Zantwin's 55 --> 125 build

[zantwin]

So it all started when I got a 55g tank nice & cheap. I didn't know much about saltwater aquariums, but I knew that I wanted to start one. Having heard that it's best to start around that size, I figured it was time to try. My experience with freshwater tanks and biology gave me enough confidence to start. I attached a Fluval 305, a small skimmer, and some lights acquired from Tekken (thanks!). There was one massive collapse about halfway into it that still stymies me today. Everything that was over an inch long kicked the bucket. Afterwards, I was rewarded with some corraline algae bloom and I added my first zoa frag. Here's what it looked like about 3 months into the project:

Yeah, the lighting is real ghetto, but I wasn't into it for the aesthetics (yet).

 

Fast forward a month, and I get an opportunity to get a 125g with pumps and excellent lighting for a song. Since I'm already on the steep learning curve and I haven't invested too much into the 55, I couldn't refuse.

 

It took about a month to get all the preparations done, including a dedicated 20A GFCI, transition tanks for the livestock, and friends to help with the leak test (trust, but verify, ja?). One looong weekend later, I had the original 55g acting as the sump and hosting the skimmer, heaters, and some live rock for bio load. The display tank started to take shape. Here's a few shots of the weekend's transition:

 

 

It's been about 5 months since the transition, and here's the result:

 

/**pic shortly - just needed to post!!**/

 

It's a really nice improvement from the start, and I'm really happy with the results.

 

Here's the breakdown:

125g display

55g sump (about 30g full)

75g-rated skimmer

3 250W MHalides

4 96W actinics

4 LED Moon lights (all lights in a Coralife 6' unit)

I'm making & dosing kalkwasser

Carbon reactor

 

About 70# live rock

Lots of little hermits

Lots of turbots & a handful of nassarias

2 Yellow tangs (getting along fine)

1 Pacific Blue tang

1 Spotted Mandarin

1 Spotted blenny

1 Diamond Goby

3 Green chromids

1 Blue cleaner wrasse

1 Tomato clown

1 Sun-Faced wrasse

4 frags Zoas

1 frag staghorn coral

4 mushroom discosomas

1 brain coral

1 as-yet-unidentified coral

1 urchin (2" dia)

1 condylactus anemone

 

So far I don't have any algae issues, but there's one large aptasia that's on the hit list. I'll be adding more rock to build up the reef structure and adding more coral as time & conditions allow. So far, so good. I've recently added a RO/DI kit, so changes are a breeze now.

 

I've definitely got the fever, and I'm planning additional tanks around the house.

 

I have to give props to lanman and Tekken for support & cooperation.

[zoozilla]

Nice jump from a 55 to a 125. Down the road, what type of tank do plan to keep (Mainly Fish, SPS Dominated, LPS Dominated, etc)?

[zantwin]

Here's a shot of the tank as of today:

As you can see, it's a bit tidier than the previous pics.

 

@Zoozilla -

I'm going to go for a coral-dominated tank. What kind yet, I haven't decided. There's also the very likely chance that I'll get a bigger tank down in a few years. I'll have gotten better at automation, maintenance, specie familiarization by then (one would hope). I also have a lucky architectural situation in my basement that's practically begging for an in-wall approach. I've even got power and water right where I need it. If that's the case, then the 125 would probably become a FOWLR because the wife & kids think moving things are more interesting. Go fig. Thanks for the query!

[gmubeach]

It looks very nice:) where did you go to school for biology

[zantwin]

It looks very nice:) where did you go to school for biology

I did two years at Virginia Tech, another year in Albuquerque, then... finished up with a degree in IT.

Edited March 26, 2010 by zantwin

[BowieReefer84]

update?

[zantwin]

Update...

The tank has been humming along nicely. I added a bird's nest back in May and it's doubled in size, so something must be working. However, I also acquired a gonioporan that seemed to thrive for the first three months, but has now dwindled. Some reading indicates that this species is somewhat troublesome in that all the required micronutrients have not been established.

 

I found that the best adhesive is JB Weld's "WaterWeld" putty. I tried with no great luck trying cyanoacrylate-based gels & liquids or the semi-liquid marine epoxies that are in the dual chamber syringes. My oyster, acro, and bird's nest are now fixed, despite the large hermits, snails, and urchin's best attempts to dislodge them.

 

I also had to replace not one, but two diamond gobies over time due to suicidal tendencies. I can't stand the glass lids that came with the tank, so I had to accept the risk of jumping fish with an open tank. However, since a greater need is to have some kind of strong sand-churner, I needed to have a goby in the tank to help with the surface work that my nassarius snails provide. Lessons learned, I fabricated a vinyl mesh lid that looks almost as if it came with the tank. I have my gas exchange, evap cooling, light penetration, and no salt buildup to contend with.

 

Build was pretty straightforward, with the purchase of 1/4" pine trim (long bull nose) and some mesh. I went tothe HW store with the intention of using the flimsy back mesh that you can put over your vegetables to ward of large grazers (rabbits, deer, etc.). I had that in hand en route to the cashier but luck was in store and I saw a metal, vinyl-coated mesh that was ideal. It was rigid and wouldn't corrode. It even had a nice dark green coating that works well with the black frame of the tank. Simple 45 deg. cuts to the dimensions of the inlays where the glass lids would normally be, then staple the whole thing together.

 

The future looks to be getting some more frags, since there's space and I appear to be holding the water quality in good stead, as well as keeping the calcium in the right range (still dosing kalk manually at night, but hey...).

 

[Coral Hind]

Nice tank screen. Any full tank shots?

[jason the filter freak]

I'll give you 3 months tops before those staples rust out. Its a great idea though, one of which I've used on my tanks in the past but you might want to go with pond netting and a window screening frame/kit from home depot or lowes as it will be far more able to deal with the conditions of a saltwater tank environment and probably block about 9-14.7% less light than your current set up, made up numbers sure but it will block less light likely (and look nicer to boot)

[zantwin]

I'll give you 3 months tops before those staples rust out. Its a great idea though, one of which I've used on my tanks in the past but you might want to go with pond netting and a window screening frame/kit from home depot or lowes as it will be far more able to deal with the conditions of a saltwater tank environment and probably block about 9-14.7% less light than your current set up, made up numbers sure but it will block less light likely (and look nicer to boot)

 

 

Good point about the staples. I'll have to keep an eye on them. If things work out I'll paint the frames with a vinyl-based paint, thus covering the staples, and be done with it. It's really solid so I'm confident that the big guys can't get thru. I didn't know about pond netting. That might have been an option. I like this mesh since it's solid enough to put stuff on while working in/around the tank. Either way, I'm not too concerned about the light issue, since I've got 3 x 250 MH and 4x96w blue CFLs and it's only 18" deep!

[Coral Hind]

You could probably coat the staples with a thin layer of silicone to protect them from rusting.