120g at a year and a half

[Shooter7]

Have had a couple people ask me in PM's to see pics of my tank, so I thought I'd just do a thread since I like seeing pics of other people's tanks as well. This tank took more than a year for me to actually get water flowing in it. I started off with no plumbing experience, knowing little of water chemistry, and never having been much of a DIY person. While I can't claim to now be a pro at any of those topics, I certainly know more now that I jumped in and "got my feet wet" with all of it.

Tank has gone through some transformations in its young life, starting out as almost exclusively softies and LPS, now with a considerable lean towards SPS. It went through a mysterious outbreak of a bright green turf type algae that lasted approx 8 months while I patiently tried things to battle its existence. This is what people talk about when they tell newbies that patience is required, it was very frustrating looking at that algae for so long after having the tank up and looking good for about 8 months prior to that. I suffered some coral casualties during that time, as well as recently due to some extreme shifts in tank chemistry as I've added more corals that suck more alk and Ca from my system. Added a Ca reactor intended to help stabilize things, but due to a mechanical malfunction, it went back offline again resulting in more large swings of alk and Ca, so I still have some corals none to happy with me. Ca reactor is back online now for a couple of weeks, so hopefully everybody will be happier for it. So, with that bried history out of the way, a couple pics. I don't have the greatest camera in the world and the tank is still not looking its best since the algae, it's at least looking quite a bit better than it did.



Side view:




If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask.

[MalHavoc]

Looking great! The monti has a nice colour and shape

[rbtwo4]

How many corals do u have that ur alk & calc. Is getting sucked up?

[Shooter7]

The SPS corals will use up your alk and Ca in your tank. I've been continually adding new frags for the past several months and the cumulative effect of them going in resulted in significant usage, even with dripping kalk. I was not able to keep up with just a kalk drip, so I decided to go with a Ca reactor. I'm pretty new with it, but it seems to be reaching a balance now of holding things where they need to be. Also have to watch Mg, as the salt I had been using was somewhat deficient in it. I'm switching to a salt with a higher Mg in the mix.

[Shooter7]

Originally posted by MalHavoc
Looking great! The monti has a nice colour and shape

Thanks. I got in on a recent thread in the SPS forum on montis that are showing more of an upward growth tendency rather than plating. I have had this one since before starting up this larger tank and it's always had some interesting growth patterns.

[Shooter7]

Closer up of the monti cap:

[payyourtoll]

very very nice!

[Shooter7]

Thank you!


By far, the coolest fish in the tank. This guy likes to swim between my fingers when I have my hand in the tank. Also likes me to "pet" him. My foxface will suck air from the surface for some reason, and go down near the bottom, letting air bubbles escape his gills. This guy loves to chase the air bubbles the foxface lets loose.

Purple tilefish:

[slapshot16]

Beautiful. Can you post a full tank shot. I am considering a 120 for my upgrade.

[Shooter7]

The first two pretty much are FTS's. I just didn't encompass a few inches at each end, or the higher up part with the pumps and return lines. Is that what you're wanting to see?

[Shooter7]

Just one more I liked

Blue mille and zoanthids battling for the same space. Zoas are losing...

[Randall_James]

the monti is a prize piece there, nice job

[Shooter7]

Thanks much! Although now I'm concerned because my clown is acting like he's hosting in a portion of it. Have two RBTA's in the tank and he hardly ever looks at them, now he's sizing up a cupped out area of the monti....

[Criminal#58369]

Nice tank and nice monti, any pics of a sump/fuge? Lets see the backbone of the system.

[Shooter7]

Okay....the not so glamorous "fish room" behind the tank. I opened up a square area in the wall and placed an access panel frame to make it a bit neater. In here you will find a homemade acrylic sump that holds about 30 gallons while in operation. Original design by the guy who put it together had an intake area that would have a skimmer in it, middle section as a refugium, and then return pump section. Well, his idea of how I "should" set up my sump area up was different from what I finally decided on, so I had problems right off the bat with finding a skimmer that would fit in the intake area. The refugium area never did really work like expected, and the return pump area is rather small. I eventually ditched the middle portion refugium and moved my skimmer in there. The skimmer is a Euroreef, a bit small for my system, but it's a champ at pulling stuff out so I just clean it often and run it all the time. The shelf above the sump had a 20g separate refugium on it for awhile, but it didn't work out either and I think due to running a system where I try really hard to keep nutrients down on, I always had trouble keeping chaeto alive. Now resting on that shelf is my GEO 612 Ca reactor setup. Due to the return area being small with my Mag12 pump in there, it only takes a couple days evap before it's practically sucking air, so topoff is a big need. To the right of the sump is a 20g tank that holds my RO/DI topoff water, handled by a Tunze Osmolator topoff unit. The controller for this is on the shelf with the ca reactor. The styrofoam on top of the topoff tank is just to help hold down evap from there and help keep junk in the air from settling in my topoff. To the right of that is my brute can that I mix water changes in. On the lid you can see a kalk dripper, some test kits, and a couple containers of Mrs. Wages pickling lime. Above the shelf you can see the wires going to the pH controller of my ca reactor. To the left of the picture is the wires going to my light ballasts and the DC-8 of my AC Jr controller. Coincidentally, for some reason just as I was about to snap this picture, we had some kind of power blackout that lasted about 5 seconds, knocking everything on my tank out. The controller did its job flawlessly and within seconds of the power returning, all equipment was running again as it should. There ya go.

[Criminal#58369]

Nice fish room.

[michaeljames]

Your GSP patch on the bottom looks like the fourth hole at my golf course, just kidding! but the tank is looking great! Nice job!

[Shooter7]

Thanks guys. Yeah, and I'm going to have to trim that stuff back too. It's starting to get too close to my main rocks and I'm not about to let it get a mat started there. I keep it as an island because I like having the stuff, but know that it can take over if you let it get on your main rocks. I think that center open spot was caused by my foxface. He likes laying his belly in there at night and falling asleep. He'll be upright in there with his belly in the green stars, then a bit later I'll see him start to lean over to the side like he's passing out, then he rights himself again. Cracks me up him using the GSP as a sleeping spot.

The fish room is functional I guess. REALLY wish had someplace to put a sink though.

Oh, and also forgot one piece of equipment hanging there. Phosban reactor with PHOSaR in it.

[RickySan]

very nice looks great. i love the setup!

[shouldabenacowboy]

Super nice setup!

SBC

[Shooter7]

Missed these responses yesterday....thanks guys!

[KaniRyde]

Your tank looks great. i just setup my 120 and I'm looking for ideas seeing your setup helps a lot. Wish I had a room I could use for a fish room, I guess i 'll have to make it work with my stand.

[Shooter7]

thanks...glad it's helpful to you.
The acrylic sump was actually made to size so that if I ever had to move the system for some reason, the sump would fit well inside the stand, and the stand is tall enough to handle the skimmer. However, I rather doubt I'd be able to squeeze that 20g topoff reservoir and Ca reactor setup all in there too!

I have been asked elsewhere, and to clarify, this is a 4x2x2 version of 120g. I understand some might have a tank with the same approx gallons but different measurements.

[pmartin727]

Great job MAN!

[mg426]

Nice work !!