cpu933k's Mellow Yellow Fellows (125g FOWLR)

[cpu933k]

Documenting my 125 gallon FOWLR build that I started back in Sept/Oct. Most of the fish I want to stock will be mellow and have some yellow in them...

 

Picked up this 125g reef ready fixer upper for $350 on craiglist:

 

 

I hated the oak, but it was slim pickings on both wamas and craigslist for several weeks when I was looking for a 125g.

 

[cpu933k]

The overflows were nasty and it took several vinegar baths to clean them out. Note to self: never buy another reef ready tank (especially not used) and go with an external overflow. Although this will probably be my last tank for a while.

 

Got the wifey involved and gave her the task of re staining the stand.

 

 

Found some info on the interwebs on how to do that without much sanding/stripping involved - gel stain. We used General Finishes Java. Awesome stuff. Followed by Miniwax wipe on poly.

 

Very pleased with the results:

 

 

 

Then we had to figure out what to do with the tank trim. Found a solution - black vinyl tape. Worked beautifully:

 

 

 

 

[cpu933k]

As I started to buy equipment, I realized that the stand is quite short and the openings would not allow much of a sump. Seeing that I would have to put the sump in through the top (and therefore never be able to switch it out) I decided to get a nicer sump rather than going used/cheap like I originally planned. So I got a Trigger Systems Ruby 30 sump. I wanted to run a manifold off the return for a uv sterilizer, carbon, and algae scrubber, so I decided to get a large return pump. Picked up a Tunze Silence Pro 1073.110A (rated at 2900 gph) from a fellow wamas member. Used a 20g tall tank as my ATO reservoir. Again, had to go through the top, so not coming out unless tank broken down. Hired Rob (zygote2k) to do the plumbing. I decided to go with a dual Herbie.

 

 

 

He was able to make both emergency drains go into the same filter sock as one of the full siphon lines:

 

 

I have dual returns coming over the top and I had him offset the pipes on the back of the tank for ease of cleaning with the flipper:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cpu933k]

After all the plumbing was done, I realized the Tunze was way too much pump for my needs and actually was not as silent as I would have liked. Went cheap with a jebao dc12000, which lasted all of 30 seconds before dying. Decided to go with a ecotech vectra M1 after that and it has been working well for me. Went with brs eco saver rock and fiji pink sand. Then after putting the finishing touches on my aquascape, ending up breaking one of my top braces!

 

 

All the advice online was not to take a chance and to replace the tank. That really was not an option for me after all I had already gone through.

I contacted the tank tank manufacturer, AGA/Aqueon, and they said they stopped selling replacement trims. I was able to buy one from here:

http://www.aquariumframeswholesale.com

When the trim came in, I got a hacksaw blade and cut out all the old trim (fortunately my tank was empty), 4-6 inches at a time, (it's tedious, but any more than that you risk cracking your glass when pulling off the trim) and then cleaned off all the silicone. I followed this video:

I put silicone on the new trim and put it on with something heavy on top of it to hold it down while the silicone cured (24 hours).

 

Seemed to work okay and finally filled the tank with saltwater.

 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2018 by cpu933k

[cpu933k]

Powerheads are 2 jebao rw-8s. Lighting is 2 Build My LED 20,000K 48" lights from my previous tank. I have them overlapping in the middle since the 125g is 72" long. Bought a Vertex Omega 150 skimmer, but the fit was too tight in my sump, so sold it and got a Simplicity DC320. Also picked up a secondhand unused Turbo Aquatics L2 algae scrubber, a used AquaUV sterilizer, and a used Apex Classic. Really regret this stand as everything is really tight down there. I have to drain the sump and disconnect the scrubber just to clean the screen.

 

Skimmate after 24 hours:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cpu933k]

Picked up a used Avast ATO (for apex) and a used avast swabbie. Then I also picked up a new avast skimmate locker (the version for buckets as I did not need the nice acrylic container and the bucket version was the cheapest option) and the avast apex breakout box. It would take a long time to fill 5-gallons of skimmate, so I did find a smaller semi-translucent bucket (I think it's 3 gallons) that had the same lid size as a 5-gallon bucket. One problem I encountered was that I only had one I/O port available on my apex. Justin at Avast was able to help me convert the apex connector on my ATO to bare wire. So I used the I/O port on the apex for the breakout box, which has the ATO, skimmate locker, and a float switch from my ATO reservoir plugged into.

 

[flooddc]

Saw it the other day. Great job on the tank.

[cpu933k]

Thanks Chuck. My updates here are lagging behind by a few months.

[cpu933k]

Done with the cycle and added pods, phyto and macroalgae:

 

 

With nothing to consume the phytos except the pods, it created a phyto bloom, so I stopped dosing the phyto.

 

Which I think led to this hair algae outbreak which lasted 4 months.

 

 

 

I used the same dry rock on my previous tank and never got hair algae like this so I suspect it was the phyto. The macroalgae was doing nicely, growing and keeping a good color, until I added a large cleanup crew with turbo snails, which preferred eventually decimated all my macro.

 

Edited March 14, 2018 by cpu933k

[cpu933k]

I was going to leave my tank open top as I was not planning on stocking any fish that are known jumpers. Then I started reading about other people's fish (non-known jumpers) jumping to their unfortunate deaths when they got spooked. Being a FOWLR and not wanting to spend a lot of money on a cover/canopy, I looked into the mesh kits on BRS, but would have to get three of them and do a lot of cutouts for the lights, overflows, autofeeder, and feeding "door". I decided just to go with eggcrate, but black so it wouldn't stand out too much. All the cutouts worked great, but it cut down the light too much for my liking. Since I already bought the eggcrate and put in all that work to do all the cutouts, I decided to try a hybrid eggcrate/mesh lid. I cut out the middle sections of the eggcrate and zip tied the mesh to the eggcrate. Light transmission and jump protection solved. I probably should have used black zip ties for that first lid, but oh well. For the middle lid, I cut it into two as I use the non-mesh eggcrate portion as my feeding "door"/area. Not really a door, I just remove that area during feeding.

 

 

 

Edited March 14, 2018 by cpu933k

[YHSublime]

Better safe than sorry. Also, eggcrate is used as a light diffuser, so I think the mesh will serve you better for lighting in the tank! 

[cpu933k]

Ok, done describing equipment. On to the main attraction: Fish.

 

My first inhabitant and which caused me to do this build: the Longhorned Cowfish:

 

 

Are you looking at me?

 

 

 

He hangs out at the top of the tank with his horns out of the water:

 

 

Waiting/begging for food:

 

 

He hasn't started spitting water at me yet.

 

I used to have the Eheim feeding station, which is supposed to keep pellets from going down the overflow while they soak enough water to sink. Well, this little guy was not patient enough for the pellets to sink:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[YHSublime]

Looks like there's quite the personality on that fish, awesome. 

[cpu933k]

Next up, Golden Semilarvatus Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus) aka Bluecheek butterflyfish.

 

While the cowfish just likes to stay up top, this guy swims all around the tank.pecking at the rocks. I'm planning on adding another one to try to pair them up.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2018 by cpu933k

[mogurnda]

I am so jealous of both of those fish!  What a great tank!

[cpu933k]

 

I am so jealous of both of those fish!  What a great tank!

 

Thanks!

[cpu933k]

Next up: Yellow Belly Regal Angel

 

Despite all advice not to buy regal angelfish on sale (b/c that usually means the retailer is trying to get rid of it - probably due to not eating) and not to buy these too large, I chanced it with this 5.5 inch regal. Judging by the price and it only being advertised as a yellow belly regal, it is probably not a Red Sea specimen as it would have been advertised as such and commanded a much higher price.

 

FedEx was 4 hours late with the delivery on one of the coldest days of the year. Opened the box and it was laying on its side at the bottom of the bag motionless. Bag water measured around 60 F. Thought for sure it was DOA and even took photos of it to document it as DOA. Since I had a QT set up for it I tossed it in there while waiting for the DOA claim to go through since I'm not supposed to dispose of the body until they say so and didn't want to freeze it or leave it outside rotting.

 

Went on with my day and came down to feed my other fish a few hours later and lo and behold, who is swimming around the QT! Canceled my DOA claim (that probably doesn't happen too often). This is one tough fish. He is a pig and has eaten everything I threw at it including pellets from Day 1. He does prefer smaller particles though, so I switched over to Hikari mysis vs PE since I got tired of cutting the PE into smaller pieces.

 

He's got a slight misbar on his left side:

 

 

 

Who are you calling fat?

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2018 by cpu933k

[YHSublime]

NOW I'm jealous. 

 

Great looking Regal. 

[cpu933k]

Next up: Moorish Idol

 

Once again, got lucky and this guy ate pellets from Day 1 in QT. Eats everything and is the most voracious eater in the DT. Became buddies with the semilarvatus and they often swim back and forth in front of the tank together. The Regal used to just chill in his caves in the bank of the tank and only came out during feeding time, but once I added the idol, the regal is out all the time now. Regal has to show him who the boss of the tank is.

 

Check out his long streamer:

 

 

 

 

 

Buddies:

 

 

Who's the boss?

 

Edited March 18, 2018 by cpu933k

[L8 2 RISE]

Wow, what awesome fish!

[Origami]

Beautiful specimens!

[monkiboy]

great looking idol, enjoy

[cpu933k]

FTS:

 

[roni]

What great fish choices and such a clean looking tank!  Makes me want to get a larger tank again.  Now to figure out a spot and convince my wife

[cpu933k]

Just added:

 

Borbonius (Blotched) Anthias

 

This guy was dark and ugly and hiding the whole time in QT. I was regretting my purchase. When he finally made it in the DT, he instantly colored up. Very happy now.