120g Craigslist tank restoration

Finally, I found a 120g for a used price $200.
She’s the ugliest most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on. I’m going to strip the two overflows, add a ghost overflow and oh so much more to get this one wet again. I decided to put my money towards reputable equipment, instead of the glass box. (Good timing considering frameless tanks are losing fashion, dang you Red Sea.)
My previous tank was a cadlight 60g and just a frameless beauty. That tank grew coral but limped by with basic equipment. (Lighting,Powerheads, manually dosing) Time to flourish and establish a low maintenance 120g for this reefer.


Today’s 120g specs!

Filtration
-6 stage RODI by Brs
-Skimmer Q3 DC by aquamaxx
-Avast marine spyglass reactor
-2 gallons of marine pure bio spheres
-bio pellets by ecobak
-Distilled Vinegar 30ml/day
-2 marine pure plates
-1 marine pure block
-1 xport Brick seeded with mb7 by brightwell
-1 liter of matrix by seachem
-aquascape made of pukani,staxx,fiji,caribsea
-Brs black media reactor
-Rox.8 Carbon daily
-Gfo by kolar labs

Supplements
- Alk,Ca,mag by ESV dosed hourly by KamoerRemote F4pro
-Fuel by seachem 20ml/daily

Equipment
-2 Hydra 32s by AI
-2 XF 350s by maxpect
-1 Return pump DCP15000 by Jebao

Plumbing
-1 modular marine overflow Bean animal with 1 1/4” drains
-2 returns 1 1/2 inches
-1 manifold powering 3 reactors and main return

Fish food
- Nori, LRS herbivoreLRS fish frenzy,krill,mysis,squid,brine shrimp,golden pearls,cyclops,calanus

Previous filtration methods no longer in use
-diy algae scrubber
-Gfo by rowaphos when needed
-co2 scrubber
-filter floss
-skimmer sn-143qp by skimZ
-High capacity GFO by BRS
-AF1 by aquamaxx
-nopox by Red Sea

Stocking list
-Hippo Tang
-Yellow Tang
-Tomini Tang
-Blunthead Wrasse
-Puddingwife Wrasse
-Canary Blenny
-Twinspot blenny
-Royal Gramma
-Mono
-Lyretail Anthias
-Blue Chromis
-Pair of Ocellaris Clowns
-Lamarck Angel
-Melanurus wrasse
margarita,trochus,Nass,Cerith
-Pencil & Pincushion Urchin

Here is how it looks now! 8/2022

Dual LowBoy Frag Build starts here pg. 34-

Build Thread - 120g Craigslist tank restoration

Finally, I found a 120g for a used price $200. She’s the ugliest most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on. I’m going to strip the two overflows, add a ghost overflow and oh so much more to get this one wet again. I decided to put my money towards reputable equipment, instead of the glass...

www.reef2reef.com

DIY stand- https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-stand-first-timer.681397/

Previous build thread https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/setting-up-new-60g-cube.335836/

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Found glaze muahaha

You got a nice diy tank I just noticed yesterday. Makes my little diy tanks look like child’s play

 

[Nate Chalk]

You got a nice diy tank I just noticed yesterday. Makes my little diy tanks look like child’s play

Still have nightmares itll leak. Appreciate it. A lot of research on the internet

first try 180 gal

 

[Nate Chalk]

Yeah Boiiiiii!!!

What overflow are you going to be running? I've got a new in box Eclipse S I could have sent you home with.

Drill that thing super slow homie. About Zero pressure. Zoo med did not opt for the best glass on that line of tank.

I see ur building frag tanks?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Still have nightmares itll leak. Appreciate it. A lot of research on the internet

first try 180 gal

Beast mode. Unless it leaks but no it’s beast dude you got out there and did it. Huge props for that.

what do you think about a single pipe with one of these at the end? @Lost in the Sauce

Coral only tank

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I see ur building frag tanks?

These are pre built. They’re actually my first time buying new tanks for this hobby. I’m building the stands for them

 

[NowGlazeIT]

 

[Nate Chalk]

Beast mode. Unless it leaks but no it’s beast dude you got out there and did it. Huge props for that.

what do you think about a single pipe with one of these at the end? @Lost in the Sauce

Coral only tank

Was considering these for my display fuge im planning

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Bro so jealous those things are nice bro got me over here already planning the next next lol hahahaa my wife qould kill me but i would just say Jake from state farm said i could lol

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I see ur building frag tanks?

No. I built My frag tank. Just have some left over parts..

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Beast mode. Unless it leaks but no it’s beast dude you got out there and did it. Huge props for that.

what do you think about a single pipe with one of these at the end? @Lost in the Sauce

Coral only tank

Single tube full siphon sounds like kind of a disaster Waiting to happen to me. How are you matching it to the return?

What happens when one square inch of your overflow strainer is blocked by a piece of algae, or even a large snail crawling across the, severely restricting flow?

In theory, if your pump is matched perfectly to your full siphon keeping a consistent water level, now you're going to back up into the tank. At least with a durso, at some point, The weep hole being covered makes it more efficient.

What about the other end and efficiency loss of the pump? Again, assuming we are perfectly mated here and flow to the tank and the full siphon discharge are perfectly matched giving you a perfect stable water level. 3 months after use the veins of your pump have broken in and lost 10% efficiency, I would think now. The water level in the tank is going to drop down to where it is now pulling water and air into your strainer killing the full siphon.

I run at least two pipes and a valve on everything. Sometimes the KISS method was improved upon by making it not quite as simple.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Single tube full siphon sounds like kind of a disaster Waiting to happen to me. How are you matching it to the return?

What happens when one square inch of your overflow strainer is blocked by a piece of algae, or even a large snail crawling across the, severely restricting flow?

In theory, if your pump is matched perfectly to your full siphon keeping a consistent water level, now you're going to back up into the tank. At least with a durso, at some point, The weep hole being covered makes it more efficient.

What about the other end and efficiency loss of the pump? Again, assuming we are perfectly mated here and flow to the tank and the full siphon discharge are perfectly matched giving you a perfect stable water level. 3 months after use the veins of your pump have broken in and lost 10% efficiency, I would think now. The water level in the tank is going to drop down to where it is now pulling water and air into your strainer killing the full siphon.

I run at least two pipes and a valve on everything. Sometimes the KISS method was improved upon by making it not quite as simple.

I have the same concerns because this is the way. But It has been my understanding that frag tanks have more flexibility with this subject. Less livestock corals excluded, less total tank turn over. Having a extra large sump will offer more flexibility in regards to back siphoning issues. Bringing the option for deeper drains, giving a wider buffer to that low water line gurgle issue.

Like you said what happens when the strainer clogs. I’m trying to reduce this risk by limiting the cuc to the sump. but things happen so I need a plan there. Keeping in mind the flow rate will be low and slow just like the bio load.
Still, anyway I spin this in my head, it ends with me adding a emergency drain somewhere hah. I could have the standpipe split into a tee or even a three way and cap the ends with strainers. Or one stand pipe from the bottom and one dry emergency drilled up top from the side.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Would one pipe ending in a three way, with a strainer on the sides and the top left above the water line add enough redundancy?

 

[Sean Clark]

Would one pipe ending in a three way, with a strainer on the sides and the top left above the water line add enough redundancy?

We still talking plumbing?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

We still talking plumbing?

Depends on how you like to party

 

[Pipo5]

Update

I used the acrylic sump that came with the tank purchase to design the baffles

Made a chamber to hold filter floss

Built a mini stand for my ATO to sit on and hide my wires
Im

 

[Pipo5]

Update

I used the acrylic sump that came with the tank purchase to design the baffles

Made a chamber to hold filter floss

Built a mini stand for my ATO to sit on and hide my wires

I have 2 old sumps so im going to steel your idea on using old sump to make baffle i was going to order a kit but now can save money for other things i need

 

[N1tew0lf1212]

Bro everything looks awesome good call on the baffles i would have done the same thing with an old sump use what you got and go for gold awesome build bro.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Would one pipe ending in a three way, with a strainer on the sides and the top left above the water line add enough redundancy?

I've got to ask why you are adverse to running two pipes? Even as best practice/ insurance? It doesn't have to be fancy.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I've got to ask why you are adverse to running two pipes? Even as best practice/ insurance? It doesn't have to be fancy.

I was going for a slim look is all. If i put one on each side I think it will still look low pro

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Bro everything looks awesome good call on the baffles i would have done the same thing with an old sump use what you got and go for gold awesome build bro.

Thanks bro, I can’t wait to get them primed and painted