Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Advanced Complexity" Reef Aquarium

[Jasonanatal]

The Beginning: Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Advanced Complexity" Reef Aquarium

After many talks with my wife and convincing my landlord that it would not rain in his apartment I finally received the okay and pulled the trigger on a larger aquarium. A standard 120 All Glass aquarium. I know many people must be asking themselves why I didn't purchase a reef ready aquarium. I have a very simple answer. I live on the second floor of an old four family aparment building in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx. When purchasing this aquarium I was concerned with one thing, having the largest aquarium with the maximum amount of water capacity that could be supported by the floor and not cause hazardous conditions in my home. After contacting numerous custom aquarium companies I decided that 120 gallon was a nice middle ground. So here starts another Reef Aquarium project. I hope everyone enjoys.

I started this build by breaking down and selling components of my 28 gallon JBJ Nano Cube HQI Reef Aquarium that I did not consider suitable for my new 120 gallon reef aquarium. Then I removed the shelves, anchors and other mounting equipment and began patching up the wall and repainting in preperation for the new aquarium

Photograph - Friday, November 07, 2008 - My old 28 gallon JBJ Nano Cube HQI Reef Aquarium being broken down.

Now I had no clue what I was thinking when I figured that I could get this 120 glass aquarium up 1 flight of stairs all by myself but thankfully my landlord gave me a hand. It with the help of the wall I managed to slide this monster onto the metal stand that was purchased for it.

Photograph - Friday, November 07, 2008 - My wife standing by the 120 gallon aquarium for a size comparison.

Photograph - Friday, November 07, 2008 - My 120 gallon aquarium finally filled with RO/DI water after 3 days.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium Update.

Subtrate: Carib Sea Ocean Direct Live Sand "Aquascaping"

I have had much success in the past with Deep Sand Beds so if it ain't broke don't fix it! I decided to line the bottom of the aquarium with 160 lbs of Carib Sea Ocean Direct Live Sand. This would give me an average of a 3 inch sandbed within the aquarium.

Photograph - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 40 lbs. bag of Carib Sea Direct Ocean Live Sand.

Photograph - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - My 120 gallon All Glass Aquarium with 160 lbs of Crain Sea Direct Ocean Live Sand making a 3 inch substrate.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium Update.

Aquarium Controller: Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2 (Times 2)

Well I finally managed to get some free time so I could setup my two Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper 2 Aquarium Controllers. I have also setup the expansion modul that wil control 2 of 3 Marineland Stealth Visi-Therm 100 watt Heaters along with 2 standard Power Strips for devices that do not need to be controlled. Giving me a grand total of 18 controllable outlets and 16 standard outlets.

Photograph - Saturday, November 29, 2008 - My dual Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper 2 Aquarium Controllers, Digital Aquatics Expansion Module and standard power strips.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium Update.

Equipment: EcoTech Marine Vortech Battery Backup (Insurance for Your Reef)

I wanted to be able to protect my investment on this aquarium setup since it will be with me for quite some time. One of my major concerns is being able to supply power to my aquarium in the event of a power outtage. Being that I'm from New York City the Summer months make me worry. So I turned to the folks at EcoTech Marine and Icecap Inc. to be the trusted guards of my aquarium. I purchased the EcoTech Marine Vortech Battery Backup System which can power a single EcoTech Marine Vortech Pump for up to 36 hours and can accomodate 2 seperate pumps. This system can switch from the main power to backup battery instantly. According to the nice folks at Icecap Inc. since the launch of the EcoTech Marine Vortech Battery Backup System they have not had one request to replace the battery for its end of life. Also if a replacement was necessary it would cost around the range of $75.00 to $85.00. so far I'm please with the system and I'm sure I can go to sleep better now to.

Photograph - Tuesday, December 03, 2008 - EcoTech Marine Backup Battery System mounted underneath my 120 gallon aquarium.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium Update.

Do It Myself (Wife Helping) Project: Reinforcing a Iron Stand

I recently purchase Guitar Hero Would Tour for my wife and it rocks, we rock, the little frag rocks and the aquarium rocks! Wait the aquarium rocks!?! Holy S#!t!! I then sat in front of my aquarium noticing that it rocked from Left to Right very slightly while a single EcoTech Vortech Pump in Wave Mode and then front to back when my wife started jumping while rocking to Ozzie's Crazy Train in Guitar Hero World Tour. Not the type of thing you want to see when their currently over 1,000 lbs. resting on it. Now I don't care if my landlord gets wet since he charges me too much rent already but I was concerned that my little boy, wife and little Yorkie Puppy. And so a plan is born!

Photograph - Tuesday, November 03, 2008 - 120 gallon Iron Aquarium Stand.

I figured that this iron stand is constructed using L shaped iron beams yet the structure have some flaws. Their are no cross beams to resist flexing and rocking of the stand and all the weight is distributed to 4 L shaped feet. So my idea is to take advantage of the L shaped Iron Beams as guides so that I can use 2x4's to add a sturdy structure around the iron. Think if it as a metal skeleton surrounded by wood. Then I can use the wood to secure sides and even doors to create a better stand. So off to Home Depot I go.

Photograph - Tuesday, November 03, 2008 -Ryobi 10 inch Blade Saw (sorry I didn't have room in my apartment for the Dewalt).

Photograph - Tuesday, November 03, 2008 - 2x4's from Home Depot.

Photograph - Tuesday, November 03, 2008 - Me cutting the wood with the new lazer guided Ryobi Circular Saw.

To Be Continued...

 

[Dabooth]

Re: Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium.

Looks like your right on your way. Setup looks great.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Dabooth.

Looks like your right on your way. Setup looks great.

Dabooth, thank you. I'm just following the water and climbing over rocks as they come.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium Update.

Livestock: Powder Blue Tang "Acanthurus Leucosternon" & Achilles Tang "Acanthurus Achilles" (Best Buddies for Life)

Maximum Length: 9.1 in.
Care Level: Expert Only!
Family: Acanthuridae
Reef Compatibility: Good
Minimum Aquarium Size: 120 gallons
Range: Indian Ocean
Diet: Herbivore- herbivore preparations, macro algae
Water Conditions: 74-80° F; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4

Well as everyone knows I'm addicted to Tangs. However, with a nano aquarium I was never able to keep one. Well know with this 120 gallon All Glass Reef Aquarium build I wanted to keep both. According to reading the best chance of acclimating two or more tangs together would be to introduce them to the aquarium at the same time. Well the odds of finding both a Power Blue Tang and an Achilles Tang in one store in New York City would be... well lets just say I could catch a taxi quicker then getting these two fish at one store and the same size but I found them. So I bought them home and acclimated them over a period of 4 hours each in seperate containers. Then they were introduced and immediately is was battle royal! The scuffle lasted about 15 minutes and now there playing nice.

Photograph - Sunday, December 07, 2008 - My Powder Blue Tang "Acanthurus Leucosternon" drip acclimating over a period of 4 hours.

Photograph - Sunday, December 07, 2008 - My Powder Blue Tang "Acanthurus Leucosternon" swimming alone.

Maximum Length: 9.4 in.
Care Level: Expert Only!
Family: Acanthuridae
Reef Compatibility: Excellent
Minimum Aquarium Size: 120 gallons
Range: Hawaii
Diet: Herbivore- herbivore preparations, macro algae
Water Conditions: 74-80 F; sg 1.020-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4

Photograph - Sunday, December 07, 2008 - My Achilles Tang "Acanthurus Achilles" drip acclimating over a period of 4 hours.

Photograph - Sunday, December 07, 2008 - My Achilles Tang "Acanthurus Achilles" swimming alone.

Photograph - Sunday, December 07, 2008 - My "Acanthurus Leucosternon" & Achilles Tang "Acanthurus Achilles" swimming nicely after a 15 minute scuffle from being intoduced together. Now there playing nicely.

 

[Patriot76]

Re: Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium.

i'm jealous. these are two of my favorite fish. i wish i could remove my purple tang from my tank and add one of these two.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Patriot76.

i'm jealous. these are two of my favorite fish. i wish i could remove my purple tang from my tank and add one of these two.

Patriot76, I have been searching for this pair for about 2 years now. These are the titans of the tank in my opinion and I'm just glad that everything worked out. I took a big chance and luck favored my side.

 

[jsantoli]

Re: Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium.

Awesome fish, they look fantastic. The Ryobi is the way to go for the money, and if you dont plan on using it all that often it will hold up just fine. We use a lot of dewalt things on jobsites and let me tell you, sometimes it isn't worth the extra money. The tank looks good, and I enjoy reading your updates.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Jsantoli.

Awesome fish, they look fantastic. The Ryobi is the way to go for the money, and if you dont plan on using it all that often it will hold up just fine. We use a lot of dewalt things on jobsites and let me tell you, sometimes it isn't worth the extra money. The tank looks good, and I enjoy reading your updates.

Jsantoli, thank you. I would have opted for the DeWalt since all my other tools are DeWalt but I live in an apartment and don't have much space to begin with. I'm just using the Ryobi for the Stand and hood fabrication projects and then I might just give it away. Only cost my $60.00 Black Friday sale at Home Depot.

 

[jsantoli]

Re: Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium.

I live in a condo so I feel your pain. Space is very limited here also. I would kill to have a 12" sliding compund mitre saw with the stand and everything, one day, one day... $60 is a great price for the Ryobi though, can't complain about that. I'm sure someone on here would buy it from you when you are done. I just borrowed my neighbors old craftsman mitre saw, solid steel base the thing weighed a TON i hated using it

 

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium Update.

Equipment: Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Deluxe Protein Skimmer (Damn Good Bang for Your Buck)

As most of you know I have a love affair with Deltec and other High End name brands within the aquarium hobby. Well I have been in the market for a new Protein Skimmer for this aquarium and all that could think of was Bubble King or Deltec. But I remembered seeing an a review for the Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Deluxe Protein Skimmer on ReefBuilders.com and decided to give it a try. What is the worst that could happen? I could have positive evidence to convince my wife that this Protein Skimmer blow more then just bubbles and that I have to purchase a Bubble King. So I made a trip to my local Fish Store and picked it up.

Setup was extremely easy since the majority of the unit comes assembled with the exception for the Recirculation Pump, Air Line Tubing, and Feed Pump (not included). You have an option for the feed pump you can have a powerhead connected or you can tee off from your return pump. I personally choose to connect a powerhead to the feed input (I am using a Maxi-Jet 1200). The feed line states that it must be between 300 gph to 400 gph in order to get optimum results. I played with the skimmer for 2 days making minor adustments to the air intake as well as the control of the water outlet which adjust the height of the Foam. The Neck washing system is a real plus but it doesn't have a squeegee like the $1,000.00 Deltec a Bubble king counterparts. So placing the Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Deluxe Protein Skimmer in an accessible area is a must since the neck washing system is manually controlled and should be done daily.

My overall opinion of the Protein Skimmer is that it is large and give you the most bang for you buck. The foam and Micro bubbles are amazing and as you can see in just 4 days it's pulling out some nasty stuff. I say Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Deluxe FTW (For The Win)!

Photograph - Friday, December 12, 2008 - Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Deluxe Protein Skimmer.

Photograph - Friday, December 12, 2008 - I'm a big guy so you can see Santa came early and left me a big gift.

Photograph - Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 4 days running and look at all the nasty stuff it removed.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium Update.

Equipment: Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Deluxe Protein Skimmer (Videos of the Action)

As promised I took some time out of my crazy schedule to take some videos of the Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Deluxe Protein Skimmer in action. I also took a second video to display the Neck Washing system in operation, Unfortunately the skimmate has gotton to think in the Foam View Window to really show how the Neck Washing system normally performs. It's great at removing small clumps of think skimmate. I also zoomed in to show you the size of the bubbles being produced and I am quite impressed... you may be as well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXaqML7HR4U
Movie - Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Deluxe Protein Skimmer in normal operation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWNapuqK63Q
Movie - Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Deluxe Protein Skimmer in neck washing operation.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Re: Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium.

Do It Myself (Wife Helping) Project: Reinforcing a Iron Stand Continued...

I finally managed to get my wife and son out of the apartment for a while in order to rev up the saw and start to cut the some of the peices of wood for the reinforcement of the iron stand. However, I ran out of materials again and need to make another run to home depot. Here are photographs of the project so far. I haven't completed it and already their is a dramatic increase in the rigidness of the iron stand, there is almost no movement.

Photographs - Sunday, December 21, 2008 - Wooden skeleton to reinforce the iron stand.

Photographs - Sunday, December 21, 2008 - L Brackets holding the wood together.

 

[jsantoli]

Re: Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium.

Looks good, and now you have something to nail/screw to if you wanted to wrap it in oak or something

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Jsantoli.

Looks good, and now you have something to nail/screw to if you wanted to wrap it in oak or something

Jsantoli, yes that was pretty much my thought process on the project.

 

[REEFLECTIONS]

Re: Jasonanatal's 120 gallon "Natural Simplicity" Reef Aquarium.

how much does that skimmer cost... looking for something economic, yet functional for my new 125

 

[Jasonanatal]

Reply to Reeflections1.

how much does that skimmer cost... looking for something economic, yet functional for my new 125

Reeflections1, the Red Sea C-Skim 1200 Deluxe can be purchased online for around $359.00 or you can support your local fish store and purchase it for $400.00 plus tax.