Dan's new 120 build

[zooman72]

I would agree with the color of the lighting - looks good. How much of the homemade rock did you end up using? What are your plans for this tank with regard to corals?

Oh yeah - very nice job on the stand too!

 

[Piazzon12]

It is really looking good... Only suggestion I would have is to put an accessible "drain" on the basement part of the pulmbing, in case sand builds up over time or something gets stuck.... I forget what the actual piece is called, but you could use a T or elbow with the treaded plug

 

[Willistein]

Ha ha! Yes, the yellow pipefish is looking really healthy, but I'm pretty sure he's bored out of his mind. He was in the DT for 2 weeks and has been in the QT for a week now...poor guy. 5 weeks to go.

I think about 50 pounds is homemade rock. It had a good bloom of diatoms a couple weeks ago, but has died off almost completely. I used silica based play sand in the rock, so it makes sense. There were diatoms on the DIY rock and the substrate (probably from the dust), but not the live rock. Right now it's back to white - I'm waiting for the corraline to take off. there are just now very early signs of corraline starting to grow.

My plans for corals are to do half LPS half SPS. I really like Euphylia, acans, favities, open brains, etc. I also want to have the upper areas full of acros, etc. Pretty much anything colorful and probably not too many softies, although my wife wants a yellow leather.

 

[Willistein]

It is really looking good... Only suggestion I would have is to put an accessible "drain" on the basement part of the plumbing, in case sand builds up over time or something gets stuck.... I forget what the actual piece is called, but you could use a T or elbow with the threaded plug

Yes, that is a good idea - I was thinking of putting a couple unions down there so I can remove the horizontal sections and clean them out completely. Eventually I think the sump is going down in the basement though. We'll see how the temperature goes though - I'm thinking this summer is going to be a problem without a basement sump.

 

[Conesus_Kid]

You're doing the right thing leaving the DT fallow of fish to eliminate the crypto.

Are you planning on prophylactically treating all other fish additions w/ copper or hyposalinity before adding them to the DT?

 

[titoav15]

Great job! I really like the way everything is coming together!!

 

[Willistein]

Thanks, Alex! I'm getting excited too - I'm taking a much more serious approach to this tank than anks in the past.

The yellow tang is the only fish and he is in hypo right now. He is also at the end of a Prazipro treatment for flukes which has worked very well. In a couple weeks I will start to bring his salinity up slowly. In the future, every fish I introduce will go through QT first. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what my QT regimen will be for new fish.

 

[Jedbreitsch]

Great looking tank so far! And i applaud you on QT your fish most people skip that process. :thumbsup:

 

[Willistein]

So here's an anchor coral that appears to be half green and half pink? I've not seen this before.

And the yellow tang a few weeks ago when it became apparent that he was not doing too well. Flukes + ich = bad.

 

[Willistein]

OK, a long overdue update, new residents:

 

[Willistein]

Here's a couple more

 

[Jacwil]

Nice additions Dan...were you able to save the Tang?

 

[Willistein]

No, while dealing with the ailing tang, my original tank sprung a leak and I had to remove everything and rebuild from the tank up. The process took about a week and the tang was not given all the attention he needed. I think he eventually died of a secondary infection. I gave the tank about 6 weeks with no fish to make sure the ich was gone.

The new fish were treated and look great. The coral beauty (pictured) my wife picked out. The McCosker's Flasher Wrasse (not pictured) is awesome. Very cool personality. I'll try to get a picture.

 

[Henry Colf]

Looking good Dan!!!

 

[Willistein]

Looking good Dan!!!

Thanks!

A big thing I have left to do is build the canopy to match the stand. I've also been contemplating adding a 36" reefbrite strip to get more color pop, but that probably won't be for a while.

Once the sump setup is in the basement I want to get a frag tank going as well. I've got some 30" square 1/2" glass from work that is begging to be siliconed together...

 

[Willistein]

A couple more shots from tonight. McCosker's Flasher (he's skiddish):

My DIY rock is really starting to get corraline growth:

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

again... very nice. Awesome camera work!

 

[Willistein]

again... very nice. Awesome camera work!

I wouldn't go that far, but thanks!

 

[Willistein]

So, the tank is doing well, I continue to add corals and everything is showing good growth. I picked up some fish from a guy on Craigslist and they're in a quarantine tank right now. I got a really nice looking hippo, a 3" ocellaris, and a yellow tang who is perfectly healthy but has a funny stump for a tail. He told me that a year ago, there was a stray voltage problem and while the fish were laying on the bottom, a crab chewed his tail off! The funny part is, he gets along pretty well without it. I don't think it will ever regrow, so now the kids just have to come up with a good name for him.

 

[Willistein]

So, help me out - I believe this may be a Percula instead of an Ocellaris. What do you guys think? I count 10 anterior (front) dorsal rays. He is about 3 1/2" long.

Also, note the yellow "stumper" tang. He has his barb on one side still, and it's pretty funny to watch him wiggle it. He gets along pretty well though.

The hippo is my favorite. She's probably 4 1/2" long.

...and, if you were keeping track, my quarantine patience lasted for 1 day. mostly because the fish had been in an established tank for more than a year, but nonetheless I join the unrighteous who dump and pray.