Pulling biceps and removing doors

Howzit Guys n Gals

This is a post about my latest tank I've been set up. I'm due to fill it next Saturday
Yes, that's my front door that I had to remove to get the tank through.


Big thank you to @Barry Roux for giving me the tank. Also big thanks to @Ammar who convinced me to take it (some nonsense about my 4ft is too small for pacus ) and he drove 40km to help move it from the trailer to the bakkie. Then 3 months later he drove another 40km to come pull his bicep while 5 of us were navigating the tank through the entrance of my house.

The tank is a 7 foot monster. It's 210cm long, 80cm heigh and 60cm wide. The glass is 12mm thick and the whole thing weighs I'd say between 150 to 200kg.

It's pretty old and has an internal sump on one side. It had been sitting on a trailer and a side panel had cracked. The bracing was also cracked and it had broken ugly mirror trim.

 

I transported it to my house and put it in the driveway. It sat there from 7 July till 28 October. During that time I cleaned it up a bit and build the stand.
Below are some pics of the stand I welded up. Its 50mm tubing with adjustable feet. I painted it with hammerite and put a 30mm sheet of polystyrene on it.

 

Once the stand was ready I tried to get someone in to replace the broken panel but the guy I was dealing with just messed me around for 2 weeks so eventually Ammar called in James and James was there on short notice. I have to say, James really knows what he's doing. He bashed out the broken panel and removed the bracing while the tank was outside. Then 5 of us carried the tank in and put it on the stand. Carrying these things is not fun! At one point Ammar had the heavy side and James was climbing under the tank, this is where Ammar pulled his bicep.

Once inside James replaced the broken panel, bracing and sliders with 12mm glass

 

Still a lot of work to do. James said I can fill it on the 9th.
Any suggestions on scape?

This is how it looks now, Compare the size of that piece of spider wood in the big tank to how it looks in the 4ft:

 

Damn that is a massive step up from a 4 ft. I see more wood and a lot of rainbows in there. But wit a 80cm high maby angels

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R2500 in total. 12mm is considerably more expensive than 10mm so if you can get away with 10mm go for it.

 

That is a monster tank. Looking forward to how it progresses

 

tank is looking awesome, R2500 is a bargain for the work that was done, James stripped a side panel and redid all the bracing and reinforcement for the tank. I would go for a river bed look, similar to your 3 foot, give those monsters plenty swim space. and btw.. there is no way that tank weighs 200kg only it felt more like a ton at one stage!! the bicep has almost recovered, bruising is gone, a word of advice for anyone wanting to help out carry big tanks... NEVER pick the side with the internal filter.... looking forward to this one!

 

The glass alone is about R1800
I'm sure James gets a discount on glass from his work. He works at Daro

 

nice work
james really makes things possible

 

@Adrian Gatter

Awesome congratulations!!
Looks great and look forward to seing the development
You cant go wrong with James he is the best I have seen
The only one that builds tanks for us

 

Ag no man ... stop this.

You are not helping the itch no matter how much cream I apply.

That is one sexy looking tank.

Love the pictures - thanks for the posts, keep the updates flowing ... great to see such a huge tank rescued.

Later Ferdie

 

Perfect size for rays!!!

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It has long been my dream to own a tank that size.
Unless I win the Lotto though, it will remain a dream.

What are your plans for the 4 foot tank once you have transferred the Paco and African Knife to the monster tank?
Guppies?

What are you going to do regarding light, filtration and heating?

 

Come check it out some time Ferdie, I'm just down the road from you in Welties.