Zach's 120 Gallon Reef Resurgence - SPS/Mixed Reef - Build Journal

[zachxlutz]

Welcome!

I suppose I should start a thread over here on Reef2Reef! I've been lurking and absorbing all the information I can and I have to say, R2R seems like a great place. I've got build threads on our local club forum, the Atlanta Reef Club, and I have a thread on the "other" reef forum. For me, gathering knowledge from many different sources leads to the best aggregation of information which leads to the best end result.

Current FTS (01/21/2018):

09/11/2016 First Proper FTS:

12/04/2016 FTS:

01/26/2017 FTS:

02/28/2017 FTS:

Quick FTS 04/07/2017:

06/15/2017:

08/15/2107:

10/25/2017:

Full System Shot:

Current Stocking List (02/05/2018):

Softies:

• Dragon Eye Zoanthid
• Green Palythoas (Protopalythoa sp.)

LPS:

• Frogspawn
• Duncan
• Green/Purple Fungia Plate ( Cycloseris spp.)
• Green Candy Cane (Caulastrea furcata)
• Orange Fungia Plate (Cycloseris spp.)
• Pink Floyd Chalice
• Red Stripe Chalice
• Hollywood Stunner Chalice
• Hills Have Eyes Chalice
• Hammer (green/purple hybrid)
• Micromussa Lords x 11 (unsure of trade names)

SPS:

• Mint Pavona (Pavona frondifera)
• Green Birdsnest (Seriatopora guttatus)
• Purple Birdsnest (Seriatopora hystrix)
• AA Chameleon Acropora (Acropora sp.)
• Red Digitata (Montipora digitata)
• Psammocora - Green (Psammocora sp.)
• Mystic Sunset Montipora (montipora tuberculosa)
• Meteor shower Cyphastrea (Cyphastrea sp.)
• Pink/Red Setosa (Montipora setosa)
• Green Spongodes (Montipora spongodes)
• Tyree Blue Matrix (Acropora papillare)
• Red Planet Tabling Acropora (Acropora sp.)
• Purple Bonsai Acropora
• Frogskin Acropora
• Pink Sand Dollar Porities
• Strawberry Patch Montipora
• Sunset Montipora
• Neon Green Montiopora
• Superman Montipora
• Purple Haze Montipora
• PC Rainbow
• BC Monarch Milli
• BC Donkey Kong
• BC Bonfire
• BC T-Storm milli
• Sky Dopple
• BC Sunrize Milli
• Jarred's Red Devil Nasuta
• Soft Rainbow Milli
• BC Morning Glory
• Thermans watermelon
• Joe Knows Rainbow

Fish List:

• 2x Wyoming White Clowns
• 3x Bartlett's Anthias
• 1x Magnificent Foxface Rabbitfish
• 1x Bluestripe Fairy Wrasse (Temminckii "Threadfin")
• 2x Leopard Wrasse
• 1x Kole Tang
• 1x Diamond Goby
• 1x Bangaii Cardinal

Notable Details:
120 Gallon Display
55 Gallon DIY Sump / Refugium
2x Glass-Holes Overflow Boxes
48" ATI Sunpower Dimmable 8x54 watt T5 lighting
Neptune Apex + Goodies
BRS 2-Part Dosing System + Jebao DP4
2x Maxspect XF 230 Gyres + others
...and lots of DIY

I'll report back in shortly with a bunch of photos throughout the build process, more detailed photos of the livestock, and more information on how I have the tank running and the daily/weekly/monthly routine.

Thanks for stopping by and checking it out!

 

[helen ann]

WOW, beautiful tank!!!
Following ...

 

[Antics]

Looking good!

 

[zachxlutz]

WOW, beautiful tank!!!
Following ...

Thanks for the kind words, it's a constant work in progress!

 

[zachxlutz]

Looking good!

Thanks!

 

[helen ann]

Thanks for the kind words, it's a constant work in progress!

Yes, it is!!!
Love your aquascape!
Will be following along!!

 

[zachxlutz]

We just love watching the tank grow and mature!

I promise a full fledged update is forthcoming!

 

[G8trBait16]

Great looking tank! What is your bulb combo on the ATI?

 

[zachxlutz]

Great looking tank! What is your bulb combo on the ATI?

Thanks!

Currently, from front to back (bulbs are apprx 7 months old):
1 Blue Plus
2 Coral Plus
3 Blue Plus
4 Blue Plus
5 Aqua Blue
6 Blue Plus
7 Purple Plus
8 Coral Plus

I've got 4 Blue Plus, 2 Coral Plus, 2 Aquablue Specials, 1 Actinic and 1 Purple Plus sitting new in their boxes ready to go in. I'm going to play with this combo a little to fine to my liking. Not sure what I'll end up with but I'm excited to play around with it.

 

[G8trBait16]

Thanks!

Currently, from front to back (bulbs are apprx 7 months old):
1 Blue Plus
2 Coral Plus
3 Blue Plus
4 Blue Plus
5 Aqua Blue
6 Blue Plus
7 Purple Plus
8 Coral Plus

I've got 4 Blue Plus, 2 Coral Plus, 2 Aquablue Specials, 1 Actinic and 1 Purple Plus sitting new in their boxes ready to go in. I'm going to play with this combo a little to fine to my liking. Not sure what I'll end up with but I'm excited to play around with it.

That's awesome! I just switched my bulbs up last night from 6 blue+ and 2 pruple + to:
1 Blue+
2 Geis Super purple
3 Geis Super Actinic
4 Blue+
5 Coral+
6 ATI actinic
7 blue+
8 blue+

 

[zachxlutz]

That's awesome! I just switched my bulbs up last night from 6 blue+ and 2 pruple + to:
1 Blue+
2 Geis Super purple
3 Geis Super Actinic
4 Blue+
5 Coral+
6 ATI actinic
7 blue+
8 blue+

I'll be watching your thread for an update on how you like that bulb combination.

 

[klp]

Love your open design! Are you going to build up as you have plenty of room or leave it like that? Either way great job!

 

[john.m.cole3]

following. I want my nexct upgrade to be a 120

 

[revhtree]

Welcome bud! Thanks for joining us. The tank is looking nice!

 

[Kmore1219]

Looks beautiful, starting my own 120 now so will definitely be following along for some good ideas.

 

[Ljaus]

Looks great, like your aquascape. Can't wait to see the updates and welcome to R2R!

 

[zachxlutz]

Love your open design! Are you going to build up as you have plenty of room or leave it like that? Either way great job!

Leaving the design as is for now. Leaves plenty of room for upward growth!

following. I want my nexct upgrade to be a 120

Thanks for the interest!

Welcome bud! Thanks for joining us. The tank is looking nice!

Thanks! I appreciate the compliment.

Looks beautiful, starting my own 120 now so will definitely be following along for some good ideas.

Thanks. I'll post a big update with photos and information from the tank's inception until now as soon as I can find the time.

Looks great, like your aquascape. Can't wait to see the updates and welcome to R2R!

Thanks!

 

[zachxlutz]

Yikes! I can't believe I've let my threads go this long without updating!

Let's see... what have we done since last update.

• 12/16/2016: Began dosing KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate) to keep the NO3 levels around 5. Constantly fiddling with dosage amounts to keep levels where I want them.
  
  
• 12/19/2016: Magnificent Foxface Rabbitfish added to QT - Transferred to tank on 01/11/2017. Made it through QT fine, preventative treatment with PraziPro for 7 days. Such a beautiful addition to the tank.
  
  Here's Mr. Magnificent in QT:
  
  
  
  
  I don't have a great shot of him in the tank yet. Time to bust out the DSLR.
  
  
• 12/22/2016: Began dosing Vibrant @ 15ml 1x week. Found the thread here and read through it in it's entirety and decided to give it a shot. It has tremendously helped with any nuisance algae, it literally just melts away. My skimmer pulls out the nastiest brownest sludge ever now! Really can't recommend this product enough. Glass rarely requires cleaning. I haven't seen any ill effects. I've dosed 6 times over the last 6 weeks now.
  
  
• General Notes: Corals have been growing like wildfire. Coloration and fluorescence still leaves a lot to be desired but i'm hoping that with time, consistent water quality, levels and a little luck they'll all continue growing and coloring up nicely. Fish seem fat and happy, eating frozen foods and dry foods.

01/27/2017 iPhone FTS:

Typical Water Parameters:

• Temperature: 78° F
• Specific Gravity: 1.026
• Ph: 8.1 - 8.3 slight swing between AM/PM
• Alkalinity: 8.3 dKH
• Calcium: 430 ppm
• Magnesium: 1400 ppm
• Nitrate: 1-5 ppm Shooting for 5, tank depletes rapidly. Dosing KNO3 often.
• Phosphate: .02 - .03 ppm. Haven't changed out any GFO since 11/28/2016. Seems to be holding fairly steadily.

Coming soon:

MORE CORAL!
MORE FISH!

 

[zachxlutz]

I took some random video of the tank yesterday and edited it up to a quick little tank tour. I planned on putting the names of all the fish and coral in with the video but realized rather quickly I'd rather put that effort into a video of higher quality. Hope you enjoy!



Be sure to watch in 1080p!

 

[zachxlutz]

Picked up two new frags today from Atlanta Aquarium. Had my eyes on a few more but I really need to hold off and see how these hold color. I think I've gotten a few of the pale/brown ones looking better, let's see how these ones hold up.

For nuisance pest control I clipped the acro off the frag plug and did a CoralRx dip for 5 minutes, rinsed for 5 minutes, Bayer dip for 15 minutes and then finally two more consecutive 5 minute rinses.

Orange Plate Fungia:

Tyree Blue Matrix Acropora:

I went ahead and glued the acropora in place, high on the rock work, as I think I've done more harm than good by trying to acclimate these higher light demand corals to my lighting. These coral are coming from a highly lit system and I think I'm better off going ahead and getting the sps corals up higher on the rockwork from the get go.

Fingers crossed we keep color!