125 gallons of nature

[Jamie S]

This past spring I got back into the hobby with a 32 gallon biocube and already I’ve needed to upgrade. I was able to pick up a used 6’ long 125 gallon with a homemade canopy and stand. First thing I did was sand and paint and lacquer the stand so I can store the tank on it while I do some work on it. It needed a good cleaning a started wiping it down but noticed that the silicone was pealing at the seams and around the overflow so I ordered some silicone. I filled the tank with water and vinegar to give it a good soaking and it started filling the overflow and emptying out the holes on the bottom of the overflow. So now I decided I need a sump to connect all the piping and run the return pump with vinegar water through the entire system for a week or so before emptying and scraping and replacing the silicone. I bought a 40 breeder off of a member but it didn’t fit under my stand. I tried looking for a used sump but couldn’t find anything that would fit my needs. I decided to order the trigger systems crystal 36 sump which should arrive early next week. I bought a used pair of jebao 8000 dc return pumps off of someone on Reef2Reef so they’ll be getting a vinegar/water bath as well along with 2 big jebao wave makers I bought from the same guy. I plan on heavy sps (with some lps also) using the triton method and a bare bottom tank for maximum water flow. My question is, do you recommend using both return pumps or just 1 and teeing the 2 return lines together. I’m thinking I may use both and turn them down about halfway but also putting on manifold on one line for future reactors and uv sterilizers. I’m curious as to what everybody thinks would be the best way to plumb the return? Anyway I plan to go dark while the tank is cycling and most likely going to do a fish less cycle. I did get about 150#s of dry rock off of Facebook marketplace from a guy who broke his tank down last year. I probably won’t need all of it so whatever I don’t use I’ll eventually give away. Right now I have a piece of the rock in the 32 getting seeded and I may buy a piece of marine pure block to put in the 32 until the tank is running. Then I’ll move the marine pure into the first section of the sump with the socks and protein skimmer. The socks will eventually come out when the chaeto goes in when I officially start the triton. Any advise on the plumbing ( or anything else) would be greatly appreciated since I’m quite the noob compared to the rest of y’all. Cheers

 

[DEL]

for full sps, I would use both pumps pointed in different directions. also, in case one fails, the other will still keep running. good luck on the build!

 

[Paulie 069]

Wow nice looking tank, heck of a project/ build you have going on,, good luck with it hope it turns out the way you see it in your mind

 

[Jamie S]

for full sps, I would use both pumps pointed in different directions. also, in case one fails, the other will still keep running. good luck on the build!

Thank you, that was pretty much my thought also

 

[Jamie S]

Wow nice looking tank, heck of a project/ build you have going on,, good luck with it hope it turns out the way you see it in your mind

Thanks Paulie, I’m sure it will change a lot but hopefully it will be a great conversation piece one day when we have company. Also something my daughter can help be a part of when she gets a little older. She loves helping with the 32 and I may turn it into a clownfish/anemone tank for her. Or maybe a seahorse tank!

 

[Paulie 069]

Thanks Paulie, I’m sure it will change a lot but hopefully it will be a great conversation piece one day when we have company. Also something my daughter can help be a part of when she gets a little older. She loves helping with the 32 and I may turn it into a clownfish/anemone tank for her. Or maybe a seahorse tank!

She would love a seahorse tank, if you go that way let me know and I’ll supply the ponies for her

 

[Jamie S]

The trigger sump cane in today. Can’t wait to get it plumbed this week!

 

[Paulie 069]

The trigger sump cane in today. Can’t wait to get it plumbed this week!

Piece by piece it comes to life , if you can see it in your head then you’ll see it in your tank,, good luck

 

[Jamie S]

Piece by piece it comes to life , if you can see it in your head then you’ll see it in your tank,, good luck

Thanks Paulie!

 

[Jamie S]

So as far as lighting goes (planning ahead), I love my Hydra26 over my biocube and know that for what I want to do I’ll probably need 4 fixtures. However I’m leaning towards a t5/led hybrid option. Ideally I’d like to get 2 more 26’s and an aquatic life 60” t5 hybrid setup. But I’m wondering what people think of the viparspectra fixtures? They’re 1/3 the cost of the hydra and will probably do the job pretty well. I read where you can ramp them up and down with the neptune controller which is something I feel is a must have once I get the tank up and running for a while. Also I could always upgrade the lights in a few years when the viparspectras start to go. Thoughts?

 

[amado]

Hello

You have a lot of reefers having success using this light.

NICREW HyperReef Aquarium Reef Light, Dimmable Full Spectrum Marine LED Light for Saltwater Coral Fish Tanks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HVJJLX3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HQKIFb52MXZNG

 

[Paulie 069]

I have a viper and it’s ok but seems it doesn’t have a lg light spread,, as in the center of my tank gets lots of light but not so much toward the sides
I have it on a 65gal tank that’s 3ft long

 

[Paulie 069]

I have a viper and it’s ok but seems it doesn’t have a lg light spread,, as in the center of my tank gets lots of light but not so much toward the sides
I have it on a 65gal tank that’s 3ft long

Had sponge do a par reading on my tank and he said my pars are night time readings when I’m at full lighting , and the middle of tank is very lit up,, that’s just the way mine is,, others could be different

 

[Jamie S]

Hello

You have a lot of reefers having success using this light.

NICREW HyperReef Aquarium Reef Light, Dimmable Full Spectrum Marine LED Light for Saltwater Coral Fish Tanks Amazon.com

Thanks Amado that looks like a very good option as well!

 

[Jamie S]

Had sponge do a par reading on my tank and he said my pars are night time readings when I’m at full lighting , and the middle of tank is very lit up,, that’s just the way mine is,, others could be different

That’s my concern with the black box led’s. A lot of them recommend that you hang them 2’ off of the tank for maximum spread, I don’t plan on doing that. That’s why I want the t5’s to help with light distribution.

 

[amado]

Thanks Amado that looks like a very good option as well!

I am currently using these lights bozily and they work really good.
I have them with a t5 hybrid. (Aquatic life)
I have them over a frag tank and I get a very good cover.

They don’t ramp up or down. I just off and on and that works for me.

 

[amado]

That’s my concern with the black box led’s. A lot of them recommend that you hang them 2’ off of the tank for maximum spread, I don’t plan on doing that. That’s why I want the t5’s to help with light distribution.

I have never put them that high.
Don’t listen to BRS they fear these lights.
I keep my lights 12” and I get really good spread if I had more sps in that frag tank I would just add another light. The tank and t5 is 48”

By the way these lights can light the tank by itself. All you need is two lights and no t5. I only run the t5’s because I already have them. I wouldn’t add it if I didn’t already have it. I would be moving away from t5’s. I hate the look of t5. I only run the t5 for 4hrs.
If you do get the aqua life I would buy them used. That way you can get it cheap.
People are always selling them.

Sorry about the dark pictures my lights haven’t come on yet.

 

[Jamie S]

I have never put them that high.
Don’t listen to BRS they fear these lights.
I keep my lights 12” and I get really good spread if I had more sps in that frag tank I would just add another light. The tank and t5 is 48”

By the way these lights can light the tank by itself. All you need is two lights and no t5. I only run the t5’s because I already have them. I wouldn’t add it if I didn’t already have it. I would be moving away from t5’s. I hate the look of t5. I only run the t5 for 4hrs.
If you do get the aqua life I would buy them used. That way you can get it cheap.
People are always selling them.

I saw it doesn’t look like Ecan had sold his 61” aquatic life t5 hybrid yet so I was thinking about reaching out to him. Yes I saw the BRS recommended mounting them high but also I noticed the lights you posted in the first link last night recommended a 24” mounting height for optimal spread. For a 72” tank that I want sps dominant I like the idea of the 3 fixtures and t5 running for about 5 hours a day.

 

[amado]

Look at this video. They are using $100 lights to light up this tank. It’s a 6ft tank

 

[amado]

I saw it doesn’t look like Ecan had sold his 61” aquatic life t5 hybrid yet so I was thinking about reaching out to him. Yes I saw the BRS recommended mounting them high but also I noticed the lights you posted in the first link last night recommended a 24” mounting height for optimal spread. For a 72” tank that I want sps dominant I like the idea of the 3 fixtures and t5 running for about 5 hours a day.

I have a par meter so I am testing the light at different heights: for me 12” off the tank is best. I have another t5 aqulife fixture and I run two kessil 360we and that tank is at 10”