Bummer Noobs 125 reef build thread

[BummersReef]

Ok. I'm actually gonna start a "build thread." Kind of freaking out about it, as this means it's real!

this is the tank (125 acyrlic) with my boys showing it off. It is going in our "country kitchen" room - in a spot where it will be the most seen thing in our house

we are going to plumb this so as to have the sump and everything in the basement, directly under the tank. We are very new to this. We had a 75 saltwater reef about 10 years ago but things have changed alot since then. Old tank had small sump under and we only kept a few fish and some very basic corals. But we knew that now we needed to go as big as we thought we could handle rather than ever wanting to upgrade.

we have about 80 pounds of dry rock waiting. Plan is to at least run the lines downstairs tomorrow and then get some live rock and live sand and water from LFS and do the scape build on Saturday and add water, heater, air flow and start the cycle. Plan to do all the plumbing (including getting an RO/DI) while we are waiting for the tank to cycle. Can't afford to do all that plumbing etc for another week or so

pray for us .....

 

[BummersReef]

So far so good

Hopefully the WORST it will ever look ...

 

[BummersReef]

drumroll ...... I have levels! I am so excited. (I warned you I was a noob)
tank was filled with water, dry and live rock and sand on Saturday, May 28. Took us about 2 hours to do the scaping, but we had planned much of it out before we actually put the rock in the tank. Did drill a few pieces of the reef saver dry rock and put in fiberglass rods to make them sturdy. That's how we got the arch. Anyway, popped in a heater and a new Voyager 4 pump and let 'er rip. This is UN-SUMPED so far, as we are going to sump the basement and have lots of plumbing work to do and we wanted to atleast get things started (as we are using at least half dry rock) and plan on being very slow on adding livestock. We figured the more time it has to ferment the better.
anyway, I digress.
Yesterday, June 2, went into LFS (which is awesome btw, I am just gonna say we have the BEST LFS in Michigan) and had them do our first water sample. So, I have levels! I'm gonna keep track of them all here so, well, so I can keep track.
Here we go:
pH: not tested
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: trace
phosphate: 0.5
KH: 8
Calcium: 400
Magnesium: not tested
salinity: 1.025

He said we should be happy to have phosphates showing already, so, I am!
As we are un-sumped, we got a bag of phosguard to hang in the tank for now to deal with the phosphates ....

we also got a few more pieces of live rock and made some changes to our aquascape.
Here is the before scape ...

We thought the sticky-up branch thing looked un-natural and just weird and it didn't seem to flow visually so we changed it ...

most of the rocks on the sand on the left are just sitting there stewing and we'll put them in the sump/refug when that's built

also showed LFS pic of the thing growing on the rock and yup he said it looked like a mojano anemone so we yanked it!

it's the round thing in bottom center (could NOT get a good pic of it, very frustrating)

anywho ...

 

[Bob Escher]

Looks good
Does your LFS have a online site

 

[BummersReef]

They don't sell anything online .... All walk in ... It is actually one of Lansing's tourist spots lol. Famous in this area ... Preuss Pets. Been in town literally all my life and I am old! Works closely with Michigan State University aquatic program ... Lots of students work there

 

[Schroea]

I was just in Preuss yesterday! My husband and I are planning on a 125 gallon reef tank.

 

[BummersReef]

I was just in Preuss yesterday! My husband and I are planning on a 125 gallon reef tank.

really? We were there this morning! We have just started our 125 reef! do you have a tank yet? Welcome to R2R this place is AWESOME. Preuss is awesome too.

 

[Bob Escher]

Ah good ole Landing, I'm over across the little pond from you outside of Milwaukee. Got friends east of you in Birch Run,

 

[BummersReef]

Ah good ole Landing, I'm over across the little pond from you outside of Milwaukee. Got friends east of you in Birch Run,

we were just thinking of taking the ferry to Manitowoc this week as we are going to be in Ludington for a couple days. But it's too expensive (sad face) Never been to Wisconsin!

 

[Bob Escher]

Ok. I'm actually gonna start a "build thread." Kind of freaking out about it, as this means it's real!

this is the tank (125 acyrlic) with my boys showing it off. It is going in our "country kitchen" room - in a spot where it will be the most seen thing in our house

we are going to plumb this so as to have the sump and everything in the basement, directly under the tank. We are very new to this. We had a 75 saltwater reef about 10 years ago but things have changed alot since then. Old tank had small sump under and we only kept a few fish and some very basic corals. But we knew that now we needed to go as big as we thought we could handle rather than ever wanting to upgrade.

we have about 80 pounds of dry rock waiting. Plan is to at least run the lines downstairs tomorrow and then get some live rock and live sand and water from LFS and do the scape build on Saturday and add water, heater, air flow and start the cycle. Plan to do all the plumbing (including getting an RO/DI) while we are waiting for the tank to cycle. Can't afford to do all that plumbing etc for another week or so

pray for us .....

Will do my friend. That looks small for a 124. But good luck as well. Looks like you have a couple strong men there to help

 

[Bob Escher]

we were just thinking of taking the ferry to Manitowoc this week as we are going to be in Ludington for a couple days. But it's too expensive (sad face) Never been to Wisconsin!

Yeah I know about that boat. They have one that comes into Milwaukee as well. And it leaves from Muskegon. I'm actually a UPPer as I was born and raised up in Ironwood. Love it up there. I also think that Northern part of Wisconsin, The UP and the top part of lower Michigan are the most beautiful around. We used to cabin right at the tip of Lake Michigan and go to Mackinac for Lunch

 

[bknapp]

Gotta love the MItten!

 

[BummersReef]

Yeah I know about that boat. They have one that comes into Milwaukee as well. And it leaves from Muskegon. I'm actually a UPPer as I was born and raised up in Ironwood. Love it up there. I also think that Northern part of Wisconsin, The UP and the top part of lower Michigan are the most beautiful around. We used to cabin right at the tip of Lake Michigan and go to Mackinac for Lunch

oh we were all set to go up to the Keweenaw this week but my mother-in-law is real sick so we had to cancel as the drive is just too long in case we had to come back. We LOVE the UP, especially Keweenaw and Grand Marais. Should be real good fishing up there right now. Yes, I love to fish for the kind you can eat!

 

[BummersReef]

Update: got back from a three day mini-vacation and the tank looks exactly the same as when I left!! :cool: I'm gonna take that as a good thing.

 

[BummersReef]

It is sumped and refug'ed!! Finally, over a month in and we have an up and running sump system in the basement and an RO system. Thank you to all here who have helped btw. Still no critters but we knew patience was gonna have to come first. Got a pretty crop of cyano (not too much) ....
Time to start working on the "fish wish list" (I know, a long way to go still)

 

[shred5]

What is the dimensions on that tank? Looks different than a standard 125, looks taller.

 

[BummersReef]

What is the dimensions on that tank? Looks different than a standard 125, looks taller.

I think it is a strange size. It's 5 ft long rather than six. And taller than many 125s. Got it used and have no idea the maker. It's acrylic with center overflow

 

[BummersReef]

Putting up a pic of how it looks now - a few basic corals and 2 clowns -
Going thru a second ugly phase for some reason. I think it's because we have such a hodge podge of rocks ...

 

[Bob Escher]

Still looking good my Michigan friend

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Putting up a pic of how it looks now - a few basic corals and 2 clowns -
Going thru a second ugly phase for some reason. I think it's because we have such a hodge podge of rocks ...

The ugly phases an last a while. I did a combo too originally and it was a funny up and down but IMO was better and a LOT Less ugly than a lot of others.