What I bought:
100g Acrylic 5' tank, with covers and lightning
Stand
Two aquaclear 70 powerheads (one new, one used it seems)
Magnum 350 canister filter (hardly used if at all)
------------------------------
$200
The stand, was much to be desired. I think it was home made. It was made of at least 4 different kinds of wood, and 2x4s. Its finish was shot; it looked like it was left outside for some years on the porch. Some of it was broken. The board underneath the tank was a sheet of ragged plywood, some of it water damaged.
Took a trip to home depot. Sanded it down from head to toe, replaced any broken boards and coated it a couple times with Polyshades classic black. Bought it new hardware, new hinges and a 1/2" thick top for the bottom of the tank. I braced some of the structural areas I didn't quite approve of (engineers do that!) I didnt think to get a picture of its original state, but it was pretty horrid. Now it looks fantastic! You can see the original condition in the picture showing the original doors.
Special upside down mounting, in case theres a water leak I dont also get electricuted. See see?
The tank itself, needed a lot of love. But, I knew this before hand, and I only payed $200 for everything regardless. Scrapes, scratches, mineral deposits, dirt and dried tape. Most of which came off easily with a razor blade. Then, for the scratches, I bought the Novus 1, 2, 3 kit. However, given the size of this project, and everything I've read about Novus, I used a power buffer with foam buffing pad.
Now, this product is OK. It will shine up a tank really nice. It will remove minor scratches and blemishes given some effort. However, should your "alleged turtle" decide to play tic-tac-toe on the side of the tank with its claws, your in for hell. Novus is not magical, by any means. And even with a power buffer, and much time spent, some things refused to come out. Your going to be at it a LONG time. Your arm will hurt. Your wrist will hurt. Your fingertips will hurt. You'll be out of breath. And, its messy. REALLY messy. Your going to be at it a LONG time. It didn't come out too bad, though the cell phone camera isn't doing a very good job
After the gravel was down, I thought "This is my last chance to defeat tic-tac-toe". I attack it again with the Novus, this time by hand. But no, after 30 more minutes, and extreme soreness, tic-tac-toe won. I hath been defeated. I can't even feel the scratches, and sometimes it can confuse you on which side its really on. But still, novus didn't touch it.
HOWEVER.... once the tank filled with water, you can't even find those scratches anymore. Even with your face against the tank. Had I known that, I woulda saved my arm some suffering.
What sucks:
Finding out the 3 nearest sinks don't have the appropriate threads for the python hose
Listening to the stand creak as the water rose
Rinsing 100 lbs of gravel
Spending $80 on gravel
Praying your investment doesn't explode
Watching the front of the acrylic bow as it fills
My new electic bill!
Novus
What doesn't suck
Having a 50' python capable of hitting sink # 4
A perfectly level tank and stand, with no shimming or effort
Having a bucket with ~50 drilled holes to rinse gravel like a pro
Not having your investment explode
I didn't get electricuted
Novus
So here it is thus far. Mind you im not much of a decorator >_>
The lightning, was an afterthought. Once I started arranging the original fixtures, I decided to go buy nice new ones. The guy at the LFS didn't seem to know 'alot' about lights. I asked him a lot of questions about the difference between the typical hood lamps, and the new T5 florescent bulbs. I asked about heat, power consumption, watts, bulb availability, growing plants in the future, and more. All of which recieved answers along the lines of "Should work fine!" and no real information. So for now, i has the relatively inexpensive T5 low profile lamps. They seam OK. Their not very bright though, and probably not the suitable bulb type for everything I'd like to do in the future.
Im a little worried about the 'age' of the tank itself, given the condition of the stand and lighting. A thorough inspection of all seams looks good, cept for one corner where the bond is 'white' and not clear. TBH is looks 'melted' a little bit. Not sure if thats OK or bad - will keep an eye on it.
Code: Select all
