120g build

[sharuq1]

So we are finally starting to get a move-on with this build. Ballasts and bulbs finally ordered and should be on the way here soon, (thank you to Kelly at the Reef Shoppe!!).

Everything from this tank http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=37529 will be going into the 120g.

To start off here is what we started with:


We had a lot of work ahead of us to get everything out of the tank, but still it went from that (relatively beautiful..I think ) to this (ugh). We had to throw in the cichlids from another tank to make room for a breeding group of S. Fryeri Iceburgs. Took a while but soon we were able to sell & give away everyone in here.



After the cichlids got kicked out I was finally able to start cleaning the tank. It was really encrusted with hard green algae at the back. This tank was treated at one point with copper, so I wanted to make sure everything was cleaned really well. I researched how I should go about this and the consensus overall was that as long as I got the Ca out of the tank, the copper should go with it, as Cu binds with Ca. I dumped in an entire jug of vinegar and left the filter to run. I dropped in a couple coralline encrusted seios as well to get them all clean. The water then turned white with the precipitate. After much scrubbing and dumping of buckets I arrived at this point.




This is what the top looks like. (Well..half of the top anyway, I'm not tall enough to get a full top shot.) It was done with the brace down the middle and corner braces at each corner.

After getting it nice and clean, and noting a few scratches here and there I looked down into the bottom of the tank and to my horror saw this! I asked on the forum about what to do should it be a crack.

It looks an aweful lot like a nice long crack to me. Then....I moved the tank to see for sure and lo and behold it was the mdf board underneath. It had a crack or scratch or something that had been coated in some sort of clear stuff. phew!


Looking at the silicone it looks to me like someone non-professional did it. It is quite messy, the edges are rough and there is a small gap in the silicone at the bottom/front pane, but it is only about 4mm in depth and an inch or so long. I am considering re-siliconing it, but I am terrified to do it. Last time we re-siliconed a tank we ended up with 20gallons on the floor. We tried that again and still same result.

Think we should just leave it? At least we know right now it does hold water.....

Next up we need to plumb it. Not too sure what I should do, but ideas and especially pics/diagrams would really help alot. (pretty please)

[fishytime]

Is the tank drilled? I have quite a few pics of my sump and plumbing for my tank at the beginning of my thread in the tank journal section. Pm me if you want some more specific pics and I will be happy to send you them, or take some if I dont have pics of what your looking for.

[sharuq1]

It is only drilled at the two bulkheads at the back of the tank, you can see them in the picture. Any help you can give me would be very appreciated fishytime, I don't know what I'm doing

[sharuq1]

We got our new bulbs and ballasts. Going to be running 250W Aquaconnects on a galaxy ballast. The reflectors are lumenbrights.


Look at the facets on this puppy! Me like *drool*

We temporarily threw one up over the 48g to see how it runs. It is not burnt in yet of course, but it's lit up like noon. I like that the reflectors direct the light moreso down and into the tank than all over the place. Makes me wonder when the cops will come knocking at the door wondering if we have a grow-op

Finally got the glass ordered for the calfo, hope it is here soon. Decided not to try re-siliconing because "if it ain't broke don't fix it".

More to come...

[Delphinus]

Oooh, nifty reflectors. Where did you pick those up?

[sharuq1]

Got them from a guy in the states who had extras. If I needed to buy more I'd just go to the Reef Shoppe though. Pretty sure Kelly can get these in.

Edit: blaahhhhhh still waiting for the fer-shnugared glass.....

[sharuq1]

*sigh* So the glass came in and we found out that we measured wrong and we are off by an inch. I don't even know what to do now.... I seriously doubt any glass place could get off only one inch.

[sharuq1]

After fretting and almost throwing in the towel on the 120 we decided to wing it and cut the glass with a tile saw. It worked and we didn't destroy the glass!

Now in the process of siliconing the overflow in. It won't be pretty, it might be crooked but I have my fingers crossed, sure hope this works.

[Monti-Man]

Yah!!!

Glad it worked for you

[sharuq1]

Took a bunch of pictures of our "build"


cutting the glass....with a tile saw.....with a pretty dull blade


working in the mess, man that stand looks rusty <gets out the spray paint>


putting in the overflow


tank is lying on its "back" as the overflow sets, view from the side

We ran into a difficulty; the Euroreef was too tall to fit under the stand in the sump. We ended up putting the sump behind the tank so we would not have to modify the skimmer to work out of sump (don't really know how at this point).


And some plumbing pics:

I used crafters mesh to make a little circle deal to ensure fish and snails don't get into the sump. This is more a temporary measure until I find an option I like better.

I could use light diffuser, but I think that the overflow is going to look very ugly once it gets coated in the inevitable algae and I'd like the snails to have free rein to munch it. Most of my fish could fit through light diffuser anyway. Also covered the seio's in it for now as I expect the anemone when placed will move and I'd like to avoid accidents.


I probably put in too many ball valves, but hey if I ever want anything turned off, it'll be off by golly!



view from the top at the back looking down on the sump

T-d off a little valve that I can attach a length of vinyl pipe to if I desire to pump water out of the tank sans bucket


the contraption we made to reduce "possible" noise


beginnings of a power centre