Jayhawker's build

[fatman]

I have seen oak veneered particle board commercial tank stands, but always white oak. I really like your red oak stand as I am originally from Missouri where there is a lot of Red Oak. Alaska's only hard wood is Birch, which is very drab. I have a hand built solid white oak stand, all 3/4" which took $420 in materials plus hinges. Red oak up here in Fairbanks, Alaska would have cost me over $700 for just the one tank stand. The bottom inside and partial back is 3/4" oak plywood. I took over two years getting the materials together and building mine for a 120 gallon tank. It has floating raised panel doors and I used resicorinol water proof glue through out, plus stainless steel screws and a few stainless steel brads. I did most of the work in a military arts and crafts shop's wood shop. That is one of the nice things about working with a lot of military people. They take me into military facilities as a guest. Next time though I will build more along the lines you have built. It is very hard to convince people "I had to do it" when I give them that as a reason why I put so much time, effort and money into an aquarium stand.

[LionFish]

Everything looks great Jayhawker keep the pic's comming

[Jayhawker]

New addition!!
I added a new new Coral Beauty Angel fish last week approx 2 1/2" to 3". The pic is not the best, but kind of a cool shot. Looks like he is posing, lol


I also have put together equipment for a 10 gal. quarintine/hospital tank, and was wondering what the opinion is on adding water in it for quarinting new fish. Should I use fresh water, water from my DT or a combination? It's a 10gl with a heater and a CPR backpack 2 protein skimmer/filter for the filtration on it. I was also wondering if most people would suggest sticking with the shredded plastic for filter media or switching to bio-balls, or if I should just pull some live rock from the sump while I am using it. I plan on doing a min. of 50% water changes every other day. The coraline algea is also starting to spread to the base rock and seems to be increase more and more every day. I also plan on changing out the bio-balls in the sump with live rock rubble. I am having issues keeping the Nitrate below 20 and from most of what I read this should help, any opinion? Also what does any one think of nitrate sponges? I am doing 20" water changes every 10-12 days

thanks

[Bifferwine]

It doesn't really matter what water you use for the QT. Water from your display tank will have bacteria already established in it, but if you are going to be doing large, frequent water changes (which usually need to be done in a QT) the bacteria are just going to get thrown out quickly anyways.

I also don't think it matters if you use shredded plastic or bioballs, they both work the same way.

Replacing bioballs with live rock will help with the nitrates. Don't change them out all at once though, do 1/3 at a time so that you don't cause a spike in your tank.

Nitrogen sponges take several weeks to start working and even then, aren't that effective. I have used both the SeaChem and Kent Marine brand nitrate sponges.

Do you have a good protein skimmer? That will help with nitrates. What about feeding? How much, how often and what? Frozen food is your best bet, stick to frozen only and don't overfeed.

And what is your water source? Tap water can contain high nitrates.

[fatman]

When you feed frozen foods it is best to fhaw it first and discard the fluid and just use the particles. The fluid isn't eatten so just becomes food for the bacteria producing your nitrates. Untilyou replace the bio balls you could remove and claen a5 to 35 percent of the bio balls every couple of weeks. After you clean them place them back into filters, Bioballs and any such filtrer medi accumalate organics on there surface these sluff off back into water if not rinsed occasionally. I assume you are going to keep the live rock rubble completely submerged and not in the trickle filter where they just have water trickling over them. I believe if live rock is used as a trickle filter medi you would still have the same problem as with bioballs. That is more than adequate filtration for a quarantine tank. Remember though if you have to medicate in the quarantine tank that most medication is quickly removed by skimmer, and that they play can also kill off biofilter bacteria.

[Jayhawker]

I am currently using frozen food, I have a variety of different kinds of the small cubes, and I am feeding them 1/2 of a thawed cube every other day, and about once a week I put in a small piece of dryed algea. I think my protein skimmer is doing well, I changed the original one out with a current power fussion 110 gal, and It needs emptied about twice a week, fairly thick foul smelling gunk in it.