125 gallon is set up!

[gadgetguy]

It's up and running! Thought I might as well post a picture. I just stuck some extra lighting I had around for the picture (2x 6500k T5, 2x Super Actinic T5). It's got about 80 lbs of rock in it right now. Let me know what y'all think! :thumb:

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/IMG_5330.jpg

[gadgetguy]

That one's a bit hazy still, she's pretty much completely cleared up now. Still need to get some black acrylic for the overflow boxes.

I do have a question. The parameters that go up and down during cycling (Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite), what order do they go up and down in? When do I know it's done the cycle? As of today, the parameters are as follows:

Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate
0.50 ppm 1 ppm 5 ppm

[nathan u]

in theory the ammonia spikes, then breaks down into nitrites which spike and then nitrates spike with nitrates being the least harmful but still very very bad.
and cycle should be done when everything is 0

looks good what you looking at stocking fish/coral wise? and using for lighting by chance?

[gadgetguy]

Really not sure for livestock, haven't thought quite that far ahead yet. I'm open to suggestions!

For lighting, I'm going a little overboard, mostly because it was cheap or I already had it. I'm building my own canopy and inside is going 2x 250w HQI MH on either end and a 400w single ended MH in the center. These will be 15000k at least, if not 18 or 20. Supplementary will consist of 2x 48" Super Actinic and 2x 24" Super Actinic.

[Richy]

Very nice gadget...

My only suggestion, and only a suggestion based on my personal preference is ...I would add more rock and try to make a few more "swim throughs ( I know it is not a word..:) ) I would add about 160 more lbs minimum.

I know there is budgets etc people work within but now is the time to do it if you can. If you are making a reef, you are limited to space for your corals.

I have a 170 and about 350lbs of rock and out of space..

Very nice..cannot wait to see progress photos..

Rick

[gadgetguy]

Yes, more rock is a for sure, just don't know about 160 pounds, I've got a great skimmer on it so that offers a nice bit of filtration right there, but I will for sure be adding another 100 or so.

I did also try to make "swim throughs" and on my nano it worked out very nicely, but for some reason this stuff just didn't want to cooperate with my aquascaping. Once the rest of my rock comes out of the nano, I'll rearrange everything.

[Richy]

The more rock you have makes it easier to scape too.. If you need some coraline to seed your tank let me know..I can give you some.. Pinks and purple..

Rick..

[gadgetguy]

Thanks Rick, that'd be sweet. I'm just in the process of getting a 20 gallon prepped for moving some rock and the fish from the nano into -- I'm desperately in need of the space where the nano is now. Once the nano is down, I'll take some rock from that, clean it off REALLY well, let it dry (so the algae dies) then stick that in the tank. I think I also have 20 pounds-ish of base rock around here I could stick in.

[fishcop]

Looking good, keep us posted with pictures of how things are going.

[Dripline]

Looks good!

You've come a long way from that first nano to this! Wow!

[dplaskett]

"I'll take some rock from that, clean it off REALLY well, let it dry (so the algae dies) then stick that in the tank. I think I also have 20 pounds-ish of base rock around here I could stick in."

If you have die off on the rock do you have to cure it before you put it into the established tank? Or if it is cured once already it should be okay? Just a thought.

Dave

[nathan u]

what bulbs you looking at using in the MHs?

[gadgetguy]

If you have die off on the rock do you have to cure it before you put it into the established tank? Or if it is cured once already it should be okay? Just a thought.

It should react just like dead/base rock and seed from the LR or it will just colonize like rock starting fresh in a new tank. I had a terrible algae outbreak in the nano and I'm hoping I can avoid it in the 125.

[gadgetguy]

what bulbs you looking at using in the MHs?

I'm really not sure, all I know is that they will be 15-20000k and will be cheap. :rollface:

[gadgetguy]

Today's Parameters:

Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate
0 ppm 3 ppm 15 ppm

[gadgetguy]

Updated photo as requested. All kinds of algae now haha...

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/IMG_5435.jpg

[TJSlayer]

Nice start to the canopy Gadget....you've come a long way!
Big step up and now I'm jealous .. :)

[gadgetguy]

Thanks TJ, that means a lot! :)

Forgot to put in a couple things in the above post:

a) The lighting is obviously temporary.

b) You'll notice that the 2x6s on the top of the canopy are centered so I can mount my MH reflectors.

[gadgetguy]

Well, MH reflectors (2x HQI pendants, 1 reg SE reflector) are ordered, they be coming in the next while. I am hoping to finish up the canopy today, have work to do on the basement and lawn to mow, we'll see which ends up taking more priority. :P

Parameters are now:

pH Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate
8.2 0 ppm 0 ppm 10 ppm

I've also gotten so crazy algae blooms, I've got dark green spots all over the sand and rocks and glass. Is it safe to put in some creatures?

[Froc3]

Green spots on the sand? Sounds like some sort of cyano to me. I'd say it's probably safe to put your clean up crew in.

[gadgetguy]

Here's a shot of the rocks:

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/IMG_6399.jpg

A top down shot of the sand:

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/IMG_6402.jpg

And a macro of the sand:

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/IMG_6404.jpg

[tlb71]

nice rock and sand where did you get it

[gadgetguy]

nice rock and sand where did you get it

Hahaha, well, funny story, I got it from this guy who is now on Saskreef with the screen name tlb71. :D

[Froc3]

Looks like you got a little cyano going, but it looks great!

[gadgetguy]

Anything different I should be doing?

[gadgetguy]

Well, I should get an updated shot up here. Algae has cut down a little now, I've had a damsel in there for about a month now (he's doing great) and now today I got my lighting order! 3 MH reflectors. I ordered beginning of June but now I know why it took so long:

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/fish/7326b384.jpg

2 - 250w HQI, 1 - SE 400w

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/fish/f0fa814b.jpg

Inside of HQI

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/fish/6c34e09c.jpg

Top of HQI

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/fish/3b92bfd3.jpg

Hopefully I'll get this stuff, along with my moonlighting, in the canopy today, hopefully finish it off tomorrow. I'll post pics!

[Myka]

Nice tank! I'm jealous, I love the shape of 125's, but I'm too cheap to pay for 3 lights. LOL

As far as live rock goes, it's really tough to say you need X lbs since rock may be dense or porous. Personally, I like the less is more look. I think I have about 80-90 lbs in my 90, and I don't want any more. For me it wasn't an issue of buying the rock, in fact I have another 100 lbs or so sitting in a vat right now that I'm not going to use, so it's simply that I don't want a lot of rock in my tank. Actually, I'm going to probably put another 20 lbs or so into the sump, but that's it.

Less rock means the fish have lots of swimming room and can't hide much, so I am careful to pick fish that get along with each other. When there is less rock and more swimming room I have really noticed that fish tend to use the open swimming space a lot, which is nice to see. Less rock means less denitrating from the live rock, so I am sure to not overstock. I make sure a little rock as possible touches the sand and this reduces detritus from settling which helps to keep nutrients down - particularly nitrate. I am also careful to not overfeed as many people do. With these precautions I am able to keep an undetectable nitrate level on a skimmerless tank.

As for space for corals, that's personal taste as well - I don't like the look of a billion little corals, I like fewer but bigger. Imo, it's not quantity (rock or coral), but quality. :D When I run out of space I will sell a few of my "lesser" corals, and buy nicer ones to take their place. This way I can still get the coral buying fix! :D :D :D

In the end, there are a lot of "styles" that work, so make it look the way you want it to, not the way someone else wants your tank to look.

Anything different I should be doing? [for the cyano]

Turn the lights off until you add corals. The damsel won't care. Do lots of water changes until your nitrate is undetectable or at least under 5 ppm. Look at add a Phosban reactor with some good quality media in it (any of the brown medias, avoid the white ones).

These will be 15000k at least, if not 18 or 20. Supplementary will consist of 2x 48" Super Actinic and 2x 24" Super Actinic.

Wow, that's going to be uber blue, you like that? Be aware that when you use high Kelvin lighting in comparison to lower Kelvin you lose A LOT of PAR, but still pay the same in electricity.

[gadgetguy]

Thanks for all the info Myka!

Re the lighting, I do like the uber blue look but I ran across a PAR vs Kelvin chart the other day and was astonished at the difference of output even between 15k and 20k, so now I'm thinking of using 12s or 15s. BTW, I'm not using the 2x 24" T5s as I thought I was going to be.

But I will get rid of the 36" T8 strip light I'm using right now just so I can see my tank. :)

Other thing, I have about 100 pounds of rock in there right now, but as you'll see in the image I'll post below, it seems like it's really crowded on the RHS and to me it looks like the rock is kind of thrown in there, and I really don't like it. I'd take it out but I'm concerned that 80 or 90 pounds of rock in a 140 gallon system will be too little. I could maybe cram a bit into my fuge but not a significant amount. Ideas?

[gadgetguy]

Sorry bout the quality, I left my Canon at a friend's. Whoops.

-Edit- Man, that's worse than I expected!! Again, sorry!

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/fish/371bcb99.jpg

[gadgetguy]

Canopy construction is all but finished! Just need to add decorative moulding to the sides and paint and it's done! I brought it in from the shop for a test run. I'll tell ya, it's not a fun or easy feat hauling that thing a hundred meters from the shop, getting it through the back door and especially getting it on the tank. Enough babbling, here it is with a 36" strip light and one of the two T5 actinic strips going, the other one decided to take a swim while I was attempting to plug it in. Again, sorry about the quality, it's just so much easier and faster to upload it straight from my phone to Photobucket! That's what I get for being a lazy fart.

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm30/flamefin/fish/4e904323.jpg

[Froc3]

Lookin good! Can't wait to see some fishies in there.

[gadgetguy]

Me too! Once my new pump comes in, I should be set. Oh, and I (of course) forgot to order it today.

[tlb71]

looks good! really good