Peteyboy's 140 DD Adventure

[peteyboyny]

Let's see if I can figure this out. What started out as something that someone was throwing out(I found a 72bowfront tank+stand), started a process that would not soon end. After a paint job, some HOB filters from WM, and oh yeah...lets rip that pesky overflow out, you'll never need it...and OUT IT CAME.

 

[thirty6]

Nice find, good luck


Why take overflow out?

 

[albano]

Nice find, good luck


Why take overflow out?

+1...why?

 

[fishman1069]

He didnt know what he was doing at the time :lol2: Come on man dont leave them hangin like that!

 

[peteyboyny]

sorry, had a phone call. ok, let me get in here and say this story started 3 yrs ago in FL.

 

[peteyboyny]

Fast forward to never getting the tank actually running, ripping out the overflow and bulk heads. (Yes, I know...why? Because I'm an idiot, that's why), my wife telling me to sell it, taking it with me back to NY, getting the tank running, learning something about FW and live plants, getting out of FW, deciding to start a saltwater tank and...OH SH#T!!! I DON'T HAVE AN OVERFLOW...(that would really limit me in what I could do). So I said to myself "That's okay, you can just order one from somewhere...YEAH RIGHT. Soooo, I had to rebuild the overflow, installed some plumbing, modified a Amiracle sump, and off I went!

Little did I know these were all early warning signs of a sickness that I am sure to die from!

bear with me everybody, I gotta figure out how to get more pics on this thread. Gotta get to the part about my DIY rock, light bar, oh yeah...and the DIY stand for the 140g I picked up for an awesome price.

 

[peteyboyny]

Here we go. Some pics to help give you a visual on the situation.

 

[peteyboyny]

The overflow was done with 3/8" glass, with 1/4" plexi as a cover/drain screen.

 

[peteyboyny]

So everything was good, I had made my way into saltwater(which originally started out as doing a FOWLR but quickly was heading towards a reef tank). Then I saw it...a Craigslist add for a deep dimension Oceanic 140, Megaflow4 sump, Turboflotor multiS skimmer, mag7 pump...$150. Nice.
My addiction has just stepped to the next level...OBSESSION has taken over.

 

[thirty6]

Wow. That's an even better find!

 

[strgazr27]

Is it this one?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/stn/app/2850187885.html

Was thinking of taking a look.

 

[fishman1069]

I don't think it was that one. The 140 he has he picked up on LI a while ago. I belive its the same type of tank tho:approve:

 

[peteyboyny]

Yeah that's not the one. It was a few mos. back.

 

[peteyboyny]

And hey, while I'm at it...THESE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHAT DOESN'T WORK. Yes, the old "I know better trial and error method". :iamwithst

 

[peteyboyny]

Tried to heat the plexi with a heat gun...when that didn't work(it cracked), well, you can see it only got worse.

 

[peteyboyny]

So the overflow DOES work now, after I did it the right way. So I'm on my way...got some aragonite sand, some rock from here and there(LFSs and thanks Fishman1069). I needed some fish...hmmm, I know...I'll get a Cream Angelfish!! Yeah, that's a great idea...
Until...I picked up a sm zoa colony. Hey guess what everybody...guess what I learned here...? If you answered Angelfish LOVE to EAT THE HELL out of zoas, then you are very correct my friend. Okay, gotta do something about that...can't have Angelfish thinking everything that goes in the tank is part of a buffet table. Hmmm...

 

[peteyboyny]

sorry about the bad pics...don't worry...i think i'm getting the hang of this.

 

[Awibrandy]

Great job!! Keep doing what your doing!

 

[peteyboyny]

So anyway...I got rid of the angel, traded him off for an ocelaris cl. that didn't make it (sorry ravi). I now have a few sm zoa colonys, somegsp frags, frogspawn, HR anem, yellow tang, starry blenny, and of course a nice little cleanup crew of nassarius snails, turbos, cleaner shrimp, nothing crazy. Cool.
Made a neat little LED bar outta 1" pvc, couple of end caps, and some blue led xmas lights (60x.68w), and a transformer plug that I had laying around. Works great. Made some clips to slide them in on the track on the WavePoint t5 fixture. Cool.

 

[peteyboyny]

oh yeah...how could I ever forget about that lovely little hitch hiker that got waaaaayy outta control on me...caulerpa prolifera and serrulata...NICE! I always get theFUN stuff.