Got an OK deal on a used 75 gallon so I'm blowing a little bit of my tax return on a high tech planted setup.

Substrate: ADA Aquasoil Amazonia. I felt silly spending almost $200 on dirt but it will lower my pH enough to where I don't need to use RO water.

Lighting: Waiting on pictures of the current lights but I will probably gut them and go with two retrofit 2x55 systems for about 3 wpg which should be good enough to grow most anything. Probably 1x6500k, 2x7800k, 1x10000k for temps.

CO2 system: Definitely going pressurized (no pH controller). What ever happened to ARB, I wanted to know how she liked the CO2 regulator she bought a while ago. Also where do people go around here to refill or rent the tanks?

Also instead of going with the normal driftwood I'm going with Manzanita from

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. They have aquarium packages for a really good price.

Stocking list:
Denison barbs
Apisto sp
SAE
Red tail shark
Praecox rainbow
Loaches? Don't really want clowns
Killifish...

Sounds like you have caught MTS Dont forget to take plenty of pics

Uh-oh. MTS.

Watch the accompanying rashes. They're a bitch.

Ha, MTS. I've got that!!!!

It can be so insidious.........first you start with the community 10g. And then the tiny voice inside whispers........species tanks.........tiger barbs.....angels.......cichlids, so many thoughts that you can't keep them straight and then you don't know where to begin. I am so CONFUSED!!

My dirt and the GE 9325k bulbs I'm trying out have arrived. Getting a 4x65 watt fixture with lunar lights tonight. I'll be picking up the tank this weekend probably.

Now my biggest problem is... this new tank will go where the existing 46 gallon one is. How the heck do I move the old tank out of the way without disaster happening. I suppose I could drain most of the water but don't have anywhere to put the fish right now.

When I moved the fishroom, I emptied as much of the tank as I could into a bunch of buckets (substrate included). I netted the fish and also put them in the buckets. My son-in-law or my daughters helped me move the tanks and stands from an adjoining room back into the fishroom. Do you have a spot for the 46 to go? I have a bunch of buckets, mostly 4 gallon that you could borrow if you need. I could lend you about 6 or so of them.
regards
mike

As mpp say's you need to empty the tank water out, preferably in to containers, so you can then fill the new tank up with mature water & then top it up with treated water. Good luck

I think I have enough buckets...

Got my light fixture last night from a guy in the OMS... he had a 240 and 220 gallon SW tank in his living room, they were amazing.

I had a few friends come over to help me move the 50 gallon. I emptied about 50%-60% of the water (it was time for a water change anyway). I had 2 friends tip the stand backwards as 2 friends were supporting the tank. I slid 2 Handymen under the front of the stand. We tipped the stand the other way and did the same thing. 2 friends pushed the stand while I was guiding it around the corners and another friend was holding the tank from going anywhere. It was very little effort. The Handymen are discs that have a super slick side and the other side isn't. I got them at Home Depot. They can also be found at Walmart or your local hardware store.

Grabbed some at Home Depot, thanks for the tip. I moved a dresser just to see if I could and it was easy

Picked up my CO2 tank and got it connected and working on my current tank just to see how it goes. Seems good enough. I have a 2" diffuser and it looks like I will need to put a powerhead above it to keep the bubbles down. I did get the Red Sea CO2 indicator because it was pretty cheap, it's all the rage when trying to find your CO2 sweet spot, should be here in the next couple days.

I am picking up the tank tomorrow night, and took Friday/Monday off to get it set up. I also need to get a plant order together so I can start out with lots of plant mass.

That sounds really nice. Take some pics while you're setting it up if you could please. Might help some of the folks who are establishing their first tanks. We could ask Gary to "pin" the topic so it stays at the top of a list somewhere on the site.
mike

Hit my first snag... the light fixtures are corroded and I have destroyed two of the plug things. I have been searching google for replacement ones but am coming up empty. is this something I can just pick up at a hardware store? 4 wires to 4 straight pin female plug.

Anyone know?

Go to Lowes or Home Depot. I prefer Lowes because they always have what I'm looking for.

I will hit those two and Menards since it is right next to me over lunch.

Found a couple places online that sell them but I was hoping to put this thing together over the weekend and not pay $8 for shipping on a little piece of plastic.

Oh, and I moved the old 46 gallon using those discs, drained half the water and lifted it up on each side, kicked the thing under, and was able to move it around the living room by myself no problem. Definitely something nice to have!