PharmrJohn's 90g Thread

So. I am upgrading to a 90g from a 75g because of a leak that has officially beaten me. But that is OK. I will be satisfied if I can upgrade, and, having received the blessing from my other half, I am able to procede.

This is going to be just an easy way for me to chronicle the upgrade, the transfer, the tank stand mods and any input along the way is appreciated. I have purchased the lumber, and will start the stand mod tomorrow. I am going to transfer as much as I can tonight to garbage cans and buckets. Here is the before pic. The return is offline and the sump is full underneath. I will be making some mods to the plumbing as well, as I have to add another overflow.




And here is an extra. I found this the other day in my bucket 'o things that need to be repaired. So I repaired it. It is a lamp post that my great-great uncle made for my mother when she was 2. The two white patches in the middle have the numbers 19 and 42. Mom was born in 1940. Pretty cool. Totally off subject, but I like it.



Now, off to walmart. I just realized I need a few more garbage cans......

 

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

A word on adding upright lumber to stands. When you cut, or have them cut, insist that one is used for a guide to cut the others. They must be absolutely identical in length, as they will bear all the tank's weight, and you must achieve absolute level here.

I realize you're not building a stand; just fortifying/riggin' one. For clarity, I'm referring to the 8 vertical 2x4s, two in each corner. If they're not identical, no amount of shims is gonna make it right.

 

I guess it's an OK lamp stand. It looks pretty Mickey Mouse to me.

 

You should see his autographed little house on the prarie lamp post that he keeps for himself...

 

All I am doing is rigging the back of the stand to bring in a load bearing structure one inch closer to the front. I will have one 2x4 in each corner and one 2x4 on each side of the cross brace in the center of the stand (four 2x4's----overkill) each affixed to the stand and a 1x2 across it all. That will bear the weight in the back. Otherwise, the other three sides will remain untouched.

The only other modification I will have to make is to remove the flooring of the stand. That is fine. It has been a pain from the beginning.

In this pic, you'll notice the center brace does not allow me to do just one 2x4 in the center. I will have the two 2x4s on either side of this with the 1x2 running over the top. However, the plan is to not have any weight on this brace, as it will not take it.



This is just a pic of the corner of the tank stand.

 

lmfao!!!!!

 

I remember you griping about that floor.
I know that you are going to mod your stand for the new tank, but what is going to happen with the hood?

 

Oh, I'll keep the hood, It'll fit length wise and will just overhang a little in the back. No biggy there. I will end up figuring out something to disguise the fact that the tank is one inch too short from top to bottom. I am not sure what I am going to do yet, but it will be soon. That sort of thing bugs the crap out of me.

Oh......and I found this for you Sparky....

YouTube - Family - Opening Credits

When I watched it, I verped. I had forgotton Kristy McNichol was in this.

 

Seriously. Why do I insist on starting on these projects this late at night? Well, I went to Walmart and got a 10g tank to go with my 15g tall to put fish and corals in and a few more garbage cans to prep water and stuff and things. So I am pretty much set. All I need to do is go get the 90g tomorrow in Kent (an hour and a half each way). On the way back, I will pick up some RO water

Just beginning disassembly



A little further along




I plucked out all the LR and put it into a GC full of water. I know, I didn't need to, but I want as little die off as possible. The cycle my tank may or may not go through I want minimized.



Everything empty underneath. I had to cut away part of the PVC, but that is OK, I will have to replumb the entire thing to accomidate the new fuge and additional overflow.



My tank is now very dirty. I am going to let the dust settle and leave the remaining rock (with corals attached) until morning as well as the fish and inverts. Tpmorrow morning, I will extract the clean(er) water from the tank and fill my 10 and 15 and move the inhabitants.





I am a little worried about my anenome and the stress it's going through, but I will watch it close. Currently, I have a K-3 running for flow, a heater set at 77 and a digital thermometer.....that's it.