Well about a month ago i found a 125 gallon tank and stand on craigslist for $500. Well it was right in my price range, and ive been looking for one for quite some time, and i actually talked her down to $400. She said it came with a filter and heater, so that helped me out even more...it was less to pay for later...

I go to pick the tank up, and friend and i loaded it up, then she comes out of the house with about 7 big boxes. Without looking through them yet, we throw them in as well, and get to my house. I start looking through these boxes, and in them were 2 Emperor 400s, an Eheim 2217 canister filter (only used once, her husband hooked it up once wrong, they couldnt figure it out, so they unhooked it), a number of large decorative rocks and driftwood, 7 different air pumps, a handful of bubble curtains, around 200ft of airline tubing, one 200w heater(she had a second but broke it that morning packing it), every chemical, medicine, and fish food i could ever need, a box full of fake plants, and a box full of assorted accessories such as airline holders, heater holders, tank cleaning supplies, etc...

So for $400 i got a 125 gallon tank, stand, hood lights, and everything i need to put it together except for gravel, and a second heater. The tank and stand were at my lfs for $1100 brand new. All the equipment i got was in good shape, and only needed some mild cleaning. And i simply bought a Jager 300w heater, and two 1300gph powerheads, and im set to go!

I finally got around to adding extra supports to my floor, and filled it up. Cycling starts tonight! Ive had the Eheim canister filter running on one of my oscar tanks, so it will have plenty of bacteria built up to add to the big tank, and ive got about 4 different media sponges im going to add to the Emperor 400s for speedy cycling. And i might even switch out a couple of the bio-wheels with some already cycled ones off my other emperor filters. As soon as i start testing the water, ill post the results. This is a big thing for me, ive never cycled a tank this big!

Any advice on speeding up the cycling process would be happily accepted!


Sorry for the long post...i had to share my joy, and my wife got sick of hearing about it lol.

Congrats on the new tank... great deal !! I got my 120 gallon tank with oak cabinet and sump pump for $200. I love Craigslist !!

I cycled my tank with feeders.... I was cycled in about 2 weeks. Used water from my existing tank, which wasn't much, when I did a water change. Plus the filter material. Just be patient... it will cycle before you know it! Just make sure it is cycled before adding the fish - you don't want an uncycled tank on your hands!

Brooksie

Cash, CONGRATS!!!! That is one hell of a deal!

Now for the cycling, if you move your existing filters to the 125, you can move the fish at the same time. As long as you use your existing media, you are instantly cycled!

NO NEED TO WAIT!

Really?? Im glad to hear that!

The eheim canister filter has been running on my temporary oscar tank for about 6 weeks now, and im going to move that over, then take the filter media pads from other tanks and add to my emperor 400s, which are running on the new tank now.

To know that i can move the fish along with the filters makes me one happy man! Ive got 75 pounds of gravel in the new tank now, and will be adding at least 25 more pounds tomorrow, unless anyone thinks id be better off adding another 50 pounds, which would make it 1 pound of gravel per 1 gallon of water.

Thank you guys for the advice! I really appreciate it!

And i forgot to mention...the reason i got so lucky with the tank...her and her husband got divorced, and i guess she got that as part of it, and she just didnt want to deal with it anymore, and wanted it out of her sight!

Sad situation...but i made out like a bandit lol

Well heres an update on the 125gallon:
I simply filled it up, let it run for about 3 days, and then did a large water change. The next day i moved over some filter media, and 2 filters that were on one of my original oscar tank. Then i drained the tank that had the solo oscar in it into the 125g, and while that was going on, i moved that oscar. He sulked around the rest of the day, then was back to his normal self that evening. The next day, i moved the long-finned oscar, and my large kalingo giraffe cichlid over to the new tank. The 2 oscars got along pretty well, and the larger oscar doesnt pay any mind to the kalingo, and the kalingos been with the oscar since they were fry, so theres no problem there.

I wake up this morning, and see that the long-finned oscar has been picked on, and has a few scratches, and is missing a few scales, nothing real serious yet. But i did throw up a home-made barrier just to give the oscars a few days to getting used to each other. The holes in it are big enough for the kalingo to get through, but not for the oscars.

The bigger oscar has been alone for about 4 months now, so he wasnt used to sharing a tank. The long-finned oscar has been with the kalingo for around a year, so its used to sharing, but not with something as big as the other oscar. Im going to keep an eye on them for a cpl days, and remove the barrier to see how that works.

Good day everyone!

Good Luck Hun! My fingers are crossed for you!

Is the damage bad??? I hate it when my babies fight!

Its not real back. its just missing a couple scales, and has a few scratches, but i want to split it up temporarily before it does get bad. When does fighting go too far? I know that gill flaring and nipping and stuff is pretty normal, but what should i look for, for when its gone too far?

That is a determination no one but you can make... I have had some BAD injuries on one O from another, and they healed and the Oscars are fine together now...

Some people don't like fighting at all and separate... It is going to have to be your call Hun!

Lovin the new Avitar BTW!!! Cuteness!

Heres a short video showing a big gash on her head, which i actually think happened on a rock. But the scratches down her side are from the other oscar

No link Hun! Try again

Here we go...That should work..Sorry bout that...