Operation 125 Revival. 55g tank to Sump conversion

[RichtheReefer21]

OPERATION 125 REVIVAL.

Found this through a coworker who had it as a freshwater tank 10 years ago. It's been in his barn, uncovered, ever since. It's bad. But I like a challenge... heres what got done today...

The stand:

Was completely rusted and was storing gasoline cans and a snowblower motor. Covered in bird **** and who knows what else...

Before:

Used a coarse wire brush to get to big stuff off, then went to town with 60grit and a sander... did the plywood as well.
Wiped it down and let it dry... then hit it with Rustoleum Rust-cover primer. 2 coats.

After:

Tomorrow I will apply high gloss rustoleum x2 coats. And then the tank is getting the full service treatment.

Once its dry it's coming home. Then sand and water are going in. Gonna grab a few chunks of drylive rock and take my current canister aqueon 400 and hook it up and get this puppy cycled.

Gonna just use my old 75G HOTB to maintain the 55g with some of my current media packed into it and dose bacteria to keep it stable for a few weeks while I cycle the new tank.

I plan to make custom cabinets and custom sump out of my current 55 for this tank eventually after I switch everything over.

Cannot wait to scape this tank!!!!

P.S. Tank and stand were free. Cost me 34 bucks so far. Winning.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Here is my 55g build thread:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/rich-reef-55-turned-125-in-progress.403818/

Gonna be a loooooong weekend

 

[glb]

Nice setup! My only concern would be residue from either the freshwater setup or contaminants from sitting in the barn. Does your friend remember what kind of chemicals he used in the FW? If it ends up being ok, what a steal?

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Nice setup! My only concern would be residue from either the freshwater setup or contaminants from sitting in the barn. Does your friend remember what kind of chemicals he used in the FW? If it ends up being ok, what a steal?

No clue.. he doesnt remember either. I am doing a vinegar scrub down today followed by 2 FW rinses and a good wipe down.

I haven't been up this early on a weekend with this much energy and excitement in years. And golf. LoL

 

[glb]

No clue.. he doesnt remember either. I am doing a vinegar scrub down today followed by 2 FW rinses and a good wipe down.

I haven't been up this early on a weekend with this much energy and excitement in years. And golf. LoL

Is there someone that could redo the silicone just to be sure?

 

[RichtheReefer21]

You mean for leaks?

 

[najer]

OPERATION 125 REVIVAL.

Found this through a coworker who had it as a freshwater tank 10 years ago. It's been in his barn, uncovered, ever since. It's bad. But I like a challenge... heres what got done today...

The stand:

Was completely rusted and was storing gasoline cans and a snowblower motor. Covered in bird **** and who knows what else...

Before:

Used a coarse wire brush to get to big stuff off, then went to town with 60grit and a sander... did the plywood as well.
Wiped it down and let it dry... then hit it with Rustoleum Rust-cover primer. 2 coats.

After:

Tomorrow I will apply high gloss rustoleum x2 coats. And then the tank is getting the full service treatment.

Once its dry it's coming home. Then sand and water are going in. Gonna grab a few chunks of drylive rock and take my current canister aqueon 400 and hook it up and get this puppy cycled.

Gonna just use my old 75G HOTB to maintain the 55g with some of my current media packed into it and dose bacteria to keep it stable for a few weeks while I cycle the new tank.

I plan to make custom cabinets and custom sump out of my current 55 for this tank eventually after I switch everything over.

Cannot wait to scape this tank!!!!

P.S. Tank and stand were free. Cost me 34 bucks so far. Winning.

Loving it, gonna check your link, take loads of pics!

 

[glb]

You mean for leaks?

No just in case there are contaminates in the silicone.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

I'll look into it and see if I can reseal it before I fill it tomorrow.

Tanks All clean... 4 coats on the stand. On it's way to it's new home now.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

And shes home. Temporary spot toll I break down the old tank to move it while this one cycles in the permanent spot.

Off to the LFS to make a bargaining agreement for all the new sand, water, and rock.

Now the fun starts. And the $ investment... excited but not. LoL

 

[RichtheReefer21]

6 bags of live sand. 50 pounds of dry rock.. and 120 gallons of premixed water on it's way tomorrow.

Cycle time with inverts.

Then I'm gonna transfer everything from my old tank to the new tank except the fish. Run the new one fallow and copper treat the old tank with all the fish in it. So I start this new tank with a clean slate ready to go.

I have a 10gallon I am also setting up tomorrow that will be my new QT tank for new comers in the future. Finally got my **** together.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

No RODI system yet, and no experience mixing... so I made a couple deals with my LFS...

After 4 hours and 3 trips in my G35, at 101°F today... done... and cycling..

Got 50lbs of dry rock ready to scape..

Inverts go in tomorrow to get the cycle hurried. Using Seachem Stability as I did on my 55.

4 coffees, 2 espressos, and 2 monsters consumed.

Total cost to get to this point... $482.


Once its cycled, all my rock, corals, and inverts are going in a little at a time. Then the fallow timer starts in the new tank and copper treatment on all my fish in the old 55.

2 primes and my fluval3.0 strip between will be mounted once I move the corals in.

And then lastly, I will be customizing my 55 into a sump system and I can only pray I get the shadow overflow giveaway. Someone tag me in it for their entry. Much needed. Xoxoxo.

 

[Dburr1014]

No RODI system yet, and no experience mixing... so I made a couple deals with my LFS...

After 4 hours and 3 trips in my G35, at 101°F today... done... and cycling..

Got 50lbs of dry rock ready to scape..

Inverts go in tomorrow to get the cycle hurried. Using Seachem Stability as I did on my 55.

4 coffees, 2 espressos, and 2 monsters consumed.

Total cost to get to this point... $482.


Once its cycled, all my rock, corals, and inverts are going in a little at a time. Then the fallow timer starts in the new tank and copper treatment on all my fish in the old 55.

2 primes and my fluval3.0 strip between will be mounted once I move the corals in.

And then lastly, I will be customizing my 55 into a sump system and I can only pray I get the shadow overflow giveaway. Someone tag me in it for their entry. Much needed. Xoxoxo.

1 thing just stood out.
Copper in the 55 on the fish and then used as a sump?
Is that right?

 

[grassy_noel]

This whole thing has happened in 5 days so far? Wow...

Excited to see where this heads.

 

[Deiblerj]

1 thing just stood out.
Copper in the 55 on the fish and then used as a sump?
Is that right?

Yeah I would not recommend this, unless you plan on draining and cleaning your 55g thoroughly after you copper dose

 

[Dburr1014]

Yeah I would not recommend this, unless you plan on draining and cleaning your 55g thoroughly after you copper dose

I still wouldn't use it. You never know if it's in the silicon

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Right now, my 55 is housing my Fish and being copper treated. Cupramine dosing..

They plan is to turn it into my sump, yes... But I will be stripping the silicone and giving it a precision cleaning first... That is way down the line since my Fallow period started yesterday on the new 125.
75 days to go and counting, lol....

I will be removing the copper with 15% water changes twice a week and the Seachem product (I forgot the name) that absorbs the copper out of the water.. Hopefully all my fish with make it thru the 76days in that tank and then i'll start moving them over 1 by 1....

Feels relieving to know I am gonna have this 125 started with ZERO parasites. Amen. Lesson learned, got a 10gallon that I will build and cycle to QT any future residents. never dealing with sick fishies again!

 

[RichtheReefer21]

P.S. I wont be updating this anymore... my build there is HERE