My work in progress 125g build (1 Viewer)

[jqsquared]

After a couple of people recommending that I go ahead and post this I will

Started the project back in June. Bought the tank stand and canopy off someone here on marsh. Wife wanted the stand and canopy to match the trim within the house. So I completely stripped the stain and began with a kiltz primer inside and out. Followed by 3 coats of trim paint.

Equipment list:

Tank: Standard 125 dual overflow
Sump: Eshopps 3rd gen RS-300
Refugium: 20g long
Refugium lighting: (2) spot light CFLs 6500k
Return pump: Jebao dct 12000
Skimmer: Bubble Magus NAC6A
Heater: 300w generic
ATO: Avast marine
Lighting: (3) 250w radiums on Galaxy ballasts
UV sterilizer: Emperor aquatics 40w
Dosing pumps: (2) BRS 1.1ml
Controller: Neptune Apex w/2 eb8s
Wavemakers: (2) Jabao RW-15

Livestock:

100lbs pukani
Tropic Eden sand
(3) blue chromis
Magnificent fox face
Scribble rabbitfish
Scopas tang
(4) Indian Ocean anthias
(2) true b&w clowns
(1) true perc
(1)half and half clown
Ora purple orchid
Blood shrimp
Assorted clean up crew

Corals:
Duncan
Multiple frogspawns
Toxic hammer
Lakers monti
Superman monti
Mayan monti
Random other montis
Birdsnest
War coral
Pink welso
Green welso
Couple random acros
Sherman rbta
(3) green toadstools
Couple of neon leathers
Assorted mushrooms

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[jqsquared]

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[jqsquared]

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[Diesel]

Dude I love for what you all did on this awesome tank.
Great build and a example for other hobbyist how to do it the right way.
Keep it coming with more pics and weekly updates.

 

[thenewone]

Very nice. Wow . keep up us updated .

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[malira]

That looks clean. I want one.

 

[jqsquared]

Thanks all, will post up some pics of the "fish closet" later. Tank backs up to the space under the stairs so thats where I have a LOT of my equipment. My goal was to keep maintenance down and when required as easy to perform as possible.

I have a LOT of pics so if anyone wants to see anything specific please let me know.

Current Parameters:

DKH: 8.2
CAL: 390
MAG: 1380~
NO3: 0 (Need to retest)
PO4: .04 (Need to retest)


Currently dosing 45mg of BRS 2 part solutions per day. I have been struggling to keep my ALK/CAL levels up. This may have been due to the fact that I was mixing saltwater without shaking/mixing the salt before so elements could have shifted down to the bottom. OR Coralline is trying to take hold and there's a lot of rock that is soaking it up. Or some other factor. All I know it was low and have been doing water changes and dosing to bring it up, getting closer and closer back to NSW levels.

A note about the temperature. Currently the tank is anywhere from 78 during the night/early day till when the lights come on which it will then hit 81 or so. I will have to monitor that more closely during the warmer spring/summer months. Although I havent seen any negative issues with a 3pt swing. My fans mounted inside the canopy are adjustable from something like 25-110cfm. I have the pentometers or whatever it is mounted on the back of the canopy so I can quickly adjust them. When turned up they move quite a bit of air, although are pretty loud. I generally run them at about 40% where they are not audible within the room. So I may see their capabilities:noise ratio later this spring and may either move these to the sump area or add larger fans that move more air at a lower speed.

 

[SHAZELEY]

Amazing

 

[Diesel]

DKH: 8.2
CAL: 390
MAG: 1380~
NO3: 0 (Need to retest)
PO4: .04 (Need to retest)

Not bad, you might dose a bit more manual to raise your CAL at least over 400.
Retest you No3 as your goal is 2ppm or higher but not over 5ppm.
Po4 is great.
With a new tank like tis you maybe want to know where all your # are and Triton test will do that for you, retest with a triton 2 months later to see if you have any big changes.
This tank needs only the best

 

[jqsquared]

Quick Parameter update:

Cal: 400
Alk/Dkh: 9
mag: 1320
pH:8.18
no3: 0
po4: .002-.004


Couldn't get a reading for the nitrates. I am adjusting my dosers tomorrow. Will retest again to confirm that 9dkh. I really don't want my alk to be much higher than that.

 

[Diesel]

Quick Parameter update:

Cal: 400
Alk/Dkh: 9
mag: 1320
pH:8.18
no3: 0
po4: .002-.004


Couldn't get a reading for the nitrates. I am adjusting my dosers tomorrow. Will retest again to confirm that 9dkh. I really don't want my alk to be much higher than that.

Start dosing No3 as you will slowly starve your corals.
Do you use only Chaeto to reduce the No3 or you have a reactor running too?
What do you use to dose ALK, and what kind of doser?

 

[Reefahholic]

What a beautiful build brother. Love the height under your stand. I'm always trying to get people to raise their stands up so they can assess the sump area better. Otherwise, people slack on maintenance.

I see you have the Jebao's. I absolutely love my RW20'S! No issues since I've bought them. They rock!

 

[jqsquared]

Start dosing No3 as you will slowly starve your corals.
Do you use only Chaeto to reduce the No3 or you have a reactor running too?
What do you use to dose ALK, and what kind of doser?

Chaeto and GFO in a BRS reactor which is probably 30-40% full. I run the BRS soda ash for alk through a BRS 1.1ml doser running through the apex. A note that I do have some GHA in some places. I manually have been scrubbing individual rocks when I do a water change that seems to keep it at bay. I just havent gotten to some of the larger pieces on the bottom of the scape just yet. But its not spreading. Being that the tank is so new and I have been getting it dialed in parameter wise I havent worried too much about it. Nov-first part of Dec I was heavily feeding the fish with the frozen frenzy mix almost daily. I have then since reduced to only 2-3 times a week. Daily feeding with just spectrum pellets. (all in attempt to keep the GHA from spreading more). I have noticed that my coral colors have faded a tad since this as well. Montis are not as bright neither are my LPS. Is this due to the reduced or lack of nitrates?

 

[jqsquared]

Reefaholic - I have been using Jebos since the original series came out. They never have given me any trouble. I will say the power connection on the controller of the RW-15s are not very good. They are a bit loose. But they do move a lot of water in this tank! Currently run them on 3-4 bars power in W1 on the slow pulse.

I am building a fish trap today. I am going to sell/trade my magnificent fox face and scribbled rabbit fish (acquired from d2mini). Great fish they just are not really my style after all.

 

[Reefahholic]

Reefaholic - I have been using Jebos since the original series came out. They never have given me any trouble. I will say the power connection on the controller of the RW-15s are not very good. They are a bit loose. But they do move a lot of water in this tank! Currently run them on 3-4 bars power in W1 on the slow pulse.

I am building a fish trap today. I am going to sell/trade my magnificent fox face and scribbled rabbit fish (acquired from d2mini). Great fish they just are not really my style after all.

My RW-20's are running at 1 bar. When they're dirty I can run higher, but If they've been cleaned...I can blow my aquascape apart.

 

[Diesel]

Chaeto and GFO in a BRS reactor which is probably 30-40% full. I run the BRS soda ash for alk through a BRS 1.1ml doser running through the apex. A note that I do have some GHA in some places. I manually have been scrubbing individual rocks when I do a water change that seems to keep it at bay. I just havent gotten to some of the larger pieces on the bottom of the scape just yet. But its not spreading. Being that the tank is so new and I have been getting it dialed in parameter wise I havent worried too much about it. Nov-first part of Dec I was heavily feeding the fish with the frozen frenzy mix almost daily. I have then since reduced to only 2-3 times a week. Daily feeding with just spectrum pellets. (all in attempt to keep the GHA from spreading more). I have noticed that my coral colors have faded a tad since this as well. Montis are not as bright neither are my LPS. Is this due to the reduced or lack of nitrates?

Yes sir.
Lack of No3 long term gives you bleached corals with as result weak health and stressed corals that can follow in death.
The GHA is consuming your No3 on the moment before corals can get to them.
Po4 and No3 work as a team for colorful corals.
Don't worry about the GHA as you have that in some places, manual removal is a +.
Dosing slowly No3 will help you on your corals.


http://www.marsh-reef.org/marine-and-reef-general-discussion/48808-no3.html

 

[jqsquared]

Thanks Ben. I'll run out and look for the spectracide tomorrow. Any chance it will fuel the gha?


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[Diesel]

It's always possible, but start with a slow dose of 10ml every other day.
Can you post a pic up from your HA?

 

[jqsquared]

Just took these. What's weird is the location to me.

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[Diesel]

That GHA is from Po4 leaching out your rock.
Changing your flow from your pumps might speed up the cure, mean while remove by hand everyday and I give it a month and you'll see it getting less a lot.