Randy's new 120 gallon Reef

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

As my first reef tank (90 gallons) passed it's 10 year anniversary, my wife decided that my home made stand had to go. We decided to get a custom made walnut stand from BRI Aquatic Cabinets via Blue Reef Aquatics. The stand was very expen sive and it took 4 months to complete, but is very nice and I'd do it again the same way. Since I had to empty the 90 to swap the stand, I decided to upgrade to an Oceanic 120 with dual internal overflows. That would fit in the same space as the old 90 that had a siphon overflow.

Here's a picture of the stand and tank:

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The tank is mostly set up with the second batch of Walt SmithTonga branch that I recieved from Reefer Madness, many of the existing corals and fish from my 90, and some new creatures from an LFS (Skiptons), Live Aquaria.com, and a local reefer (the purple H. Crispa).

Here's a closeup of the tank:

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

And here's a close up of the H. crispa. I removed the pink skunks that were in it for fear that they were irritating it too much. I'll pop them back in after another week or so, and see how it does. There are also a couple of Bartlets Anthias in quarantine that will go in after a couple of weeks.:

[steve the plumb]

very nice.I want a larger tank but my wife won't let me buy one.I will get it drilled. I like the look better than my HOB overflows.I couldn't see your return.I like the blue back round helps blend things in.In the second pick the back looks dim so you focus on the corals,I like the lighting effect.

[Hobster]

Looks like a fine piece of furniture, I like the molding. Is that a dental molding?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, it is. We finally have a tank stand that fits with the piano in the room.

[Morgandy]

It's all beautiful...that Crispa is spectacular!!!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks, Amy.

I added the pink skunk clowns back to it a couple of days ago. So far so good.

[Boomer]

Looks nice Randy. Hopefully the crispa won't wonder, he looks really good there. So who plays the piano"D

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My wife and two daughters play the piano. I listen.

[boxfishpooalot]

walnut , very nice!

I like the trim on that stand, looks Victorian.My house will be all Victorian style one day. And it matches your piano also(Randys got stye!)! Im jealous. That stand will never beat my 2x4 stand lol

I bet the stand cost more than the rest of the tank.....

What are the dimentions?

O yea, post some pics of the old setup for comparison.please

[MarksReef]

Looking good, Randy. I too went from a 90 to 120 and love the extra room.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I bet the stand cost more than the rest of the tank.....

Certainly more than the Oceanic tank and everything in it so far.




Thanks, Mark.

[boxfishpooalot]

Hey, hows the long horned cowfish? I love my boxfish. My girlfriends favorite fish also.

Does he eat nori seaweed? Mine eats it all day! When I first got the ocstracion cubicus boxfish(yellow spot) a year ago, he constantly ate hair algae untill it was all gone. Now he needs that nori.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The cowfish is doing great.

He eats the live macroalgae that I add (Caulerpa and chaetomorpha) as well as most other prepared foods.

[boxfishpooalot]

About the stand, it truly is beautifull. Just wondering the quality of walnut > is it a soft wood or more dense and hard. How heavy is this wood? Did you need 10 people to carry it in the house?

Why did you choose walnut over somthing cheaper ?But it is beautifull.

If you got somthing else what would you choose? Mahogony(spelling?)

Can you show a pic of the inside of the stand?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I choose walnut for the beauty. Walnut is fairly hard and dense, but I am not a wood expert. Parts of it are walnut laminated plywood, and some is solid walnut. I can take a picture sometime of the inside, but the back is mostly open. I drilled 2 large holes through the stand bottom and through the living room floor to reach the sump in the basement.

[kevensquint]

With a 120 and a piano in the same room, there were no floor re-enforcement issues?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The piano is far from the tank, but the house is a solid 1909 home, and I did put 2 2x4's supporting under floor under the tank.

[iantoh]

nice tank and setup randy.

did you place the rock pieces surrounding the H. Crispa to discourage it from wondering?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, and it doesn't appear to be very well attached. I have twice found it had floated off.

[Mr_Quality]

Hi Randy,

Long time no write...

The tank and stand look really nice.

I'm sure Skiptons will appreciate the public endorsement. I've shopped there myself. My brother (3_high_low) takes me there whenever I'm "home".

[boxfishpooalot]

any pics inside the stand

P.S.- you need to change "2x90 gallon tanks"

[baller71ss]

Hey Randy,

Beautiful setup, it looks great. I'd like to see pics of the canopy and inside the stand as well. I'm all for the inclosed canopy, it look so "seamless" compared to an open canopy IMO.
I'm interested in the cowfish. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of info/experience with them in a reef setup here on RC. Any problems with coral nipping, etc.??

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks, guys.

No problem with the cowfish at all. He doesn't bother anything in the tank, and everyone here loves watching him. When I recently added some snails, he went over and mouthed once or twice on each of their shells to see if they were food, but then gave up on them. Maybe one day when he is bigger, he'll bother things, but not now. He eats a ton of food.