Dexter New Home

[Tripp]

So Dexter got a new home this weekend.

Sold my 75gallon

Local fish store got a used 210 gallon (72" X 24" X 30") in so we went for it.
Just so happen the same day we went to get the tank they had a used FX5 so we grabbed that also.

So here is the build out only have a few pictures.
Canopy is on backwards lol

My ugly mug standing next to the tank (been waiting three months for them to get something I could use in)

Added extra bracing to the corners (Just in case, never hurts)

More bracing

My awesome girlfriend helping me sand and paint

Time for a couple cans of paint

Finally done with the base


It was getting to dark for the canopy pictures..
Setup




Dexter is not in the tank yet will be tonight.. Nitrite levels were at 20 and wanted to make sure they are not going to spike..

All the decor (Plants, rocks, will go in soon enough..)

[Pufferpunk]

Fantastic!
Decorate the hell outta that thing!

[Tripp]

Pufferpunk quick question... whats your thoughts on decor.. Thinking of doing something completely new any suggestions?
Also I am taking eggcrate and splitting the tank (50,160)= 210 and putting the little Fahaka I have on the small side and Dexter in the 160.
I know its not idea but its a hell of a lot more room then they had before.

Dexter would literally have to break it in half in order to get thru I have way to secure it in the tank. between large rocks and clips at the top

[sgtmyers88]

Looks awesome!

[Pufferpunk]

Absolutely do NOT combine puffers in the same tank!
Please read: viewtopic.php?f=40&t=151

[RTR]

I think I would like to forget that time - that was all so depressing. That poor female should have been put down, she was so badly battered. I have my doubts that these fish will be captive bred by physical pairing unless it is by egg and sperm collection from the adults separately. I think the fish would damage themselves trying to get through any barrier. They are the most intolerant fish I have ever kept.

I should have made it more clear that when the female was full of eggs, she did not look like an over-fed/fat puffer. Her bulges were along her sides, and farther back than fat belly fish bulges. The two males looked quite different from the egg-loaded female, as they were not fat bellied or fat-sided.

[Tripp]

RTR sorry for your loss on the puffers. I am pretty sure both of mine are male as I have never seen bulges of any kind minus (feeding time).

Something I didn't mention before the egg crate is temporary until the acrylic barrier can be ordered and drilled..
Basically making a 1/2" swish cheese style panel that they cant get thru but water passes freely.

Tonight I am adding vine plants with leaves to the egg crate to keep them from seeing each other.
The FX5 filter has to jets on it one for each side of the tank so flow is not an issue either.

[RTR]

The big male Fahaka killed the slightly smaller male by going through the cover glass. It was not the lightweight cover sold by the manufacturer, it was much heavier glass with smallish sandbags on it. Mature fahakas are really quite strong.These are not small fish, and they can accelerate quite well. I was not home to see/hear what actually happened, I just cam home to broken glasses, splashed water, and dead fish. As Pufferpunk said, I would never again cohouse any two of these fish. They are fast, strong and territorial beyond our capacity to house in manufactured tanks. Never again in my house/tanks.