Behold, Excalibur

[rheann]

The Glory... My 60 gallon tank all set up but lacking plants and a pretty background to cover up the wires in the back. I'll add the plants and background soon. (Ignore the three tables propping the tank up) I don't have the funds to go out and get a tank stand, which is fine since this tank was rather expensive and the little tables work rather well.

The RENA Filstar XP 2 Canister Filter works great! I love it! Best filter I ever owned and it is so silent! I can really see it working hard. It wasn't too bad setting it up, I figured it out pretty quickly.

There are two lights on the top, so I can keep a light on at one end and turn the other other off and see my Axolotls, it's great!

I decided not to use old tank water from my other tank. I don't want the Hydra that I had in there to pass to this tank. That rock cave I washed pretty well before I put it into the tank so hopefully I won't have any that managed to sneak their way into the tank.

So 30 or so days later, We'll see if the tank is ready for my Axies

I'm going to get some fish Breeding nets to keep my two babies inside the tank once it has finished cycling. They are still small and I think they will work just fine for a while.

 

[stipe]

thats a nice tank and i like your filter. How much did yu pay for it? I expecialy love the root thing you have in the left it gives it a more natural look

 

[hailz]

Those are going to be some very spoilt axies! it looks great rheann! i cant wait to see it with some plants in there. I didnt realise how tall it is! nice work

 

[rob]

looks great !

it's good to get it up and running after forking all that money out hey
will be nice to see the finished product

 

[rebecca]

looking forward to seeing the final product!
keep us updated with how its looking!
its a huge tank... im suitably jealous

 

[jenny]

Just one word WOW

 

[jordan]

Wow, that tank looks so tall. How wide is it? Your axies will love it!!!!

 

[joan]

Just one little comment on the Rena. I have my spraybar pointing back at the wall. I found that with it pointing forward there was 1.) too much evaporation from water movement, and 2.) too much current. You might want to experiment with that. Can't WAIT to see the final product!!

Edit: also, instead of using old tank water (fear of hydra) you can use your old filter media. Just float it in the new tank for a couple of weeks (3 usually does it) and you'll be all cycled.

(Message edited by Joan on November 11, 2005)

 

[rheann]

Thank you all for your comments

Yes I am VERY happy with this tank. ~~~~

Stipe - I paid $208.23 (in American Currency) for both the filter Media and the Tank with its lights. That comes out too.... $284.37 in Australian Dollars. Did I get that right? Expensive! Then it was about $5 for a 50 pound bag of sand, which comes out to $4.25 again in Australian Dollars.

Jordan - I am not sure of the dimensions. Here is a side view:

Joan - Oh no! I through out the old filter pad and it went out with the trash this morning when I was cleaning the tank. Oh bother, ah well, leave it to me to forget little things like that lol. Well, I can always use some brine shrimp and also my axolotl's waste from their containers. So you turn the spray bar to point back to the wall? I'll make sure to do that when everyone wakes up lol. I'm being the night owl as usual.

 

[rheann]

I should have some plants in there on Monday or Tuesday and a nice colorful background on the back to hide the ugly wires.

 

[rheann]

Here is my old tank before Excalibur came along. Much too small for three. They grew up too fast!

 

[jenny]

Wow you can see the difference in size by looking at your "cave" it looks so small in the big tank!

 

[jordan]

How big was the old one?

 

[andrew]

I would just like to say your new tank looks awesome. You certainly have a great eye for design.

Allot of tanks look overcrowded with ornaments and things, but yours (like your past tanks)look interesting without being too plain.

well done.

I look forward to seeing more pics once your little guys are in there.

 

[hayley-jane]

HUGE!! looks great

 

[jordan]

I like that rock thing in your tank. It looks awesome!

 

[rheann]

Thanks again everyone again for the lovely comments

The rock cave I made using black Silicone from www.bigalsoneline.com and old aquarium gravel and some polished stones. I also used unpolished Agate stones that I found on a trip to the Oregon coast

and a white PVC pipe. Took me ages to do all the inside and outside and my Axolotls just love that cave. They sometimes all pile up inside of it at the same time but usually it's just little Moon Cookie who is sitting in there looking cute

To keep the stones in place, after I got them all stuck on, I went over it with more Silicone and rubbed it in with my rubber gloves to make them stick in better and give them an "aged" look.

Next time I make something like this I might try some pond materials like grout and stuff. I still have lots of beach Agates and rocks lol.

 

[jordan]

That is amazing. I will definitely have to do this little "project". Moon Cookie definitely looks cute in the little cave. He looks so small compared to the others. Maybe thats because only his head sticks out...

 

[rheann]

Jordan - The project is well worth it! Here is where I got the Silicone:

http://bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19353;category_id=2291

It was messy with the rocks and the Silicone trying to get it together, but once I had it done I was happy

. I had to glue on each rock individually and then go over it again with Silicone. Took a very long time!

Moon Cookie is the same size as the other two. She just loves that cave so much

 

[jordan]

Ok thanks Rheann, i am probably going to pick the silicone up this weekend.