My first fish tank...120 gal mixed reef!

ejwan · Jul 4, 2016

Beautiful setup! Over time it will be something to see your "garden" grow. Do get a second heater. If one fails (and they do), the other will take over and prevent a tank crash.

Eaj1001 · Jul 4, 2016

Leslie Tabor said:
Thank you! I have read that in several posts...I just feel like an idiot that my nemesis is palys! Haha I was going to do 2 heaters, I had a guy all lined up to help me with set up and that was our plan. Then he got out of the business, leaving me on my own and the place I got all my equipment from talked me out of it. That is a great reminder!

Having 2 heaters is a good idea..I have 2 as well.

fenwick79 · Jul 5, 2016

Tank looks Great

rpolino · Jul 6, 2016

Nice setup

Leslie Tabor · Jul 9, 2016

Update just for fun! Started a macroalgae refugium tonight for some pods...I must say I find them quite lovely!

Oh and those would be my dying pulsing xenia in the background...courtesy of my RBTA.

Eaj1001 · Jul 9, 2016

Leslie Tabor said:
Update just for fun! Started a macroalgae refugium tonight for some pods...I must say I find them quite lovely!

Oh and those would be my dying pulsing xenia in the background...courtesy of my RBTA.

Xenia will come back if it's not being stung..my torch was stinging mine but moved the rock and they came right back.

Eaj1001 · Jul 9, 2016

Leslie Tabor said:
Update just for fun! Started a macroalgae refugium tonight for some pods...I must say I find them quite lovely!

Oh and those would be my dying pulsing xenia in the background...courtesy of my RBTA.

Refugium looks good..Ill have one when setting up 135.

Leslie Tabor · Jul 9, 2016

Eaj1001 said:
Xenia will come back if it's not being stung..my torch was stinging mine but moved the rock and they came right back.

I wish they would! It has been months now, they just keep looking more and more sad

ZJedi945 · Jul 9, 2016

I have to ask... about how much shelf rock did you use? I am looking to buy some just don't know how much to buy. What a great tank btw!

Eaj1001 · Jul 9, 2016

Leslie Tabor said:
I wish they would! It has been months now, they just keep looking more and more sad

I can't say I knew what I was doing except to separate them from a stinging torch..some say they're a pest but I like them pretty good. I changed 2 t5 bulbs to actinic and they're growing really fast.

oneilwiz · Jul 9, 2016

Beautiful tank tagging along, welcome to the hobby. Love to see more females in the hobby. What is your lighting schedule for your Radions.

Leslie Tabor · Jul 10, 2016

oneilwiz said:
Beautiful tank tagging along, welcome to the hobby. Love to see more females in the hobby. What is your lighting schedule for your Radions.

Thank you very much! I get that everytime I go into LFS...it is always shock that I put my tank together and do all my maintence NOT my hubby. My husband wouldn't touch my tank with a 10 foot pole! Lol My Radions are on a new premade setting, I am acclimating some new corals so I am trying a different light scheme. I have them set for a 10 hour photoperiod with the lunar cycle on (I LOVE that feature!)

Leslie Tabor · Jul 10, 2016

ZJedi945 said:
I have to ask... about how much shelf rock did you use? I am looking to buy some just don't know how much to buy. What a great tank btw!

I am not sure how many pounds. I ordered it from BRS and I did pay quite a bit to try to get the giant flat pieces. I made sure I used all of it for that reason alone!! Only 1 was broken, and glued together great with the Ecotech coral glue.

Leslie Tabor · Nov 20, 2016

Well it is official...my reef is 1 year old! I have to say this is quite a humbling undertaking. A few weeks ago I tried dosing ALK turns out I did it all wrong and lost 2 of my favorite corals before getting things balanced out again. This hobby can make you feel like a million bucks or a blithering idiot in the blink of an eye! I love all I have learned.
Otherwise, knock on wood...no serious issues. I thank all of you on R2R that have helped me out, this is my creation as I sit here right now...

Daniel@R2R · Nov 21, 2016

Leslie Tabor said:
Well it is official...my reef is 1 year old! I have to say this is quite a humbling undertaking. A few weeks ago I tried dosing ALK turns out I did it all wrong and lost 2 of my favorite corals before getting things balanced out again. This hobby can make you feel like a million bucks or a blithering idiot in the blink of an eye! I love all I have learned.
Otherwise, knock on wood...no serious issues. I thank all of you on R2R that have helped me out, this is my creation as I sit here right now...

Looks great! Sorry about the losses, but it looks like you're doing really well!

Leslie Tabor · Nov 21, 2016

mdbannister said:
Looks great! Sorry about the losses, but it looks like you're doing really well!

Thank you, I am trying!

Leslie Tabor · Dec 21, 2016

So I am entering another contest which requires an update to my tank thread! I dismantled part of my rock work and rearranged a few pieces to open up the middle of my tank. Let me know what you think!

sorry about the glare! Not the best pic...
As of late I am having a HUGE amount of trouble with LPS, mostly my euphyllia. Made a HUGE error with buffer solution in Sept that is haunting me...my water params are great but the damage was done apparently. Good times in reefing!

I added this beauty from BSA (thanks Ben!)

Still working on placing things...the RBTA (I am up to 3 again!) are making things slightly difficult. Waiting for the latest clone to find its spot. I love getting feedback and thoughts/ideas...I am a year into this now and am loving every minute...except the dying coral part! lol what a year!

Leslie Tabor · Apr 30, 2017

So I just read through my tank build and I am amazed at how much things change! I really screwed up my tank for a bit trying to manually dose Alk/Cal/Mg soooo it is super depressing to see all the corals I lost...HOWEVER...I am happily plugging along with more soft coral/mushrooms...I love my nems all of which have done great! Almost to the 1.5 year mark...thanks for all the help R2R!

the side of the 120...mostly because I have both my mandarins AND my "baby eel" (engineer goby) in 1 pic!

front...I am working on how to hide cords

I didn't paint the back of the tank and NOW think I should have. Lol

Cleaner shrimp having some fun!

Ok there is my update! No crazy equipment upgrades, no major drama just trying to keep the reef alive!

Leslie Tabor · May 16, 2017

New pictures! Would really love thoughts, comments, ideas...I am still learning and I LOVE going through this thread and seeing how much I change things! I have gotten away from LPS/DPS for now, I don't seem to do right by them but softies/mushrooms/gorgonians and still my nems. Rough go with fish for a bit but seem to doing better...knock on wood!