My 120 Rebuild!

thejuggernaut · Mar 25, 2015

I have a way to go because I am doing most of the tank as DIY, but I figured this was a good jumping off point to start a build threat.

First, a little history.

The tank I am building is technically going to be a re-build. The tank is a standard Marineland 120 gallon (48"X24"X24") non-reef ready with black silicone. Originally I had the tank setup running with a corner mount overflow with a Herbie style drain system. This time around I decided I wanted to run a little more flow and to do it quietly, so I tore out the overflow and set off to build my own. It is a hybrid style overflow that resembles the "ghost" overflow designed by reef savvy. It has a 42"X1.5" internal box with 6 6" long smooth weirs. I flow tested the overflow system today and it ran great. I plan on running the tank about 1500 GPH through the sump, which it did completely silent. Just for fun I ran the system up to 3000 GPH and the loudest part was the pump. Because I tore out the old overflow, there are two holes in the bottom right hand corner of the back glass. I decided that instead of running MP40s again or even two Gyres, I am going to drill out the holes bigger and run a dual closed loop system with two 4000 GPH controllable DC pumps. I think that by running them off of an APEX I can ramp them up or down in several different way to create random flow.

So I begin the build with the stand and canopy built, and have begun painting them. I still need to make the doors and will document things from this point forward. If you are interested in the building of the overflow and/or acrylic work in general, I started a thread a year ago talking about tools for acrylic work. The overflow build starts on page 2 around post #38.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/do-yourself-diy/148014-tools-working-acrylic.html

As far as lighting goes, I am still unsure what I want to do. I know for sure that I don't want to run only LED or only MH. I think my two favorite options are either the 400 watt ReefBrite "Twin-Arc" bulbs that change between 10000k and 20000k each time you turn them off and on, and DIY LED for supplementation. Those are the bulbs Melev has over his tank, and I think it would be neat to be able to blast them with more yellow light during the middle of the day. My other option is 6 T5 bulbs with DIY LED for supplementation.

I guess that is it for now. Be patient, this build will be slow, but it should be detailed and informative. (If only to tell you what not to do!) :S

SeahorseKeeper · Mar 25, 2015

Looking forward to this build!!

thejuggernaut · Mar 26, 2015

While flow testing my new overflow today I decided to make a video. I ran it at three different flows. 3000, 2000, and 700. They system would handle more flow but would probably start making noise and introducing more bubbles. I also simulated clogging both the siphon and open channel at the same time to make sure they system was as leak proof as I could make it.

[video=youtube;oya6X3aLUOo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oya6X3aLUOo&feature=youtu.be[/video]

ccscorpion200 · Mar 26, 2015

Following along. That turn out real nice.

thejuggernaut · Mar 26, 2015

ccscorpion200 said:
Following along. That turn out real nice.

Thanks,
I am still not done with the open channel. I plan on running a line out of the top in order to start the siphon before the emergency starts. Plus I still have to make a lid for it. I think doing those things will make it completely silent. I would have left the sound in the video, but honestly all you can hear was the panworld pump. So I guess that either says the pump is loud, or my overflow is quiet. lol

revhtree · Mar 26, 2015

Cool video! I'm following because I have a feeling this will be good!

thejuggernaut · Mar 28, 2015

I made a little progress cleaning my old live rock. I have a good amount of live rock that I've had for years. Unfortunately, the tank was a little neglected before I tore it down, so I am sure the rock had all kinds of gunk and nutrients soaked into it. I decided to do a bleach/acid wash of the rock to get it as clean as possible for the new build.

After a little reading, I decided the best approach would be to use a 33 gallon brute I have and put the rock in it. I put about half the rock in the container then threw 2 Korelia 4s in the can, then added the rest of the rock. I added water using a 5 gallon bucket to see how much it would take. At a little over 3 buckets the water was covering the rock. So I decided to add 2 gallons of bleach to bring it to a little over a 10 to 1 ratio, and plugged in the powerheads to help stir the water and clean the powerheads at the same time. After it sat overnight, I drained it off and ran fresh water over the rock to get as much residual bleach off as possible, then I ran another rinse of water just for good measure. After that I filled it about half way with water, poured 2 gallons of muratic acid into the rock then topped off with water. It bubbled pretty good for about 20 minutes, and when the acid was completely used up (didn't make anymore bubbles), I poured it off and rinsed the rock twice. Then using a 5 gallon bucket, I put about 3 gallons of water in it and poured a box of baking soda in and shook each piece of rock in it to get any loose debris out of it and to neutralize any residual acid. Once the water started getting dirty, I cleaned it out and put fresh water and soda in it and did the rest of the rock.

The reason for running both bleach and acid is that they both do different things. The bleach will dissolve organic materials (dead stuff that will decompose) out of the crevices and off the surface of the rock. The acid will only eat away at the rock itself. By running the bleach first, you ensure that the surface of the rock is cleaner, so the acid will be more effective at dissolving the phosphate filled top layer of rock off . Another side benefit of running the acid last is that the acid will break down any residual bleach into chlorine gas that will off gas. My original thought was "Holy Crap!, isn't chlorine gas deadly?" The answer I got was yes it is, but the residue will create such a small amount, if any, that it won't be a problem. Especially if done outdoors. Well I did it and I'm not dead. The rock does look cleaner and the acid didn't dissolve a noticeable amount of rock off. I was amazed at how much stuff was in the bottom of the container after draining the first acid washing.

Rock bubbling up with acid. Note the crud coming out of the rock. And that is after overnight bleaching, and two good rinsing.

Here is the rock drying in the sun after the whole ordeal.

thejuggernaut · Mar 28, 2015

I'm looking for a good way to create a base for the rock structure I am working on. I was thinking about cementing it to a ceramic tile. Does anyone know if they are reef safe?

thejuggernaut · Apr 17, 2015

I got one side of my aquascape done. I think it turned out pretty well. I wanted something that was minimal, but would provide a 3 dimensional feel to it. I wanted crevices and overhangs, plus some horizontal spots for coral placement. I wanted as much of the gravel to be open as possible. I figure the more open, the more flow you can get in the tank, plus it is easier to clean the gravel on a regular basis.

I did it by finding two rocks that look good together, and getting a helper holding the rocks in position, run a long drill bit through both pieces of rock. I used one of these bits to drill the rock. But mainly what you want is a long masonry bit.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_143858-353-L...3D2&facetInfo=

Run these rods into place to hold the rocks in place:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_88829-37672-...ors&facetInfo=

I used this to bond the rocks together.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_137835-286-1...ductId=3012639

It works quick (sets up in minutes). Once you get it worked into the rock and it starts to firm up, I would wet my finger and smooth out the surface. Continuing to wet my finger and smooth it out for about a minute or two while it gets pretty hard. Wait an hour till its super hard and pull the rods back out. It worked really well.

Because the whole thing was top heavy, I mounted it to the thinnest ceramic tile I could find. With gravel on top of it, it should never been seen.

Rob.D · Apr 17, 2015

Neat rock structure!

SeahorseKeeper · Apr 17, 2015

Looks great!!

ccscorpion200 · May 27, 2015

Any updates?

thejuggernaut · May 27, 2015

Not much.

A few months ago my buddy broke down his tank and had a 9 year old pair of mated Percs. So I set up a what was suppose to be temporary 29 gallon. Really nice. I built a 2X4 stand and just hung a emperor 400 over the back for filtration. Well much to the disappointment of my wife, that temporary setup turned into a long term deal when he decided not to set his system back up. It is a pain to keep clean, so I got an old 40B I was using for a sump and cut all the baffles out of it. I then made me an overflow like the one I had made for the larger tank and drilled it yesterday. I plan on using it as my permanent QT tank in my office/catch all bedroom that no one goes in. It isn't pretty, but it should function allot better since I will have sump for it now. My goal is to have 2 QT systems. One for fish and one for everything else. I am going to treat all incoming fish with copper, and all corals and invertebrates will be held for a fallow period to try and eradicate ich. So even if I setup the main system now, it would be months before I added a fish. After this QT settles in, I may buy a fish or two to add to my two clowns, and start a treatment schedule.

Things are going slow. We are both very busy at our house with a 17 month old and both working opposite schedules. I've been helping my parents with a few projects around there house, and it seems like it is raining every other day. It rained so much yesterday the city of Houston practically shut down. Another reason is I am still waiting to decide what type of flow I want to run. I had planned on dual DC pumps but after reading into it more, the only ones that are controllable are the Red Dragons. RLSS is suppose to have a new one coming out that is controllable, but they have been saying that for years. I would like to try two of the Gyre, but they still haven't released their controllable models either. I guess I could go with 2 QD from Ecotech, but I've had mp40s before and while they worked fine, I wanted to try something different.

Shep · Jun 1, 2015

Eh slow is the best way to go so thats good lol The gyre is nice and I think they just released a controller for it but i think you need to buy one per unit, which is a drag

thejuggernaut · Jun 1, 2015

Everything was going good and the 40B was running well. Then I heard a noise and went in there and noticed water pouring out. The back panel had a crack in it that had either formed or opened up. So I drained it back down, and put the fish back in the little tank. After I yelled it for a minute, then got yelled at by my wife, I decided that I wanted to take another path on this. The 120 I was going to re-setup has had two holes drilled in the back for a closed loop, and was either going to use the holes for a new closed loop, or just plug. Neither is what I really wanted to do. It also has a 2" scratch on the front panel that a buddy put in it by using my magfloat. It isn't that big of a deal, but always bugged my OCD. So I decided I am going to take a step back and plug those two holes and run the 120 as a FO/QT tank in my office. I spoke with my wife and while at first she said it was too large, she agreed that I can get a 6' tank for the space in the living room. So I think that will be my plan moving forward. Obviously that will add some expense. I will need to decide on a tank (probably standard 180), have a stand built (probably metal stand with removable panels), and go from there. So this is going to put me back a little on time and money. But I plan on getting that 120 up and running within the next few weeks, and should give me a good platform to get a few fish and get them quarantined. This is typical for me though. I always start as cheap as I can, then change my mind 3 times. I already have some cool ideas for the stand. I know a guy who has done some welding for me in the past and I'll probably build the panels with some really slick Formica I saw on a stand a few months ago at the Fish Gallery in Houston. So my slow build is going to be even slower now! LOL Stay Tuned

ccscorpion200 · Jun 1, 2015

That stink about your leak. But the good news is that now you can get a bigger tank.

thejuggernaut · Jun 2, 2015

I found the laminate I was talking about earlier. NO idea on price, but I bet it is more than a normal sheet.

http://www.formica.com/en/us/products/decometal#swatchesTab

ryanlala · Jun 22, 2015

LOL, "2 inch scratch your buddy put in it with your mag float" Did it happen to be the same friend who dropped off the clownfish, and left a 120 in your garage?