My 120 Gallon Transformation is Complete!!!

[KniLLifer]

Most of you on here "Alabama Reefers" have seen my tank in person or via pictures. Well for the last month or so i have been planning to re-due my setup and it is finally complete. The new pictures are a little blurry because the dust is still settling but you still get the idea.

Here is the OLD Setup

Here is what it looks like TODAY!

This is allot more open, a little less rock (thanks to Jim at "Aquarium Fantasies" for that). I have added about 20 frags to the system all high quality stuff. Pictures don't really show any corals off but they are much better in person. Anyone interested in coming by to check it out. Feel free to contact me anytime.

Thanks,

Art

 

[RUGDOG]

looks awesome opened up like that art.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

That's quite a make over . Is it a standard 120? It looks a bit longer than the standard 4 feet wide tank in the new arrangement. Maybe an optical illusion. How much rocks do you think you have now?

Tomoko

 

[KniLLifer]

It is a standard 4x2x2 120 Gallon. I have about 120 lb of rock and 40 lb of sand. MSX250 Skimmer, Geo 618 Calcium Reactor, (2) MP40W pumps.

I absolutely love it. It looks like poOp in the pictures. My wife did all the aquascaping and I loved it. Lots of room for fish and coral to grow.

 

[wpecoul]

That looks seriously cool, Art. When I get to redo my setup, I need to borrow your wife to be my architect.

 

[The0wn4g3]

Very nice.

What type of epoxy are you using to secure the corals to the rocks? I've had a hard time finding any that I liked. I'm almost out of the D&D sticks (thank goodness) so it's about time to start shopping again.

 

[gnoles]

Nice setup, it looks like you pruned back a pretty good bit. I find myself wishing mine looked like either your before or after shot.

 

[scubalauren]

Yes, I would like to know what type of epoxy you are using too. Nice tank!!!

 

[KniLLifer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15228360#post15228360 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scubalauren
Yes, I would like to know what type of epoxy you are using too. Nice tank!!!

Lowes Aquamend Epoxy. $3 for a tube and doesnt make the skimmer go nutz. Greast stuff.

Cheers

 

[gflat65]

I think Shannon (his professional aquascaper) is for hire. Looks great, Art. I love the ittle sectio in the bottom right (rock/sand/rock). All kinds of room for fishes to hide along the edges. Since your water volume decreases exponentially with coral growth, I wonder what it'll look like in another year with 4 gallons of water and a block of entertwined coral.

 

[KniLLifer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15240438#post15240438 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gflat65
I think Shannon (his professional aquascaper) is for hire. Looks great, Art. I love the ittle sectio in the bottom right (rock/sand/rock). All kinds of room for fishes to hide along the edges. Since your water volume decreases exponentially with coral growth, I wonder what it'll look like in another year with 4 gallons of water and a block of entertwined coral.

Thanks for the comments.

I cant wait for that again and the best part about that is I will only have to do 1 Gallon water changes based on the 25% method. I will also have to start hand feeding the fish again as they will be suspended in the coral mesh.

 

[jkburn88]

Art - Makeover looks awesome. Love the rock work. I can't wait to see it in a year.

 

[jkburn88]

And also, the G-3 you sold me at the frag swap works like a champ - a vast improvement over my Kent Nautilus. Thanks very much!

 

[KniLLifer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15259341#post15259341 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jkburn88
And also, the G-3 you sold me at the frag swap works like a champ - a vast improvement over my Kent Nautilus. Thanks very much!

Glad to hear that, I always checked the mesh wheel every 3 to 4 months and most of the time it was good. If you ever need any help re-meshing the wheel give me a call I still have some mesh material (Enkmat P4) here. I use it on my MSX 250.

Thanks,

Art

 

[scubalauren]

I got the Aquamend. Cheap and it works great!!! I never would have guessed. Thanks for the info.

 

[KniLLifer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15262476#post15262476 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scubalauren
I got the Aquamend. Cheap and it works great!!! I never would have guessed. Thanks for the info.

Glad to hear that.

 

[gflat65]

It had gotten hard to find down here (Aquamend). I picked up like 8 tubes (everything on the shelf) of it the last time I saw some because I haven't seen any here or in Prattville in over a year... Good stuff to have on hand.

 

[shirley386]

I've noticed that the AquaMend is getting scarce now. I have picked up about three different product from Home Depot and Lowes that are very similar and work well. There is one from Lowe's that is a Loctite product and is blue that gets warm and sets up pretty quickly that I don't really like.

Others that work well are PC Plumbing Epoxy Putty and RepairitQuik. They both come in the same size tubes as AquaMend. They work well but you will need to mix small quantities until you learn how fast they set up.

I noticed a large tube of an Oatey (I hope I spelled that correctly) product. It looks like it might be the same type of product. The tube is larger than the others but it looks like the idea might be about the same. I'll try that one next.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I use AquaMend, too. I like it better than a certain gray plumbing expoxy that Eric Borneman recommended some years ago since AquaMend does not heat up like that other one.

Lowes around here don't carry AquaMend, but Home Depot does. Home Depot seems to have a steady supply of it. If it is getting scarce, some people may be making minor repairs to their pools or fiberglass boats with the stuff. I am kinda scared of trying others since I do not know which one is non-toxic and which one is not.

 

[scapes]

i took a bunch of pictures when we were at his house last month...finally got them uploaded onto PB.

as art said, he got rid of a LOT of big, er, huge colonies. i got some of the breakdown shots...

before-

colony breakdown--

green slimer