CDNess's 125G Build Thread
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OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
didn't contact reeflo, but I bought it used so i don't think the warranty transfers owners... I will be sure to get in touch with them though as they seem like a good company to work with... It is kinda loud too so I may end up buying a new one anyway.
Tank is up and well... More info with pics tomorrow.
Special thanks to Travis. Lyle. Ken, and Jenn for the assistance today as without them it would have been bad
Tank is up and well... More info with pics tomorrow.
Special thanks to Travis. Lyle. Ken, and Jenn for the assistance today as without them it would have been bad
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
Alright, so here's the update.... Caution, Picture Heavy:
The closed loophas 6 outputs. 4 right over the back and 2 that follow the center bracing to the front of the tank to have a different flow pattern. 4 of the outputs are on a OM 4 way, all 6 are powered by a loud dart pump.
%
I built the sump out of a 75G I had around the house. The baffles are glass and siliconed in with Aqueon silicone. RTV 108 was not easily sourced locally so I ended up caving for the expensive stuff. Only issue is the sump is a little tall and makes accessing stuff pretty hard.
The tank was placed on the stand and filled up with water. It was a cloudy mess for a very long time:
Canopy was assembled yesterday and the lights installed. 4 feet are lit with my 6 bulb T-5 and the other 2 feet by an Evolution 20K LED light.
The closed loophas 6 outputs. 4 right over the back and 2 that follow the center bracing to the front of the tank to have a different flow pattern. 4 of the outputs are on a OM 4 way, all 6 are powered by a loud dart pump.
%
I built the sump out of a 75G I had around the house. The baffles are glass and siliconed in with Aqueon silicone. RTV 108 was not easily sourced locally so I ended up caving for the expensive stuff. Only issue is the sump is a little tall and makes accessing stuff pretty hard.
The tank was placed on the stand and filled up with water. It was a cloudy mess for a very long time:
Canopy was assembled yesterday and the lights installed. 4 feet are lit with my 6 bulb T-5 and the other 2 feet by an Evolution 20K LED light.
Me z
Active Member
I have a the same sized tank, not many with a six foot 125 most have the big wide and deep 125's that I cant stand. I cant ever reach anything on the bottom of those deep monsters. My woodwork looks eerily similar too lol. Good luck with the build its looking good.
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
All livestock has been accounted for so as far as I can tell this was a no loss move other than some of the CUC...
Doors are on the canopy, but I still need to figure out the cooling fans since they are seasonal.
Doors are on the canopy, but I still need to figure out the cooling fans since they are seasonal.
Mike&Terry
Wrasses, Angels, & Tangs, Oh My!
Tagging along... Great job on the sump and glad to see your move went smoothly.
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
Well, my wife Jenn is sad... Her beloved tribal blenny is injured somehow and looks like she lost her tail. I don't think it was agression, but you never know. I caught the blenny and placed her in the sump to protect her from the hermits and we'll be setting up a QT for her to try treat the wound. This is her favorite fish so she isn't taking it well 
. She got up at least 3 timesw last night to try check on her fish, but she couldn't see her. Any idea what to use to treat this type of wound? MelaFix was the only think that came to mind...
I did some aquascaping last night and got the tank closer to where I want it. I wish I had those specific pieces of rock that would stabilize the structure, but that would be too easy... It is going to be more open in the center with islands on the sides with lots of caves and openings.
. She got up at least 3 timesw last night to try check on her fish, but she couldn't see her. Any idea what to use to treat this type of wound? MelaFix was the only think that came to mind...I did some aquascaping last night and got the tank closer to where I want it. I wish I had those specific pieces of rock that would stabilize the structure, but that would be too easy... It is going to be more open in the center with islands on the sides with lots of caves and openings.
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
The blenny has been moved to QT and a thread has been started to track treatment with MelaFix Marine... Hopefully she pulls through.
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/fish-discussion/75177-tribal-blenny-injured-tail-help.html
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/fish-discussion/75177-tribal-blenny-injured-tail-help.html
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
UPDATE:
The blenny is doing better. Going to keep the QT setup going until the tail is fully healed. Melafix Marine worked wonders to get the redness of the tail to go away. All doubters beware, there's another supporter of the Melafix right here from proven success.
On other notes, the tank is doing great. The sand has finally found out where it wants to stay. I did end up losing a couple corals in the process as they got buried and I didn't notice until it was too late. I know where the frags came from though so I can get some more back. I also lost my coral banded shrimp and a cleaner shrimp. No idea why, they just vanished, all parameters are perfect.
The aquascaping is nearly done. I installed a frag rack in the sump and am building the lighting for it tonight. The skimmer is now in about 9" of water and is performing well.
I am getting a little bit of gurgling from the drains, but I think that is due to placement of the pipes and the ends being under water. I'll need to fix that soon. It does seem to be a bit too much flow for the sump from the two Marineland 4500s running the returns. I may have to add a bit of an ajustment to pump some back into the sump to lessen the flow. I don't know if the outputs on these can be restricted or not so I don't want to adjust it there.
Pictures to follow later, when the corals are all placed and it looks better. I sure picked the right time of the year to pull something like this off. With so much going on it's just been crazy.
The blenny is doing better. Going to keep the QT setup going until the tail is fully healed. Melafix Marine worked wonders to get the redness of the tail to go away. All doubters beware, there's another supporter of the Melafix right here from proven success.
On other notes, the tank is doing great. The sand has finally found out where it wants to stay. I did end up losing a couple corals in the process as they got buried and I didn't notice until it was too late. I know where the frags came from though so I can get some more back. I also lost my coral banded shrimp and a cleaner shrimp. No idea why, they just vanished, all parameters are perfect.
The aquascaping is nearly done. I installed a frag rack in the sump and am building the lighting for it tonight. The skimmer is now in about 9" of water and is performing well.
I am getting a little bit of gurgling from the drains, but I think that is due to placement of the pipes and the ends being under water. I'll need to fix that soon. It does seem to be a bit too much flow for the sump from the two Marineland 4500s running the returns. I may have to add a bit of an ajustment to pump some back into the sump to lessen the flow. I don't know if the outputs on these can be restricted or not so I don't want to adjust it there.
Pictures to follow later, when the corals are all placed and it looks better. I sure picked the right time of the year to pull something like this off. With so much going on it's just been crazy.
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
UPDATE:
So this yuear has started out with bad luck for sure. Not much has changed with the tank:
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/lounge/77006-so-whos-started-off-new-year.html
The frag rack in the sump is built and the racks are almost all out of the tank itself now. It is lit with 2 Panorama modules and seems to be doing ok. I need to add another pressure fit baffle in the sump to change the flow dynamic a bit but I'll update more when that happens.
I need to change up the drains a bit and add some 45s to it to lower it in the stand a bit. I didn't plan on the height of the 24s when planning the plumbing so it is a little off. I may just change it up a bit and make it fall down a bit further so no pressure is added to the bulkheads. Pics later on the issues I am seeing.
I will try get the racks out of the way and take a FTS tonight. I don't have all the rock or corals places yet as I've been too busy, but they are looking better. I need to change out the T-5 lamps but that will have to happen in a couple months when my luck gets a little better.
So this yuear has started out with bad luck for sure. Not much has changed with the tank:
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/lounge/77006-so-whos-started-off-new-year.html
The frag rack in the sump is built and the racks are almost all out of the tank itself now. It is lit with 2 Panorama modules and seems to be doing ok. I need to add another pressure fit baffle in the sump to change the flow dynamic a bit but I'll update more when that happens.
I need to change up the drains a bit and add some 45s to it to lower it in the stand a bit. I didn't plan on the height of the 24s when planning the plumbing so it is a little off. I may just change it up a bit and make it fall down a bit further so no pressure is added to the bulkheads. Pics later on the issues I am seeing.
I will try get the racks out of the way and take a FTS tonight. I don't have all the rock or corals places yet as I've been too busy, but they are looking better. I need to change out the T-5 lamps but that will have to happen in a couple months when my luck gets a little better.
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
Well the 125G is starting to look how I want it. I still have a little aquascaping to do and some coral placement but all in all I think it is looking pretty good. Everything is stable and all corals are doing fine. I have a bleached out tricolor but that seems like the only casualty of the move at the moment.
I did buy some OM Revolutions to try on the closed loop when I get a chance. If you haven't used them, the work with the OMs to create not only a switching water flow but a rotating flow pattern where each time water is applied to the revolution it turns 20 degrees and waits for the next flow. I don't know if I'll like them but I figured I'd give them a shot.
Updated pictures time!
FTS:
Left:
Middle:
Right:
Still working with the new camera to get the settings correct, but this is as good as I could get without post processing.
I did buy some OM Revolutions to try on the closed loop when I get a chance. If you haven't used them, the work with the OMs to create not only a switching water flow but a rotating flow pattern where each time water is applied to the revolution it turns 20 degrees and waits for the next flow. I don't know if I'll like them but I figured I'd give them a shot.
Updated pictures time!
FTS:
Left:
Middle:
Right:
Still working with the new camera to get the settings correct, but this is as good as I could get without post processing.
swannyson7
Moderator/Acro Aficianado
Excellence Award
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Looks great!
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
I am going to try install the pair of Drews Dosers for Calcium and Alkalinity this weekend. Any tips on what to watch out for when installing them?
I will be controlling them with my AC3 on the DC8. They will be set to run for a very limited amount of time and I will ramp them up to longer when I notice the usage and what I need to make up over a week. My dosing has been every few days for the last year so it is time for some more stability.
I will post some more pictures as I get them edited to show true colors of the corals. In the ones above they look a little washed out. New cameras are a pain sometimes.
I am also gearing up for a revival of our local club Red River Valley Reefers with the first meeting on Feb 11th. I am taking a lead role in getting stuff rolling again and increasing the membership with the end goal of organizing a yearly frag swap and speaker event in the Fargo ND area. It should be fun, but challenging as well to get this going again.
I will be controlling them with my AC3 on the DC8. They will be set to run for a very limited amount of time and I will ramp them up to longer when I notice the usage and what I need to make up over a week. My dosing has been every few days for the last year so it is time for some more stability.
I will post some more pictures as I get them edited to show true colors of the corals. In the ones above they look a little washed out. New cameras are a pain sometimes.
I am also gearing up for a revival of our local club Red River Valley Reefers with the first meeting on Feb 11th. I am taking a lead role in getting stuff rolling again and increasing the membership with the end goal of organizing a yearly frag swap and speaker event in the Fargo ND area. It should be fun, but challenging as well to get this going again.
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
So update...
I have not installed the dosing pumps yet and continue to manual dose as every time I go to install them I notice another issue that needs to be fixed first...
First time I tried installing I noticed there was a leak in the drain plumbing at the bulkhead to PVC threaded connection. I rebuilt the drain to use rigid plumbing instead of the flex PVC as the flex was causing the bulkhead fitting to have pressure on it from the bend in the pipe. This has been corrected.
Next I had to replace my T-5 lamps. I went with a little different specturm than before as my all ATI and 1 Fiji Purple just wasn't doing as good as the last combo. I was unable to get some lamps I wanted so I went with the following:
Front
ATI Coral Plus
Geissmann True Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus
The color is a little more white than what I had before and I was kinda expecting that. This was the reason for the coral plus instead of the Aquablue Special I used to run. It is much brighter than the 16 month old lamps so hopefully I'll see some better growth out of the corals soon.
When I went to hook up the new lamps, somehow I fried a port on my DC8. I am debating repairing it, buying a new one, or going with an Apex and ditching the AC3 all the way. I don't know if anything else can go wrong at the moment...lol.
On a better note though, I am hosting a mini-frag swap at my place in West Fargo for our local club. Things have been picking up in the club and we have lots of new members. This is in part to the referral stuff I have going on and the advertisements we have been placing. The turnout for this weekend should be close to 20 - 25 people so it will be fun. My tank and equipment just needs to hold on and have nothing fail or I'll have to go back to timers until the controller situation is fixed...
Also I need to install the replacement Dart pump to get rid of the bearing noise in the current one. So much to do in so little time...
I have not installed the dosing pumps yet and continue to manual dose as every time I go to install them I notice another issue that needs to be fixed first...
First time I tried installing I noticed there was a leak in the drain plumbing at the bulkhead to PVC threaded connection. I rebuilt the drain to use rigid plumbing instead of the flex PVC as the flex was causing the bulkhead fitting to have pressure on it from the bend in the pipe. This has been corrected.
Next I had to replace my T-5 lamps. I went with a little different specturm than before as my all ATI and 1 Fiji Purple just wasn't doing as good as the last combo. I was unable to get some lamps I wanted so I went with the following:
Front
ATI Coral Plus
Geissmann True Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus
The color is a little more white than what I had before and I was kinda expecting that. This was the reason for the coral plus instead of the Aquablue Special I used to run. It is much brighter than the 16 month old lamps so hopefully I'll see some better growth out of the corals soon.
When I went to hook up the new lamps, somehow I fried a port on my DC8. I am debating repairing it, buying a new one, or going with an Apex and ditching the AC3 all the way. I don't know if anything else can go wrong at the moment...lol.
On a better note though, I am hosting a mini-frag swap at my place in West Fargo for our local club. Things have been picking up in the club and we have lots of new members. This is in part to the referral stuff I have going on and the advertisements we have been placing. The turnout for this weekend should be close to 20 - 25 people so it will be fun. My tank and equipment just needs to hold on and have nothing fail or I'll have to go back to timers until the controller situation is fixed...
Also I need to install the replacement Dart pump to get rid of the bearing noise in the current one. So much to do in so little time...
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
So still working on the image with the par numbers. The new lamps were a dramatic increase in PAR and the corals are really starting to love the new lights. Some of the corals that got washed out are getting their colors back which is great!
I installed the new Dart pump last night to replace the one with the bad bearings. The old one was whining really bad and was almost as loud as my dehumidifier. The new one is barely audible. Pics of the pump installed below (I apologize in advance for the bad cell phone pics):
Here is a current FTS as well as some other shots of the tank:
Right Side:
Middle:
Left Side, this shows my DIY RBTA Split Holder as well:
I am still working on the dosing pumps and finding another DC4 or DC8 to get my ACIII back up and running to 100%. I am also going to be replacing my larger fan with 2 120MM PC 12V fans to save on space. If they don't cool well enough I'll have to look into other options to do either a lower profile fan or a clip on fan on the back of the sump.
It's a work in process as always
I installed the new Dart pump last night to replace the one with the bad bearings. The old one was whining really bad and was almost as loud as my dehumidifier. The new one is barely audible. Pics of the pump installed below (I apologize in advance for the bad cell phone pics):
Here is a current FTS as well as some other shots of the tank:
Right Side:
Middle:
Left Side, this shows my DIY RBTA Split Holder as well:
I am still working on the dosing pumps and finding another DC4 or DC8 to get my ACIII back up and running to 100%. I am also going to be replacing my larger fan with 2 120MM PC 12V fans to save on space. If they don't cool well enough I'll have to look into other options to do either a lower profile fan or a clip on fan on the back of the sump.
It's a work in process as always
