75-Gallon Bio-Active Build (Slooooowwww)

[Prognathodon]

A couple years ago my husband set up a 75-gallon mixed tropical aquarium. I’d wanted Lake Malawi cichlids for yeeeeears, so I set up a 55 gallon. Fast-forward to current day, and a couple cichlids that were getting beaten up in my tank and had been moved to my husband’s had reproduced and taken out all the other fish. 3 relatively small fish in a 75-gallon tank was pretty silly, his canister filter stopped working, and I’ve been considering a bio-active setup for my leachianus gecko when he grows up, so . . .

Saturday morning we re-arranged decor in my tank, transferred the fish from his tank to mine, finding a third adult in the process, and drained his tank all the way. The gravel in his tank is now drying and can be at least part of a drainage layer. The specs on the LED light bar on that tank appear good for plants, the driftwood that’s in the tank is big enough for a leachie to use, and we have a misting unit that didn’t work out for his VBB.

Next step is to get background material from New England Herptoculture. I know the usual method is to flop a tank down on its back to build a background, but I’m thinking that instead of moving gravel to and fro, we can probably work with the tank upright, and brace or clamp the background in place while silicone sets, as I’m planning on using the background tiles, as recommended for larger animals.

Meanwhile, a couple of the cichlids apparently had a snit yesterday morning (probably the dominant males from each tank), and the aftermath was bad enough that I set up a hospital tank for the loser in a 5-gallon bucket.


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[Prognathodon]

Meanwhile, I ordered supplies, isopods, and springtails to convert one of my sand boa enclosures over to bio-active. I want to make it lightweight so I can move the enclosure (18” x 18” x 16”-ish), so I’m boldly flinging myself into the semi-unknown (I’ve never done bio-active before), by using a non-granular drainage layer. I got the idea from the BioDude’s Supergrow material, except I’m using the Matala brand filter media he references in the Supergrow description.

Getting substrate from NE Herp, leaf litter and critters from Glass Box Tropicals, and I picked up some succulents at Home Despot today - I considered raiding my succulent collection at work, but the ones I got today are more sturdy types. I’m dubious about succulents in a viv, but we’ll see how they do.

Is it wrong that I’m hoping my nosy co-worker asks what I got when the isopods and springtails arrive at my office?


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[Prognathodon]

I have a plan! This week I started levying taxes on paychecks, and I’ll order background cork panels, some ghostwood, and other background goodies from NE Herp in a couple weeks.

If I pry myself out of the air-conditioned bits of the house this hot and sticky weekend I’ll get additional gravel for the drainage layer (if needed, need to level it out and see where we are) and any additional plumbing needed for a drainage inlet and riser - there may be enough leftover bits of PVC and fittings from building jungle gyms for the snakes that we’re good already. (I am a floodplain engineer! I cannot neglect drainage!)

I did briefly, *briefly* consider turning the tank up on end, but my engineer brain kicked in and reminded me that would be a bad idea - it was designed with glass thicknesses and framing to sit this-way-up, not that-way-up, much less the challenge of fabricating a bulkhead and doors.

I’ll still need to modify/fabricate the lids for ventilation and RHP installation, letting my brain work on that one for a bit. Also debating a small UVB light. UVB is not strictly necessary for leachies, but I bought three 12”-ish fluorescent UVB lights for the snakes a while back, and could “steal” one for the gecko, since I found the stash of LED lights I use for lighting the snake enclosures.


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[AnnieHeart]

What a fun project!!!

[C.Marie]

Sounds like a very interesting project to undertake, but very rewarding post a picture or two would love to see it.

[Prognathodon]

I’ll be sure to get pictures as soon as I actually start doing anything. The only thing I accomplished this weekend was putting the one big piece of driftwood back in, and determining we need to re-wash the gravel. The wood is tall enough that it has to sit on the glass, and IIRC husband still had to trim a couple inches off - it’s mounted to a piece of slate. Happily, it’s chunky enough for the leachie.


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