Blairs Bonnie Lido 120 - A Tale of a very unlucky tank

[polarblair2000]

LATEST FTS 21/03/2010

 

 

Latest News

 

I have now got hold of my tank from my aunty in England. It is a Juwel Lido 120 (30 U.S Gallons) So far I have just placed it in its new home for all to see. It still needs a good clean and the old filter box to be removed. I have a sump tank on its way and I am planning on getting the tank drilled this week and go shopping for all the plumbing parts soon I am going on holiday in two weeks so I want to get it almost finished before I go so I can start cycling it when I get back.

 

Current Stock List

 

*Wish List* (Advice and suggestions welcome)

 

[b]Fish[/b]

 

- Pair of Clown Fish

- Blacked Cap Basslet

- Carpenter Wrasse

- And Maybe a Gobie & Shrimp Pair....

 

Inverts

 

- Snails

- Hermits

- Dwarf Feather Dusters

- Maybe a crab (To keep the Girlfriend Happy, She loves crabs )

 

Coral

 

- Toadstoll Leather

- Pulsing Xneia

- White Star Polyp

- Plating Monti Cap

- Zoas

[polarblair2000]

So my journey Begins

 

I have been a member for a while now posting now and again but I guess no one really knows me here.

 

I live in Scotland and have almost finished my college course in Graphic Design. I have had a Gold Fish a few years ago and this is my first marine tank. I have been doing tonnes of research and appreciated all the help I have had so far

 

Anyway my Auntie had a Tank she wasn't using anymore as my cousin forgo to feed her fish whilst they were on holiday and they all died and she decided to give it to me. She's quite excited to see what I will do with it.

 

I plan to add a small sump in the stand. The stand is quite narrow so its going to be a tight fit for all the equipment but its all planned out. Im getting the tank drilled this week sometime and will hopefully get all the rest of the parts as soon as I can and the sump tank is on its way

 

But here is what it looks like right now

 

A tad dirty still but that will be sorted tomorrow

 

I got a bunch of my aunties old stuff. So so far I have

 

- 100 watt heater

- 50 watt heater

- 2 Bulb t5 (fixture will need to get reef suitable bulbs)

- Small power head

- Air pump (Will be modded and used as the pump for the ATO)

- 2 Digital Timers

- And some other bits and pieces.

 

On its way is the float valves for the ATO and the sump Tank

 

And I have to get the plumbing parts, Vortech MP10, Sand, live Rock and Water

[polarblair2000]

So today I gave my tank a good scrub and did my best to remove all the remaining substrate that was still in the tank from when my auntie had it as a freshwater tank. I scrapped of all the algae and the hideous filter that was in the back right of the tank and all the stick on thermometer patches. Now the tank is looking a lot better.

 

 

Going to drop it off at the LFS tommorow after college to get it drilled

 

I have been wondering what to do about the overflow box for a while. I was wanting that overflow box from www.glass-holes.com but it would cost £50.00 all together to have it shipped. No way am I paying that for a little plastic box with a hole and slits!!! Then I as I was on my way to throw the filter out I realsied it was perfect for the overflow!

 

 

Its a wee bit deeper than I would of preferred but I guess it will have to do.

 

Its 5" wide by 4" deep so that means the linear overflow size is 13". I was planning on having a 1" bulkhead as the drain pipe to the sump. How wide and deep should I make the teeth? And what would be the smallest depth of box I could use?

 

Also Im just going to drill a hole in the back of the overflow box and fir it onto the bulkhead so there will be no problem with attaching the acrylic box to the glass.

[Arkayology]

The tank cleaned up nicely. It will look nice with some water and LR. Are you planning on staying with the 2 T5HO bulbs for now or do you have plans to upgrade the lighting?

 

Your setup looks solid. The mp10 will be a nice touch.

[polarblair2000]

The tank cleaned up nicely. It will look nice with some water and LR. Are you planning on staying with the 2 T5HO bulbs for now or do you have plans to upgrade the lighting?

 

Your setup looks solid. The mp10 will be a nice touch.

 

Thanks Its looking much nicer now without the muck For now yes I will be staying with 2 T5HO bulbs, but later on I would like either a 4 Bulb T5 setup or I may go with a LED set-up not sure yet. I was thinking of making the tank rimless and have the lights suspended but the damn rim is siliconed in

[polarblair2000]

On my way to the LFS to get my Tank Drilled

[polarblair2000]

Ok so I have had some bad news. I have been informed via Facebook that my LFS is closing its doors for good! This really sucks and makes no sense to me. Ultimate Aquatics has been awarded the best LFS in Scotland since 2000 every year!

 

That means I have to go all the way to Edinburgh to get my livestock. a 15min journey is a lot better than an hour journey

 

Anyway nothing can be done about that, but I they still had not drilled tank by the time I had left for my two week holiday in America and now they have closed and still have my tank

 

Ugh I can't imagine it is going to be very easy for me to get my tank back

[polarblair2000]

I can't seem to be able to contact my LFS back home via email. I guess I'm going to have to wait till I get back home this weekend to get my tank back.

 

Anyway been doing so further planning. The lido comes with a T5HO ballast that holds 2 bulbs. This probably wont be enough for good coral growth other than softies so I am thinking about getting this for my tank

 

6 x T5HO ballast

 

I really like the look of hanging lights and I plan on removing the wooden border around the top of the tank to make it rimless

 

Now I have a spare T5 ballast...

 

Well I got my tank for the sump that fits perfectly in the stand but It is a little shallower than I had thought. So I thought I would get another one and have to tanks in the sump. much like this.

*This isn't my tank*

 

I was thinking with two tanks I could increase the overall volume of the tank and have an inline frag tank for later down the road which I could light up with the old T5 lights I got with the tank. Still to measure it up and see if I have enough room for the tanks and lights and space to remove frags from the tanks.*

[mbarton2010]

That sucks about your tank. You could take some legal actions to get your tank back

[polarblair2000]

That sucks about your tank. You could take some legal actions to get your tank back

 

Yeah it is rather annoying. Im sure they wouldn't of just closed down and stole my tank, but theres not much I can do whilst I'm out of the country. I shall track them down on my return

[pismo_reefer]

I LOOOOOOVE YOUR SETUP!!!!!!!!!!!

[polarblair2000]

Ok so I have drawn up a quick diagram of what I am planning for my tank.

 

This was the original design:

 

 

This is the new design:

(There will be a heater and ATO system in the centre section of the sump along with chaeto and LR)

 

So When I got my tank for the sump it was not as deep as I imagined and realised I could easily fit two in the stand to increase water volume to the desired volume of 40 Gallons and have room to grow out a small amount of frags in the future.

 

I was concerned about the how the water enters then second tank (Frag Tank) will I have problems with bubbles having it come in directly like this, Will I need to make a bubble trap to stop this?

 

I would like to hear what people think of this design. I havn't seen anyone do something like this here on NR and would love to hear any advice any one has.

[polarblair2000]

So I am stuck in the U.S.A trying to get back home to Scotland because of this Stupid Volcano

 

Anyway...

- I have a friend back home trying to get my tank back from the closed down LFS.

- And I have decided to make the most of being in America and I am ordering my MP10 ES whilst Im over here (Its a lot cheaper over here in that states than back home)

 

Its so frustrating my plan was to get the tank nice and wet this next weekend but thats not going to happen when I'm 4,000 miles from home

[Dustin11]

That looks like its going to be a great setup! I especially like the frag tank setup/design you're going to go with!

[polarblair2000]

That looks like its going to be a great setup! I especially like the frag tank setup/design you're going to go with!

 

Thanks. Hopefully I can have it set up soon.

 

 

Well, I have just found out I have won a design competition back home with a £500 cash prize So I have nearly all the money to set up my tank. I have just placed my order for the Vortech MP10 es and A 700gph overflow box and 2 3/4 returns from glass-holes.com So The should arrive within the next week or so before I get to go back home. We don't get any kind of overflow boxs like from glass-holes.com back in the UK so this is quite exciting for me

[polarblair2000]

Well I have had an interesting few days.

 

1st. My Vortech MP10 Es arrived this morning It looks very nice.

 

2nd. I have not had much luck until now trying to find information about the closure of my LFS and the whereabouts of my tank. I have had a friend back home trying to find the owners with no luck. All numbers I have had are no longer working. But I have been scouring the web to find people who may have any info and I find a local UK forum discussing its closure and they told me that contractors were stripping the place out and giving away all the tanks in the shop. My tank may off been in the shop or the owner may of took it away for safe keeping.

 

He dosn't know that Im still out of the country and only has my home number so has no way to contact me till I get home

 

So I've been quite depressed today plus I have a MP10 with no tank to put it on.

 

Anyone in the UK want to give me a Tank? Next time I will keep it in my house and drill it myself!

[TheStar]

Any luck finding your tank?

[polarblair2000]

Nope no luck yet I am back home in the UK now. Todays a bank holiday so I doubt anyone will be there at the shop so Im going in tomorrow.

 

If I don't get the tank back Im going to try and get the money worth of the tank and if not maybe see if my home insurance will cover it or any kind of insurance. Im very annoyed.

 

 

But I Did put the Vortech onto the tank that I was going to use as the sump and I enjoyed making big waves, my mum and dad were like ohhhh now I understand why you spent $$$ on that

[polarblair2000]

Well its official

 

A month ago I had a tank now I Don't

I turned up to where my LFS was and there were two guys throwing out all the old holding tanks into a skip and I told the guy about my tank and he told me that its gone and there's nothing I could do and the owner owes thousands of £££ so its unlikely that I will get the money for it :'(

 

So this wasn't much of a tank thread really

 

But this has not deterred me I have got myself a new job and soon I will have the funds to buy a new tank, a bigger and better one!!!

 

Just as well I didn't pay for the tank or I would be really sad.

[Weetabix7]

 

Here's hoping you will be able to find a replacement that is even better than the tank you lost.

[polarblair2000]

Well Unless anyone feels so sorry for me and gives me a new tank I am planning on getting a custom built rimless shallow tank 48"x24"(12"/14") (Length x Width x Height) Same Dimensions as Konolua's volcano tank.

 

I have only bought the MP10 and a small cheap tank that was going to be used for the sump but i think ill keep it as a QT Tank.

[quickfinger]

You were right. this is an amazingly unlucky story. You should take a dump on that LFS owner's lawn.

 

Looking forward to the new setup

[polarblair2000]

Well 2 years later and finally I have a new set-up.

 

Heres the link to the tank thread

 

Ma Bonny Wee 30 Litre