Novahobbies' 37g Seahorse Tank Journal

novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
It did, thanks again very much. I actually have a couple questions about it, but I'll PM you in a bit.
Actually today was a mailbox windfall, which was a very nice surprise since I had a sorta hectic day. Got the chiller, a CD I ordered, and a copy of "Bloom County, The Complete Library Vol. 1" all on the same day! So I can sit back, listen to some zen music, read a few old 80's funnies, and reminisce about those good old days of the early Reagan Years.
You know. Back when I was 5.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/500#post_3447579
Chiller has arrive safe and sound!
It's going to be a snug fit, but it WILL fit. I should have plenty of room in front and behind (and remember, the cabinet is fully open in the back), but just to be safe I'll add a muffin fan in the cabinet to keep the air flowing around the unit. Mother in Law is coming this weekend to hang out....sounds like a perfect time for me to act busy and get this bad boy moved and running!
Hmph. Best laid plans and all that. Turns out mum-in-law somehow managed to be in the way...not in a bad way, but in a somehow exasperating way all weekend. When I wanted to go cut wood, she was out in the porch with her computer (only place I have to use the saw). When I needed to be in the bedroom to measure for more baseboard, she was in there taking a shower, or changing, or whatever. Etc.
Not that I'm angry -- it's nice to see her -- but I'm a bit nonplussed by the events. How can a person, by her simple presence, and through no direct action on her part, manage to block 2 days worth of projects?

Needless to say I decided to relax, go with the flow, and the tank will get moved sometime this week or upcoming weekend. Such is life!
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Just as an FYI, I *did* manage to get the baseboards and quarter-round installed and finished for the corner the tank will go in. Now all I need to do is decide if I want to try moving that thing in an evening, or wait for the weekend daytime to do it.
Oh, also got the GCFI outlet installed in place of the ratty old outlet that was existing. Safety first!
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Holy crap, I am WIPED. Moving a tank 20 feet, it turns out, is almost as time consuming and frustrating as moving it across town. The only part that's not involved is the drive. I did not realize this until today.
Doing it with a head cold is no picnic, either. Blagh.
Oh well. Fish are in, corals are in, and the filters are running. Lights are not on, and I still have a lot to do to clean the tank up...but that can come in a few minutes. I need a break.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/366648/novahobbies-37g-seahorse-tank-journal/520#post_3450219
Holy crap, I am WIPED. Moving a tank 20 feet, it turns out, is almost as time consuming and frustrating as moving it across town. The only part that's not involved is the drive. I did not realize this until today.
Doing it with a head cold is no picnic, either. Blagh.
Oh well. Fish are in, corals are in, and the filters are running. Lights are not on, and I still have a lot to do to clean the tank up...but that can come in a few minutes. I need a break.
You should have known it involved the same thing...but with a head cold! Poor thing, I would think cleaning could wait.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
I also took the opportunity to replace my MH with a new 14000k Phoenix bulb...the old one was just a little over its year marker. I had begun to wonder if that, coupled with the lackus chillerus, was pushing the cyano I had started to see crop up.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
I hooked the chiller up today for the first time. I got home today and my tank temp was a whopping 80 degrees! Fate protects fools, it seems, or in this case a woman named Lois protects the fool she sold the chiller to. I hooked up the pump, turned it on, and watched as my tank water cycled through the chiller and back into the tank.
At no point did I even consider that the chiller might have had old crappy water in it.
Naturally, it didn't. Our dear kitty friend had obviously cleaned it out. But I still deserve a smack on the back of the head. I had visions of black sulphurous clouds pouring out of the effluent pipe.
And only myself to blame had that been the case.
I will only be able to run the chiller for a little bit tonight. I need to go get a new powerhead to run it -- the one provided is great, but since this is in the display tank rather than a sump, I need a sponge filter to keep from horses getting sucked against the intake. Right now the intake is sort of wedged against the skimmer, but that's not going to last. My seahorses are definitely spongeworthy.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
OMG you scared the heck out of me.....
So it is running ok????? YES....I did run water thru it.....you can't put a sponge or anything on the accella pump??
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
I'm going to take the pump in and see if they have any spare parts that might match, but I'm not sure. It's a nice pump, looks like more or less standard fittings, so....

Oh, and I'm THROWING OUT the stupid corallife electric thermometer. POS. It was trying to tell my my tank temp was 84.5. The floating thermometer and the chiller (after I had cycled water thru it for 30 mins) said it was 78. Still warm, but nowhere near the corallife temp reading.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Pics of the move:
The temporary life support tank:

Test-placing the empty cabinets in their final places:

Tank and inner stand moved and ready to be filled:

Filling process begun. I used a small powerhead and a siphon tube to refill so I could fill the tank slowly and gently, avoiding mucking up the tank water. I used a 50/50 mix of old and new water to refill.

The late night picture. Corals are still pretty pithy here.

And now, the reveal. Sunday morning, still in bed.....my new view of the room. (It's okay to visualize this; I'm wearing pajamas.
)

I'm toying with the idea of shooting a video so you can see the whole room. Very zen-like, which is appealing to me....when there isn't a pile of laundry strewn over the chair, that is!
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
LOL on the tribble reference!
Yes, that's my dog! She's a Shih-Tzu. Her place is in the middle of the bed, of course....
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
I really like the look of the tank! Your dog and cat are pretty cute too! I also like the painting on the wall in the bedroom.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Oh my goodness! It really was a dog! Such a tiny cute thing, her cookie is as big as she is. Your kitty looks like a cat I had years ago, he was 18 when he died, Dan called him his puppykat...because he acted more like a dog, I see yours has his belly up for a rub too.
You did a great job on that fish tank...
 
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