75g extended Hex

[Good Wolf]

I'll be picking up this bad boy tomorrow.

The Mrs. likes the idea of getting a Cichlid tank going, and she really likes the Electic Yellow.

I'm doing research right now on what would be compatable with it, and wanted to get some advice from here as well. What do you think would go well with them?

Here is the tank. It looks pink but is actually an off white.

[Ricker]

I don't know but I love that tank. How much you paying for that bad boy.

[Good Wolf]

$150.00 with all the equipment included with some decor as well.

It is an undergravel filter so we'll have to spring for new filtration but that won't probably won't be more than $100. So we are looking at $250.00 tax, title, and license.

You got to love Craig's List.

[JustOneMore20]

If you want Electric Yellows, you'll need a dedicated Mbuna tank (type of African Cichlid they are) or atleast a dedicated Lake Malawi tank (which would include Peac0cks). Alot of Mbuna are herbivores or omnivores needing a heavier plant matter diet, so they like to eat plants. They also dig....so they aren't very plant friendly.

(for an article on Peac0cks, go here and click on the article name....stupid filter messed my direct link up)

I found this page on them....not entirely sure if the info is 100% correct or not, but a quick skim and it looks pretty good. http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/malmbuna.htm

Mbuna are rock dwellers, so you are looking at a tank with alot of rockwork.

They are beautiful fish. Some can be pretty aggressive, so you have to be careful what you put together in the tank.

To cut down on aggression, I suggest an all male Malawi tank: http://www.cichlidforum.com/articles...ale_malawi.php.

I still think it would make a fantastic planted tank though!

[Ricker]

I can't believe he/she is letting that go for 150! do one thing inspect the crap out of it. See if he will let you turn off lights try and find an white/light blue LED an run it over with it. That will show scratches to cracks. Unless it is full of water already lol. Ya I am so excited as well my lights came in today for my 55 going to go pick them up soon.

[Good Wolf]

Yeah, I'm going to inspect it to the best of my ability. He seems like an honest guy I'm hoping my gut instinct is correct.

I'll check out those sites when I get home. I think it will be a few weeks before we actually start stocking it so we have plenty of time to decide.

I'm kind of liking the idea of having an Angel tank, but who knows what we will end up with.

[Obsidian]

Honestly some folks just want to get rid of big things fairly quickly and know the best way to do it is to sell it cheap. That's how I ended up with my 100 gallon tank and stand for 100 bucks. Cheap does not mean broken The tank I got was in excellent condition. I hope it works out as well for you

[Ricker]

Honestly some folks just want to get rid of big things fairly quickly and know the best way to do it is to sell it cheap. That's how I ended up with my 100 gallon tank and stand for 100 bucks. Cheap does not mean broken The tank I got was in excellent condition. I hope it works out as well for you

Ya I know I am just saying though.

[Ricker]

So did you get it today. Can't wait to see what you do.

[Good Wolf]

We sure did. Thanks for asking.

It turns out that it was made in 1993.

It has a filtertation system that I'm not familiar with but we think it is called a Gravity Overflow box. It has a box built inside of the tank with two compartments that hold filters wrapped in a wire/mesh. I plan on doing some research on it tomorrow.

The lighting system had been spliced multiple times and it had some archaic power supply that went with it so we tossed it.

The hood is actually built in trim that goes around the entire tank. It has three wood tops that aren't in the best shape but I'm thinking they will look good after being sanded.

The wood on the inside of the trim is in rough shape so we are most likely going to sand it down as well. There are some other blemises on the trim that we are considering fixing up too.

All things considered it has a great out appearance, and the tank itself is in near mint condition so for $150 it was a steal. A good stand costs more than that alone.

So long as the filter works ok the only extra expense we will have is some sand paper, paint/wood rub, and the lighting.

I'm kind of glad to have a project to work on. I think we will enjoy it more knowing that we put some work into it.

I'll probably post some pics tomorrow to get some opinions on what to do with it.

[karazy]

i think if you did a planted and went with maybe a few different kinds of apistos it would look good. also breeding apistos can be quite profitable from what i know...

[Ricker]

I think it is like a wet/dry filter I suggest a canister for that tank. Ya can't wait to see it. So have you decided what you are going to stock it with

[JustOneMore20]

It sounds like a wet/dry type filter to me as well, but I'm not familiar enough with them to explain anything. Do some searches on wet/dry filtration and see if you can find pics that look similar.

You can definitely fix up the trim and such, if its in ok condition. Good idea on tossing the hood/lights....lol. Sounds like a hazard to me!

Once you narrow down stocking a bit more you can figure out lighting and such. You won't need much light if you go with Africans. Do you think you could get a fixture over the tank with the way the tops are made? You could always get some retrofit kits and mount them to something if need be, but I was just wondering what kind of room you had for lighting.

[emc7]

Overflows, sumps, and wet/dry filters are high-level stuff that is necessary for salt water. I understand they make excellent freshwater filtration as well. Better than canister filters, even. If the tank was used for salt, you may need to change some of the media out and rinse out the rest. If it was run fresh, you may be good to go. Try to find a manufacturer/model no. But if you can't, post the best pics you can and maybe someone here can help you with set up.

[Good Wolf]

Here are some pics of the filter. Please let me know if you can identify it, and if you have an clue how to properly set it up. Any ideas on how to get the water out off the filter compartments without filling the entire tank up?







Here is the pump and air stone that was inside of the filter box. The air stone was in the small compartment on the right, and the pump was placed inside one of the filters in the left compartment.





As you can see the wood trim above the filters is in bad shape. Do you think it would be a good idea to sand it down?

Here is a pic of the corner of the trim. I'm thinking about just putting some touch up paint on it.



Here is a pic of the covers, an 'extra pump', and some rocks he gave us. This pic is actually of the underside of the tops. The tops of them are wood, and probably also need to be sanded down.



Here is a pic of where the light balast is suppossed to go. I'm not quite sure if I'm going to be able to fit a standard ballast in there and still be able to put the lids on.


Your advice is very much appreciated.

[Good Wolf]

No one has any idea what kind of filter this is?

[JustOneMore20]

You could try posting in the equipment section, with a title like wet/dry filter? or something like that. Might catch more attention that way. I think wet/dry filters are used in saltwater alot, maybe....so they'd probably know something about it and help you figure out how to get it working.

[Good Wolf]

Cool, I'll do that.

[Ricker]

Ya looks like a wet/dry to me. I dont know If I would use it though I hear bad things about them if they mess up. See if you can take it out with out hurting the tank. I would get a canister just to be safe. that is length of tank I might be able to help you out on lights there?

[Good Wolf]

I'm honestly thinking it isn't a wet/dry. The two chambers both had the same filter media in it, and both have standing water in it. I checked out the wet/dry set ups online and it doesn't look like it.

The closest think I've found to it is the Gravity Overflow filter.

When I get a chance I'll make the post in the equipment section.

I'll also measure the length of the place that holds the ballast and get back to you on that. My main concern is the space between the beams that hold it and the lid of the tank. It would have to be kind of thin to fit.