Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted January 26, 2016 LOL...Just waiting for the blank to get here my friend Should be here about Thursday'ish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted January 27, 2016 Well got most the paint a and trim work done today, also added some pictures I've taken of my fish and framed them. Rather than just hanging them I mounted them with screws through the frames so they stay right on the door when it is raised to access the lower tank.Pretty much all that is left now is a couple more pieces of trim and then the 3d background. Probably be a week or two until I have time to start the background so this is how it will sit for a bit now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted January 27, 2016 Looking great Steve. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted January 27, 2016 A week or two. I am going to the Fermi Labs to see if they've got that suspended animation thing perfected, yet. Gonna hibernate until you get started again. Never mind. Too many things I need to do before I get cryo'd. I'll just be eagerly awaiting the "Return of Tank Building 101"! Tank area it looking pretty good. You'll be able to fit all the filtration for both tanks in the space to the right of the bottom tank? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted January 27, 2016 Yep there's about 32" x 24" of room on the right behind the access panel so I'll be able to fit both the Fluval fx5 and 304 filters for both tanks under there no problem. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2016 Had a little spare time over the weekend before I started a customer rod so decided to get the lower 75g Bleekeri tank up and running. He now has his own tank but does have a roommate. The big red zebra who is as much of a troublemaker as the Bleekeri is in there with him. They were both in the same tank with my other fish for the past year so they get along together just fine, also put the big 7" Rhino pleco in with them as well.Hopefully will be able to get to working on the background for the upper frontosa tank with in the next couple weeks. The wood in the upper tank is a piece I picked up at the auction the other day for it, gonna be a nice fit for that tank. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2016 Very nicely done on that background. I really like the dark crevasses. I don't know if the lack of vegetation is intentional, but I think it works in this tank. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2016 Yeah I set this one up to be a bit darker cave looking style tank so planned on leaving any sort of plants out of it. The upper big tank will probably have some sort of plants in it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peterjay 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2016 Hey Steve: what kind of paint do you use on those beautiful backgrounds of yours? I'm planning a display tank for the living room, and I'd like to do some custom backgrounds, either out of molded resin or urethane foam. (assuming it's non-toxic, of course) I've heard a lot of conflicting advice, some of which I'm sure, is coming from people who've never actually tried it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted February 13, 2016 Any paints that are for use on plastic such as Krylon Fusion or Valspar Plastic paint just to name a couple are perfectly safe for fish after cured Peter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peterjay 0 Report post Posted February 13, 2016 Thanks Steve. I'd love to do rift lake cichlids, but I don't have any experience with them; I'd probably wind up with a lot of carnage, so I'll probably go with angels and plants instead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2016 Finally got caught up enough with customer work that I have time this week to get back on my own tank. Was able to get the background laid out and roughed in today. Now onto the carving stage next. Hopefully will have this tank up and running with in the next two weeks is the plan. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2016 Sleep is overrated burned the midnight oil and spent the past 7 hrs carving away on this. Actually got all the carving done now tonight. Will be dryloking and painting in the morning so way ahead of schedule now. I really wanted this background to have some impact so I did some pretty massive rocks in some area that are as much as 5" thick so it is really going to have a lot of depth/3D look to it. I'm very pleased with how this one is looking. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2016 How do you find it keeping the gaps in the background algae free? Or do you try to not clear that and develop a natural patina Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2016 I usually keep at least one or two bristlenose plecos in each of my tanks which do an excellent job at keeping tanks algae free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
