Upgrading!

[rmiles54]

A couple pics of some recent progress I've made on the stand. Still have to add supports under the plywood top and around the bottom. I went with pocket holes to try and avoid the tack strips that take up so much room on the inside. I used the 2-1/2" screws for the pockets and 3" everywhere there was no pockets. I must say this is very exciting. The top span is a 2x8 and the bottom is 2x6. Front legs are 2x8 and 2x6 in both corners and the back are both 2x6 with an additional center brace. Should this be safe to support the weight of a 180. I will be wrapping with 3/4" plywood and trim pieces to make my wife happy. I know a lot of furniture and cabinets are being made with MDF, has anyone given it a try as a wrap? What would be good to seal the bottom in case water makes its way into the stand somehow. Any do's and don'ts based on what you see? The small tank on the right will be a 20high to hold water for top off. I want to access it through the side. Makes easier for me to fill. I currently do not have a controller but do have a bunch of pump controllers. I'd like to have a dry compartment in there to place these things. I've been reading a lot! Any links to any info would be great. I had a used 125 that I got off craigslist and has given me issue after issue. I also had a 60 cube that was doing great. All of which, fish and corals are currently living on my kitchen counter in a 40 breeder. Another thing keeping the wife from being happy. Lol I will be trying to move this along as quick as possible, to begin filling.

 

[rmiles54]

On another note, this is a pic from the 125. If you can see the stuff frowning on the back wall in places I couldn't reach without moving rocks and risking breaking the bottom. This stuff overtook the system. What's the best way to rid my equipment of any leftover particles after I have left it all to dry. Mainly my skimmer and rw pumps.

I'm also planning on laying in some starboard. If anyone has any info on making cuts or what types of saws/blades have been found to work the best.

 

[rmiles54]

Well I was able to cut the starboard and made some more progress. To make these cuts I used a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade. Worked flawlessly.

Some pics of the stand and canopy trimmed and painted.

I received 100lbs of Marco Rocks today. I was really wanting to use the real reef rock but the cost would have been much higher. Plus I'd used Marco before with success. All rocks were individually wrapped in bubble and had a great selection of sizes and shapes.

. I purchased them through eBay, they shipped out quickly. I gave them all a RO rinse and began to place them. What's everyone's take on the scape? Feedback is great guys, comments, questions, recommendations all welcome. Thanks...

 

[rmiles54]

Also any recommendations on how to assure no dead spots. I currently have, right corner. Top is rw15 and the 2 bottom are both wp25 pumps all facing different directions.

Left corner, another rw15 and a wp40. Both also facing diff. Directions. Any suggestions on what settings I should run these to get the best random flow patterns?

 

[rmiles54]

 

[rmiles54]

Scape pics full front, side and some top down.

 

[R_C]

Looks awesome. I just set up the same 125 just a few weeks ago. I like the placement of you power heads and might add a few more in mine.

 

[rmiles54]

Looks awesome. I just set up the same 125 just a few weeks ago. I like the placement of you power heads and might add a few more in mine.

Thanks. I hope you've enjoyed the build process as much as I have! Do you have any photos of your build?

 

[R_C]

Here is the link to my progress.
http://reef2reef.com/threads/my-first-125.235635/

 

[pondman]

Very nice setup you have.nice open rockwork as far as dead spots you just have to mess with it.goodluck in your tank and happy reefing to you.

 

[rmiles54]

Thanks pondman

 

[rmiles54]

A 3rd 50lb box of Marco came in today! My wife couldn't believe someone would be excited about getting a box of rocks in the mail. Lol

This is the scape I will be starting with. A lot of caves and room to swim.

The open area between the 2 islands will allow for an egg crate divider in case of aggression, or just trying to add someone new!

Here is a shot of the sump setup. It's a 40 breeder. I have a question. I was originally going to have the skimmer in the center but would like to try and utilize this area as a dedicated frag area. Am I going to have any issues with my frag section being in the middle of my sump? The eggcrate rack is sting on 2 pieces of pvc and all the rubble from my rocks is under the eggcrate. It will still allow plugs to go in nicely. The light is an old light I had and decided to repurpose. I do want to give bio pellets a try as well. Should I run the pellets during the initial cycle and what bacteria would you guys suggest to get the cycle going? Thanks....

 

[rmiles54]

the tank has been filled for about a month now and running nicely. I've been following the Red Sea mature program. I had a bacterial bloom happen where the tank was so cloudy I couldn't even see the rock work. It cleared around a week. I ran some tests and all levels seemed to be in check. I was running the lights but have now cut them off aside from the light over the sump. I added a cleanup crew to the tank, a couple types of live pods, and a few corals to the sump. They've all been in there for about a week now and are doing good.

. Can anyone tell me if I should wait until I add fish to start running the bio pellets or should I start a low volume now? I'm really not in a rush and want to make sure everything is perfect before I move over my fish. Here's a shot of them definitely outgrowing the 40 breeder waiting for their new home.

This build has been a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to updates! Thanks

 

[rmiles54]

Well been a while since last update. Moved over my zoas and added some sps frags.

No filter

Orange looking filter

Actual filter, photos from iPhone 6s+

 

[rmiles54]

Zoas collection.

A few others just couldn't get a decent pic

 

[rmiles54]

A few other corals.

I will begin trying to update growth pictures every couple of months to track progress.