Zach's 120 Gallon Mixed Reef build!

thatguyZach

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Hey everyone! I've been around I think for a year now but never actually made a thread on my tanks progress or how I even started! So let me start by introducing myself then how I got to where I am currently on my tank. Hi! I'm Zachary, but usually go by Zach. I've been keeping freshwater fish for nearly 10 years now and saltwater for the past 2 years. I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and work part time at a LFS near downtown Dallas. I am a huge animal lover and in addition to all my fresh and salt tanks (7 fish tank in total!) I also have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 birds, and 3 ferrets! All my friends think I'm crazy but I wouldn't trade it for anything! But anyways, I started off in the salt world about 2 years ago with a simple 10 gallon with some live sand and rock for a pair of clownfish. Well I realized very quickly that it was nuts to try it with something so small that I didn't know much about. Within a couple months I was upgraded to a 55 gallon tank. Here is where I learned a major amount of what I know from making so many mistakes! It was a good build for a while, had some nice basic corals and fish. When I moved to my current house I decided to upgrade my tank again to something a lot bigger and hence my 120 gallon! It was nearly the same foot print ( just 2 feet wide instead of 1 foot!) and much taller! Unfortunately when I was upgrading I had a buddy (we don't talk anymore) bail out on me after confirming he would help me pick up the tank and move it after I broke my tank down specifically for the move! I lost all my fish and nearly all my corals!! I was so devastated but I took at as an opportunity to start over fresh and new and do this tank the right way! Now it is flourishing and doing wonderful and just getting better! Here's a breakdown of my equipment and livestock!

Equipment:
120 gallon dual over flow tank 48"x24"x24"
Trigger systems emerald 36 refugium
Reef Octopus 202-s Classic Skimmer
Mag 12 return pump
(2) Mars Aqua Black Box LED's upgraded with SB Reef light retrofit kits
Fluval LED refugium light (meant for freshwater tanks not 100% sure on exact light)
Eheim 200w Heater
(2) Ecotech Vortech MP40wes
Neptune Apex aquarium controller

Live Stock:
Niger Trigger
Blue Spot Puffer
Regal Tang
Black Cap Basslet
Magnificent Foxface
Lightning Maroon Clownfish (F)
Arc Eye Hawkfish
Rainbow BTA
Sand sifting Starfish
(2) Tiger Conch's
Multiple varieties of snails and hermit crabs
Multiple Acros, LPS, softies, and Zoa's (happen to be some of my favorite corals!)

I'll be happy to upload pictures of it another day, but at the time of writing this im exhausted and ready for bed!
 

revhtree

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Hey everyone! I've been around I think for a year now but never actually made a thread on my tanks progress or how I even started! So let me start by introducing myself then how I got to where I am currently on my tank. Hi! I'm Zachary, but usually go by Zach. I've been keeping freshwater fish for nearly 10 years now and saltwater for the past 2 years. I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and work part time at a LFS near downtown Dallas. I am a huge animal lover and in addition to all my fresh and salt tanks (7 fish tank in total!) I also have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 birds, and 3 ferrets! All my friends think I'm crazy but I wouldn't trade it for anything! But anyways, I started off in the salt world about 2 years ago with a simple 10 gallon with some live sand and rock for a pair of clownfish. Well I realized very quickly that it was nuts to try it with something so small that I didn't know much about. Within a couple months I was upgraded to a 55 gallon tank. Here is where I learned a major amount of what I know from making so many mistakes! It was a good build for a while, had some nice basic corals and fish. When I moved to my current house I decided to upgrade my tank again to something a lot bigger and hence my 120 gallon! It was nearly the same foot print ( just 2 feet wide instead of 1 foot!) and much taller! Unfortunately when I was upgrading I had a buddy (we don't talk anymore) bail out on me after confirming he would help me pick up the tank and move it after I broke my tank down specifically for the move! I lost all my fish and nearly all my corals!! I was so devastated but I took at as an opportunity to start over fresh and new and do this tank the right way! Now it is flourishing and doing wonderful and just getting better! Here's a breakdown of my equipment and livestock!

Equipment:
120 gallon dual over flow tank 48"x24"x24"
Trigger systems emerald 36 refugium
Reef Octopus 202-s Classic Skimmer
Mag 12 return pump
(2) Mars Aqua Black Box LED's upgraded with SB Reef light retrofit kits
Fluval LED refugium light (meant for freshwater tanks not 100% sure on exact light)
Eheim 200w Heater
(2) Ecotech Vortech MP40wes
Neptune Apex aquarium controller

Live Stock:
Niger Trigger
Blue Spot Puffer
Regal Tang
Black Cap Basslet
Magnificent Foxface
Lightning Maroon Clownfish (F)
Arc Eye Hawkfish
Rainbow BTA
Sand sifting Starfish
(2) Tiger Conch's
Multiple varieties of snails and hermit crabs
Multiple Acros, LPS, softies, and Zoa's (happen to be some of my favorite corals!)

I'll be happy to upload pictures of it another day, but at the time of writing this im exhausted and ready for bed!


LOL! Photos since it's a new day!
 
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thatguyZach

thatguyZach

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Here's some shots of the tank and corals!
8f23b618579d2df64a891137195c1e22.jpg
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bb4c81172565ab116aab038d9a354325.jpg
e41287b13727d5cb5be4ce917c5063b2.jpg
 
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thatguyZach

thatguyZach

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So I figured I'd do an updated stock list since I haven't posted in a bit.
Current fish stock:
Niger Trigger
Blue Spot Puffer
Fu Manchu lion fish
Regal Tang
Black Cap Basslet
Magnificent Foxface
Female Lightning Maroon Clownfish
Dragon Face Pipefish
Marine Betta
Copperband Butterfly
Black Sailfin Blenny
Blue Sided Fairy Wrasse
Rainbow BTA
Rose BTA
2 premium green rock flower anemones
Sand sifting star
2 Sand tiger conch's

Corals:
SPS
Purple cap monti
Yeti Acro
Bulbasaur Anacropora
Gelato Acro
Strawberry shortcake acro
Death widow acro
Garf Bonsai acro
Reverse Sand dollar monti
Superman monti
Mystic sunset monti

LPS:
Neon Green bubble
War favia
UC Fascination favites
Fox coral
Green stem Duncan
Kryptonite candy cane
Blastomussa
Purple tip hammer
Dino Egg chalice
Darkstar chalice
Hydnophora

Soft:
Neon Green toadstool
GSP
Pulsing Xenia
Ultra ricordea mushroom
Miami hurricane mushroom
Blue mushroom
WWC Illuminati Zoa
WWC Space queen Zoa
WWC Blueberry field Zoa
Red people eater Zoa
Spitfire Zoa
Green bay packer Zoa
Radioactive dragon eye Zoa
Fire and Ice Zoa
 
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