Ace22

I installed a 500 gal tank in the livingroom of my 130 yr old home. It has been there for 8 yrs with no issues. I sistered all the floor joists then ran 6x6 beams across and put in 6 teleposts with a 24 " square steel plate under each post. In order to somewhat protect the hardwood floor I placed the stand on 3'4 inch plywood.

Very Nice!

I use an Aqua Ultraviolet (UV) Water Sterilizer on my 350 gal tank. I have had it running for 6 yrs now trouble free. I have had no disieses or algae since I installed. Make sure you size it properly according to your pump size the volume of the tank and the results you are looking for. I use a 57 watt. One article on sizing can be found here http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=16+2148&aid=2855 another here. http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/aquariumuvsterilization.html If you get one which is not sized correctly or have the wrong flow you have wasted your money. Better to overkill.

My mostly African Tank

I have broken every rule and have over 40 species from vic Malawi and tang all in the same tank... As long as you keep things crowded and give lots of places where timid fish can hide you can get away with many things. Fish do have there own dispositions. Do things slowly. Have a backup plan in case some fish don't fit in. The end result might make some purist cringe but my tank is stunning.

I am betting on holding

I bought a 450 gal from a guy in Calgary and used Jays Moving to ship it to Moose Jaw. There was some stairs involved at the Calgary end. All went smooth till they put it in the warehouse here in Moose jaw then the Moose Jaw crew took over. They showed up at my place without the right equipment to unload it. I got a frantic call from the wife saying they want to know if there is room in the garage for it DOH. I went home and helped them unload with some pry bars and dollys I had. When it came time to lift it and get it in the house they balked. I got some of my money back and got 10 friends to help me get it in the house.

Welcome to the forum. You will not be dissappointed with the people here or the amount of information. Enjoy!

I have a 380 gal tank with a 100 gal sump. I have a 500 watt catalina in the sump with a temp controller which seems to keep the temp rock steady without running all the time. I cant imagine the size of tank you have that requires 1000 watts of heat. If I remember correctly I bought from a company in california through ebay. If you place the heater in the sump you should get even heat. Also you mention your sump is full to the top....this is usually not a good practice because of possible back siphon on a power failure. I have check valves in my system to prevent the siphon but I would not trust them as they have been known to fail.

Heres a link to my tank live. I try and keep it up for a few weeks but it is a free service so you have to put up with a quick ad and mediocre quality. Thanks for having a boo. http://www.livestream.com/lilredbarn

I have used brass check valves on my sump and they have been in service for a couple of years. I use plastic or nylon where I can because they are cheaper.

Both safe and prime are manufactured by seachem. Product Description Safe™ is the complete and concentrated dry conditioner for both fresh and salt water. Safe™ removes chlorine, chloramine and ammonia. Safe™ converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily removed by the tank’s biofilter. Safe™ may be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrite toxicity. Safe™ detoxifies nitrite and nitrate, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them. Safe™ is non-acidic and will not impact pH. Safe™ will not overactivate skimmers. Use at start-up and whenever adding or replacing water. Sizes: 10 g, 50 g, 250 g, 1 kg, 4 kg Why It's Different Safe™ is the dry version of Prime® and shares all of it’s advantages; however, Safe™ is even more concentrated than Prime®. I haven't used Safe but I swear by prime. If I lived in Edmonton I would be all over the group buy of Safe! I do a 75% water change monthly.

I use the kitchen faucet and match the tank temp by adjusting the hot/cold. I then put the hose in a five gallon pail and make the dash to an awiting chair to reach the top of my tank. I am sure it is funny to watch but it works. I monitor the temp in the tank while I fill. I often run out of hot water at the end of the change so have to give my tank awhile to recover then finish filling.

I was wondering how many people do their water changes without pre conditioning their water. By this I mean when I had smaller aquariums I would fill a couple of five gallon pails with water...add my prime and let it sit over night..now I drain 75% of my tanks refill with water from a hose hooked up to my sink and add prime while filling. I don't seem to stress the fish at all and its quick and easy so I am more inclined to keep the regular water changes. Just wondering how many other do the same.

Well like I said all went well on the Calgary end. There were no damages and the shipping with the stand, sump, and all the lighting and misc equipment was $1200. Because they couldn't get it in the house they refunded $600 which was ok by me. I sold the skimmer and the lighting for a grand. The total cst to me was only for the tank, stand, sump and equipment was only $600 I cannot complain. I would not hesitate to use a mover for another big tank if I only had the room for one.

I had Jays move a 350 gal tank from Calgary to Moose Jaw. The calgary end went fine the Moose Jaw guys got it to the door with my help then refused to lift it. I got my money back and got some friends to help get it in. So the Calgary Jays gets a vote from me for reliable. btw they did refund a substantial amount for failing to deliver.

There is no problem with plants whatsoever......algae well it has never returned to my tank since I installed the uv. I did scrub the tank and everything inside before I installed the uv.

Uv sterilizers only kill when something is exposed to the uv light. The only things that are killed are the things that are pumped through the unit.

There is a huge amount of info on the net about uv sterilizers. You have to have one that is sized correctly and that is dependant on volume, flow rate of the pump, and the job you want it to do. By job you want it to do I mean sterilization or clarification. Just make sure you get one that is sized correctly and you will be pleased with the results. The brand I chose for my tank was Aqua it was not the cheapest choice but their website is great (aquaultraviolet.com) and I found a good deal on a new one on ebay.

Spencer Jack in winnipeg has several different kinds available.

I wonder if the adhesive is non toxic. It is one thing to find something to stick a tank together with another to find something that is non toxic and long lasting.

Could you see if you can get some adult fish on your african order. I am willing to pay for larger male peacocks and haps. I cringe when I put juvies in with the big boys and sometimes they have expensive tastes.