Doing this one the slow (aka cheap) way. Got the salt all mixed up in the tank yesterday and just rinsed out and added 40lbs of aragonite today. Looks like I need to add 10-20 pounds more to get the sand bed I want. Then to hose off all the old rocks I had in the African cichlid tanks. Gonna let it percolate like that for a while then add about 10 pounds of live rock and let it just marinade. Will get some pics up soon, not much to look at yet though
+2
kpetriella
Fern
6 posters
120g reef build
Fern- Admin
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Join date : 2011-03-09
Age : 41
Location : Fort Myers FL
- Post n°1
120g reef build
so my 120g oceanic tank is going reef
Doing this one the slow (aka cheap) way. Got the salt all mixed up in the tank yesterday and just rinsed out and added 40lbs of aragonite today. Looks like I need to add 10-20 pounds more to get the sand bed I want. Then to hose off all the old rocks I had in the African cichlid tanks. Gonna let it percolate like that for a while then add about 10 pounds of live rock and let it just marinade. Will get some pics up soon, not much to look at yet though
Doing this one the slow (aka cheap) way. Got the salt all mixed up in the tank yesterday and just rinsed out and added 40lbs of aragonite today. Looks like I need to add 10-20 pounds more to get the sand bed I want. Then to hose off all the old rocks I had in the African cichlid tanks. Gonna let it percolate like that for a while then add about 10 pounds of live rock and let it just marinade. Will get some pics up soon, not much to look at yet though
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°2
Re: 120g reef build
Ok dont laugh ........ I got my powerheads hung and running, didn't have any of the attachments so I just kinda made it up....
Yes clothes hangers and zip ties... what else did you expect?
Yes clothes hangers and zip ties... what else did you expect?
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°3
Re: 120g reef build
Ok so the sump that's on there doesn't have the room for a fuge like I want. So I had an idea!
I have shelves on each end to hang the lighting from, I have a drilled 20g long, so what if I run my return pump into the 20g long that would be sitting on one of the shelves and let it gravity feed into the main tank?
OR
set it on a lower shelf and use a power head to run water into it from the main tank and let it gravity into the sump.
and with it being in a tank I can actually see I would make it a display refugium and spring for the fancy pretty macro algae!
I have shelves on each end to hang the lighting from, I have a drilled 20g long, so what if I run my return pump into the 20g long that would be sitting on one of the shelves and let it gravity feed into the main tank?
OR
set it on a lower shelf and use a power head to run water into it from the main tank and let it gravity into the sump.
and with it being in a tank I can actually see I would make it a display refugium and spring for the fancy pretty macro algae!
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°4
Re: 120g reef build
So I have decided to put the refugium tank a little above the main tank and run it with a maxi jet powerhead and let it gravity feed back into the main tank!
kpetriella- Posts : 52
Join date : 2011-11-10
Age : 65
Location : Ft. Myers, Florida
- Post n°5
Re: 120g reef build
WOW! neat project
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°6
Re: 120g reef build
Ya it has finally settled in nicely and is pretty crawling with pods aka creepy crawly's
kpetriella- Posts : 52
Join date : 2011-11-10
Age : 65
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- Post n°7
Re: 120g reef build
sweet! can't wait to see it done
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°8
Re: 120g reef build
It is slowly getting there, only started with 3 live rocks and doing it that way takes some serious patience, way longer than cycling a freshwater tank!
I'm hoping to have it fully plumbed within the month and in the next month or 2 get a fish in there. There is quite a few kinks still to work out with the final lighting and plumbing design.
I'm hoping to have it fully plumbed within the month and in the next month or 2 get a fish in there. There is quite a few kinks still to work out with the final lighting and plumbing design.
FishVixen- Modorater
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- Post n°9
Re: 120g reef build
But that's the fun of it trying to work out all the kinks.
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°10
Re: 120g reef build
Doing it the slow way has defiantly given me tons of time to really perfect the design!
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°11
Re: 120g reef build
Ok got some basics on the fuge here's some pics
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°12
Re: 120g reef build
I had a siphon hose that fit the maxi jet and had a section of spray bar that fit in the other end to end it with, figure if I need to make it stay I can use the holes in the spray bar and zip tie it to a rock or something. Gonna do a rubble and shell pile under where the water sprays in at so it doesn't make a massive mess of the miracle mud. Still have more mud to move from the sump....
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°13
Re: 120g reef build
Ok so trying to get this tank running soon so I can tear down my 55g reef and move it into this tank. I've got a 225g-ish tank coming and my hubby wants it by the front door where the 55g is at now.... yay musical tanks
Once everything is moved over to the bigger tank this bad boy is gonna get broken down and sold.
I got all of the miracle mud out of the sump and into the fuge working on finishing the plumbing for the sump, gonna put in a union on the return pump line just to make life easier.
I need to figure out how ghetto I can get away with on the lighting. I'm probably gonna have 2 PC fixtures sitting on the tank and my hang a metal halide or 2 not sure on that yet.
Now if I make an extra tall frag rack out of egg crate I may not need the halides.....
Once everything is moved over to the bigger tank this bad boy is gonna get broken down and sold.
I got all of the miracle mud out of the sump and into the fuge working on finishing the plumbing for the sump, gonna put in a union on the return pump line just to make life easier.
I need to figure out how ghetto I can get away with on the lighting. I'm probably gonna have 2 PC fixtures sitting on the tank and my hang a metal halide or 2 not sure on that yet.
Now if I make an extra tall frag rack out of egg crate I may not need the halides.....
joefish72- Posts : 530
Join date : 2011-06-16
Location : Fort Myers
- Post n°14
Re: 120g reef build
Fern wrote:Ok so trying to get this tank running soon so I can tear down my 55g reef and move it into this tank. I've got a 225g-ish tank coming and my hubby wants it by the front door where the 55g is at now.... yay musical tanks
Once everything is moved over to the bigger tank this bad boy is gonna get broken down and sold.
I got all of the miracle mud out of the sump and into the fuge working on finishing the plumbing for the sump, gonna put in a union on the return pump line just to make life easier.
I need to figure out how ghetto I can get away with on the lighting. I'm probably gonna have 2 PC fixtures sitting on the tank and my hang a metal halide or 2 not sure on that yet.
Now if I make an extra tall frag rack out of egg crate I may not need the halides.....
I'll play stupid, it's not a stretch for me, lol
Have you tested this gravity feed design yet?
Is it truely gravity feed or are you saying the powerhead is drawing the water out?
Also is there a fail safe in case the power goes out so the one tank doesn't drain into the main tank and flood out?
What is a "PC" light? I have seen several people use this term before.
Also if you need a light fixture remember I can build one from scratch, any size any light fixtures in it.
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°15
Re: 120g reef build
Have you tested this gravity feed design yet? not yet
Is it truely gravity feed or are you saying the powerhead is drawing the water out? power head is the feed the bulkhead in the glass is where it will drain from
Also is there a fail safe in case the power goes out so the one tank doesn't drain into the main tank and flood out? the 20g long is drilled very close to the top so the siphon will break, it will probably end up surface skimming though, and there will be enough room in the sump for all overflow water
What is a "PC" light? I have seen several people use this term before.Power compact is PC anf MH is metal halide
Is it truely gravity feed or are you saying the powerhead is drawing the water out? power head is the feed the bulkhead in the glass is where it will drain from
Also is there a fail safe in case the power goes out so the one tank doesn't drain into the main tank and flood out? the 20g long is drilled very close to the top so the siphon will break, it will probably end up surface skimming though, and there will be enough room in the sump for all overflow water
What is a "PC" light? I have seen several people use this term before.Power compact is PC anf MH is metal halide
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°16
Re: 120g reef build
I may end up taking you up on the light thing once the big big boy is up and going, I have quite a few various fixtures but if that doesn't work I will hit you up to build me one
this is pretty much a temp tank, 6 months or less I'm figuring.
this is pretty much a temp tank, 6 months or less I'm figuring.
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°17
Re: 120g reef build
and Please always tell me if I'm about to do something dumb!!!!!
joefish72- Posts : 530
Join date : 2011-06-16
Location : Fort Myers
- Post n°18
Re: 120g reef build
Hehe, like flood the house? I did that twice last year.Fern wrote:and Please always tell me if I'm about to do something dumb!!!!!
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°19
Re: 120g reef build
well we all do that
so filling up the 20g long fuge I have decided that I dont trust the shelf it is sitting on, I'm gonna swap it for the shorter shelf that I know will hold a 29g so a 20g long will be fine on it for sure.
But that means I get to cut the 50 million zip ties that are holding the tubing
But with me deciding that I am not going to use metal halides on this tank I dont need a shelf on each end of the tank to hang em from! So I can break the longer one down and get it out of my way
so filling up the 20g long fuge I have decided that I dont trust the shelf it is sitting on, I'm gonna swap it for the shorter shelf that I know will hold a 29g so a 20g long will be fine on it for sure.
But that means I get to cut the 50 million zip ties that are holding the tubing
But with me deciding that I am not going to use metal halides on this tank I dont need a shelf on each end of the tank to hang em from! So I can break the longer one down and get it out of my way
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°20
Re: 120g reef build
Undone by one fitting
I have to re-make my diy standpipe, into one of the fancy ones and I dont have a 1" cap
So I cant leave the sump running overnight with the way the drain line is clanking around in the sump
Other than that this puppy is running! Cloudy but running!
Will get some pics and possibly a video when I get the standpipe rebuilt.........
I have to re-make my diy standpipe, into one of the fancy ones and I dont have a 1" cap
So I cant leave the sump running overnight with the way the drain line is clanking around in the sump
Other than that this puppy is running! Cloudy but running!
Will get some pics and possibly a video when I get the standpipe rebuilt.........
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°21
Re: 120g reef build
so rebuilding the standpipe didn't do a lick of good
So I ended up nabbing the top off of a wet dry filter and it fits right on the tank to the sump so no more clanking drain line!
Still not too sure I trust it..... May have to add some zip ties to humor myself.
I did get 10 blue leg hermit crabs and some fancy-ish macro algae. The refugium has a nice circular water flow to it so that's nice!
so its a 120g tank with a 20g fuge and I figure theres 30g in the sump, so its along a 170g system.
So I ended up nabbing the top off of a wet dry filter and it fits right on the tank to the sump so no more clanking drain line!
Still not too sure I trust it..... May have to add some zip ties to humor myself.
I did get 10 blue leg hermit crabs and some fancy-ish macro algae. The refugium has a nice circular water flow to it so that's nice!
so its a 120g tank with a 20g fuge and I figure theres 30g in the sump, so its along a 170g system.
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°22
Re: 120g reef build
we have brown algae in the fuge!
Need to put a much smaller light up there.... I slapped a 4' pc light up there just for light to work with and haven't changed it out yet lol
Need to put a much smaller light up there.... I slapped a 4' pc light up there just for light to work with and haven't changed it out yet lol
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°23
Re: 120g reef build
So I've got most of the rocks moved over after a thorough inspection and picking off of any nastys, I have 6 peppermint shrimp in there to get any aptasias I miss. Also have a rose bubble tip anemone that's been in there a while, its doing really good.
So pretty much all that's left in the 55g that I need to take out is the 3 fish, the corals and the big ginormous rock that my goby hides under.
Still need to rig up the skimmer, I am gonna use the coralife hang on I have even though I hate it.... No real room in the sump for it. I just need to get it all adjusted and stuff...
So pretty much all that's left in the 55g that I need to take out is the 3 fish, the corals and the big ginormous rock that my goby hides under.
Still need to rig up the skimmer, I am gonna use the coralife hang on I have even though I hate it.... No real room in the sump for it. I just need to get it all adjusted and stuff...
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°24
Re: 120g reef build
And I just slapped 2 HQI metal halides on it, got pretty sparkly water now
Fern- Admin
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- Post n°25
Re: 120g reef build
The rose bubble tip anemone
a peppermint shrimp
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