Photo: New HUGE tank & build, stay tuned!

[MereB]

Well no photo's just yet but there will be HEAPS soon...

I am so FREAKING excited!
I've managed to secure a 6x2x2ft tank (a little over 179US Gallons) and stand for $500 :happy: YAY!!!! It will eventually house 7 axolotls.
Hubby went to look at it last night. It's only a year old and the only damage is one small superficial scratch on one side from a rock they had in it, some water marks that will wash off with the right products and a water satin on the shelf of the stand where the filter leaked otherwise it's PERFECT and looks brand new. Hubby knows the store it came from and they build REALLY good quality tanks and it comes with a very expensive heater that he will get to have so he's happy too. woo hoo!

We pick it up Saturday morning. I can't wait!
I will be stripping down one of my 4ft's and putting everything from it, filter included, into the new one to get it all cycled and to house a couple of lottles the ones from the 4ft ) while I source all the building materials I need to build my Axie utopia so it won't look to great for a month or 2.
This is going to take a very long while by the time all the plants have grown properly but I will keep this thread updated as we go if anyone wants to follow it's progress.

Still need to source the rocks and what not but I have at least figured out HOW to do it without sacrificing a lot of the water volume AND at the same time turn the hill into one BIG filter. It was kind of an impulse buy. I had planned or leaving all this for another 6 moths but seriously just how often do you find almost new tanks that size for $500? I HAD to buy it now

Now I just need to completely re-arrange my lounge room to fit it in :rofl: Who needs book shelves when you can have an axie tank!


Oh the ultimate goal is something that looks a little like this only better of course. Completely custom built for axie comfort.

DARK caves 'carved' into the hillside, LOTS of layers to chillax on and get away from your tank mates and almost no filter disturbance. What more could a lottl ask for.

Stay tuned for more updates.... hopefully it won't be to say the tank cracked in transit ok now I'm nervous!

Mere.

 

[Mandy6]

Oh wow that sounds awesome I'd love a tank that big.I just love big tanks no matter what aquatic creatures are in there xD But man Id love an axie tank that size, just so I could have more axies! I wouldn't put more than 2 in my 3ft but that makes me sad cos I want more xD
Can't wait to see it!

 

[Boo Penguin]

Lucky... you must be so excited... clear a day for sure

I just set up my new custom tank and it took me nearly 5 hours... and its not as big as yours

I love your vision... it will look epic

 

[Frankie73]

Wow! I'd love to be able to have a tank that size aswell! I'm jealous! Cannot wait to see some pictures !! x

 

[Shizeric]

Good find!

How do you plan on filtering/cooling such a beast of a tank?

 

[MereB]

Good find!

How do you plan on filtering/cooling such a beast of a tank?

I'll detail that part as I build it but essentially a reverse (home built) undergravel system under the hill being fed by a canister filter and pumped up through the hill which will consist of a series of med-fine mesh bags filled with pea gravel laid like bricks to hold the rock facade and house the caves etc. It's better for the plants and will reduce the flow to almost nothing I'll buffer around the caves with the white nylon filter padding to avoid any flow issues and what not but that's the general idea.
If done right the water should come from all sides of the hill with no more force than you would expect to find at the bottom of a lake. The mesh will also keep the very dangerous pea gravel out of axie way while still allowing the plants to take root in it.


oops forgot the cooling part
It's winter here now so not a problem keeping it cool, especially that volume of water but come probably Mid October I will be adding a chiller to the mix.

 

[MereB]

It's here!
more or less safe and sound and in position

Time for a good clean out it was a salt water setup in it's previous life after all.
Lachaln (3) decided he was going to help Daddy

This is the AWESOME bit of driftwood that I don't get to keep it's in here for a little while being custom grown for a customer Apparently the moss and what not is growing faster under water at the moment whatever it's a cool bit of wood.

All clean! We can start on the temporary aquascape while I find all the bit's I need for Axie Utopia.
70kg of white sand (10 from the cycled 4ft and 60 new) the driftwood and half a tank full of water including all the water from the old tank later and the Diatom filter goes on to clear it so I can see the bottom clearly enough to sort out the sand and plant the plants from the old tank. :lol:

All filled up for now and planted but I have no idea how it looks, it may look absolutely awful I can't see through the water BUT hubby has sorted out the hoses for the canister filter and it's now up an running.

I'll let it clear for another hour or 2 and then add the hides and axies who have been waiting very patiently in their buckets for most of the day.

So Still to come over the next month or so...
I've managed to find the Pea gravel I need so the next step is to find the netting/mesh I need to make the bags for the gravel and get that sorted so that I can place them and the under gravel filter in, destroying all my hard work tonight in the process and making for a REALLY ugly tank and get the bacteria established in what will ultimately BE the biological filter once Axie Utopia has been built.
Still having trouble finding the rocks I want to use but there are HEAPS more places for me to look over the net few weeks.
I'll also do a more detailed step by step of how it's all done once I start the proper build. For now though I watch and wait to see if that much new water coursing through the filter will kill off my bacteria and throw me into a brand new cycle

 

[memojo1979]

Just in case anyone in the UK wants to copy you - Eastern huge fish tank for sale - Reptile Forums

 

[pookiewn]

Just in case anyone in the UK wants to copy you - Eastern huge fish tank for sale - Reptile Forums

Tempting! Think the other half would use it as my coffin though, lol! It's soo cheap!

Mereb, am a little green! Looking forward to seeing the progress, it's a stunning tank

 

[MereB]

Just in case anyone in the UK wants to copy you - Eastern huge fish tank for sale - Reptile Forums

HOLY COW that's a cheap tank. Wonder how low they will go over the next few days since they have dropped it 20 already. Pity it's tank only, going to be harder to sell a tank that size without a stand. Who just has something that size they can sit a tank on laying around the house? Stands are fairly cheap though I guess if you can save HUGE on the tank like that.

:lol: Pookie My hubby is very green too don't worry but I've promised him he can have his 4x2x2 when we find a cheap one so that's keeping him happy for now I guess I'm lucky in that he is more tank mad than I am so he's happy to have such a big one as a feature tank in our lounge room.

A tiny update,
OK so it's half past midnight and the lottles have been in their tank for an hour and a half. It's still cloudy but that will settle and so far so good. Everyone is getting along fine. I can see the basic layout now, like looking out your window on a foggy morning. I'm not thrilled with how it looks at all BUT it is only temporary so I will leave it alone for now.
Pity it's Sunday now everything is shut till Monday. I'm itching to find that mesh and get started. It's a shame I had to set it up this way just to pull it apart but I needed the space oh well, it's FUN!

 

[Star]

I might keep an eye on that tank haha

 

[iChris]

words cannot describe how jelly I am of your tank mere.

I'm looking into getting another tank, but mum would make me put it in my room, so my bedroom would be looking more like a fish room with a bed in it!

 

[memojo1979]

words cannot describe how jelly I am of your tank mere.

I'm looking into getting another tank, but mum would make me put it in my room, so my bedroom would be looking more like a fish room with a bed in it!

And, what's wrong with that?!

 

[MereB]

words cannot describe how jelly I am of your tank mere.

I'm looking into getting another tank, but mum would make me put it in my room, so my bedroom would be looking more like a fish room with a bed in it!

LOL This thing would NOT have left me much room in the room I had growing up. One of the perks of growing up, getting married and having your own place I guess. You can put what you want where you want it :happy:
My motive for getting this one was so all 7 or 8 of my axies could live in ONE tank with one filter, 1 light one lot of weekly maintenance etc. rather than the 3 tanks that they were spread between before. All running at least one filter.
:lol: Hubby has already re-aquascaped the 10 gallon that Violet was in and has his Crystal Red Shrimps acclimatising in there as I type this :rofl:

So the tank is still clearing and knowing my luck it will have finally cleared by the time I start ripping it apart

Everyone is getting along today. They've been chilling like this, walking around together and crawling all over each other all day. Took this one this morning, one big happy family. Dillon, Chrysta and Fish

I was right I really don't like how it looks, needs more plants and NOT a fan of the white PVC pipes, but I guess we'll call it..... motivation! motivation to get my act together and get on with the real build

That odd reflection in the middle is the reflection off the top of the diatom

 

[iChris]

looking good mere.

My dad was going to give me his 5x2x2 ft tropical tank but I have no place to keep it here, so my 2.5ft bowfront will have to do for now.

your monsters all look happy, I wouldn't be surprised if you start to see more little monsters in the future. the idea of a reverse undergravel seems like the perfect idea to create a tank that's filtered well with next to no current. the bags of pea gravel seem like a great idea to build the "hills". have you thought about adding a few bags or bio-balls and noodles to the mix, to boost your biological colony?

also, what is the name of the big floating plant to the left of your tank? I have that same plant in my 50L planted tank, it took off well but I tried some in my axie tank, and it just melted away.

 

[MereB]

looking good mere.

My dad was going to give me his 5x2x2 ft tropical tank but I have no place to keep it here, so my 2.5ft bowfront will have to do for now.

your monsters all look happy, I wouldn't be surprised if you start to see more little monsters in the future. the idea of a reverse undergravel seems like the perfect idea to create a tank that's filtered well with next to no current. the bags of pea gravel seem like a great idea to build the "hills". have you thought about adding a few bags or bio-balls and noodles to the mix, to boost your biological colony?

also, what is the name of the big floating plant to the left of your tank? I have that same plant in my 50L planted tank, it took off well but I tried some in my axie tank, and it just melted away.

Thanks Chris. Awww it's a shame you couldn't take the tank from you dad
Wouldn't surprise me if I saw more eggs either. Dillon and Chrysta have laid 5 or 6 times in the last 6 months Just leaving the eggs in the tank now and they eat them after about a week when they start to wiggle.

I thought the reverse undergravel would be a good idea :happy:
I have considered adding Bioballs/noodles etc but to be perfectly honest I haven't decided completely on whether I will add some or not but you'll know shortly. The bioballs appeal in that they are larger so take more space but really have very little in the way of volume so would mean I'd sacrifice less water by using them however they are considerably more expensive The biological in the tank will be huge anyway. Between the canister filter, all the pea gravel and the surface of all that moss, rock and sand. Maybe hubby had some lurking around out in the shed more is always better after all

That beautiful plant is the Northern territory Water Sprite (Giant Water Sprite)
This is what it looks like from above. You can see the cute little plantlets on the edges of the leaves.

LOVE this plant! It gets HUGE which is great for axies for shade. I have a massive one in another axie tank full of juveniles. The roots reach almost to the bottom of the tank (14inches I think) and they just love hanging out in them.
Hubby assures me it will grow in an axie tank as long as it gets some light but it can be a bit temperamental when moved suddenly from one temperature to another (warm to cold). Apparently it needs the temp change to be fairly gradual we grow ours outside so cold isn't a problem. Oh it's also ammonia sensitive but I don't see that being the problem in your tank. :wacko:

Well the good news is it's almost Monday so I can go to bed and then after I get my two bigger boys off to school in the morning I can start hitting all the stores I can think of that would carry a 100% synthetic mesh fairly cheaply... starting with Spotlight and moving to the various boating, fishing and camping stores that are close by. :happy: I'm hoping I can find a nice green that matches the moss so you can't see it.

Night all.
Mere.

 

[iChris]

I would say light must have been a issue, my axie tank is almost never lit at all. it grows rampant in my smaller tank tho. I'm in the mood for some axiescaping now, I may flick off a email to the guys at aquotix about some axie plants. the only plant I seem to be able to grow in there is ambulia. I couldnt even get java fern to grow!

My bowfront has a hood with 2 lamps, but I dont use the hood at all. it's easier to keep the tank cool without it, I do have a smaller clip on light tho.

as with yourself, I too will be getting a chiller before the summer is out!

edit: clark rubber may have the mesh you're looking for. but I prefer spotlight, as one can hide between those big moveable hanger things were they keep the floor mats and curtains!

 

[MereB]

I'm really hoping there will be enough water volume for it to remain fairly stable. The 10 gal we had in the lounge last summer only ever got to 23 with the hood on and the light a few hours a day so hopefully it won't go above 20 and I won't need a chiller but I don't like my chances. I do have the makeshift chiller we had on the adult's 4ft over summer if it doesn't work out and we need to get it cool fast while we purchase the chiller but I guess it will be a bit of wait and see.

ooooh I'd forgotten about Clarky's, thanks Chris and :rofl: at you hiding in the curtain section. Fortunately they are all within walking distance :happy: I could hit spotlight, BCF, Rays outdoors, Annaconda and Clarkies without moving the car if I was without kids :rofl: won't be doing it today though my littlest man is not well so I'm not going anywhere today

 

[iChris]

yeah, we need the rain, but I do hate not being able to go anywhere, even driving as there are so many idiots out there. and I would get wet going to the car.

 

[Boo Penguin]

Looking good, your monsters sure will be happy in there

I'm so looking forward to seeing more piccies