Susan's 125 gal re-reboot. 3rd Times the Charm

[fishguy242]

or where the galaxy is

bottom back behind rock where hammer is tilt in corner let encrust on glass

 

[fishface NJ]

Susan, wow what a transformation! Good luck with everything and I'll be following along

 

[Susan Edwards]

Susan, wow what a transformation! Good luck with everything and I'll be following along

Thank you! Tonight I will check out your build thread! Corals are here! Let the dipping begin! (ugh rudely awakened by ups with my precious corals, so after a cup of coffee..... )

 

[fishface NJ]

Can you tell me what you used there on the light hanger connections?

Thanks!
Diana

 

[Susan Edwards]

Can you tell me what you used there on the light hanger connections?

Thanks!
Diana

Aluminum rod which he cut and then machined to match bolts on light, which is 6 ml x 1, and also, to match the bolts that came with the TV mount which are also 6 ml x 1. The bar going across is also aluminum that he drilled.

He is willing to make these if you'd like. He just needs bolt size and thread type or you can get the TV Mount below and he knows exactly what to machine. I can give you more detailed pics if they aren't in this thread. There is also the TV mount thread I posted in. I can find if you cannot.

Here is the TV mount

 

[fishface NJ]

Ahh he machined it. I have spent time in Lowes and Home Depot looking for a item to do that. I'll have to get creative. I have the aluminum L bar to attach my lights to.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[Susan Edwards]

Corals are here! Not sure what happened to my post I _thought_ I posted this morning before my cup of coffee! Hope I didn't post it elsewhere...

First, the bayer stuff works great! Lots of bugs fell off! Did a bayer dip, revive did, and another one which is more of an iodine dip I believe. Rinsed in saltwater twice and onto the frag holders in DT. Finally got to use the frag holder I got last year from R2R for supporting partner! Been using it to hold testing tubes...

AquaSD corals were nicely packed. Did have bugs. Really impressed with Aquarium Depot though. They had a weather/temp label on the packing slip so they did some homework to check my weather conditions. Also, plugs have holes drilled sideways in them which are used to suspend coral in bag of water from top so coral doesn't bounce around. Very impressed!! All corals at bottom of tank.

Aqua SD corals
Mint chip blasto-looks good
blue planet cyphastrea chunk
Ultra Ricordea--will glue to it's rock home tomorrow or sunday as it is low in tank
Forrest fire rhodactis--will also attach to new home
Pink pop chalice
Pretty eyes cyphastrea
1 freebie. No idea what it is

Aquarium Depot Corals
Green Poci - tentacles already out and waving
leptastrea blue eyed looking nice and fluffy
leptastrea silver eye. hard to see
purple people poly and lunar poly in process of opening
ricordia multi--will also go on rock tomorrow
Some nice pods. Need to add them to sump. floating now.

Let the coral watching begin!!! Here's some pics. Really need to take them into a photo program to edit but later, as they open. Maybe I'll use a flashing to try to get rid of the blue a bit lol's. I'll upload coral pics tonight

 

[Susan Edwards]

Ahh he machined it. I have spent time in Lowes and Home Depot looking for a item to do that. I'll have to get creative. I have the aluminum L bar to attach my lights to.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Let me know if you'd like him to make them for you. He volunteered. Said it wouldn't take that long.

 

[fishface NJ]

Let me know if you'd like him to make them for you. He volunteered. Said it wouldn't take that long.

Oh my gosh!!! What a sweet guy! I went to sit down in my chair and missed it because I was shocked someone would offer to make it.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Oh my gosh!!! What a sweet guy! I went to sit down in my chair and missed it because I was shocked someone would offer to make it.

OMG! lol's! Just let me know. Hope you didn't hurt yourself!

 

[Reverend Turtle]

If I could make a suggestion, move the Cyphastrea lower, they tend to do better in lower light. As for the galaxy, anywhere at least 6" from everything else and your good.

 

[jasonsingh]

Okay, moving this from discussion thread to a new build thread. This is my second time trying to reboot this tank. So counting the original set up, this makes I hope, 3rd times the charm! I'm inspired by my son-in-law who just set up a custom 400 peninsula tank. God, it is a beauty! So, time to get my beauty back.

Life intruded for the last couple years, and I had to put my tank on hold.
-2018 I lost my mom who lived with us. As she smoked in her room, I had it painted with a special primer for smoking, and it was so noxious, it wiped out half my fish and corals in 3 tanks! Talk about a huge white bacteria bloom!
-2019 my daughter decided to get married in Croatia-destination wedding (and it was a fairytale wedding and experience!) so I took down all but the 125 tank as we were going to be gone 3 weeks, and I didn't want a pet sitter overwhelmed. All money went for that trip! 2020 as we all know has been with its own challenges. Esp. in California where not everything is reopened, or safe to go out, like to fish stores. And summer here is too hot to order any live fish or corals. So now that fall is about here, now is the time!

I also admit to some disappointment with the tank. It is just a "cheap" glass tank. My first tank was starfire glass (RS Max c250). I wanted to go bigger so found the one I know have. It isn't as wide as I'd wanted so my rockscape wasn't what I envisioned. And the glass, being used, gets coraline fast that is hard to remove. I should have waited but oh well. This is what I have until I upgrade.

I've lost most corals. But all fish seem to be doing good. So now I'm ready to reboot and redo. I spent time today making a plan. And it will be a job. Here is my plan:

Start now

• Clean glass in stages to not overwhelm system (no3 is off charts as it is)
• Clean sump. Remove all media and vacuum out as much as I can without taking all the water out with the refuge
• work on 45 gal tank RS Max e170. Remove the atv we tried to use as sealant for bulkhead leaks (has option of under cabinet sump). The seals, I think, dried out. So now I have to remove all the stuff we used, and take bulk heads out to check seals. I need this tank to hold rock that I remove from the 125 to keep it live. fix and move to new location.
• research new lights. The marine orbits just don't seem to do for the corals
• buy sand
• clean all powerheads. Use pitcher of vinegar water hanging on rim to soak each powerhead

Next Step
Set up 45 gal tank, remove sand in stages- I have very fine sand that blows around. I'm going to add some med. 1-2mm size. I'll devise a way to dump sand where I want it, down a pvc pipe maybe.
Remove a lot of rock and redo scape
Rescue Clown stuck in overflow if still alive... I put food in there everyday. use old sand to fill overflow where it is stuck to get it out.... If he is still alive. I put food there every day.... Then vacuum out sand. Put him in the 45 and decide whether to give away, buy another. Have 1 pair in tank already
Add new sand
Redo landscape
Replace lights
Fix all electrical cords
Hook up doser and manifold. If easy to change water, perhaps I'll do it more often!
Lastly: buy fish and corals!
set up schedule for water changes and testing

Okay, I guess a new build needs pics, even ones that are embarassing!!! I'll make a list of my fish after I can see lol's.

And here it is. Just awful. You can tell which side I always start to clean first lol's. The 45 will be moved to the dining room to free up some living room space. Like for my xmas tree...

Sigh. There are fish in there...

 

[jasonsingh]

You need a very fine acrylic sponge to remove that and be very gentle.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Pics of corals. Need to relearn to use my camera and research how to take aquarium pics.

No idea what this is. Freebie

 

[jasonsingh]

They grow fast, in the right conditions.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Parameters not too bad today.
Ca 460-a bit high. Did water change yesterday
Alk 7.2 a bit low.
NO3 80.
PO4 .45 which is way lower than it has been. Might redo that test tonight...

Need to figure a way to get no3 down. Never had much success with dosing. Debating removing half gallon of water every day. I've probably done 100% water change since end of September. NO3 is way down from off the charts but need it better. Aiming for 40 then 20.

Need to figure out how to recharge phosguard, if you can. I have a jar of it I can use.

Have to make a trip to a friends to pick up a chair. Trip to the LFS Saturday if we find one still open!!! And they are not too crowded.... (covid...)

A good day today

 

[Susan Edwards]

If I could make a suggestion, move the Cyphastrea lower, they tend to do better in lower light. As for the galaxy, anywhere at least 6" from everything else and your good.

thanks! that is why I posted this!

 

[Reverend Turtle]

First, which one was the freebie?
Second, do you have room in the sump for a refugium? Adding some chaeto and a cheap led flood light from Amazon will do wonders for you NO3 and PO4.

 

[Susan Edwards]

QUOTE="Reverend Turtle, post: 8095273, member: 84666"]
First, which one was the freebie?
Second, do you have room in the sump for a refugium? Adding some chaeto and a cheap led flood light from Amazon will do wonders for you NO3 and PO4.
[/QUOTE]
I have a fuge. Never any luck with chaeto. Was going to try to put it in a mouse ball (like the hamster balls but smaller) so it can roll around and not go everywhere. I just added some huge pods so that is on my list. Everyone's out of stock. Was going to also add some other macros down there. I havve a led that comes on during the night

 

[Susan Edwards]

You need a very fine acrylic sponge to remove that and be very gentle.

Confused here. To remove what?