Alex's 330 Gallon CustomAquariums.com Tank

[Benny Morosco]

Thanks, I am quickly learning 30" high is a trick to reach.

Just dive in...its big enough!!

 

[AlexStinson]

Last night I finished up my canopy, installed the lights and had a buddy come over to help slide it in to place. At the end of last week I added all my sand and slowly got my filtration online to start pulling out all the fines. I wanted to rinse it first, but I just couldn't think of a creative way to wash almost 300 lbs of dry sand. I have another 20lb bag of 'live' sand to hopefully seed everything and get my cycle started. If all goes as planned, I will have someone come help me take the canopy back off, and start loading in my rock. I got a killer deal several months ago from WWC when I had to take a work trip down to Orlando, and have a few hundred pounds of marco rocks to work with. I wish I had taken a picture of my planned aquascape, but I loaded it into trash bins after I set up what I wanted to let it soak in RODI for a month. It pulled out a good bit of phosphates so I am very glad I did it!

Main idea with the aquascape will be (from front) a large pillar on the left side, and a diagonally-running cave from the right side. Between the two I will use baseball sized rocks to make little zoa islands.

Installing lights in the canopy:
20180812_184009 by Alex Stinson, on Flickr

I was lazy and didn't rinse my sand. 280 pounds of Caribsea special grade reef sand (Front/Living Room View):
20180812_211920 by Alex Stinson, on Flickr

After hooking up my skimmer and sitting overnight it cleared up a ton! You can't see through the other side in this picture because every night I am covering the front side with plywood, plastic and a moving blanket for all the work going on in the living room (Back/Fishroom/Mancave View).
20180813_072233 by Alex Stinson, on Flickr

 

[AlexStinson]

Much more clear:
20180816_120141

 

[AlexStinson]

And did a little bit of aquascaping over the weekend. I have a bit more rock to move over, but I want all rock in my former tank to have a fallow period after my fish are moved over. What do you guys think?

 

[Antics]

I think it's wise to fallow the existing rock if you have reason to believe parasites etc are/were present with the fish.

Build is looking great, really interested to follow along.

 

[AlexStinson]

I think it's wise to fallow the existing rock if you have reason to believe parasites etc are/were present with the fish.

Build is looking great, really interested to follow along.

Thanks!
Those rocks look so small in the picture, but 3 of them are over 30 lbs.

 

[AlexStinson]

Well had a bit of a disaster. Lost the majority of the fish in QT. I had the room pretty well sealed off but I can only imagine it was due to the painting today. Last night they all ate ravenously (its been 17 days in QT) and there wasn't an ammonia spike. They were all just laying on their sides when I got home from dinner. Some had passed, others are getting an emergency water change, a lot of carbon and I will likely forgo the copper treatment for the time being. QT tank is a 55 with a large aquaclear filter and an airstone running 24/7.

 

[DUMBO]

Well had a bit of a disaster. Lost the majority of the fish in QT. I had the room pretty well sealed off but I can only imagine it was due to the painting today. Last night they all ate ravenously (its been 17 days in QT) and there wasn't an ammonia spike. They were all just laying on their sides when I got home from dinner. Some had passed, others are getting an emergency water change, a lot of carbon and I will likely forgo the copper treatment for the time being. QT tank is a 55 with a large aquaclear filter and an airstone running 24/7.

So sorry to hear that, my condolences. I’m sure you did everything you could, don’t blame yourself.

 

[najer]

 

[Benny Morosco]

So are you thinking the air stone puled the vapors in and dissipated them in the water Colum?

 

[User1]

Nice build. I have a baby tank at 210 gallon but also went with it being tall and deep. It is 54" wide by 30" tall and 30" deep. Really need to keep my painters ladder near. It is only recently set up since February of this year finished the cycle in March. Sometime in April I moved my 40 breeder into it so the ladder has come in handy when various things get knocked around by fish or me.

Mind if I ask what the things are that you are using for a sump? Looks like three isolated but guessing connected together items? Neat idea.

 

[roberthu526]

All wonky in the delivery Truck:
20180730_113648 by Alex Stinson, on Flickr

Safe and sound and very well packed:
20180730_123600 by Alex Stinson, on Flickr

Big shout out to Kinny at Parrott aquatics for helping me move it in. If you are anywhere in east TN I recommend him 100%:
20180730_173344 by Alex Stinson, on Flickr

In place, just needed a little bit of shimming:
20180730_184339 by Alex Stinson, on Flickr

Dang that crate in the truck is all kinds of messed up... mine is arriving next Monday...

 

[roberthu526]

Well had a bit of a disaster. Lost the majority of the fish in QT. I had the room pretty well sealed off but I can only imagine it was due to the painting today. Last night they all ate ravenously (its been 17 days in QT) and there wasn't an ammonia spike. They were all just laying on their sides when I got home from dinner. Some had passed, others are getting an emergency water change, a lot of carbon and I will likely forgo the copper treatment for the time being. QT tank is a 55 with a large aquaclear filter and an airstone running 24/7.

Sorry to hear this. Did you use oil or water based paint? I am going to paint my stand tomorrow too so hopefully with windows open I can get away with it.

 

[AlexStinson]

Sorry to hear this. Did you use oil or water based paint? I am going to paint my stand tomorrow too so hopefully with windows open I can get away with it.

It was oil based kilz on the kitchen, on the other side of the house.

 

[AlexStinson]

Sorry for an utterly terrible lack of updates. Baby David was born on Monday and had a very bad start to his precious life. He was born not breathing and with very little heart rate, luckily with an amazing staff he was resuscitated and after a stay in the NICU we were able to bust him out. Once we get a bit more settled I will be posting a lot more updates. Hopefully in the next week or two I can start anew with QT'ing fish.

 

[najer]

Enjoy your new little man, congrats.

 

[AlexStinson]

Enjoy your new little man, congrats.

Thanks!

 

[roberthu526]

Sorry for an utterly terrible lack of updates. Baby David was born on Monday and had a very bad start to his precious life. He was born not breathing and with very little heart rate, luckily with an amazing staff he was resuscitated and after a stay in the NICU we were able to bust him out. Once we get a bit more settled I will be posting a lot more updates. Hopefully in the next week or two I can start anew with QT'ing fish.

Congratulations! Family always comes first. Hope you find time to get some rest.

 

[AlexStinson]

A few updated framing pictures:

Still waiting on Cabinet doors to be fabricated

 

[mattgsa]

congrats on the new baby, and an amazing build.