FishBeast
Well-Known Member
That looks so cool! I'm now seriously considering getting one of those. Home Depot has them right? Enjoy the project time! Let me know if you need an extra hand, I'll be free early Saturday morning.
What did you do with your tank(s) today?
- Thread starter DMD123
- Start date
I got mine from Tractor Supply who had it in stock with the metal grid. Dewalt also makes one with a wood insert instead of the grid but you have to order online and then have shipped to Home Depot for pick up. I knew I still had to add plywood so I just bought the in stock one at Tractor supply.
Thanks for the offer @FishBeast, sadly I have plans on Saturday morning already. I arranged to take Monday off work. Im using a vacation day to get the garage done.
Thanks for the offer @FishBeast, sadly I have plans on Saturday morning already. I arranged to take Monday off work. Im using a vacation day to get the garage done.
FishBeast
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the tip! Have fun with the build, can’t wait to see how it all turns out!
Yesterday was spent opening up the glass tops that came in for the 75g and inspecting for damage. Funny how well the Aqueon kit for the 75g is so well built and fit perfect and I had problems with the 20L tops fitting horrible on their tank.
I also made my Lowe's shopping list for this weekend of garage organization activities. I hope to get a huge dent put into this garage rack stack project.
Been looking at lighting options for the 75 gallon. The Current USA Satellite Plus fixtures are pretty outrageously priced for that tank. $125 for a 36" and $129 for 48" on Amazon. This is just too mush for a garage tank set up. It needs to look nice, but not showroom/my living room nice. So Im looking at the Finnex Stingray which Ive owned in the past or maybe Beamsworks.
@sir_keith, You use the Beamswork DA fixtures? How do you like them?
@FishBeast, were you also using Beamsworks? If so which ones are you using?
I also made my Lowe's shopping list for this weekend of garage organization activities. I hope to get a huge dent put into this garage rack stack project.
Been looking at lighting options for the 75 gallon. The Current USA Satellite Plus fixtures are pretty outrageously priced for that tank. $125 for a 36" and $129 for 48" on Amazon. This is just too mush for a garage tank set up. It needs to look nice, but not showroom/my living room nice. So Im looking at the Finnex Stingray which Ive owned in the past or maybe Beamsworks.
@sir_keith, You use the Beamswork DA fixtures? How do you like them?
@FishBeast, were you also using Beamsworks? If so which ones are you using?
I really like them. I bought a couple of Beamswork fixtures to try out about two years ago, and I was hooked. Since then I have converted all my tanks over from HO T5 fixtures (which I still have; anybody interested?) to the Beamswork LED fixtures. I have 12 of these fixtures in total, 8 of the DA fixtures (4' to 6') and 4 of the EA fixtures (4'). The EA fixtures have the same spectral output as the DA's, but fewer LED's (3 rows vs. 5). I like this because it makes all of the tanks the same color. I use the brighter DA fixtures for the tanks on the top of each rack, and the EA's for the tanks on the bottom, which are shallower and don't need as much light, here-
Since then, I have installed a Beamswork timer/dimmer module on each fixture, so they turn on and off automatically. This also allows me to dim the lights, as well as control the white (6500K) and blue LEDs separately. BTW, these lights are plenty bright for my purposes, because I only grow low-light plants. In fact, I run most of the fixtures with the white LEDs at only 30% of maximum (algae control!). This makes the tanks look more blue than with the whites at 100%
Initially I was concerned about longevity, given the inexpensive nature of these lights (48" DA is $70; 48" EA is $50, the timer/dimmer modules are $13). So far, so good; over two years all the fixtures are still functioning perfectly, and as far as I can tell, not a single LED has burnt out. There are lots of fancier lights out there, but for my purposes these work fine.
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Yay! Not really with my tanks, more like for them...
Scored eight wild-caught Xenotilapia singularis Kalya!!! I've been looking for these forever! Really, like years. I check the importers' websites every day, and these were just posted today.
So excited to be getting them at last, probably next week. It will mean a trip to Southwest Air Cargo at SEA-TAC, and that's no fun from Poulsbo, but what the hell! I had a couple of these fishes years ago, and they are awesome! Did I mention I'm chuffed? Yay!
Scored eight wild-caught Xenotilapia singularis Kalya!!! I've been looking for these forever! Really, like years. I check the importers' websites every day, and these were just posted today.
So excited to be getting them at last, probably next week. It will mean a trip to Southwest Air Cargo at SEA-TAC, and that's no fun from Poulsbo, but what the hell! I had a couple of these fishes years ago, and they are awesome! Did I mention I'm chuffed? Yay!
@sir_keith, thanks for that info. I am debating between the Finnex stingray ($68.25 for 48") which I have owned in the past and liked and the Beamswork EA which is $48.65 on Amazon for the 48". I just got a $25 Amazon gift card I had been waiting on so the Beamswork is pretty appealing now especially for the price.
Yay! Not really with my tanks, more like for them...
Scored eight wild-caught Xenotilapia singularis Kalya!!! I've been looking for these forever! Really, like years. I check the importers' websites every day, and these were just posted today.
View attachment 5445
So excited to be getting them at last, probably next week. It will mean a trip to Southwest Air Cargo at SEA-TAC, and that's no fun from Poulsbo, but what the hell! I had a couple of these fishes years ago, and they are awesome! Did I mention I'm chuffed? Yay!
Wow, awesome find! Always fun to find those rare gems.
fishguy1978
Legendary Member
Yay! Not really with my tanks, more like for them...
Scored eight wild-caught Xenotilapia singularis Kalya!!! I've been looking for these forever! Really, like years. I check the importers' websites every day, and these were just posted today.
View attachment 5445
So excited to be getting them at last, probably next week. It will mean a trip to Southwest Air Cargo at SEA-TAC, and that's no fun from Poulsbo, but what the hell! I had a couple of these fishes years ago, and they are awesome! Did I mention I'm chuffed? Yay!
Those are beautiful. Do they spawn as easily as other Tanganyikans?
fishguy1978
Legendary Member
6 water changes later. I moved 2 pleco babies from the 55g. One to the 90g and one up to a 29g.
Found another shrimp in the 55g and moved it up with the others.
My youngest 2 are taking pottery class this month and I was able to attend today since I had a day off. I asked about making clay pleco caves and the instructor handed me a huge chunk of clay, several pounds of it. Told me to bring my creations to the art studio to have them fired. I have 3 made so far.
I hate daylight savings as I hate having to adjust light timers
Found another shrimp in the 55g and moved it up with the others.
My youngest 2 are taking pottery class this month and I was able to attend today since I had a day off. I asked about making clay pleco caves and the instructor handed me a huge chunk of clay, several pounds of it. Told me to bring my creations to the art studio to have them fired. I have 3 made so far.
I hate daylight savings as I hate having to adjust light timers
Colin, are you thinking about Multi's, and other shell dwellers? Most Tanganyikans are not as easy as that!
But to answer your question, no, the Xeno's are a challenge, which is why they're fun. They are all mouthbrooders, and in the wild most of them have a lek mating system, in which the males build elaborate nests, side-by-side and sometimes several feet in diameter, and the females just cruise around, picking which male they like best, and it can be more than one!
This is pretty much impossible to reproduce in captivity. Nonetheless, if the water chemistry, diet, and tank setup are right, they will spawn in captivity. But in spite of the fact that they can raise sizable broods, even tank-raised specimens are still quite expensive. Check out the current Wet Spot inventory: even little (1-1.5") Xeno's, which will take more than a year to mature, are $20-$40 each. But the real fun of these fishes is their elaborate behaviors, and their striking colors, which show best in natural light. Fun!My shipment arrives next Thursday.
fishguy1978
Legendary Member
Colin, are you thinking about Multi's, and other shell dwellers? Most Tanganyikans are not as easy as that!
What?!! They aren’t all just add water. A time those prices they are way out of my league.
FishBeast
Well-Known Member
Yes you won’t go wrong with Beamswork! I have both EA and DA models just like @sir_keith! Great build quality for the price.
FishBeast
Well-Known Member
Wow! They look awesome!Yay! Not really with my tanks, more like for them...
Scored eight wild-caught Xenotilapia singularis Kalya!!! I've been looking for these forever! Really, like years. I check the importers' websites every day, and these were just posted today.
View attachment 5445
So excited to be getting them at last, probably next week. It will mean a trip to Southwest Air Cargo at SEA-TAC, and that's no fun from Poulsbo, but what the hell! I had a couple of these fishes years ago, and they are awesome! Did I mention I'm chuffed? Yay!
FishBeast
Well-Known Member
Nothing beats handmade! Show us pics some time!6 water changes later. I moved 2 pleco babies from the 55g. One to the 90g and one up to a 29g.
Found another shrimp in the 55g and moved it up with the others.
My youngest 2 are taking pottery class this month and I was able to attend today since I had a day off. I asked about making clay pleco caves and the instructor handed me a huge chunk of clay, several pounds of it. Told me to bring my creations to the art studio to have them fired. I have 3 made so far.
I hate daylight savings as I hate having to adjust light timers
fishguy1978
Legendary Member
Ok, ok. I get it. This post is worthless without pictures
Tallest is 7in by about 2in opening. Short are 5+ inches same size openings. And I barely dented the clay I was given.
Pleco mouth. So mesmerizing to watch.
Yo-yo the assassin x2. Little guys under 2 inches. Loaches are my favorites.
FishBeast
Well-Known Member
Well done! Those caves look great. Have the Yo-yos wiped out the snails? In my case the assassin snails are cleaning up. What annoys me are limpets. They are overrunning my shrimp tanks.Ok, ok. I get it. This post is worthless without pictures
View attachment 5456
Tallest is 7in by about 2in opening. Short are 5+ inches same size openings. And I barely dented the clay I was given.
View attachment 5457
Pleco mouth. So mesmerizing to watch.
View attachment 5458
Yo-yo the assassin x2. Little guys under 2 inches. Loaches are my favorites.
fishguy1978
Legendary Member
My larger yo-yo in the bowfront is controlling the population these 2 in the 55g have only been in a week. I’m hoping between the two of them and the pea puffer that the population will decrease. There are 6 khoolie loaches as well but I’m not sure how effective they are for snails. The assassin snails appear to be working as there are empty shells littering the tank.