Billy's 120 tank build thread

[xmenx2dad]

does anyone have some extra buckets or a big trash can that i could store some ro water or mader up saltwater for when i do the switch over?

 

[xmenx2dad]

ok, took out the leaking manifold that i had built. Built a new one last night. Hopefully will be able to leak test it one final time this weekend. made about 50 gallons of saltwater, so i think i am almost ready for the switch out.

 

[fishaholic911]

ok, took out the leaking manifold that i had built. Built a new one last night. Hopefully will be able to leak test it one final time this weekend. made about 50 gallons of saltwater, so i think i am almost ready for the switch out.

Good luck......let me know if you need anything :wavehand:

 

[paul_111]

Billy;

Glad to see you're getting there. I'd offer to help, but the commute is a b!tch these days )

Paul

 

[fishaholic911]

Any updates ?

 

[xmenx2dad]

Sorry for the delay. been a crazy few weeks. Finally got to leak test it and it seems ok. So i got a crazy thought in my head oh hey, were not doing anything this weekend. lets swp out the tanks. Thought this would be fairly simple. LOL boy was i wrong. But long story short got everything in a temp tank. drained the old one, now for sale if you are interested, put the rocks in trash cans and dismantled the old one.

 

[xmenx2dad]

then the fun began, finding a neighbor that wanted to help with the big heavy lifting. Got everything in, reinstalled the drain piping, didn't fit through the door. Got it all set and leveled and even. Found out that the sand i was going to use wasn't going to work, so i haqd to wash out all of the old sand thoroughly, then put it in the tank and starting pumping in water whilst starting to arrange the rock structures. Tried to set it up as 2 islands with lots of open areas. Its amazing how lots of rock in a 55 along with a bunch of dry rock looks very tiny in a 120.

 

[xmenx2dad]

then figured out i did not have nearly enough water made up. So it stayed half filled fri night. got up bright and early sat and proceeded to make tons of water all day. finally by 7 or so last night, had enough water in there to go over the overflow and into the sump. Turned on the main pump and had a leak in the back of the tank. So i turned it off, tighten everything a bit and tried again.Still a leak. Tried it again and now i had a bigger leak. So after much swearing and threatening to smash it with a hammer, i discovered the source of the leak. When i was installing the drain elbows back in, i tightened one too much and had cracked the bulkhead.

 

[xmenx2dad]

so i just left on the vortech and moved all the corals and fish over. Then ran dow to robs today to get a new one. Installed it and running fine. Have a gurgling/siphon issue that i need to address very soon. Also need to add check valves on the return lines. seems like all is runnig smoothly. Still need to setup the skimmer, ATO setup and the whole calcium reactor still. Need to pick up some stronger magnets for my frag racks and also a bigger magnet cleaner, darn 1/2 inch glass. Will post more about the equipment later along with some pics. Have a pair of Bartlett anthias on hold at Rob's to put in here later this week. Should look sweet. thanks

 

[xmenx2dad]

just did some testing because some corals didn't look good.
Ammonia 1.5
Nitrate 0
Ph 8.2
Nitrites 0
Calcium 540
Alk 7 dkh

Calcium was way high earlier in the week, so it is actually coming down. Sone of my sps and acans are not very happy

 

[Gomer]

How is Mag? LPS are usually fairly sensitive to it, and is part of the Ca/Alk/pH equilibrium.

 

[xmenx2dad]

not sure, i do not have a test kit

 

[xmenx2dad]

not sure, i do not have a test kit

 

[Ntvper]

DUDE long over dude....and to top it off WHY DIDNT YOU CALL ME I WOULD OF BEEN GLAD TO HELP YOU....i feel so waterless, tankless right now lol.