Our 120 build

[lmn420]

So we recently found a deal that we couldn't refuse for a 120 gallon tank with lotsa extras and this thread will show our progress setting up the tank. We currently have a 55 gallon tank that we are upgrading from that is the beginnings of a mixed reef. There are tons of questions that we have for how we should do things, but I currently just wanted to start the thread.

Here is a pic of the stand I built with the 55 in the background:

Front View:

Painted:

and a pic of our current tank(55g):

 

[tike]

Welcome to RF! Looking good......fire away on your questions.

 

[Krish]

Great start and welcome to RF!! Good luck with the project!!

 

[lmn420]

So my current question is the tank was setup with three 1.5" bulkheads that served as the overflow. Now I can just leave it that way, but I just saw someone with what they called a calfo style overflow http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=473152&highlight=calfo and was wondering if I should do something similar? The weird thing about the tank is that one of the three bulkheads is actually behind a normal corner overflow and is slightly lower than the rest which you can sorta see here:

 

[lizardarm]

Huh, never seen it done that way before. Maybe they were running a Calfo style deal before with just an elbow inside the overflow. The other two bulkheads may have been returns? Are you sure that all three were overflows?

 

[Myteemouse]

yes I've seen it too!
Two were the same hights whit ball valves two same hight and one lower for back up in case the others fail!
I think it's overkill but safe!

 

[lmn420]

I guess I should have included this in the beginning but here is a pic how the original owner had the overflows setup:

talking to him about his setup he said he used all three as they are and left the overflow surrounding the lower one so he would get the added benefit of the water passing over the overflow first. I am just wondering if I should turn the other two into a calfo type overflow or leave good enough alone and what the benefit would be to doing either?

 

[vinny2261]

Might have been using the extra drain I believe you said for a "closed loop" Vince

 

[lmn420]

Might have been using the extra drain I believe you said for a "closed loop" Vince

No I am sure there is no closed loop. Two of the overflows go to the sump and one goes to a refugium which you can sorta see in the last pic.

Anyone have any experience with a calfo overflow?

 

[lmn420]

Well water tested the tank without changing the overflows and things went well. No leaks and the overflows easily handled the amount of water the pump was pushing without leaking at all. The only bad thing is the return pump (mag 24) is way too freaking loud! We definitely want a quieter pump and I believe that it wouldn't hurt to go with a smaller pump. So anybody have a recommendation for a good quiet pump that will still pump around 1200 gph at 6 feet? Thanks,
Lindsay

 

[lmn420]

okay so progress has been made! Bought a quietone 6000 pump that is much quieter and added a horizontal overflow over the two exposed drains. Have already started filling the tank with RO water and expect to be cycling this weekend. Pics on the way.

 

[lmn420]

Alright so I promised pictures so here we go:

filling the tank with tap water to do the water test

the sump under the tank

action shot with the monster mag24 as the return pump.

closeup on the overflow I added

overhead shot of the whole tank

cycling the tank with the live rock and sand in place. Still a little cloudy from the sand, but it cleared up nicely. I have more shots I need to upload and post, nut not today. I am in process of designing the light hood and skin for the stand which hopefully will be built this weekend. I will hopefully post more pics then.

 

[WA coral]

looks like your water level in the sump is very high have you tried to power down your return pump to see if your sump will overflow....!!! better to find out under test conditions when you can turn the pump back on to save a flood in the living room when power goes out or a snail gets stuck in the pump.. just a thought maybe it will give you a reference point on how high the h2o level can be in the sump

 

[lmn420]

looks like your water level in the sump is very high have you tried to power down your return pump to see if your sump will overflow....!!! better to find out under test conditions when you can turn the pump back on to save a flood in the living room when power goes out or a snail gets stuck in the pump.. just a thought maybe it will give you a reference point on how high the h2o level can be in the sump

Thanks for the concern, but I have definitely tested the poweroff scenario and it fills with about an inch to spare. I still need to drill siphon break holes in the locline, but as long as I don't forget to not adjust the return outputs lower I am fine. I definitely do need to put in a reference mark also just to be sure. Thanks!

 

[lmn420]

I successfully transfered all of the fish and corals from the 55g to the 120g this past weekend and am now contemplating the next fish and corals that I need to add to fill up all the new real estate. As well as figuring out how I want to skin the stand. On to the pics.

I added some more live rock to the tank:

Heres a pic of the 55g before I started the transfer:

After cycling for a month and making sure all the parameters were where I wanted them I started moving the LPS corals first:

Then the SPS:

And finally the rest of the live rock and fish:

I was planning on doing the transfer over two days, but once I saw the lps in the tank and saw that nothing responded badly I had to just finish it that day. I did wait about an hour between adding the lps and sps and fish. Everything couldn't have gone any better and I am really happy that the corals have responded so well to the new metal halides (which I have been acclimating them to by first starting the corals on the sand and placing window screens on top of the tank). Next on the list is to sell the 55g and pick up a harem of anthias soon (and maybe a swallowtail angel pair). Love the new tank!

 

[seattle989]

awe so this it what your tank looks like i think you'll be happy with my coral selection. looking good!

 

[lmn420]

awe so this it what your tank looks like i think you'll be happy with my coral selection. looking good!

Thanks! Definitely looking forward to seeing your tank.

On a side note - I have been doing 2-part dosing for my 55g tank and it hasn't been too bad, but I am noticing that with this bigger tank it is taking alot of dosing to keep up the calcium levels and am beginning to think that I might want to get a calcium reactor. Any suggestions for what to look for in a calcium reactor? Any things to avoid/lookout for? Thanks,
Lindsay