So I bought a used 125 gallon tank yesterday for $125!
Although it looked to have only a couple smaller scratches in the front glass. It turned out the front glass had about 12 scratches ranging from a few inches to 6-8 inch intersecting arches!
The back of the tank had a thick layer of acrylic black paint. Which I just finished scraping off! (took a couple hours). As surprised as I always am to see it, the back (where you would EXPECT scratches from leaning rocks). only has a few 1-2 inch scratches!
The stand is weak and flimsy. I'll do some re-supporting of the frame, sand it all down, change out the hardware, rebuild one warped door then sand and paint it. It should be OK after all that.
It came with an unfinished canopy, which will also require some work. It is unpainted and the doors on the front are very sticky (as in they are to tight in their spaces and don't close all the way even being forced). The hinges are also quite ugly, and don't match the stand at all.
This being my second reef tank (14 years in old scratchy the 75g). The extra two feet will be AWESOME!!
However, old scratchy's plumbing was modified, converted, reverted, added to, modified some more and eventually achieved a state of near teeter on failing due to the previous mods no longer incorporated, but still effecting the system. The lousy stand under the 75 had a center beam, which had always made a sump a pain to plumb as well.
This all being the case, I'll be building up this 125g with a bit of slow careful well thought out plans (meaning a few days of staring at it will come first). Then each thing will be added as I can find time/money to pull off my best options.
I believe my old wet/dry was supposed to be good for up to a 125g, and looks to pretty much match size to the current 125 capable, I see online. difference being the number of inlets (mine has 1).
Still kicking around the sump plan. It could go just after the wet dry, be far larger then I've had previously. PLUS I could do some micro bubble mitigation with some of the added space! Best of all, I can have my return pump area be much larger, reducing accidental overflow risks I have now due to constraint of space in the stand. (only happens if I add to much and the power goes out).
I'm planning to build a Rapid LED system very soon. Working for a solar controller company. We buy 6 foot lengths of aluminum heat sink regularly. I'm investigating if I can get the full six feet anodized locally. Then I'll start that. ANY idea of what ratio would be best would be great. As would information on which areas of the tank should get which reflectors as I'd hate to see a dark front edge like I heard some marineland LEDs cause on deeper tanks.
As for a refugium, I eliminated the one under the 75 to make room for my overkill skimmer a few months back. The plan on the new tank is my 24/29?? gallon biocube?? It's been running all on it's own for five-ish years. Pretty much nothing but Pods and rocks. NOW with one mean Yellow Pseudochromis (first fish in this tank while I've owned it). I plan to build a tall stand, and have it drain directly into my rockwork from a higher point then the 125g sits. Thus avoiding the pods in the refugium getting chopped up in a return pump (it'll be fed from the sump with it's own return). This might also end up being made from a 20g double tall I own. Not sure yet.
No reason for a picture yet. It's just an empty tank.
Although it looked to have only a couple smaller scratches in the front glass. It turned out the front glass had about 12 scratches ranging from a few inches to 6-8 inch intersecting arches!
The back of the tank had a thick layer of acrylic black paint. Which I just finished scraping off! (took a couple hours). As surprised as I always am to see it, the back (where you would EXPECT scratches from leaning rocks). only has a few 1-2 inch scratches!
The stand is weak and flimsy. I'll do some re-supporting of the frame, sand it all down, change out the hardware, rebuild one warped door then sand and paint it. It should be OK after all that.
It came with an unfinished canopy, which will also require some work. It is unpainted and the doors on the front are very sticky (as in they are to tight in their spaces and don't close all the way even being forced). The hinges are also quite ugly, and don't match the stand at all.
This being my second reef tank (14 years in old scratchy the 75g). The extra two feet will be AWESOME!!
However, old scratchy's plumbing was modified, converted, reverted, added to, modified some more and eventually achieved a state of near teeter on failing due to the previous mods no longer incorporated, but still effecting the system. The lousy stand under the 75 had a center beam, which had always made a sump a pain to plumb as well.
This all being the case, I'll be building up this 125g with a bit of slow careful well thought out plans (meaning a few days of staring at it will come first). Then each thing will be added as I can find time/money to pull off my best options.
I believe my old wet/dry was supposed to be good for up to a 125g, and looks to pretty much match size to the current 125 capable, I see online. difference being the number of inlets (mine has 1).
Still kicking around the sump plan. It could go just after the wet dry, be far larger then I've had previously. PLUS I could do some micro bubble mitigation with some of the added space! Best of all, I can have my return pump area be much larger, reducing accidental overflow risks I have now due to constraint of space in the stand. (only happens if I add to much and the power goes out).
I'm planning to build a Rapid LED system very soon. Working for a solar controller company. We buy 6 foot lengths of aluminum heat sink regularly. I'm investigating if I can get the full six feet anodized locally. Then I'll start that. ANY idea of what ratio would be best would be great. As would information on which areas of the tank should get which reflectors as I'd hate to see a dark front edge like I heard some marineland LEDs cause on deeper tanks.
As for a refugium, I eliminated the one under the 75 to make room for my overkill skimmer a few months back. The plan on the new tank is my 24/29?? gallon biocube?? It's been running all on it's own for five-ish years. Pretty much nothing but Pods and rocks. NOW with one mean Yellow Pseudochromis (first fish in this tank while I've owned it). I plan to build a tall stand, and have it drain directly into my rockwork from a higher point then the 125g sits. Thus avoiding the pods in the refugium getting chopped up in a return pump (it'll be fed from the sump with it's own return). This might also end up being made from a 20g double tall I own. Not sure yet.
No reason for a picture yet. It's just an empty tank.
