# Reef Ready 125 build thread



## k7gixxerguy

What method in detail have you used as far as amount of coats, colors, techniques, brush styles, whatever to get a real rock look. I have a gallon of gray and a quart of white, the red, buff and charcoal powdered colors as well. I know that some say to start dark and dry brush the lighter colors sequentially. I have also heard about a technique where you make a wash from a watered down dark amount and then spray it with a spray bottle with water and all of the pigment will settle in the low spots. This may have been with other types of paint though. I want to do my BG right the first time without wasting time or resources. I have searched the DIY threads and YouTube with little luck. Any help would be appreciated.


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## DanniGirl

I always start with the darkest coat first and work my way up. I'll tent the Drylok black (using the charcoal pigment) and allow it to dry overnight. From there, I'll mix a little Drylok in with the charcoal pigment and slowly work my way up the value scale. Each coat is slightly drier than the rest during the application process, mainly so it won't bleed into the crevices. As I move towards the lighter values, the coverage becomes consistently thinner and erratic. Lastly, the highlights will be achieved with non-tinted Drylok and a dry brush technique. The key is to maintain a fairly dry media while briskly going over the elevated pieces where highlights (or abrasions) would naturally occur.

If you have access to destroyed brushes, they create some of the best, realistic details. I would recommend their use throughout the entire background. Wider brushes (flats or brights) first, then smaller brushes last. I'll stay away from round brushes, especially during the final details.

A caution on mixing colors. The Buff and Charcoal will mix together to create a warm, muddied, greenish-pigment. I'm not sure if that's what you're after but if not, I would recommend separate applications for the colors. Red and Charcoal will be fine, but I would recommend painting the back and experimenting with color mixtures and hues.


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## k7gixxerguy

Thanks Danni. I will start the process sunday night and see how it all goes. I've got a couple coats of drylok on now and was using a coarse sponge to add texture after the entire section was covered and started drying ever so slightly. On the lighter coats do you ever thin out the drylok at all, if so, with what?


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## DanniGirl

I try the keep the thinner coats drier during application. Easiest way to achieve this, dip your brush in the Drylok. Then on an old towel, swipe the brush a few times to remove the access Drylok. This process thins it out without the hassle of runoffs bleeding into the crevices. 
If you need to thin the Drylok, I would suggest water but sparingly. If it's been thinned, the pigments will appear flat/dull when dry.


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## R-DUB

I have found that starting with the darkest colors first hence dark in the crevices. Then take a lighter shade of the color like grey over black. Load a small amount onto a medium sized brush...then have a rag/paper towel handy and remove most of the paint from the brush...so the brush is "dry" this technique is called "drybrushing" Then just LIGHTY brush over the "high" spots. Start with very little paint test how it goes can always paint over with the foundation color to hide unwanted or bad drybrushing. That is how i did my BG in the sticky sections.


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## k7gixxerguy

I did the final sealing coat in a dark charcoal mix last night, so tonight I will start dry brushing a medium gray then use a bit of red in a few spots and buff as well to blend with the sand.


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## DanniGirl

Good luck! I'm sure it's going to turn out well.


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## k7gixxerguy

Well here's how the two main sections turned out. I'm pretty happy with it, now onto the facade on the two corner overflows. I'm going to drill out the spray bar next, paint it, and maybe make my undergravel jets.


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## R-DUB

Looks very good! I don't think you needed ANY help you did great. The spray bar looks to fit perfect. Good build.


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## k7gixxerguy

I cut the 90s down for the spray bar to make it fit snug around the top trim of the tank. Then I just made it as wide as possible considering the fx5s intake will be in the channel on the left. I plan on cutting foam to go around the top of the intake channel and filling the gap once its installed.


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## DanniGirl

It looks wonderful. The tank will look amazing. Excellent job. :thumb:


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## k7gixxerguy

Thanks R-Dub and Danni. I'm really trying to do this right without taking shortcuts yet still doing it in a timely manner. One of these days I will have to stop at the local landscaping yard and find a couple nice sized rocks that will work with my color choices and mask the opening for the inlet to the fx5. Now back to the matter at hand, laying out the spray bar holes, drilling them, then painting it up as well as siliconing in the second half. I need more hours in the day. I did get to cut a bunch of acrylic at work to add a second section upping the volume of my wet dry considerably. I'm thinking of doing a refugium with some pothos or the like in this one.


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## DanniGirl

Backtracking a bit here, but wanted to comment on the rocks. You might be able to find rocks similar to the background but it may be tough. 
One idea would be to obtain a few neat looking rocks and paint them using the same techniques. The suggestion to paint rocks may sound odd, but it works and you can create a perfect match to the background. I've done it in the past and will do it again.



> I need more hours in the day.


Isn't that the truth? It's coming along nicely though. The refugium is an excellent idea.


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## k7gixxerguy

Oh I thought about that with the rocks already. First reason was the overflows. They each have a huge lift off panel so obviously I can't glue flotation devices to them and expect them to stay on. I figured some DIY rock on the solidly mounted overflow sections plus a couple painted rocks on the lift off overflow panels.


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## DanniGirl

:thumb:


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## k7gixxerguy

Been a little while since I've updated, that whole life thing. I dryloked some real rocks and put them on the lift off overflow panels as well as dry brushed the spraybar. I made a bunch of smaller rocks as well, only need two or three more small ones to call it done. I stopped at the local landscape place and picked up a few to add to the tank. For size reference, the one in front of the fx5 intake opening in the left side of the main background piece is over a foot tall and weighs fifty pounds. I'm hoping to have time to start the stand this weekend. There will be haps and peacocks in this tank and at least part time a breeding group of yellow labs. Oh yeah, and cut a piece of filter foam for around the fx5 intake tube and gave it a bit of color to blend in with the top of the background.


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## k7gixxerguy

No critiques? Wish I could change the title of the thread at this point to my Reef Ready 125 build thread. I am picking up lumber to work on the stand tonight.


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## DanniGirl

Well....when you do an excellent job, that doesn't leave much room for a critique. :thumb:

Phenomenal job with the rocks that are positioned on the overflow panels. Are you going to be painting the larger rocks as well?


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## k7gixxerguy

DanniGirl said:


> Well....when you do an excellent job, that doesn't leave much room for a critique. :thumb:
> 
> Phenomenal job with the rocks that are positioned on the overflow panels. Are you going to be painting the larger rocks as well?


I'm going to fill it when the stand is done next week and see how the rocks look. I think once the foreground rocks get a little algae on them that everything will blend together without contrasting too much between the sand and the background. I wanted the foreground rocks a bit lighter in color to fool the eye into thinking that the tank was deeper front to back, kindof like the wall is off in the distance a little ways, thus darker. It may not work out that way, only time will tell. If not, they will be pulled and dryloked as well.


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## DanniGirl

An illusion...good plan.

If you do end up painting the rocks, I'd emphasize highlights with a few dark areas. Nothing over the top, just quick brush strokes. It's just a tactic which lends the rocks that nuance that separates them from the background. The closer something is, the more detailed the object. Furthermore, you also want to maintain the brightness associated with the foreground rocks, so if you do anything, keep it simple.

Good idea to leave it as is...it's easier to add paint than to overpaint.


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## jakekersley

That looks amazing very well done!!


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## eTrain

Didn't build the stand yet? Your working backwards son. Do you have lights yet? Once you get it up and running leave your lights on and grow some algae. I think it will look great.


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## k7gixxerguy

Not working backwards when you have to lay a tank on its back to do the background E. Plus I needed some warmer weather to do the stand outside. Hopefully I will get it knocked out by Thursday so I can get the tank on it and plumb it to the wet dry. I need to put together my second acrylic tank for the wet dry to bulkhead to it to gain some more water volume. The acrylic is cut, just need to router and sand the edges and go to town with the Weldon.


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## k7gixxerguy

And yes I have lights for it as well. Couple options. I have two four foot dual bulb T5HO lights that I can stagger in the canopy and also a 4 bulb t5ho, that I could use too. I think I will likely just do the two doubles on angles and be done with it. It's not like two isn't enough on my four foot tank.


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## DanniGirl

k7gixxerguy said:


> I think I will likely just do the two doubles on angles and be done with it. It's not like two isn't enough on my four foot tank.


True...


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## ratbones86

looking really good. What color tint did you use to make the background color? i really love that look


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## k7gixxerguy

Thanks, I did two coats of drylok to seal them up first. The second coat was with charcoal powder style concrete coloring. Then I dry brushed with a lighter mix of charcoal, followed by buff, and then a touch of white highlights here and there. I also used red before the buff on maybe one out of five rocks to give them subtle tone differences.


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## k7gixxerguy

So I cut some wood down after work yesterday and started building the stand. Hopefully tonight I will get the rest of the uprights in and get it skinned.


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## redsnookmfer

Question? I know its not regarding critiquing your set up, but wanted to know what the white barrier was that you put on the bottom of the tank. I know I've read about it somewhere but can't remember what it's called. I think the tank looks great BTW. I'm have a 125 that is already up and running, but then saw this thread and thought it would be a to put that barrier down since I have 1 piece of lace rock that weighs 52lb outside the tank. Thanks


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## k7gixxerguy

I think they call it a light diffuser grid or something of the like. You can find it around the fluorescent lighting at any of the big home improvement stores. I had enough from my 75 and my 55 that I sold that I've got the whole bottom covered in the 125 now.


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## k7gixxerguy

Ok, back to one of my original questions in another thread that never really was answered. I will obviously be running the FX5 and my wet dry filter on this. The FX5 will feed the spray bar and the intake will be in the hole in the left side of the background. Obviously I will be using both overflows to the sump. I have a quiet one 4000 that is running return duties and if it dies out on me I will likely go up to something pretty big, currently in the neighborhood of 700 gph. Would you run both returns with both dual nozzle outlets and what kind of aim would you look for considering the spray bar, the filter intake and the position of the overflows and their own intakes in the lower sections of them. I didnt know if the output if it was "T"ed to both returns would be too weak. If I were to only use one, should I just put a screw on cap on the bottom of the bulkhead for that return? Plumbing wise, I'm assuming most people run pvc to a closer proximity of each piece of equipment and then a flexible hose to give it some room for movement and maintenance. Where do you get flexible hoses, just use the reinforced clear vinyl hose like is described in the spray bar build? Sorry for all the questions, this is my first truly plumbed setup and first overflows besides a cpr hang on. I didnt get much done on the stand tonight as the saw was broken at my local Lowe's which left me driving an extra hour plus to Home Depot and back. At least I have the remainder of the wood to finish the stand now. I miss my full size truck, or even my blazer, my lil pontiac G6 doesn't care for truck duty hauling 8 foot lumber.


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## ratbones86

also called egg crate


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## b3w4r3

Whether you use one or two return lines is up to you. Obviously splitting them into two lines would mean less flow from each output. I think the lower the T is the less flow you will get overall with two lines, so I would try to keep the T near the top of the tank so as not to create extra head pressure. The T itself is going to reduce flow a bit too. Capping one of the returns if you plan to use one line would be fine. I don't use any PVC in my return at all, just vinyl hose attached to the pump and a return nozzle that hangs over the back. PVC would work ok but again any fittings, like mating a hose bib connection, is going to reduce overall output. With all vinyl the hose is able to make gradual bends so it's not as restrictive as some PVC options will be. You can get some nice 3/4 inch braided hose from any of the home improvement stores.

I think any returns from a filter that does bio filtration should be aimed in a manner which allows the return water to flow horizontally just under the surface so that it mixes with the air. The water returning from a bio filter is low in oxygen so aiming them in a downward manner will impact overall O2 in the tank. Same goes for your canister spray bar.


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## k7gixxerguy

Thanks, my returns from the wet dry will have to T under the tank as they are entering the tank via bulkheads in the overflow sections, not coming overtop of the back wall.


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## k7gixxerguy

On a related topic. Can you explain how a wet dry doesn't supply oxygenated water. Does the bacteria use up a lot of the oxygen introduced as its running through the bio balls on its way back to the pump? I would have thought all the fast splashing through the vacant air on its way through the bio balls would have made it oxygen rich. Any added understanding via discussion is appreciated.


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## b3w4r3

I would have to do dissolved O2 tests to answer this accurately. It's always been my opinion that no filters are 100% efficient at removing ammonia or consuming all available O2 on a single pass. Any articles I have read concerning returning water says it will be low in O2 though, whether it be a canister, or wet dry. Every tank will be different depending on nutrient load and filter efficiency.

I think a lot of O2 is consumed in the hoses/pipe between the return pump and the tank output. I'm sure you have seen how much bacteria builds up if you have ever used clear hoses.


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## ratbones86

b3w4r3 said:


> I think a lot of O2 is consumed in the hoses/pipe between the return pump and the tank output. I'm sure you have seen how much bacteria builds up if you have ever used clear hoses.


Crazy amounts of bacteria lol


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## k7gixxerguy

Ok, another question. I have my stand ready to be skinned in 1/2" but before I put the trim that will hide the black plastic on the tank, is there any reason on a reef ready tank to put plywood down as the top for the stand? Currently it is 2 by 6"s framed on their sides as expected. With having the wet/dry and refugium going under there I'd like to just let the tank sit on the 2 by 6" that way there will also be more places for the humidity to escape rather than get trapped under the plywood top. It seems like a waste of wood unless anyone has a valid reason behind doing this, not to mention adding more to the height. The bottom of the tank will be 36" from floor height now. I made the stand basically the same height as my 67 due to the fact that I am over 6 foot and most stands seem a little low to me. I also will be painting the inside of the stand white to seal it and reflect light as I do plan on keeping plants in the refugium. I have some kilz from another project, or I have a bunch of drylok left from the background project. Im not sure if drylok can be used on wood though. Any opinions on which would get the job done better?


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## ratbones86

i wouldnt see a reason to unless your wanting to be extra sure your stand is level. If everything is level there isnt a need for another board on top. The stand i built doesn't have one.


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## DanniGirl

There's pros and cons.

The advantages are unless the 2x6's are kiln dried, there's a chance they're going to warp a small amount. The plywood will prohibit them from warping. 
It will also stop diagonal twisting.

Is it require though? No. :wink:

If you're going to skin it, I would suggest an oil based wood stain with polyurethane. I've had great success with these products in the past but there are others on the market that will do just as well.


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## k7gixxerguy

I got a lot of work done on the stand late last night but didnt manage to get pictures yet. It is now all skinned and trimmed out. I painted the inside of it white to help reflect some light when I get plants in my refugium section of my wet/dry/sump franken filter that I am making. I also filled all the holes from brad nailing the skin and trim on. Next on the agenda is running it over with the sander and throwing some color at it. For those of you that have done reef ready tanks, did you hard plumb it until you got close to your filter/pump. If so, how did you make the connection on the bottom of the bulkheads? I know that I can solvent weld a 3" section of 1" pvc pipe in and run flexible hose to everything, and spent a good while messing with fittings at home depot trying to create something that would be hard lined yet still able to remove it from the bulkhead in case I wanted to move the tank or change up the standpipe or anything like that. Everything I found was larger in diameter than the inside of the bulkhead nut. I was hoping that the thread on the bulkhead was for 1 and 1/4" pipe but alas, no such luck. I will try to snap a couple pics this afternoon and then I will be playing the waiting game until Monday due to having my kiddos for the weekend.


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## k7gixxerguy

Ok, here's where I am currently at. I cut the holes for the doors yesterday as well as sanded all the filler then gave it some color. Tonight I will verify that I can get my wet dry through the front before sliding it in place and getting the tank on to start plumbing it. Then I will make my doors and start on the hood.


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## k7gixxerguy

I got the tank up and plumbed on the stand and slid it into place. I mounted up my timer strip and hooked another power strip to the constant side so that I can kill the heater, wet/dry, and fx5 at once while still leaving the lights on for maintenance. I also have my girls 6.6 gallon nano tank sitting off of the end of the stand so her wiring is thrown in there as well. I decided to break out the label maker and mark every wire so that servicing everything makes more sense without having to guess. Forgive the light laying on the top, I have a pair of those lights with dual four foot high output T5s that I will stagger in the DIY canopy that I'm planning out now. Instead of glass tops, I'm going to use some 10mm polycarbonate that I have available. The overflows are quite noisy so I'm hoping that making snug fitting lids will quiet it down. So my order of priorities now is building the hinged covers, the canopy, and the doors for the stand. I added ammonia to about 1.5ppm at midnight last night so hopefully the FX5 from my overstocked mbuna tank will get the job done fairly quickly. I can't wait to get this tank loaded up with fish but I won't pull the trigger until its 100% ready. I have to tie the wiring up a little bit more to finish cleaning things up. I did opt to go with both returns but knocked them down from two nozzles to one on each to keep it a bit cleaner looking in the tank. Down the road I may upsize the pump to compensate for the extra head pressure of the solid plumbing to dual returns, but the quiet one 4000 seems to be doing ok at this time with a lot of surface agitation combined with the spray bar from the fx5.


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## b3w4r3

It's looking great! I'm interested to see how quickly it converts that ammonia.


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## k7gixxerguy

b3w4r3 said:


> It's looking great! I'm interested to see how quickly it converts that ammonia.


Me too, I have been wondering how the bacteria work in reference to when you have a tank such as my 67 which had one HOB with about 400gph flow for six months that handled the bioload by itself. When I added a second HOB but was feeding the same amount, would some of the bacteria die off in the first while the second was populating, etc. Do only enough live actively there to be able to consume what the tank is producing. So essentially, if the tank was running on one fine, then added a second and six months later assuming no volume of feeding or quantity of fish and for arguments sake, size of fish is the same, and you take away one filter back to the original would you see a minicycle? I basically am trying to figure out how much BB would be in the FX-5 as it was the third filter on my 67. I had the original Aqueon quietflow 55/75, an AC110, and the FX-5 on it. I will check my parameters on the 67 today to see if it appears to be doing a minicycle from pulling the FX-5 off of it. As far as the FX-5, it did not convert ammonia in a day, not that I really expected it to with that large of water volume relative to what it was running on before.


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## k7gixxerguy

Well big update but not in a good way. The tank went from dosing ammonia wednesday night at midnight to fully cycled by Sunday converting ammonia and nitrite within 24 hours. Now here's the bad,I won't bore you with the woes of my life, but I may not even have a roof over my head or the means to get one in a couple weeks. And even if I do, I likely will need to sell everything I own to survive. So what, assuming that I make the doors and canopy, would you expect that I could get for this essentially new setup? It kills me to have worked this hard and have to give it all up, but that seems to be the case.


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## Steve C

I'm sorry to hear that, the tank looks great, I hope things turn around for you and you are able to keep it, as well as your place to live.

Steve


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## k7gixxerguy

Well, the outlook for the 125 looks bleak still but I know that I need to finish it regardless. Rather than spend another 70 dollars on glass lids, I cut some 10mm polycarbonate that I had to fit tight around the spray bar and FX5 intake tubes. Then I cut two strips to solvent weld vertically to brace them from bowing in the middle, installed hinges and handles and quietted down this beast significantly as well as minimized evaporation. It has been losing about 4 gallons to evaporation every three days without the covers. I will snap a picture or two later today and then start making the canopy next week. From my discussions with the gf, I think that I will sacrifice the cycle and shut it down and empty it until we figure out what path we are taking. No sense in doing water changes and stuff on a tank this size to not use it.


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## k7gixxerguy

Well, a brief update. I've torn down all of my growout tanks and put them on Craigslist. In the interim, I put my juvie rusties and dems in my 67 and moved the mbuna, synos, etc into the 125 so that I could at least see it with fish before selling it. I'm still working on a resolution for the predicament I am in but am not optimistic about it. I need to get to making the doors and hood, but have been otherwise occupied by custody of my kids and packing/moving out. Anyways, here it is and sorry for the iPhone pics. The little rusty girl is obviously happy in it as she was holding twelve hours after putting the fish in there. I thought with the small amount of rocks compared to the 67 that the mbuna wouldn't be too happy but I haven't seen any real issues to be concerned with.


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## b3w4r3

It looks amazing, very nice work. What's the light on the far right, looks closer to daylight than the longer tubes.


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## Deeda

I'm sorry about your current predicament with housing and hope things turn around for you soon.

The tank does look great and hopefully you will be able to keep it, maybe in storage or with a friend, until you can set it up again.


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## k7gixxerguy

The lighting is currently just sitting on the covers that I made. They were just bulbs that I had laying around. One has a 6700k I believe with a 10k and the one on the back and peaking through on the right has two 4100s. The fish are being turned in for credit this weekend and the 125 and 67 will be put up for sale as well. I'm sorry to not be able to show you all a finished complete project and success story, guess that's just not in the cards for me.


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## ratbones86

**** to bad you dont live close to e id buy the one you just built lol


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## k7gixxerguy

Well the young momma rusty spit her fry. I've got one in the right side overflow and two in the left and another that exited stage left onto the filter of the drip tray of the wet/dry. The rest I'm guessing became snacks. I had no intentions of stripping her, but now I wonder how I'm going to get them out of the overflows. I'm tempted to drop a syno in each one for clean up, lol. I guess I will figure it out when I drain the tank and take the fish in for credit.


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## Ooooohlala

Hi i'm planning to do something like this and I'm worried what paint I'll use on top of Drylok which would be safe for the fish. Can you tell me what type of paint you used and if you can link a picture thanks!


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## k7gixxerguy

I only used drylok, just tinted it with the concrete powder colors.


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## DanniGirl

I'm sorry to hear about that, *k7gixxerguy*.

The tank looks phenomenal. The next tank will turn out even better.


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## k7gixxerguy

Well, interesting turn of events. I know that it has been a while since any updates, but sortof thankfully, the lfs that I deal with was going through some slow times and didn't really want to take in my adults that were in the 125. I just finally took them a bunch of my juvie demasoni and my 2nd male lab that has been chilling in the 67. For those I pretty much even swapped about a 5.5" Venustus and a 5" OB Peacock and a large female yellow lab for my male. Then to make things sweeter, they had a gorgeous Albino Eureka Red that I just had to have. I'm not usually into albinos but he is one nice looking fish. He's about 5.5" long too. Then I got about a 3" Sunshine Peacock that's starting to color up decently. I couldn't stop there, so I picked up a Super Red Empress that's just starting to color and an Intermedius male that is starting to color, and losing his three spots. The OB's fins made me think it was a female but when we vented it, it appeared to be a male so I am crossing my fingers. I know a lot of people recommend against doing two jakes, but do they tend to have the same issues if one is an albino? I figured that it would look so different that I might could get another type of jake later. I am acclimating them and some shrimp in my girl's nano tank right now, so maybe tomorrow I will try to see if anyone wants to pose for the Iphone. Ah, one weird aspect, and I promise it is only temporary. The dems and rusties are still in the 125 where I am acclimating the newcomers. I have a bunch of demasoni juvies in there too, but all of those fish are currently for sale and I plan to at minimum move the adults over to the 67 at next water change. Another lfs wants to get a ton of my dems in a couple weeks so I should be getting likely another five or six fish that day as well.


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## k7gixxerguy

Hmm, it appears that the "female" yellow lab is likely not a female. We weren't sure with venting it as you could only really see one hole and it seemed large enough to pass eggs, but the male in my tank is trying to liplock with it through the bag. Not a very good sign on it actually being a girl. Oh well, I guess that I need to choose a male to be with the ladies and put the other in the 67. I guess I didn't need to trade my other male in tonight to just end up in the same situation. I hope that doesn't end up being the case with the OB as well. It has a really blue spot right over its vent area which made it hard to be 100% on as well. The dems and rusties are much easier to positively vent at least with my eyes.


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## k7gixxerguy

Sorry about the poor quality Iphone pics. It seems that they always move a little and blur it when I try to snap a pic.

The Albino Eureka Red


The Venustus


The fat OB Peacock. I was hesistant both on the fins looking more female and the portly nature of this fish, but the shop owner, who I have been dealing with for quite some time now, assured me that the fish has been with them for a while and was healthy and from what we could see through the blue on it appears to be a male. 

The Sunshine Peacock


The Red Empress


The Intermedius


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## k7gixxerguy

more pictures of the individual new haps and peacocks can be seen here.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=271290


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