120G Mixed Reef (upgrade from a JBJ45)

[raullozano3]

I posted earlier in December that I was upgrading to JBJ45 so here is the post of the tank and some pictures, took me the whole weekend until today to hook update and hook everything I already had. But a small story about it, after 35 years on the hobby mostly on Fresh water and probably the last 10 years with a 20g nano then a 45g mix reef, decided to move to a larger tank, and well 120g is not on the extreme side, but decided to invest on gear and thanks to my Wife that allowed it (no college fund anymore but do not tell her j/k). , Decided to do an investment on something that will probably last me more than expected, I could have gone with a REDSEA or larger, but not sure I would have enjoy it more and could afford some of the other gear.

Decided to invest on all new and re use some of my JBJ 45( only the lights and well the APEX)

But here is the gear. (could have gone with a RedSea Red Sea Max S650 in the sense of the $$, but I wanted to be more custom, and also capable to make changes in the future to the filtration if even needed). Probably ended on the same cost. Big Investment but for fun and enjoyment.

Most of this came from reading and reading POSTS at the forums

• Planet Aquarium Rimless 120G with upgraded front Crystal/ Internal Overflow.
• Planet Aquarium Elegance Black stand.
• Sump Trigger systems Emerald 39"
• Protein Skimmer Red Sea rsk-600
• Clarisea 3000
• APEX SYSTEM Already had it.
  • LSM module
  • WM module
  • FMM module
  • COR-20 Return PUMP getting about 1023 gph.
  • FS-200
  • Trident (love this thing and with the DOS system) I have th ALK on par, even after the upgrade tank.
  • 2 DOS systems for NOPOX/2 PART DOSING/ AMINOS (Already had)
  • Breakout box with some switches and sensors on it.
  • Leak Sensors I already had
• Fuge Light
• 2 Kessil 160w already had before
• 2 Kessil a360we had to go with this to control with the apex, (if you have not figures out I am a control freak)
• Tunze ATO (Already had)
• 2 ECOTECH MP40s
• Heaters Fluval and a Jaeger (getting some titanium ones)
• ATO container 20G (under the black box that doesn't look part of the stand)
• And well no fish room, I wish I had one, so for that I had to have a lot of space on the back to move around, do not like tanks all the way to the wall.

Ah forgot it is a MIX reef, with sticks SPS, LSP, softies, clowns, Starry blenny, wrasse, spotted mandarins,Watchman goby and skunk shrimp and cleaner crew ( not sure I was able to move them successfully after the sand cleanup). All of that was on the JBJ 45

Big investment , hope it pays for it ( I mean in enjoyment, because this hobby just puts dents on my bank account lol)

Here are some photos, the plumbing is kind of ok (lol) there were some issues with it, but well that is another story.

 

[reef lover]

Looking good!

 

[X-37B]

Ya got enough equipment lol?
Nice setup! Looking forward to watching it being stocked!

 

[MERKEY]

Sweet tank, can't wait to see it full!

 

[MERKEY]

I just noticed the emergency stop and it made me laugh. This is great!!!

I like it!!

 

[X-37B]

I just noticed the emergency stop and it made me laugh. This is great!!!

I like it!!

Missed that one funny!

 

[raullozano3]

Thanks, yep has the emergency stop, so far I have not used it or any of the family members, but the green button for feeding that has help for my kids to feed the tank without going into details lol, (just press buttons, then drop the food into the tank)

 

[raullozano3]

Here is a latest pic, and the stock (I am dealing with some cyano that I think I brought from my old tank, but well it always stays like that I think it is the NOPOX, not out of control, one of this days will nuke it with chemipure)


And the Stock:
From old tank:
2 clowns.
1 starry Blennie.
2 spotted mandarins (male female)
1 Watchman Goby
1 Pistol Shrimp
1 six line wrasse (RIP decided to jump this week :'( )
1 skunk Shrimp
1 Some cleaner crew.

Added after the migration:
1 Powder Brown Tang
1 Blue ye tang
1 Tomini tang
1 pin tail wrasse
1 melanurus Wrasse (replaced the six line. . )
1 Midas Blenny
4 Fire fish (unfortunately went with the LFS story of good in groups, already found out one is trying to take care of the rest of the Fire Fish, I think I have 3 males one female, but well can't try and destroy the tank to just get the fire fish)
2 more skunk shrimp.
1 More assorted cleaning crew


corals:

Old :
Zoas,
1 Scoly
1 Lobo
1 Duncan multiple heads
1 Favia
1 GSPcluster
1 Torch
2 Bird Nests
1 Hollywood stunner
1 Green Acro (it is ticked was green now it is browning, probably ALK swings with new water and new light, polyps still green)
1 Green branch Mointi
1 red branch monti

Added some frags (doing so so)
1 WWC Monster Jan passamocora
1 Red Hot Monti
1 Tubbs Stella Montu
1 Neon green Stylo
1 Tyree flower Petal Monti

 

[X-37B]

Here is a latest pic, and the stock (I am dealing with some cyano that I think I brought from my old tank, but well it always stays like that I think it is the NOPOX, not out of control, one of this days will nuke it with chemipure)


And the Stock:
From old tank:
2 clowns.
1 starry Blennie.
2 spotted mandarins (male female)
1 Watchman Goby
1 Pistol Shrimp
1 six line wrasse (RIP decided to jump this week :'( )
1 skunk Shrimp
1 Some cleaner crew.

Added after the migration:
1 Powder Brown Tang
1 Blue ye tang
1 Tomini tang
1 pin tail wrasse
1 melanurus Wrasse (replaced the six line. . )
1 Midas Blenny
4 Fire fish (unfortunately went with the LFS story of good in groups, already found out one is trying to take care of the rest of the Fire Fish, I think I have 3 males one female, but well can't try and destroy the tank to just get the fire fish)
2 more skunk shrimp.
1 More assorted cleaning crew


corals:

Old :
Zoas,
1 Scoly
1 Lobo
1 Duncan multiple heads
1 Favia
1 GSPcluster
1 Torch
2 Bird Nests
1 Hollywood stunner
1 Green Acro (it is ****** was green now it is browning, probably ALK swings with new water and new light, polyps still green)
1 Green branch Mointi
1 red branch monti

Added some frags (doing so so)
1 WWC Monster Jan passamocora
1 Red Hot Monti
1 Tubbs Stella Montu
1 Neon green Stylo
1 Tyree flower Petal Monti

Very nice. I like the minimal scape. Mine is minimal too.

 

[raullozano3]

yep went that way, space for the sticks, fish and also on the fuge i have some media there

 

[raullozano3]

just and updated Pic.

 

[Bacon505]

Oh man i hope all your kids are grownup. If it was my house, that equipment cabinet wont last a day.

 

[raullozano3]

Yeah they are all grown up, teenagers, they pretty much do not care about my hobby .

 

[raullozano3]

some randoms pics from the tank,

 

[raullozano3]

Well this COVID-19 really help on doing projects that I was planning on doing on the summer, CARX and AWC.
CaRX:
GEO 618 with an extra Chamber.
CO2 regulator: Double Stage, and swagelock valve.
AWC:
Two brute cans on the garage, plumbed with a COR-20 I use as a spare.
RODI tubing from GArage to the tanks ~45ft: For the AWC and the ATO fill up.
RODI system on the garage.
CAT5 cabling to extend APEX aquabus.

Some pics
.

 

[raullozano3]

Been a while I updated this thread, and well I tank still on, unfortunately I had to deal with some RTN and lost most of my SPS and also some of my LPS and one of them is suffering with GHA. Probably nutrient management and parameters not on point. But also I think any time you go from a smaller tank to a larger one it is like starting a new system so right now I am dealing with some tank uglies, GHA, cyano also lost some stock because they decided to JUMP even with a screen on the tank but either way tank is maturing and it is always a learning experience.

 

[raullozano3]

Lost some corals, had to do some drastic Turf Algae clean up and now I am controlling phosphates and nitrates, the tank is maturing but looking good.

 

[raullozano3]

updated pic, I have stabilized the algae growth, there is more coralline on the rock, still, some turf algae that I am letting it grow for food purposes, but got rid of most of it thanks to hydrogen peroxide bath. After that invested in some acros which now are encrusting and up my game light, wish I could afford the SKY since I have APEX investment, but with all the $$ on Kessils and trying to sell them to get SKY was not economic sense, ended up adding two orphek OR3 and ceiling mount everything, one of this days will switch to an integrated APEX/BRS light, but invested $600.00 extra last month to add more light than trying to sell what I had an spend $1800 on a new light system ( OUCH) , with this I am getting nice PAR at the middle where I need it for the ACROS.

 

[raullozano3]

It has been a while I update the post, but I did replace all my old kessils with new a360Xs and also I did upgraded my tank, well kind off, I added a custom ~30g next to my tank and connected it to the sump so increasing the volume to almost ~175g, have lost some corals but some have grown, my SPSs that have survived are doing great and the new tank its focus will be an anemone tank.