Asmo's 120 Gallon Build

[asmodyus]

So I Will be upgrading from my 65 Gallon to a 120 Gallon here some pics off this awesome setup I got from a fellow Reef Central Enthusiast.

So far I just spent past couple days cleaning out the used sand. Got the water running clear and now have the sand spread out to be sun bleached but man still it smells.

Next step is to figure out how to break down my 65 and put my new one in its exact same spot and not kill off my live stock in the 65.

Hopefully I will have setup this weekend fingers crossed.

 

[nitr8]

I love the dimensions of a 120. GL.

 

[rogergolf66]

Good luck. Following along

 

[robthorn]

If you can have both running during the 120.cycle you might be better off. Drain the 65.half way down and roll it on 1 1/2 pvc to a temporary location while the 120 cycles. Just a thought.

 

[St Pete John]

Also really like this size tank, thanks for sharing.

 

[asmodyus]

If you can have both running during the 120.cycle you might be better off. Drain the 65.half way down and roll it on 1 1/2 pvc to a temporary location while the 120 cycles. Just a thought.

Yeah the 65 is on a Deep Blue Seas Professional series 2 stand and there primarily particle board so moving it might not be a good idea plus really don't have the room.

My options are:

Option 1: borrow or buy 50+ gallon stock tank move everything in there for a couple days while I tear down the 65 and put the new tank up. Than transfer the old water and rock with the new water and rock and hope I Don't get a mini cycle.

Option 2: use my 40 gallon sump and buckets and drain the 65 down to a lift able weight take all the rock I that will not fall, find a place in my house that I can fit the 65. Than transfer everything back to the 65 and than setup my 120 than put all the 65 content in the 120 again hope for no mini cycle.

Option 3: not really room for it but first part of option 2 but have both tanks running through the full cycle of a new 120 tank (also don't really have the resources for that aka water for a full 120 tank).

 

[janes_mw]

all I can say is be careful. I did exactly what your doing a few years back. 110 into a 180. bought a 100 gallon stock tank, had everything staged and ready to switch over. Planned on keeping about 40 gallons of the old water and all the live rock and sand. I did the switch over and killed most my fish, and impacted my SPS and LPS. I believe it was the disturbing of the sand bed, but everyone in the house got sick (including the dog) of what ever I stirred up. Something got released into the air as we were all coughing bad.
Not saying you will even have any of this type of reaction, just be cautious when disturbing the sand bed (I think).

 

[asmodyus]

all I can say is be careful. I did exactly what your doing a few years back. 110 into a 180. bought a 100 gallon stock tank, had everything staged and ready to switch over. Planned on keeping about 40 gallons of the old water and all the live rock and sand. I did the switch over and killed most my fish, and impacted my SPS and LPS. I believe it was the disturbing of the sand bed, but everyone in the house got sick (including the dog) of what ever I stirred up. Something got released into the air as we were all coughing bad.
Not saying you will even have any of this type of reaction, just be cautious when disturbing the sand bed (I think).

OMG how old was the sand bed you moved from 110 to the 180 and never heard that wow that is a crazy story.

Also I am cleaning the used sand I got form the whole setup and thinking about using bleach? The sand was 2 years old so I should not get that much phosphates leaching issues. I just want to kill all the bad bacteria and I'm thinking washing in fresh water is not enough.

 

[maroonman]

I just did a 120 to 180 switch..the sandbed was 1 yr old. Everything did just fine. Almost 3 weeks into it now.

 

[janes_mw]

The sand bed was about 18 months set up in the 110. It was strange for sure ...... and scared the heck out of me once it happened. Never really sure what it was, but I didn't have any palys so couldn't have been that. It was loaded with SPS. I have handled live rock and coral in my tanks since mid 80's and never had any thing happen like that. During that switch over my hands got cut up pretty bad and swelled up like mad as well. Took me about 6 months to get the 180 back to where the 110 was.

Anyway, like they say, nothing good happens fast in this hobby .

 

[Sonicboom]

you could go to Walmart and pick up a cheap kiddie pool, this one is 8 bucks online
http://www.walmart.com/ip/My-Sunshine-6-Snap-Set-Pool/19336121
it holds 258 gallons so you can do rock and water. then toss it when you are done.

 

[pineda00]

nice

 

[asmodyus]

Well Moved the 65 Gallon over for the 120. You would not belive it but I moved a 3/4 full 65 gallon tank/stand and full sump right over with just 2 people using masonite boards the most amazing thing I have ever seen.



Now I can setup my 120 and slowly move things over from the 65.

 

[Sonicboom]

Awesome, can you explain the move process?

 

[robthorn]

Probably the best decision you could have made.

Ammonia pockets are nasty. Exact reason I stir my sand bed regularly.

 

[Sonicboom]

Ahh, just looked up Masonite boards. So you used them to slide the tank onto, then slide the board out from under the tank?

 

[asmodyus]

Ahh, just looked up Masonite boards. So you used them to slide the tank onto, then slide the board out from under the tank?

Yep exactly I needed to drain it just a little so the water does not slosh around. But yeah you take 2 pieces lean the tank over one side than slide one board under lean the tank over apposite side slide the other board under. Than tuck another board under the edge of the 2 boards under the tank than repeat for how many boards under in a line for how far you wanna go. For us it was the middle wall to the edge so we used a second board (having carpet helps) and pushed the tank and it just slid across the Masonite board all to the end than wiggle the boards out and your done.

I moved 500+ lbs tank across the carpet with taking the entire thing down.

 

[asmodyus]

So the tank is finally cleaned and up. It also looks so big compared to my 65 which I used to think was big.

 

[djsmallz]

Very nice

 

[asmodyus]