100 gallon tank

[Torrean]

dimensions 72"x18"x18" 100 gallons.

it has paint on the back with rocks attached with aquarium sealant. I want to remove the paint and the rocks how hard will this be.

It has been sitting in the weather for 3 weeks what ill effects will this have on the seals.

It has no hood no stand no nothing except a 50lbs bag of creek gravel. The price is $60 US. Is this reasonable?

I have to haul it myself with a pickup truck. Does anyone have any tips on how I can do this safely?

I will probably have more questions later. I have to go pick my mom up at the hospital but i'll be on later tonight.

I may go pick it up tommorrow so quick responses would be greatly appreciated. Thanks soooooo much. what kind of equipment i will need to buy and how much will it cost? hoods,filters,etc.

 

[GSD]

dont know anout the rocks but i assume thepaint will come off easily adn you could use cleaning prodcts and a scraper thing as long as it dosnt come in contact with the tank water.
i dunno but i would think the weather could off affected it
$60 sounds god even though in not even from the US but i think ur $50 is about £65?(am i right)whicj is good for a 200 and u can make a stand and a hood cheap,but u wil need to buy all the lights/heaters/filters etc so that will add up the pennies.
ask in the diy section im sure theyd be able to help!

 

[Mike Rathnow]

To remove the paint. Get some paint remover from the hardware store and put it on the paint. After the paint bubbles up, scrape it off with a plastic paint scraper. Try and keep as much of the paint remover from getting in the inside of the tank. To be on the safe side, I would tape the top of the tank off with some kind of plastic. For the rocks. Get a 1 to 1 1/2" metal paint scraper, and sharpen it to an edge. Then slowly scrape into the silicone that holds the rocks on. Just be careful, not to scratch the glass. After the rocks are removed, clean off the excess silicone with a single edge razor.

Mike

 

[Torrean]

problem. I believe the paint is on the inside. I should have paid more attention but it was raining and the tank is outside. So I basically just looked for chips or cracks and took a look at the seals (which didn't look too great). If the paint is on the inside then how should I remove it. Or should I remove it. I've been thinking about the rocks on the back and I was wondering if i could persuade java moss to grow on them. Is there another kind of plant that would work?

 

[Tolak]

I would take the paint off. How can you be sure it is aquarium safe & won't leach chemicals into the water?

Go with the paint remover. Aquariums are not manufactured in a sterile environment. I'll bet the plastic extrusion machine used to make frames on tanks is cleaned with solvents, along with glass manufacturing equipment. Just rinse out the tank real good with a hose out in the yard, it should get the paint remover out.

One of the few times I run carbon is with a brand new tank. Manufacturing can leave chemical residue, the carbon absorbs these chemicals. I also use it after cleaning a tank with anything stronger than a bleach/water mixture.

Tolak

 

[Torrean]

thanks tolak. hmm well then if I remove the paint the rocks are coming off. Do you think the java moss idea might work. If so I may put the rocks back on with aquarium sealant.

I'm kinda surprised no one who has set up a tank like this one has come on here and said what they paid for there equipment. It's probably because they think that if they tell me i'll change my mind about buying it. I'm scared. It's gonna be like $500 isn't it. I think I'll just go look it up myself. Although I'm not completely clear on what I will need to maintain this tank.

 

[pnyklr3]

My 55 gallon, brand new, was $100 with the hood (basically lights only). Stand was another $90 (on clearance). Not to mention all of the other fgoodies involved. This is a great deal that you CAN NOT pass up. If the seals are bad, easy enough to fix; remove then paint and give it a thurough cleaning (careful using hot water on the glass, if it was cold, it could break. Take the tank, and don't look back!

 

[Torrean]

I'm planning on getting it. I just need to know what other equipment I am going to have to get with it. That's my real question. What else do I need and how much will it cost. If anyone can tell me that i'd kiss em. edit:well i guess i'll rephrase that figure of speech. I would be very thankfull to anyone who could be of any help. Didn't wanna chase anybody off.

edit: i'm planning on building a stand but that's the limit of my experience. The last tank I bought was a 29 gallon kit from wallmart. So I need some help. What kind of filter should I get. Is it a good idea to look for used equipment or will it just fail at a critical moment like when I'm on vacation. what can I use for a hood. where do you go to buy a hood for such a large aquarium? etc. etc. etc.

 

[fishwatcher]

I think you can find a hood, filter and heater for it at most any pet store that sells aquarium stuff. Plus your lfs. I would go with a new filter myself, just bc you never know what you're really getting when you buy used. The heater you may can find a good used one and since summer's coming you probably won't use it much, or atleast you won't have to depend on it. When you get a hood, make sure you get one with flourescent lights if you're going to have live plants.
I don't know much about stands, but I'm sure you need to make it perfectly level, and very strong and sturdy. You don't want it to collapse just as you put in the last 2 gallons of water. I think water weighs like 8 pounds a gallon, plus the tank and equipment, so it's a whole lot of weight it will have to hold. I'd use nothing less than 2x4's and plywood, myself. You can always paint it, or put a nice cloth over it.
Anyway, good luck on it! When you get it set up be sure to post some pix!
BTW, what kind of fish/animals are you planning on stocking it with?

 

[Ethos]

I'd do it! even if it doesn't work out, you can clean it up and sell it for myuch more!

 

[Torrean]

Well fishwatcher that's another question I have been dealing with. My GF has 4 rainbow sharks in her 29 (in my profile) and they cannot stay there. I have read that they can live in a 55 gallon so I am going to put the in the 90 and pray they don't kill each other. So whatever else ends up going into the 90 gallon is going to be stocked around 4 rainbow sharks. Anybody got any ideea or suggestions?

edit: i mean 100 gallon

 

[MsDad]

I would be VERY leery of using paint stripper on/in a tank. They are highly caustic, and while it should rinse off the glass, it's the sealant I would worry about retaining residue of the chemicals. A metal scraper should take off the rocks, then a single edge razor blade will take off any remaining silicone/paint. It won't be a quick or easy job, but you can't beat the price!

 

[Tolak]

Check out http/garf.org/ Scroll down to the diy section on the left, there are plans to build your own stand. If you check out this post http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=91430&hl= you'll see a couple I built using the garf design. Look underneath some of the "fancy" stands at the lfs. They're built with 1"x3" & 1"x4" boards, they suck. The garf design is much stronger.

http/www.gcca.net/howto/tank_covers.htm shows how to make cheap tank covers. If you are making a nicer stand, use 2"x2" lumber as a frame & skin it with plywood to make a nicer top.

http/www.bigalsonline.com/splash.html is the place I order most all of my filters & heaters from. They are cheaper than any lfs, the only cheaper equipment I have found is used.

So is you figure an AC 500, $35, Eheim 2217, $120 will do your filtration. A pair of 250 watt Ebo Jager heaters at $19 each, gives you 5 watts per gallon. Lumber for a plain stand, $20 or so, if you want to make it look good probably $100 on up for materials. Same for the top, $15 or so for plain stuff, maybe $35 for a nicer one.

If you want to be on the economical end, start with the AC 500 alone, & don't stock too heavy. Get a couple cheaper heaters will save a few dollars, I feel this is false economy. Add lumber for a plain stand, top supplies, & a few bucks for shipping to Big Al's, you're sitting around the $130 mark. If you throw in the Eheim, which will allow you to stock it up really well, & build a nicer stand & top, you are closing in on $400.

You can always add the Eheim later, & build the cheap stand as a temporary thing & dress it up as your budget allows. Same goes for the top.

Tolak

 

[Torrean]

thanks that is what I was planning on doing in the first place. I thought about the paint stripper but honestly I don't even like adding melafix to my aquaria so paint stripper is a bit extreme. Thanks anyway tolak and if I have too much trouble with it I will use the paint stripper and re seal the whole thing. BTW can that be done or do I need to reseal it one side at a time or something? Will it come apart if i pull off all the sealant? If so How would I hold it together to add the new sealant and let it dry?

EDIT: thanks tolak I posted this before I read your last post. That is exactly what I wanted. You are awesome. I hope I didn't take up too much of your time. BTW tolak sorry to bother you again but for the stand calculator do I enter the dimensions of the aquarium or the stand? I assume it's the stand but it's a little confusing. If it is for the stand then do I just add 2 inches in each dimension or what?

 

[Tolak]

As far as using paint stripper goes, I've used sno-bowl toilet bowl cleaner on tanks. It contains hydrochloric acid, takes off anything, including the seals if you go too heavy or leave it for too long. My spawning tanks, and some of my fry tanks have been cleaned with this, as long as you rinse well, there is no problem. I've used paint stripper, as well as sno-bowl before. I would rather get stripper on my skin any day rather than the acid in the bowl cleaner. I wouldn't worry about the stripper. If you like, I'll wipe down an empty tank with stripper, rinse it out, fill it up, & add some dime size angels. Bet they do just fine.

Tolak

PS Stand demensions. The bottom is the size of the bottom of the tank, Depending on how tall the tank is, you will want to make the stand height proportionate. Take into consideration that you do need to reach the bottom of the tank for maintainance, and if you feel safe standing on a ladder or chair reaching the bottom of the tank. Some of mine I just barely reach. If I shrink I'm screwed.