125 Build

M

MarkGP

Why do I do this?
After being fishless for almost 2 years I decided it was time to start up again. This time it will be a fish only system as opposed to my last tank which was a 120 gallon reef. So I got this great deal on a non reef ready 125 gallon from another forum I belong to and ordered a glass-holes.com overflow kit. Here are the pics!

A buddy drilling the tank
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The overflow installed
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Some rocks I picked up!
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Painted the back of the tank
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Where's the water?
DSC_0343.jpg
 
The painful process of filling with RO
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Got some of the plumbing done
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Added the salt and sand
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All cleared up
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Canopy with LEDs
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Waiting for the cycle (LED shot)
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The LEDs are Cree XRE 3 watt. 12 cool white and 12 royal blue each color on their own driver at 700 mA mounted on aluminum u-channel. I've built many LED fixtures on heatsinks and I figured with such few LEDs mounted over a 6' span, the aluminum u-channel should work well for heat dissipation and it does. Even without a fan running after an hour the aluminum was only up to 82 degrees on an infrared thermometer measured at the backside of the led. I thought they would actually run a little warmer than that! As for fish I have my eye on a sweet volitan lionfish and a niger trigger. Other than that I'm still undecided on what fish to get.
 
Where did you purchase the LED equipment from (what was the approximate cost)

I would be careful with putting lions and triggers together especially a Niger.
 
Hydrologist said:
Where did you purchase the LED equipment from (what was the approximate cost)

I would be careful with putting lions and triggers together especially a Niger.
Click to expand...

They were living in a tank together already for about 3 years. Everything came from rapidled.com. It was the non-dimmable 24 LED kit for $200. The aluminum u-channel came from the cheapo for $15!
 
Just checked ammonia...it's down to 1 ppm from 4 after almost 3 weeks and nitrites are up from 0 to 2 ppm. I didn't think the ammonia was ever going to come down!
DSC_0454.jpg
 
Nemo is what got me into this hobby, seriously. My daughter was crazy about those fish and I decided to put up a salt tank seeing her adoration for the fish.
 
MarkGP said:
Thanks! I ran a filter sock in the sump after I added the sand and it was clear in about 2 days. I had to keep changing out the socks though. They got clogged up pretty quickly. After that it was pretty clear. I've had tanks in the past stay cloudy for a week or so.
Click to expand...




Thanks man...you did an awesome job!
 
shackman said:
Where did you get the U-channel? Can it be bought locally?
Click to expand...
Bought the u-channel at Home Cheapo! :spin2:

stangd1909 said:
Also, I love the rock...what kind is it?
Click to expand...

Straight from marcorocks.com. Key Largo prime cuts and cherry picked Key Largo. Basically, you tell them what shape and size you want and they email you pics of the actual rock they send. Hard to see in the pic but the one bigger show piece rock is almost 2 feet long!
 
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