Eric's 120G build

E_reefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
130
Reaction score
153
Location
Jensen Beach, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello fellow reefers!

I just pulled the trigger on a new Crystal Dynamics reef tank setup (48 x 24 x 24) so my new build has officially begun! Plan is for a mixed reef with an emphasis on SPS. This is pretty exciting for me because I have only ever had second hand tanks, either given to me or bought via craigslist. My current setup is a 240 g glass cages setup (yes I am actually down sizing lol) and I have been keeping reefs for 6 years now, started with a 55, then 75, then 90 before going to the 240. It is a great tank and I have no doubt it has the potential to be a most amazing reef, it just really isn't working for me, and not only from a maintenance standpoint. The setup was always sort of Gerry rigged and not really "complete" in the sense that I would like. Also I really hate the height which is 31" from water surface to sand bed, it really makes it a pain to do anything on the bottom. The current setup is already sold and most of the existing components, and contents, are going with it. I will be keeping the skimmer- a reef octopus classic 200 int, Mp 40s, dosers, and a media reactor. I am also keeping the fish and some of the coral. Other than that everything will be new, including lights, rocks, return pump, and sand. CD has told me it should take 6-8 weeks to complete so I have some time still to consider lighting and rocks and so forth. For lighting I am considering radions, the maxspect razor 200w, or reef breeders photon v2, but definitely open to suggestions. Any of these will be an upgrade from my current Chinese black boxes with CFL retro setup. I look forward to this new journey and welcome any advise or suggestions I can get along the way!
 

hijinks7

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 20, 2017
Messages
500
Reaction score
404
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a 120g and I'd get either radions or kessil 360ew and supplement them with t5 lighting if you want a lot of SPS. I use a 48in aquaticlife t5/led kit. It has the mounts for radion of 360. It adds a lot of nice light. I wasn't sure at first and just got it to easily mount my kessils but now I love it.
 
OP
OP
E_reefer

E_reefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
130
Reaction score
153
Location
Jensen Beach, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This was a few months ago.

141C5DE4-2562-4EEC-94F6-2E3A07E4C47C.jpeg



Had the new owner pick up a bunch of the coral and rocks.

B076E6DE-6EB1-4F1F-84A1-43D0719C0934.jpeg


I have a 32 to keep the fish and frags in while I break down the current tank and setup the new one.

72801A33-83F4-40AE-A9AC-4D50AFC08DC8.jpeg
 
OP
OP
E_reefer

E_reefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
130
Reaction score
153
Location
Jensen Beach, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Since I want to keep some coral and the fish, and the new owner wants to pickup the 240, I need to setup a holding tank until I get the new system setup and cycled.

C3611EFC-B67B-4263-A30D-032445317CC9.jpeg
I setup a 32 g bio cube my neighbor wasn’t using with the lid and internal filtration system removed.

I Picked up some sand from lfs and found a heater and couple power heads I had laying around.

E707FB1D-AE54-4D86-AFD9-67DCED167D05.jpeg

I added salt, letting it mix today- then once mixed and SG is correct I will put some rocks in from existing setup. I don’t anticipate a full blown cycle since I am using LR from current setup, but I will definitely throw some food in and test it to be sure before adding fish and coral.

Anyone have experience using the reef octopus various or ecotech vectra DC return pumps? I have used the plain daner mag drive pumps (except for a brief stint with a reeflo external- wow powerful!) and for the price have felt they have done just fine. I know DC is quieter, and a feed mode is cool I guess, but for those of you that have them, do you use the speed variability features?
 

MrChris

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
May 6, 2018
Messages
32
Reaction score
33
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looking forward to seeing where this goes. We are getting ready to set up a holding tank and tear down and rebuild our 75 gal, so I will be keeping an eye on thos for any ideas or things I'm not thinking of as we are new to this.
 
OP
OP
E_reefer

E_reefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
130
Reaction score
153
Location
Jensen Beach, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks for tagging along!

I added a few rocks to the holding tank last night, it’s moving along. I will throw some food in tonight.

A new light has been added to the list: Orphek atlantik. It is getting some high praise out there. I wonder if one would be enough on a 4 ft tank- perhaps that plus t5 like hijinks suggested.
 
OP
OP
E_reefer

E_reefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
130
Reaction score
153
Location
Jensen Beach, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks! Things are moving along, a few rocks are in the holding tank, I plan on adding an ammonia source tonight, then I will begin testing. I am pretty much set on radions for lighting, their body of evidence for success is outstanding, you can spend hours online looking at stunning tank after stunning tank out there being lit by these. In case anyone is wondering, the difference between the regular and the pro model is the regular is 150 watts with 34 leds, the pro is 190 watts with 46- with 2 extra deep blues , 4 extra UV, 4 violet, and 2 warm white (the regular has no violet or warm white).

For rocks I was looking at another thread earlier and found what looks to be a great source for rocks, anyone have experience with billys reef connection? I was also looking at macro rocks and the carib sea life rock. I am thinking of doing some base rock and some shelf rock.
 

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,989
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Looks good!
 
OP
OP
E_reefer

E_reefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
130
Reaction score
153
Location
Jensen Beach, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Things are picking up here- received some goodies. :)

01CB0088-E00D-4DE1-B66E-4C97F0EA8D2E.jpeg

I hooked one up and WOW- this is a powerful light! Very bright.

The holding tank is ready so I reached out to the new owner to arrange for the pick up of the 240 and they want to come this weekend so the breakdown is now officially on full steam ahead. I put the fish trap in the and the fish are not having any of it. I am a little spoiled asI used the trap last year to get an unruly bird wrasse out, it probably took only about 30 minutes and he was in there.

890CE0A0-7FBF-4906-A2D0-FF8ACA0B0F0A.jpeg


First I am going to mount one of the radions over the cube then move the coral over to acclimate. Then I will work on the fish.
 
OP
OP
E_reefer

E_reefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
130
Reaction score
153
Location
Jensen Beach, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well unfortunately the Tomini tang is not doing well. :(

A685C545-22CB-4AB7-A789-D9D62CEA8B21.jpeg
The poor guy’s fins are all torn up and he won’t stop swimming. I feel terrible because it was fat and happy before the breakdown. I really hope he pulls through. I hate losing fish anytime but especially hate when it is something I did and could have prevented by just waiting to sell the tank until the new one was setup.

On another note since I have some time until the new tank arrives, a month at least, I took the opportunity to give some equipment a good old vinegar water bath.

C02052FE-3747-41C2-95D4-6EDA7CC040AC.jpeg

Well that’s it for now- can’t wait to get the new setup up and running!
 

NY_Caveman

likes words, fish and arbitrary statistics
View Badges
Joined
Sep 8, 2017
Messages
17,008
Reaction score
108,390
Location
New York
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well unfortunately the Tomini tang is not doing well. :(

A685C545-22CB-4AB7-A789-D9D62CEA8B21.jpeg
The poor guy’s fins are all torn up and he won’t stop swimming. I feel terrible because it was fat and happy before the breakdown. I really hope he pulls through. I hate losing fish anytime but especially hate when it is something I did and could have prevented by just waiting to sell the tank until the new one was setup.

On another note since I have some time until the new tank arrives, a month at least, I took the opportunity to give some equipment a good old vinegar water bath.

C02052FE-3747-41C2-95D4-6EDA7CC040AC.jpeg

Well that’s it for now- can’t wait to get the new setup up and running!

Sorry to hear. Hopefully he adjusts.
 
OP
OP
E_reefer

E_reefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
130
Reaction score
153
Location
Jensen Beach, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well sadly the tomini perished yesterday, so it has been a sad couple days at our house. Because of this I would say this holding tank idea was a failure and I should have insisted on waiting to breakdown the tank until the new one was setup and cycled. Oh well, whats done is done so I need to move on and make sure I do not sustain any more casualties. I tested the water and there was no ammonia or nitrites but I decided to change about a third of the water anyway since I am not running anything to remove nutrients except from water changes. This brings up a good point- there is no surface skimming device on this tank whatsoever, and for flow there are just two 240 gph hydor powerheads. Should I put an air pump in there to help promote a little surface agitation, or go with a bigger powerhead? PH was low at 7.7 so I added some buffer which brought it to 7.9. I will continue to dose buffer until it is at 8.3 which should be just a couple days. It's a little wild only having to use 5 ml of buffer to raise the entire tank .2 when for the 240 I would have to use 30 to 35 ml to achieve the same result.

As for new tank updates, I misread the order confirm, and they said there is currently an 8-10 week lead time, not 6-8, so the 8 week mark from when I returned the signed build order form. Here is a stock photo of the setup we went with.

120g_Synergy_CardiffBlackAndWhite_1024x1024@2x.png
except without the synergy overflow and the stand will be all white with a matching canopy. Stay tuned...
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.0%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 12.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
Back
Top