125g reef build

[tyler3276]

i have been in this hobby for about 6 months now. i started with a 55g mixed reef tank and wanted to upgrade to a 125. the tank is a 125g aga with 2 built in overflows and has a aqua clear aquatics 200 wet dry filter. it has 120 pounds of sand and about 200lbs of live rock. for lighting it have 3 150w metal halides and 2 54w t5s. livestock is a yellow tang, blue tang, banded cat shark, blue jaw trigger and two clowns. let me know what u think about the tank. http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/skimmer004.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/skimmer006.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/skimmer008.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/skimmer007.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/125greeftank004.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/125greeftank001.jpg

[MarcoPolo]

Looks good. Key for a successful reef tank is very good water flow, stable water parameters, and good lighting. Bio load is a function of your success to manage nutrients in the water column, ie exporting nutrients when in excess. You don't need a phd in chemistry to run a good tank, but knowing your water parameters and how these impact the tank is key. What are you water parameters?

[jcw]

Really nice pieces of rock in there.

[tyler3276]

ph- 8.0 ammonia-0 nitrite-0 nitrate-0 calcium- 420

[thebkramer]

:bounce3: LOVE THE ROCK-SCAPING!! :bounce3:

Can't wait to see it blossom!!! :lol2:

[tyler3276]

thanks

[MarcoPolo]

In addition to calcium, measure regularly alkalinity, and don't forget magnesium. These 'three brothers' are behind the success of any reef tank. Magnesium should be 3.1 times the calcium level. Alkalinity between 8-10.

[rocklion]

is a "clean up crew" an absolute must when starting a new reef tank?

[rocklion]

p.s.---excellent rock work!..love the look!

[bnumair]

looking good.

[tyler3276]

new addition 8in long clam and does anyone know what kind it is http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/clamday1003.jpg

[Impossible]

Looks like a Derasa Clam to me, then again im no clam expert...

[duncantse]

I love your aquascape! Did you use any thing to hold the rocks up?

[CarlitosReef]

Nice set up! I wonder how long it took you to set up the 55g, seems like you upgraded pretty fast for 6 months being in this hobby.

P.S any pictures of your overflow?

[tyler3276]

the rocks are just stacked and i drained almost all the water out of my 55g and put it in my 125 and made the rest of the saltwater so it was like doing a 50% water change and after 1 hour moved everything over to it.

[tyler3276]

heres some pics of my over flow box. theres two of them on this tank. http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/overflowbox002.jpg http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/overflowbox001.jpg

[tyler3276]

bump

[tyler3276]

just added some more corals yesterday. http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/coral6-9-11011.jpg frogspawn 10 heads http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/coral6-9-11013.jpg green monticap http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/coral6-9-11012.jpg red monticap i think

[tyler3276]

look

[harber79]

How do you have two returns in one overflow box w/ a durso? I thought AGA only had 2 holes per overflow? Just wondering b/c I have the same tank only w/ black trim and wondering how to plumb. thnks. btw, good looking tank.

[walnuts24]

It looks like he came up with one pipe to the top of the box then put a Tee-fitting on the pipe connected to two returns and made it himself

[tyler3276]

it olny has on return in each overflow. i bought the whole kit from aga and replace everything in the overflows and they come with y's

[tyler3276]

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/overflowbox001.jpg[/QUOTE]

the one on the top i used as a plug to keep fish out

[Palting]

LOL! I was wondering what that was. I, too, thought you had 2 returns in each overflow.

Good looking tank and aquascape! Keep it up :thumbsup:

[harber79]

Ah, it makes sense now, thanks for the clarification. In the process of building a tank of the same size... I'll be following.

[tyler3276]

i got a new sump refugium and have a question. i got a reptile looking light from lowes and put a 120w bulb and hung it above my refuge is that to much light for the cheto i got in there
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/refugium001.jpg
heres the bulbs im using in it
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/refugium004.jpg

[jcw]

Should be fine, but you can save some money running compact fluorescent bulbs.

[tyler3276]

ok thanks how long should i run them each day

[CarlitosReef]

Wow I have been out for a while. Your tanks looks great! I like how after the rocks were added you can barely notice the overflow box. Unless is the picture tricking me. I'm thinking in doing one overflow box for my 55g in the middle. But I'm scared and not sure if is possible to drill my glass without braking. I'm not sure.if is tempered I know the bottom is. Also I don't have a good design idea for my overflow to lead to my 30g sump. Good work keep it up. Il be around your thread.

"You can help create your own luck, you can make things happen through hard work and intelligence."- Donald J. Trump

[jimmy frag]

how are you controling/exporting nitrates. the bio balls and a shark will be producing quite a bit soon enough. nice looking set up

[jimmy frag]

Should be fine, but you can save some money running compact fluorescent bulbs.

get the 65k ones

[tyler3276]

i sold the shark because the new owner was putting him in a 500g tank and he would be much happier

[tyler3276]

i just got the refugium today but when i was running my wet dry filter my tank would not stay clean it would turn brown again after 3h of doing a water change. so i hope when i get my refuge setup right with a dsb and lots of chetto in it it will help the tank out.

[tyler3276]

recently added this baby naso tang http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/crownvic001.jpg

[CarlitosReef]

What a sexy naso I love this tangs!! how big is this puppy?

[Palting]

Nice! Those puppies grow to 18" in length, though. I took a measuring tape and held it against my tank, and was quite surprised how long 18" is, and how small my tank was relative to that. I've had my naso from a juvenile age for about a year now. She's a true character, my kids just love her. Someday she's going to outgrow my tank. As yours will outgrow your tank, too. I dread that day, because I'll have to give her away then.

[CarlitosReef]

How fast they grow?

[Palting]

How fast they grow?

There have been some numbers thrown around, with a lot of inconsistencies, so I don't really know. He was around 3" with juvenile colors when I got him around May 2010. I just measured him last night and he's about 5", 15 months later.

[CarlitosReef]

Not to bad, I have a 55g, looking to get a tang for my algae. I really like the naso really beautiful tang. I probably end up getting a baby one as well, I plan to upgrade in a year or year and half the most.

[tyler3276]

how big is this puppy?[/QUOTE]

he is about 4in long

[tyler3276]

new aquascape
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/newaquascape9-12-11023.jpg
left side
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/newaquascape9-12-11024.jpg
right side
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/newaquascape9-12-11025.jpg
and new coral beauty
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/newaquascape9-12-11028.jpg

[tyler3276]

bump

[calbert0]

Love the aquascaping

[tyler3276]

thanks

[tyler3276]

just added yesterday a rbta
day 1
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/day12.jpg


day 2
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/day22.jpg

[tyler3276]

just added a Vlamingii Tang about a week ago

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/valmingiitang007.jpg

[tyler3276]

New Phoenix 14000k bulbs look great on the tank.

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/random140.jpg

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/random141.jpg

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/random142.jpg

[tyler3276]

also got a black and white occ. clown

[Palting]

Looking real nice. Coraline seems to be growing well. You must be doing something right!

[tyler3276]

thanks

[tyler3276]

update

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/tank1-23-15002.jpg

[rogermccray]

Between that naso and vlamini you have some REALLY big fish in there...

Aquascape looks very nice.

[tyler3276]

the naso passed away

[tyler3276]

some more pic.

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/coralpic1-26-12003.jpg

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/coralpic1-26-12001.jpg

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/coralpic1-26-12002.jpg

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/coralpic1-26-12004.jpg

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/coralpic1-26-12005.jpg

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/coralpic1-26-12006.jpg

[rogermccray]

the naso passed away

sorry to hear that, pics are looking good.

[Dholmblad]

Are you dosing anything, your coraline growth is pretty good

[tyler3276]

added a green slimmer coral today

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/latemodel006.jpg

[tyler3276]

and yes i dose cal.

[rogermccray]

Is it me or do things look a little bleached?

[tyler3276]

on the monti caps when they have a white rim around them it means they're growing

[tyler3276]

update i added a aquatronica controller, tunze 6200, and a canopy, and a clam


http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/reeftank2-6-12007.jpg



http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/tang2-27-12002.jpg..


http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/ebay-clam006.jpg


http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/IMG_0216-1.jpg


http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/IMG_0219-1.jpg



http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu165/tyler3276/IMG_0220-1.jpg