My 200gl

Paul B

Well-Known Member
That is very cool. Mine needs a cleaning about every 2 weeks and when I scrape it, it clogs my sink. It grows algae, sponges and slime.
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
Well Folks Disaster has struck. My 200 is leaking ! I get about 2 big drops per second. It wasn't leaking yesterday There is a potential of a big mess. I can handle the water but all the livestock is at risk. I'm at a complete loss at the moment.:crying:
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
Ok today I moved 7 nefarious snails and 3 hermits. ( spell check didn't recognize "nassarious" ) It suggested nefarious. I have nothing against the snails but like the term ! They are sneaky snails and end up in my overflows. LOL
So the tank has to be broke down everything has to come out. That will be a LOT of work. It kills me to lose the stability this tank has. sand bed and all. Now resealing the tank is another pita story. I'm considering a new tank. This way I can cook all this old rock I have and setup just how I want it. Too many holes drilled in the old tank, bulky overflows, improved plumbing etc. This is just an option. Any body want to refer me to a respected tank builder or where I might find a new 200 gl tank? I have the copperband ,and the fairy wrasse in the 75. which by the way isn't ready for a big bioload hit. I do have a large gramma and a sailfin that are too big. Also a long spine urchin and cucumber I need to find a home for.I can move a couple of the leds from the 200 to the 75 and should be able to fit the coral in there. Did I miss anything?????
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
I hope this all works out well for you and your critters.

Sell that tank as a terrarium only - to people w/lizards and snakes. Be up front on the leaking if filled with water.

As for the critters, are you part of a local forum who you can reach out to for assistance, maybe borrow another tank on a temporary basis? Or if any can help house your lgr fish temporarily until you can get another 200g up and running.
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
Yes Oxy, when I bought this tank 20, 25 years ago it was on the side of somebodies house. It had a painted mural of a jungle scene. The lady told me it didn't hold water and she had kept a snake in it at one time. I resealed the thing ,kept fish in it for 20 years. I suppose it's time for it to go back to what it once was. LOL. I have been shopping for a "new" tank. They are pricey but the peace of mind I'd have and the improvements I could make are a powerful incentive. Back then I couldn't afford something like this, now I can !
I have pretty much worked out the critter problem . My local club people are ready to help. The livestock is mostly going into the 75 I have been cycling for months ! I surely didn't want to load this tank with livestock all at once. It will throw the balance out real quick. I'm very fortunate I had the tank up and going . Anyway, it needed to be done. The only negative is Now I'll never catch up with the longevity of Paul B's tank!
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
The only negative is Now I'll never catch up with the longevity of Paul B's tank!

Umm, not so fast there, there is value in knowing the age of how long you've had your critters and live rock. The longevity comes along with these things. I have 4 nassarius snails and rocks from my 40g tank before my upgrade, they are 8 years old (well the snails are older then that, but I didn't know how old they were when I got them). The point being, keeping the critters and rock alive allows you to track the age of things when you first got them. Most tanks won't stand the test of time, they would have to be resealed at some point. Wear and tear can take it toll on most things, given enough time.
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
Good Point ! Is it the tank it's self or the ecosystem it holds that defines longevity ? I have very old rock ,The largest blue leg hermit and a couple of corals that have been with me for a long time. I just keep some of the sand etc . So technically speaking ? LOL .
I have pretty much nailed down a brand of new tank. I spoke with Jason from my trusted LFS. He has reasonable prices on either a Marine land or Aqueon tank. I can get either plain or reef ready. If I get just the tank , I can install a reef synergy overflow,very nice imho. or the corner overflows with the 2 predrilled holes. Either way has it's own variables concerning plumbing etc. I was looking for a project and I surely got one !
 
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cracker

Well-Known Member
Now I'm trying to decide if I want the 30 or 24 " tall. The 30 is very nice visually . I like not have to bend down to look into the tank.but I can barely reach the bottom. The 24 " tall will allow me to work a lot easier.How ever I lose the "look right into tank". I could build the stand a little taller but the stand I have works just fine. The variables are pilling up !
 

rostervandross

Active Member
Sorry to hear about old faithful dude. I fear this with my 30 year old family 75 g. But yea man good opportunity for improving on your existing stock moving it into some new glass! are you deciding between 180 and 220? 6'x2' by either 24 or 30" tall? I hope to get one of those some day, they're not all that expensive compared to custom, and not too large as to be too much of a burden or cost with changing water and inputs , etc

See you around!
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
I've been looking at ways to raise the rock off the bottom. I saw pvc stands.half cut pvc etc.
I like the pegs. That way You can get a rock to stand up straight by varying the lengths of the pegs.
However, all the weight of the rock all concentrated on the small ends of the pegs. I have 3 large pedestal rocks that weigh 20/ 25 lbs each. add the smaller pieces set on top of these big rocks. That's a lot of weight sitting for small pegs on glass.
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
hello roster ! Those are my choices. Again I can't decide. I "think" I want this to be a fish prominent with a few hardy corals softies, Lps and such. My skill level at keeping corals in the existing tank hasn't been exactly stellar. That way I can hone my skills on a smaller tank which will be much easier controlling water quality. So If that's the case the 30 tall would be best. I gotta decide what I want in the tank 1st ! Ask me next week I bet I change my mind again !:ponder2:
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
Hey Folks I haven't posted lately so I thought I'd ramble a bit. All my corals look a lot better since going into the 75. I even had2 real nice pieces of some type of encrusting sps. They were called Christmas tree something. Any way I thought for sure they were long gone but no they are coming back! that pleases me greatly. This tells me it was time to do "something' with this 200. Lots to do . several brackets on the stand are rusting the wood was been wet so many , even the the walls need painting.So nothing is going to happen very soon ! LOL I'm getting my aquarium fix with the 75 so I'm cool until I get all these details worked out. That's all for now , Have a good Evening !
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
Good evening , today, I removed 76 lbs of hatian lr today and put it in a 40 brute can for a long cooking. It was suggested to me to put this rock in a vat of acid ! I don't know about these new technique,.sounds a little drastic to me ! Back to cooking lr, How does one really know just how dark it is in a brute can with the lid closed?
It's like the fridge light thing. How do Ya know the light goes out when You close the door? so I came up with the bright idea of talking one of the neighbor kids to get in there and tell me how dark it got. Here kid take 5 bucks and don't tell your mom. Not a single one would go for it ! So I guess it's one of those things I'll never know for sure. I "thought" it was a good idea ! ;)
 

cracker

Well-Known Member
Sooo, My tank is looking pretty forlorn these days. Only 3 big rocks one very fast fish and a bunch of sand. A couple thing that surprised me and could answer the ongoing issues . I only had maybe 180 lbs of rock on there. I thought I had close to 300. With a 220 tank and huge sump I had at least 250 gls of water thru out. This could be why I always had algae issues. Also There are some areas where the sand had hardened. I have pulled out some CD sized slabs of very hard sand/rock.
I gotta find a home for a rather aggressive Gramma and a real nice sailfin both are just too big for the 75. I have a lead on a home for the long spine urchin (I took the urchin to the LFS and he wanted no part of it ! LOL). Also a cool cucumber needs to go some where. I'd like to keep it but don't know if the sandbed in the 75 is mature enough to feed it.
After that I drain it and get the sand out. Then I get a few guys from my local club to move this 470lbs tank to the garagee. Now even this simple step has it's own set of complications. Now I put the word out and the guys are willing to come by but they are calling this a "Tank Moving Party". Around these parts, that's code for beers and bbg !
 
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