Dirtrider's 120 gallon build!

[Davy Jones]

Back again with yet another tank build! I pick up a SC Aquariums 120 gallon fatboy aquarium tomorrow from someone local! This will encompass many of the pieces of equipment and plans for the custom 125 I ordered that did not go so well, so thankfully, I have nearly all of the equipment I need (and then some!)

The goal of this build will be mostly zoas, anemones and lps. There may be some sticks in here, but I am not a stick head by any means.

I will try to keep this first post updated with current tank shots and equipment lists as the build goes!

Thanks for reading, more information to come soon!

Equipment list:
Display - SCAquariums 120 Eurobraced with center overflow
Stand- SCAquariums stand in piano black, was built to order for my custom 125 that didnt happen
Sump- Reef Synergy CL-34
Return- Reef Octopus Varios 6
Skimmer- Royal Exclusive BubbleKing Mini 180
Controller- Apex classic
Dosing- Apex dos
Flow- 2x Ecotech Mp40
Lighting - Multiple options.. undecided at this point.

 

[dbl]

Well your plan B sounds awfully nice. Signing up to follow the progress.

 

[Davy Jones]

Well your plan B sounds awfully nice. Signing up to follow the progress.

In the end it ended up working better this way anyways honestly. Still frustrating but I get essentially the same build, got a refund, was able to keep the stand for free and the display I'm getting is heavily discounted. I'm not usually a lucky person, so I'm sure I just used up 4 years worth of luck all in one go

 

[NY_Caveman]

I'm not usually a lucky person, so I'm sure I just used up 4 years worth of luck all in one go

LOL, very funny. Congratulations on the setup!

 

[Davy Jones]

First update to the build!! I am most likely getting a Pax Bellum Arid C-30 to go with this build. Now this is much larger than is reccomended for my tank, so I am going to experiment with running it 6-8 hours a night, or running it every other day type of a thing depending on actual bio load. Between this, and the large skimmer I am going to have to keep a pretty healthy fish load to maintain nutrients!

 

[Davy Jones]

Brought the tank home yesterday and got it downstairs! 2 Issues!

1. My stand was built for the other tank, and although this one will fit on there.. It ends up being very tall (stand is 36" on its own) I am a short person, so this makes maintenance very difficult.

2. The glass has a strange haze to it. (i knew about the haze before going to get it.) At first i thought it could easily be scraped off with a razor but now im not so sure. I am going to test some vinegar, and some goo gone as well to see if that helps at all in removing the haze. It appears to be on the outside of the glass but hard to tell since the tank was a bit foggy due to temp difference of outside and inside. More on that to come as i have more time.

 

[Davy Jones]

So, the haze/fog on the glass is rather perplexing.. Here is what i know so far!

1. It appears to be on the outside of the glass
2. Windex does not work
3. Glass Kleen does not work
4. Goo Gone does not work
5. Vinegar does not work

It looks like hard water deposits honestly, and anytime the outside of the glass is wet at all the haze/film can not be seen. Im sure if the tank is filled that it wont really be a problem... but I would love to resolve it prior to testing it with 120 gallons of water...

I am going to attempt using Toothpaste next.

The other issue is the stand+tank is too tall for my tastes. I now am looking into 80/20 or framingtech to get a stand built, I want it to be as short as possible and still fit my skimmer and allow for maintenance of the skimmer. Basic math says about 28" is the shortest I can go. Which is better than the 36" stand I currently have.

Finally Lighting. I am currently torn between the Giesemann Aurora LED/T5 Hybrid and the Giesemann Matrixx II Dimtech 8 bulb T5 Fixture.