Hart's 120 3/4" starfire expansion!

[hart24601]

So I thought it might be fun to document my 65 to 120 expansion. My bday is in December so my GF proposed a BIG gift. She wants a really cool tank as a centerpiece when we get a house in a few years. We talked about different sizes and ideas, I have always liked the footprint of the 120 - 48x24x24. She likes a longer tank like a 125, but after talking about it the longer tank might be harder to place when we get a house, so the 120 it is!

She really likes rimless, fine with me!! Calling a few places and doing research led to exclude my 1st idea of glass-cages. Seem to be hit and miss with reviews. I think their starfire 120 is 24 tall with 1/2" glass, which seems to be a bit thin. I want this tank to last a really long time! Great Lake Aquariums has a 110 that is 22" tall with 1/2" starfire, I was going to go with them, but they were moving and were rude on the phone and got our quote wrong twice. If they don't want to sell me a tank that is fine!

Finally called Miracles out of Canada. Their price was a couple hundred more (without stand) but the tank is FAR nicer. We settled on a 120, 48x24x24 with 3/4" starfire! Should be a tank for that size. The back wall is 5/8" tempered with 5 holes. 3 hole cup overflow, 1", and 2 returns that are 3/4". That is way nicer than GLA 1/2" with a single 2 hole bottom overflow and return for not a ton more money.

Miracles recommended getting a stand locally. I want just something simple as the tank should be the focus IMO. They sell some fancy ones, but nothing simple that size. I ended up ordering a marineland black stand from my LFS. Not fancy, but it's clean and sleek. Perfect for what I want!

 

[hart24601]

Current tank is a 65g. I have 2 reefbreeders value fixtures. I found the AI rail mount works well for value fixtures. I got cheap metal strips cut that fit inside the mount for the fixtures to sit in. I also elevated the rear of the fixtures 1" to give about a 10 degree incline for more even coverage. The tank isn't drilled, I got it from my brother and have a CPR overflow. Here is a pic with PAR values.

I have made a couple of changes since then, but nothing too crazy. A 7" hippo clam came from DD!

I have ordered a new sump nextreef, I didn't want a new one, but my 24" one now would be pushing it in the new tank when the power goes out, but the new sump has 2 filter socks, with 3 overflows there just wouldn't be room in the old sump.

I *think* I have all the plumbing ordered, black PVC, along with a 48" AI rail for a 3rd value fixture. I got a new vidarock ceramic piece too. When we find a house in a couple of years I will find a more elegant light solution, but for results I love reefbreeders.

I run a cadlights 1150 skimmer I will reuse. The rating is for 120g for medium bio-load, I know manufactures rate that over, but it hardly breaks a sweat on the 65, and I am not planning on many, if any, more fish. I have really liked it.

I have 2 mp40s and 1 mp10, but the 10 can't be used with that glass. I will probably get a riptide too, but the vortechs are cool as I can have zero items coming out of the water on the rimless which I think is pretty cool, so I will see.

 

[hart24601]

For this stand blow your mind with awesome? Of course it does. Lol. Just a generic one!

 

[hart24601]

I decided to make a change to the order. They had already send the back wall for tempering, but I decided I really wanted an external overflow. To me on a rimless tank those really make the system look "custom". They were easy to work with changing the order, which is nice. So now it will be 3/4" all the way around to support the external overflow. Here is the layout they sent me:

I do also want the bottom in black too, I will remind them of that before it ships.

 

[hart24601]

Slowly getting in more parts... Sicce return pump, ordered max spect riptide to use with the 2 mp40's. Got a coral viewer to look top down. My can with Saran wrap just didn't cut it. The coral look better in real life, just photos straight from iPhone 6+. I need to learn to take better pics with it, but it does better than my old iPhone.

 

[hart24601]

 

[hart24601]

 

[hart24601]

Since the thread doesn't have much interest, might as well spruce it up. Here is my 66 Vette 427. Took me about 13 years to get it back on the road. Engine is naturally aspirated and makes right around 600 on the engine stand at 7,000 rpm. It's not complete in this pic quite yet. Had to get those huge chrome pipes you partially see, I like blacked out, but the engine just couldn't flow enough with anything other than monster pipes. At only 2700lb it scoots. Converted to e85 so the 12:1 isn't a problem and is only $2/gallon.

 

[hart24601]

Sump is on the way, nextreef 30". I didnt go with the 36" as I want more room to keep 2part bottles and such. I got 2 8x8x4 ceramic blocks to go in there. Will run the carbon dosing ahead of them and should be a nice bacteria home.

 

[Steven C]

first man your corals are beautiful i myself am in the middle of switching my tank up possibly an upgrade good luck... Also that car is absolutely beautiful

 

[Isgon26]

great looking tank

 

[fanandy8]

Nice Corvette they're my favorite cars especially the stingrays from the 60s and 70s.

 

[hart24601]

Thanks! Both the tank and the car have been quite the work in progress... At least the car is easy to transfer, lol.

 

[hart24601]

Got the new vidarock! Boy they have their shipping down - comes in a huge box that they fill with foam. Instructions say to open the middle of the box for removal. Great job from them.

 

[kevantheman35]

That gnarf bonsai looks amazing. I lost one about the same size which ignited my current build lol

 

[spspirate]

Super cool rock structure!!

 

[Merck]

I like that you put the different frogspawn together that was a good idea. On the right side, is that a red sponge tree, nice.

 

[hart24601]

Pre-ordered the 50w riptide, I thought it would be cool to have only vortechs and not have a single wire run out of the tank, but those riptides are just too cool. The plan is to run the riptide vertically along with the mp40's when I get the 120 going. Not sure how the clams and LPS will like it, so will probably have to run it pretty low. I had someone over today and they said "wow, that tank looks so nice you should just leave it and set up the new tank alongside it" My girlfriend was not amused with that thought of spending all that $$ to restock a new tank! Thanks for the kind words! The tank has really been a struggle at times. Experience and vodka dosing has really paid off.

 

[hart24601]

I like that you put the different frogspawn together that was a good idea. On the right side, is that a red sponge tree, nice.

Thanks! There are some different frogspawn on there, couple hammers and the grape coral. The grape really looks more like a torch to me, but that is what liveaquaria called it. I think what your talking about on the right is a gorg, I found it a year ago and it had a different look to it.

 

[Reefhunter007]

Nice ride