jahorgos 125 Gallon Reef Tank

[jahorgos]

As you can notice by my post count I am new. I have only done fresh water fish in the past and have craved a salt water tank for some time. Recenly I came across some one that was trying to rid there reef setup that has been sitting empty for over a year in their garage. The deal was so good that I had no choice but to jump on it.

I have had the 125 gallon tank for about 2 weeks. Below I will show before pictures when the last owner had it and then pictures of how it has changed since then. My pictures right now are not very good but they will work for now.

Specs:
125 Gallon
40 gallon? sump
2 6ft VHOs
3 250 watt 10K MHs
1/15hp dolphin pump
2 Sea Swirls
1 Skimmer (name slips me atm)

 

[jahorgos]

The last picture of the previous owner after being in the hobby awhile.

 

[jahorgos]

Now on to where I make his tank my tank. I had to re-color it to make the wife happy so it matches all our new furniture.

Anyways the next pictures are my development of the tank in two weeks. Between my reading and the LHS this is where I am.

 

[jahorgos]

cont'd

 

[jahorgos]

Some side views.

 

[Ansphire]

Excellent!!!

My suggestion: A background, black one. :wink:

 

[jahorgos]

Short timeline (as I'm quite excited about my accomplishments so far):

I started painting 4/14/07
Plumbing morning of 4/15/07
Filling night of 4/15/07
Electrical 4/16/07-4/18/07 (a bit at a time each day after work)
Still filling 4/19/07
System startup night of 4/19/07
Delivery of 100lbs of live rock and a few fish to help cycle the tank 4/20/07
The pictures of the tank with the rock and fish above are from 4/23/07.

Now I sit and wait for the tank to cycle. Oh and I got some new Hamilton 10K MHs in last night which are not pictured yet.

 

[jahorgos]

Excellent!!!

My suggestion: A background, black one. :wink:

I have been thinking the same thing. I was hoping it would cover with algae in the next few months but the black would still hide any holes the algae doesn't cover up.

Thanks!

 

[jahorgos]

Update 5/3/07

Short timeline (as I'm quite excited about my accomplishments so far):

I started painting 4/14/07
Plumbing morning of 4/15/07
Filling night of 4/15/07
Electrical 4/16/07-4/18/07 (a bit at a time each day after work)
Still filling 4/19/07
System startup night of 4/19/07
Delivery of 100lbs of live rock and a few fish to help cycle the tank 4/20/07
The pictures of the tank with the rock and fish above are from 4/23/07.
Put in my new Hamilton 10K MHs 4/25/07
Added some inverts to the tank, a mix of snails and crabs, detailed list to come. 4/29/07

Tank is still cycling. Currently I see brown algae and some of it turning green. I heard this is normal and it will start to go away as the tank goes through the cycling process.

 

[Woods]

WOW Very nice

 

[bleedingthought]

One thing to comment on is what your parameters are like. You shouldn't cycle the tank with fish. Not only will they suffer but also, if they survive, it will be a pain to remove them. And short of the talbot damsel I saw in there, the others usually go on to become terrors.

But one thing to note is that both saltwater tanks I started did not have a cycle, or at least not one that was recognizable. I used fully cured live rock and tested and nothing was detected.

But aside from all that, this is a nice start. Nice size tank for a first reef and good list of equipment so far. You will probably need more flow for corals. What are your plans for fish and corals?

 

[jahorgos]

Not sure what the plans for corals are yet, due to a negative impact on my income last year I was unable to add much more to it. In the mean time my ballasts have gone bad. I am replacing them with electronic icecaps all around.

More flow? You might be right but the last owner kept it turned down and I can see why because it pushes the limits of the overflows. Currently I can see pretty good movement from across the tank. But until I get corals going I won't know for sure.

 

[SnowManSnow]

more flow would be acheived by adding something like a tunze stream or even a maxjet 1200 with the mod attachment.

He means more flow inside the tank.. not nessissarily from sump to tank and back.

B.