Shop addition/Office Build

[Steeldrifter 0]

Spent the past few days finishing up the 265g tank. I will still be stocking a ton more fish slowly over the next couple months but I have finally finished up the tank and room itself. Stocked the 10" Venestus as well as 11" Champsochromis today. I didn't plan on adding them so soon but because of moving other fish in the other tanks they were getting pretty aggressive so I had to move them to the big tank. I'll just have to stay on top of daily water changes for the next few weeks since I added them now.

Some of the last things I finished over the past few days were finished up all the lighting work, and finished up the jungle/rock wall. I had some wood limbs that I had been drying for awhile out back which I stripped of bark and cut to fit into the wall so it looks like the branches are coming out of the wall and going into the ceiling as well as side wall. Added moss, vines and leaves and now have the full effect I wanted.

Once I get a chance I'll take some video and upload to show the fish better as well as to show the nice shimmer the big LED spotlighting gives off, but here's some finished pics for now. Nearly two years of work but well worth it now that it is finally finished!

[mikechell 0]

Warm, fuzzy feelings are filling me up right now. Such a great looking tank and surroundings. That's a place I could sit in, and watch the fish swimming around until I fell asleep ... drifting off into a world where mermaids live ... mmmmmmmmmmm.

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

You are certainly an amazing artist, sculptor, rod manufacturer, craftsman, plumber, etc..., etc..., etc...

 

I've seen the thread in the past and you've FINISHED it! Nicely done and congratulations!

 

BCT

[Steeldrifter 0]

Good day today, picked up the 2nd 45g wheeled can for storing/aging water so now I can do 90g(30%) water changes using aged water. I also added a few more fish to help get the aggression down and it is fully under control now, almost to the point of being down right mellow now. Added my big male Dimidiochromis compressiceps and Dragonblood I had from a 55g tank. And a buddy stopped by and gave me a really nice bleekeri and a trio of 4" male Venustus so they are currently in the tank for the time being. Adding those really helped settle things down in a hurry. Thanks again Wayne 8)

Monitoring water parms very close still and they are right were I want them with 7.7ph, 0 nitrite, 5 Nitrate, do have .25ammonia but that is because it comes out my tap at that level (still waiting for a reply from the water dept on that one because chloramine is not listed as being used in my city but with ammonia out of the tap I think they must be doing it so I'm treating for chloramine now in my water)

90g of water storage area


And a few more pics of the tank / fish in it now

[Piker20 0]

Looking great. Are the wee goldfish food? The colours just shine through with the lighting you've set up.

[Steeldrifter 0]

The two 20g tanks with the Comets and Koi are actually my pond fish from outside. I brought them inside for the winter since it's so cold this year.

[elderbarry 0]

Incredible Storyline with an amazing amount of labor and stress to produce such a great project. I congratulate you for sticking to it through all the problems. Aquariums can be a great release from all the stress daily life causes. Enjoy the chiclids, they are amazing. I had some about 20 years ago when I had the time to take care of them. You have an amazing imagination and so much artistic abilities I am in awe!

[Steeldrifter 0]

Thanks Barry. They are a great stress relief for sure. I've found myself numerous times this past week sitting down in front of it and just losing track of time while enjoying watching the fish.

[Guest]

That's a truly fantastic place you've built. Well done.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Water parameters have stabilized now over the past few days so I'm able to cut back on water changes and was also able to add my colony of 4"-5" clown loaches to the tank from the other tanks they had been housed in for the past year or two. Still a long ways to go till the stocking is full but it's starting to get enough fish to look active all the time now. My local cichlid club I'm a member of has the annual winter fish auction coming up next month so I'll be attending that and bidding one some new fish. Always nice to hit the club auctions because you get the same fish at auctions that you can get at fish stores yet only pay a fraction of the cost.

 

Found this male Livingstonii at the local shop today. I had a gift certificate to the shop which my sister gave me for my B-day last month so I put that to good use. Only about 5" currently but has some nice blue already showing in his face. He's still getting settled in so not showing the same color he was in the shop just yet. He'll spend the next 2 weeks in the Q-tank then go into the 265g after that.

 

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Well after 5 weeks of up and running the tank started leaking again late last night. This has been over two years I have been working on this project, and the 3rd time it leaked on me. This was the final straw. I've put so much effort into this tank yet it just seems that it is not going to stay leak free no matter what I do. And I just simply can't continue to deal with the work/money/headaches/stress from it. Tonight I ripped it all down and will be busting the tank up and getting rid of it shortly.

 

As much as it really breaks my heart, I just have no other choice. I can;t keep throwing good money after bad, as well as keep working so hard for something that is just simply never going to work.

 

To make the best of a bad situation I will go forward with expanding the rod shop/fishing themed man cave in place of the tank and rock wall. Trying to look at the bright side, it will give me double the room for the man cave now.

 

Rock wall is all but a memory now....

[Piker20 0]

No! What do you think was behind the leaks? The first two seemed to be quick but this was a good time later.

Have you had to move any fish on or have your other tanks taken them?

[mikechell 0]

Wow, Steve!

 

That is heartbreaking. There's nothing to say other than ... my condolences.

[artimus001 0]

OMG. so sad after all that work

[Steeldrifter 0]

No! What do you think was behind the leaks? The first two seemed to be quick but this was a good time later.

Have you had to move any fish on or have your other tanks taken them?

 

The problem with big tanks is that once they leak it's next to impossible to reseal them without fully taking it apart and rebuilding all the joints like they do when it was first built. There's just so much water pressure for the weight of the water it makes it really hard to stop the leak. And problem with that is when they are this big they are a real pain to rebuild.

 

I will probably keep one of my 55-75g tanks just so I still have some fish, but the rest are being sold. Just sold one for 3 times what I paid for it ($120) so when someone pays that much for one fish I at least know that he will be well taken care of which makes it a bit easier to sell.