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]

Looks great. I apologize as I haven’t followed your 60 build (if there was one). Quick question, is your 60 gallon rock just one piece or multiple glued together?

Thank you! There is a small leg that I built for the large rock to balance on. Made out of acrylic rod and 4-5 smaller rocks

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I am not looking forward to cleaning my overflow box. Only god knows what’s brewing in there tho.

;Dead;Dead;Yuck

 

[Bj’s Reef]

Try soaking that chamber with citric acid for a hour or two before you start cleaning it. That should make cleanup a lot easier.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Try soaking that chamber with citric acid for a hour or two before you start cleaning it. That should make cleanup a lot easier.

Oh that’s the way, I’ll do that thank you. I was thinking of scraping the walls and sucking everything out during a water change. Instead I’ll just take it off when I clean the pipes next

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Manifold upgrades!

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Im sad to see my favorite fish outgrow the tank. I’m taking the PBT back to the lfs. I hope they have a melanurus wrasse waiting for me.

 

[Nigel35]

Excellent tank. Keep up the good work.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Excellent tank. Keep up the good work.

Tanks very much reefer. Always a work in progress

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Full Tank shot update

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Update:
I’ve returned the PBT, Scopas and niger trigger. They were beautiful fish and I hate to let em go. But they are ready for a bigger tank and my tank is not full of juvis anymore. I still plan to rehome the twin spot and the mono as soon as they can be caught. Those two are likely the fastest fish in my reef and very precautious so it might be awhile till I can catch them.

I look forward to adding coral now that the tank has stabilized once again. Removing that algae scrubber, filter roller and chaeto all at once really did a number on my phosphate levels. Took a long time to balance that out, using vinegar and bio pellets.

After I get a few more big fish out I’ll likely buy some more juvis but for now I’m excited to pick out some new coral for the underwater garden.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

 

[Miami Reef]

Did you get the melanurus wrasse?

You are doing a phenomenal job with this tank!

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Did you get the melanurus wrasse?

You are doing a phenomenal job with this tank!

Well I bought one sold as melanurus but I’m starting to think it’s really a Richmond wrasse, very close resemblance but one doesn’t eat flatworms!

The flatworms are really taking over this tank so I’m going to buy a few velvet nudibranchs to go to town on them. Thank you for the compliment the tank has been a up and down hill journey but we’re on the up n up now.

 

[Miami Reef]

Well I bought one sold as melanurus but I’m starting to think it’s really a Richmond wrasse, very close resemblance but one doesn’t eat flatworms!

The flatworms are really taking over this tank so I’m going to buy a few velvet nudibranchs to go to town on them. Thank you for the compliment the tank has been a up and down hill journey but we’re on the up n up now.

You’re welcome.

What corals are the flatworms bothering?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

You’re welcome.

What corals are the flatworms bothering?

Zoas, they don’t touch my euphillya like the last strain did. Last time I eradicated these I had to break everything down and start fresh. Hoping the nudis will keep their numbers down

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I’d check with Aqueon for which glass is Tempered. On my All-Glass, the holes drilled in the bottom, edges are rough. A shower panel, that is definitely tempered, the hole edges are smooth, almost like they were burned into the glass. Use Hydrochloric Acid, with Aquarium outside, to clean the glass. Available from ACE, in the Paint Section. 10 parts water, one part acid. Always add acid to the water. I cleaned my 65 Gallon with acid while it was still in my Pick-up truck, the overflow was still in the tank to keep the acid out of the bed, though. Keep a hose nearby. Also I prefer to have a bucket of clear water on hand rather than wearing gloves, that might have a hole pop up. I worked with acids, in the HVAC Trade for 40 years, with zero injuries. I prefer not neutralizing, to just flushing with water. If you do use baking soda, be aware of fumes, and the heat it can produce.

 

[PeterC99]

@NowGlazeIT very impressive build, especially because of the used equipment you started with! Obviously not your first rodeo! You are definitely are a master Reefer. Some of us can keep an aquarium but someone like you can create something magical from just about anything. Very impressive craftsmanship!

 

[NowGlazeIT]

@NowGlazeIT very impressive build, especially because of the used equipment you started with! Obviously not your first rodeo! You are definitely are a master Reefer. Some of us can keep an aquarium but someone like you can create something magical from just about anything. Very impressive craftsmanship!

Thank you very much! I love to work with my hands and it’s amazing what us reefers hurdle through to reach our goals. So many different ways to skin this cat haha. I appreciate you stopping by Peter.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Nice build! It's great seeing older boxes brought back to life by a passionate reefer!

Like you, I went cheaper on the glass box (Aqueon) and spent those extra dollars on critical components and contents.

My coral and fish don't seem to mind that the 180 was under $900 brand new.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Nice build! It's great seeing older boxes brought back to life by a passionate reefer!

Like you, I went cheaper on the glass box (Aqueon) and spent those extra dollars on critical components and contents.

My coral and fish don't seem to mind that the 180 was under $900 brand new.

That’s the way! I’ve seen your tank and I couldn’t tell you if it was made of glass or plastic because all I saw was coral….coral everywhere