paint before installing it, as it will not be convenient to do it after the install.

Notice that the floor here is anything but level. I had to do a lot of work to level the piano and make sure the aquarium will be perfectly level once installed. There are 2 dozen lag screws and 2 dozen deck screws which attach a 2x4 and a 2x6 to both the piano and to the load bearing wall behind it (the other wall at the far end is also a load bearing wall).

The piano is mounted to a 3/4" finished plywood base which had to be shimmed and the shims filled, caulked and painted once the whole thing was leveled. Before filling the tank for cycling, I am adding a floor jack to the crawl space directly underneath the front left corner which is the only one not supported by a load bearing wall... just to be absolutely sure (over-kill?... maybe, but this 120+ year old house has its foundation issues).

The tank is empty now (one 5 gallon bucket at a time)... I will not be filling it again without getting a Python! I certainly recommend them highly and also doing a fill test before the return window passes by just in case you need to exchange it. Usually , if you check the seals carefully before you leave the store, and they look clean and even, you won't have a problem. According to that PETCO store manager, the leak rate is only about 3 in 100 (or 3%). That's pretty good odds. Aqueon tanks don't have the prettiest seal work, but they do the job and the price is still right!

Edited July 26, 2023 by JChristophersAdventures

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Can’t wait to see this bad boy fully installed and up and running. Gonna be dope!

[JChristophersAdventures]

@AllFishNoBrakes Thanks... just put the first coat of acrylic flat black on the sides and back (only about the front 3" on the sides will be open... just the way it works out with the piano... but, I like the idea of creating an environment where the fish won't feel they are in a big bowl. lol) Looks like 4 or even 5 coats of this water based paint will be necessary based on how the first coat didn't cover all that great. It is what it is.

[madmark285]

Not to be negative but I am in the 3% group, my 75 gallon Aqueon tank started to leak after 2 years. Mr. OnlyGenusCaps suggested sealing the bottom of the tank before you set it up. That's easy to do and will only cost you $10. 

Great project! 

Comment on a fish room in an old house, if you set up tanks on an exterior wall, much of the load can be on the wall instead of the floor. Common in old house, they used 3/4" planking nailed to the studs, exterior walls are very strong.

[JChristophersAdventures]

No worries. Aqueon is certainly not top quality. Back in the 90s I had an Oceanic 55. Much thicker glass than this 75 and it was crystal clear (no greenish edges). That's a great idea on sealing the tank around the bottom.

Was that done on both the interior and exterior of the bottom frame or only the interior? I did notice 2 stickers (a warning sticker and an inspection sticker) lodged in between the bottom glass and the bottom frame... that annoyed me (just one more potential trouble spot?).

I am definitely considering doing that extra caulking... thanks!

Yes, knowing the aquarium is lag screwed to the wall gives peace-of-mind. If that wall moves I won't be worrying about the aquarium! lol

I am enjoying each phase of the project, but of course I am really looking forward to having it in place. I would much rather scape, fill, cycle and buy fish than build!

Thanks, again.

Edited July 27, 2023 by JChristophersAdventures

[JChristophersAdventures]

Painting The Tank!

I've got 2 coats of acrylic black (water based) paint on the tank sides and back. The front 3" of each side is still clear for viewing. The coverage isn't great, so it may take another 2 coats to get the job done. I have been considering sealing it, too. But, haven't decided for sure or what I should use... clear coat? ... polyurethane? I think I should stay clear of anything that might harm the silicone seal.

Also, you will notice in the last pic some Owens Corning pink foam board I am also painting black. That room of the old house stays a bit on the colder side in the winter, so in addition to the lids, I am putting these insulation panels against the side and back glass (above/below the bottom/top frames). This should help stabilize against temperature swings and save a bit on heating costs, as well as deaden sound. 

[madmark285]

On 7/27/2023 at 10:57 AM, JChristophersAdventures said:

Was that done on both the interior and exterior of the bottom frame or only the interior?

Exterior. Silicone will not adhere to cure silicone. 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 7/28/2023 at 2:52 AM, madmark285 said:

Exterior. Silicone will not adhere to cure silicone.

If it matters, I also did fill the absolutely massive gap between the top frame and the tank all around the upper interior edge.  Mine had over 1/8" gap in there at points, making the rim easy to wiggle around prior to the silicone application.  I noticed that when pulled from the mid-points between the brace, I could slightly shift the panes of glass relative to each other at the nearest corner.  That concerned me.  So, I pumped a lot of silicone up under the interior rim.  After it cured, I was no longer able to rotate the rim and thus the panels didn't experience the stress from that torque.  Does it really help?  Maybe.  I noticed this on my first cheap 75, and so I've done this to all my large cheap tanks now.  But I've had good luck so far, so that's nice. 

Oh, and because I was trying to get the plastic rim to bond with the silicone I used the GE 100% silicone for acrylic and plastic sheeting.  The one in the red tube:

[JChristophersAdventures]

@madmark285 @OnlyGenusCaps Thanks. I take it that all products labeled as 100% silicone are not created equal and not all are aquarium safe? Thanks, again.

[JChristophersAdventures]

Tank Insulated & Installed!

Just finished wrapping the back and sides in the painted foam board, after painting 3 sides. Placed the closed cell foam pad down and positioned the tank in place! There is still some trim work and other details before the installation can be considered 100%, but that can wait until tomorrow.

The lighting for these pictures is provided by the 4 foot hood I made to match out of excess piano wood. It will be providing light for terrestrial plants growing out of the back of the tank. It may take awhile to get everything together to run this plus 2 quarantine tanks, but it feels great to have made it this far!

Edited July 29, 2023 by JChristophersAdventures

[JChristophersAdventures]

Received Lights For The 75G Build Yesterday... Finished Installing/Testing Them Today!

First, thanks to those who have showed interest and/or provided insight on lighting for this project.

There are many great lighting choices out there... lights can do just about anything, today... also, they can be one of the more expensive parts of a tank set-up! So, being on a monthly purchase plan (a "budget" as some would call it) I tried to balance quality, and functionality, with price. What I went with is the Hygger HG-005 Series. It comes in 6 different lengths from 8" up to 27.4" I purchased 4 of the 15.9" version, for slightly under $100 total including the shipping. As much as I like the ACO light, it would have been $200-$250 for 2 of those to cover the same area.

These are very compact, but have the same features as do many of the Hygger lights... multi-colors, 24/7 and normal timers. These are sealed for use in/under the water as well as against accidental dropping into the aquarium. I will not be submerging them at all, so I think they should last a long time and perform well.

In the pics, you will see I have mounted them in 2 rows (2 to light the back half of the tank, 2 for the front). I attached them to the underside of the piano lid so they can stay in place during feeding and gravel vacuuming as only the front half of the piano lid is raised for those functions (only when servicing the HOE [Hang On End] filters will the entire piano lid need to me removed). The lights and lid are removed together, so I don't have to reposition them or worry about them dropping into the water, as they are very securely fastened.

As shown, I angled the front row of lights at a 45 degree angle in order to get full light coverage across the entire tank. I was able to use shorter, less expensive lengths because I don't need them shining down on top of the filters (at each end) or on top of the middle support beam. Mounting was really easy because the lights come with plastic brackets with suction cups on them, and I simply pulled off the suction cup part, drilled a hole all the way through the plastic bracket and added my own screws (I cut the the 45 degree angle blocks from some scrap 1x2s... sanded, painted and drilled). The back row of lights were already where they needed to be, so I left them facing straight down. (btw... I know suction cups are useful in certain applications, but I avoid using them whenever I can... they like to fall off as soon as I turn my back on them. lol)

Excuse the smudges on the tank, but hopefully you can get an idea of how well the tank is lit. If you are using higher light need plants, this might not be enough power for you, but I will be using low light plants that will be positioned in the middle to top half of the water column, so it should be plenty for my purposes. Hope everyone is having a great week so far.

I will be placing a strip of closed cell foam along the front top edge of the tank to eliminate the light "bleed" between the tank and the trim board of the piano.

Thanks for following along.

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by JChristophersAdventures

[DaveO]

Yes, that lights up really well. I've enjoyed following along this very interesting build.

[Guppysnail]

The lighting is terrific. That is going to ba a true work of art to view. I’m getting excited to see fish in it !

[JChristophersAdventures]

@DaveO Thanks. I am having fun doing it. @Guppysnail I can't wait to just fill it with water again (other than just the fill test)! Still a lot of stuff to collect together to make it work. Thanks.

[JChristophersAdventures]

Installed/Fitted the 2 AC 110s on the 75G!

Yah! Perfect fit, like a hand in a driving glove! They sit level against the foam insulation on the sides of the tank, no adjustment feet were needed, so I left them off. The piano lid sits right on top of the AC 110 lids snugly with the addition of an 1/8" closed cell pad on top of each filter (no rattling AC lids on this build!) These filters even hold the black spacer boards to the left and right sides of the tank firmly in place.

I did have to dremel the flow control knobs down even with the top of the lid, so they wouldn't get broken off by the piano lid closing, however they can still easily be adjusted as needed. The filters are sitting there dry/unplugged for now, as it will be awhile before the build is actually up and cycling. I will be adding a third uplift tube to each filter so as to get the intake closer to the bottom. I will be building a custom lid in the remaining open space, adding adjustable deflectors and installing uplift tube pre-filter sponges, all before putting the filters into operation.

The trim bar is missing from the front of the piano in these photos, as I have added a closed cell foam weatherstrip to the lower inside surface to seal against light leaking from the top edge of the tank and being a distraction. It is not yet dry as I am posting this update.