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]

This thin wall pvc feels weird to cut.

Can’t keep using this junky pipe cutter

Instead of using a saw I decided to try a beefier pipe cutter. Just found one on Craigslist for $30. After a clean up the tool works wonders

You think your forearms are solid till you spend an hour on this thing hah

 

[Projects with Sam]

This thin wall pvc feels weird to cut.

Can’t keep using this junky pipe cutter

Instead of using a saw I decided to try a beefier pipe cutter. Just found one on Craigslist for $30. After a clean up the tool works wonders

You think your forearms are solid till you spend an hour on this thing hah

You'll never go wanting for a pipe-cutter again! That's a hoss!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

This thin wall pvc feels weird to cut.

Can’t keep using this junky pipe cutter

Instead of using a saw I decided to try a beefier pipe cutter. Just found one on Craigslist for $30. After a clean up the tool works wonders

You think your forearms are solid till you spend an hour on this thing hah

That's a copper pipe cutter homie! Did you think it would be Easy?

The trick with thin wall pipe and the Irwin you had, is needing to spin into the cut ( Exactly how the copper cutter is designed to work), and don't stop spinning it until you've got a cut line all the way around.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

That's a copper pipe cutter homie! Did you think it would be Easy?

The trick with thin wall pipe and the Irwin you had, is needing to spin into the cut ( Exactly how the copper cutter is designed to work), and don't stop spinning it until you've got a cut line all the way around.

Shoot I might need to sharpen the Irwin to spin a cut line on it. That thing is super dull. The rigid is for steel so I thought this should be easy breezy haha nope that thing weighs like 40lbs hahah

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Well after a few cuts it felt like 40lbs hahah it’s probably half that

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Nope nvm dull or not the spin move is the way to go! Thank you @Lost in the Sauce

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Manifold in

Last will be the drains

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Shwamm

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Almost ready for water!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Still planning to trim them full siphon lines ya?

You won't get a good feel for the plumbing because that deep, it won't evacuate all the bubbles. I run 2" under on the bean animal and needed 3" on the Herbie.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Still planning to trim them full siphon lines ya?

You won't get a good feel for the plumbing because that deep, it won't evacuate all the bubbles. I run 2" under on the bean animal and needed 3" on the Herbie.

Bubbles? Que?? I have them six inches under the water line

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Ohh you mean bubbles from when the drains start to fill up

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Bubbles? Que?? I have them six inches under the water line

Here's a good little test for you. From return pump off and the pipes empty, Start your pump and start a stopwatch and see how long it takes before there are zero visible bubbles of any size coming out of the main siphon tube.

If it's over 120 seconds, They need to be cut down because it's not effectively evacuating the lines and doesn't have a Full Siphon.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Never had an issue

Here's a good little test for you. From return pump off and the pipes empty, Start your pump and start a stopwatch and see how long it takes before there are zero visible bubbles of any size coming out of the main siphon tube.

If it's over 120 seconds, They need to be cut down because it's not effectively evacuating the lines and doesn't have a Full Siphon.

okay I’ll keep an eye on it. I’ve never ran into that issue before. This system will have a slower turnover so it might need the shorter lines, thanks for the tip bro. I got them long to try to pair up with the skimmer. Going no socks like the display.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Never had an issue

okay I’ll keep an eye on it. I’ve never ran into that issue before. This system will have a slower turnover so it might need the shorter lines, thanks for the tip bro. I got them long to try to pair up with the skimmer. Going no socks like the display.

The slower the turnover, the shorter the lines should be under your normal running height.

2" wouldn't surprise me. You will get the Best tuneability with your plumbing, running it like that. If you think about it, it makes sense, If there is a constant bubble of air slowing down your gravity feed, Your pump is actually having to work harder than it needs to be and that makes the gate valve less effective when you make small adjustments, which are what a gate valve is for.

Getting the length of the pipes right? We'll get all of the air out in the correct amount of time upon startup to not mess with your levels.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

The slower the turnover, the shorter the lines should be under your normal running height.

2" wouldn't surprise me. You will get the Best tuneability with your plumbing, running it like that. If you think about it, it makes sense, If there is a constant bubble of air slowing down your gravity feed, Your pump is actually having to work harder than it needs to be and that makes the gate valve less effective when you make small adjustments, which are what a gate valve is for.

Getting the length of the pipes right? We'll get all of the air out in the correct amount of time upon startup to not mess with your levels.

Yea it makes sense if the air remains, there will be inconsistent flow rates.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I was planning to fill up the tanks with the new ato container. But I hit a snag with the fittings and had to order in a adapter.

Couldn’t help but fill em up anyways.

full steam ahead!

That poor membrane never stood a chance

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Dam….back to the drawing board

 

[Projects with Sam]

Dam….back to the drawing board

I cant see what happened. your baffle came loose?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I cant see what happened. your baffle came loose?

Yea they’re too week. 1/4 hdpe still bends and bows pretty easy. Need to go acrylic or glass and wait again for caulking to dry