125g reef build

[welsher7]

I typed all of this once but it had to many pictures in it. So now I have to do it again. I started my 125g as fowlr in july of 07'. I have slowly been making the transition to a reef tank. Here is a link to my thread (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1195092) in the fish only and aggressive section.
Tank and equipment specs:
-125g AGA w/ dual overflows
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/125g%20FOWLR/DSC00620.jpg
- 40g sump
- ASM G3 (mesh mod, recirc mod, and fed directly from the overflow)
- two 250w stealth heaters
- Mag 9.5 return pump
- phosban reactor for carbon
- Aquactinics 72" Constellation fixture
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0061-1.jpg
- four koralia #4s (two are on a seio controller)
Here are two tank shots taken last week to give you an idea on how the tank looks.
left side
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0039.jpg
right side
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0038.jpg

[welsher7]

Fish list:
- 24+" zebra eel
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0096.jpg
- 7" russelles lionfish
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0047.jpg
- 4" sargassum trigger
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0022.jpg
- 5" blue hippo tang
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/blue%20hippo%20tang/DSC_0392.jpg
- 6" yellow tang
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0056-1.jpg
- 4" tomato clownfish
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0044.jpg
- 3" grey damsel
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0078.jpg

[BLKTANG]

Nice clean lookin tank.

[welsher7]

I only have a couple corals in the tank for now. I have some red mushrooms, and a finger leather. Yesterday I picked up some corals from jetdrvr. Two acropora sp. and an encrusting monti, and a toadstool leather. Here some pictures of the new corals. these pictures were only taken 24hrs after the corals had been in the tank.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0140-1.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0141.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/DSC_0125.jpg
I have a rbta that I had to pull out of the tank yesterday becuase the tomato clown was stressing it out. I don't plan on adding anymore corals to the tank until I get a Ca reactor setup. Does anyone have any suggestions on one? Or any other comments on my tank?

[creep]

Very nice tank! How do you like that light? I am planning a 180 gallon tank and was thinking of using that light. Is that the 14 bulb one?

[welsher7]

yes it is the 14 bulb fixture, and I like it alot. I bought it used and saved a ton of money. The only thing I don't like about it is the fixture is exactly 72" long and my 125 is 72 1/2" with the plastic bracing. So the available raiser legs aren't wide enough to fit over the aga bracing. So I have just resting on the tank until I firgure out a way to hang it with out drilling holes in my ceiling. Does anyone have any ideas on how I could raise the fixture a couple inches abouve the tank?

[AquaKnight]

14 bulbs? :eek: Gonna mortage the house when it's replacement time? lol...

[welsher7]

I plan on replacing 7 bulbs at a time, 3 from one side and 4 four from the other. I will do that every 6 months, so the bulbs will be in the fixture year before be replaced. I have read mixed reports on when to replace bulbs, from 18 months to 6 months, but once a year sound good to me.

[welsher7]

So I'm sitting here bored at work thinking about tank. I was wondering does anyone think that I will run into any problems down the road with my fish selection? I don't plan on adding anymore fish as I think I might already be pushing the limit. What worries me is that the lion and eel will grow and continue to produce a lot of watse. I'm not sure my tank will be able to handle it. In the long run I'm worried I might have to many large fish. Any suggestions or opinions on what I should do?

[AquaKnight]

Just keep an eye on things and monitor. I dunno how many more SPS corals I would do, but if you start to see nitrates rise, look into a denitrator. Maybe reevaluate your water change schedule?

[kaiser]

I had a Clown Trigger and he liked to munch on my GSP.

[atvdave]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11850934#post11850934 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by welsher7
yes it is the 14 bulb fixture, and I like it alot. I bought it used and saved a ton of money. The only thing I don't like about it is the fixture is exactly 72" long and my 125 is 72 1/2" with the plastic bracing. So the available raiser legs aren't wide enough to fit over the aga bracing. So I have just resting on the tank until I firgure out a way to hang it with out drilling holes in my ceiling. Does anyone have any ideas on how I could raise the fixture a couple inches abouve the tank?

I also the the same fixture on a 125. I just have mine resting on the top of my tank as well and it seems to work out just fine for my tank. I have one center brace so I was concerned that the fixture would tip or fall into the tank during maintenance, so I made 2 steel rods (small Key stock) and put heat shrink plastic around them so they wouldn't rust and place them on the inside grove of my tank lid. Now when I need to get into my tank I just slide the fixture back and don't have any worries that it will fall in.

Here's a pic, you can see the rods at the 1/4 I 3/4 position.

Happy reefing.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/56970aquam6.JPG

[welsher7]

Time for an update.
Here is a recent FTS that was taken last weekend.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/125g%20reef%20tank/DSC_0378.jpg
I picked up a green birdsnest coral the other day at the lfs. It is doing well and is showing great polyp extension. I just can't capture the right color but the picture is close.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0376.jpg
here are the SPS in my tank.
This one has put on some good growth at the base, and the new growth is purple. It also has purple tips.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0377.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0407.jpg
This one really has done much that at least that I can notice. It has a nice green cast though when under the actinics.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0378.jpg
The monti is growing like crazy and has almost completely covered the rock it is on.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0397.jpg

[welsher7]

here are the rest of the corals in the tank
some zoas I picked up a couple weeks ago.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0405.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0412.jpg
finger leather
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0408.jpg
toad stool
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0409.jpg
hammer coral
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0411.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Coral/DSC_0379.jpg

[welsher7]

now for the fish pictures
zebra eel
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/zebra%20eel/DSC_0402.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/zebra%20eel/DSC_0400.jpg
sargassum trigger
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Sargassum%20trigger/DSC_0386.jpg
sailfin tang
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Tangs/DSC_0384.jpg
I got a decent shot of the russells lionfish but my camera battery died before I could upload it. So as soon as it charges I will post it.
I'm upgrading my ASM G3 to a G4+ that has the recirc and has the gate valve mod on it. I'm also trading in the large tomato clown, the damsel and the dampiera for store credit.

[atvdave]

Your tank is coming along nicely. Great looking corals & fish. Watch that Trigger around the Zoa.

What kind of camera are you using. Them pic's are great, and very sharp. I just can't seem to get my wifes Olympus 7.1 m-pex to shoot clear.

Any way.... nice tank.

[welsher7]

I use a nikon D50 with the kit lens. I need to get a macro lens soon.

[welsher7]

thanks for the compliments on the tank and pictures

[welsher7]

Here is the Russells lionfish picture
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n259/welsher7/Russells%20lionfish/DSC_0394.jpg