Knight_Fall
Community Member
So, i recently joined the site but i have had a couple of requests to see my build or my plan so i will share what i have and update as i get things done. For starters the tank diminsions are 8'x2'x31"tall. i currently have the tank set up to be a penninsula. oh and 3 of the 4 sides are starfire glass.
So i guess let's start at the beginning. when i started out in this hobby, i had a 75 gallon marine land aquarium. a guy at the lfs helped me set it up with a 30g sump. a year or so later i out grew the aquarium and decided i wanted something bigger. i couldn't actually find the size i wanted (and i am a little impulsive) so i bought a 125 and decided i would just run both of them. i am a single dad and work 9+ hours a day. so about 3-4 months ago i decided it would be easier to maintain 1 aquarium instead of 2 so i started my search and happened upon this beauty. before i could set it up though i decided i needed to do some remodeling in my house. i spent 3 days and ripped the carpet out and tiled the floor. oh and i tore my 75 gallon down. i got hooked up by the guy at the lfs and he let me borrow his 100 gallon vat to keep the water from the tank and a place to put my live rock at. all of the livestock in the tank went into my 125 which is extremely cramped now. the tank overflows are actually drilled right down the middle of the tank. 4 holes that are 3" across each. so i get the tank home and it only takes me and 5 other people to actually get it in my house......that was a fun night.....after working 9 hours and driving 1 hour to get it and an hour back. so i start to look at all the plumbing and realize i am 1 bulkhead short. i get the guy at the lfs to order one for me but it takes a week for it to come in. keep in mind the 100 gallon vat with my liverock is sitting out side (about a week by the time i get the bulkheads in). oh and to make things real fun the temperature outside starts swinging crazy. it was 80 for 2 or 3 days then it dropped to 40 so i dumped my heaters in it and crossed my fingers. i get the bulkheads in and start plumbing it again only to figure out i can't actually get my sump under this tank. so i spin the stand and cut the end off of it so i can slide a sump into it. i talk to the lfs guy and we pick out a pump to run this tank. after we settle on one i start putting 2 and 2 together and realize i am going to have to drill a hole in the side of my sump to hook this pump to, and i have never done this before. thankfully i manage to drill the tank without cracking the glass. then i drill out an acrylic tank to mate to it, and then finally mate the pump to the acrylic one. after i have finally done all this i start putting water in the tank. i put about 10 gallons in at a time and check for leaks. no leaks on the first 2 loads, but when i get about 30-40 gallons in it one of them starts leaking. so i tighten the bulkhead a little bit and it gets worse. i end up having to drain the tank because i warped the bulkhead trying to stop the leak. i run to the local hardware store and get a new 'O' ring and go home, replace the bulkhead and start putting water in it again. once again at about 30-40 gallons the same bulkhead starts leaking. once again i drain the tank. i go to the lfs the next day and buy a tube of silicone and decide to silicone all the bulkheads closed. wait 3 days to be on the safe side and start filling it with water again. get it to about 90g and get a small drip from the same bulkhead that was leaking originally. talked to a few people and it so such a small amount we decide it will probably seal itself from evaporation and subtraight and what not. still not fully set up but i will show you guys what it looks like so far, but i am trying to get it filled tonight and fully running to check for any other leaks before i start stocking it. thanks for sticking though that long windedness. the last picture is my 125 that is currently set up. enjoy, i think.
So i guess let's start at the beginning. when i started out in this hobby, i had a 75 gallon marine land aquarium. a guy at the lfs helped me set it up with a 30g sump. a year or so later i out grew the aquarium and decided i wanted something bigger. i couldn't actually find the size i wanted (and i am a little impulsive) so i bought a 125 and decided i would just run both of them. i am a single dad and work 9+ hours a day. so about 3-4 months ago i decided it would be easier to maintain 1 aquarium instead of 2 so i started my search and happened upon this beauty. before i could set it up though i decided i needed to do some remodeling in my house. i spent 3 days and ripped the carpet out and tiled the floor. oh and i tore my 75 gallon down. i got hooked up by the guy at the lfs and he let me borrow his 100 gallon vat to keep the water from the tank and a place to put my live rock at. all of the livestock in the tank went into my 125 which is extremely cramped now. the tank overflows are actually drilled right down the middle of the tank. 4 holes that are 3" across each. so i get the tank home and it only takes me and 5 other people to actually get it in my house......that was a fun night.....after working 9 hours and driving 1 hour to get it and an hour back. so i start to look at all the plumbing and realize i am 1 bulkhead short. i get the guy at the lfs to order one for me but it takes a week for it to come in. keep in mind the 100 gallon vat with my liverock is sitting out side (about a week by the time i get the bulkheads in). oh and to make things real fun the temperature outside starts swinging crazy. it was 80 for 2 or 3 days then it dropped to 40 so i dumped my heaters in it and crossed my fingers. i get the bulkheads in and start plumbing it again only to figure out i can't actually get my sump under this tank. so i spin the stand and cut the end off of it so i can slide a sump into it. i talk to the lfs guy and we pick out a pump to run this tank. after we settle on one i start putting 2 and 2 together and realize i am going to have to drill a hole in the side of my sump to hook this pump to, and i have never done this before. thankfully i manage to drill the tank without cracking the glass. then i drill out an acrylic tank to mate to it, and then finally mate the pump to the acrylic one. after i have finally done all this i start putting water in the tank. i put about 10 gallons in at a time and check for leaks. no leaks on the first 2 loads, but when i get about 30-40 gallons in it one of them starts leaking. so i tighten the bulkhead a little bit and it gets worse. i end up having to drain the tank because i warped the bulkhead trying to stop the leak. i run to the local hardware store and get a new 'O' ring and go home, replace the bulkhead and start putting water in it again. once again at about 30-40 gallons the same bulkhead starts leaking. once again i drain the tank. i go to the lfs the next day and buy a tube of silicone and decide to silicone all the bulkheads closed. wait 3 days to be on the safe side and start filling it with water again. get it to about 90g and get a small drip from the same bulkhead that was leaking originally. talked to a few people and it so such a small amount we decide it will probably seal itself from evaporation and subtraight and what not. still not fully set up but i will show you guys what it looks like so far, but i am trying to get it filled tonight and fully running to check for any other leaks before i start stocking it. thanks for sticking though that long windedness. the last picture is my 125 that is currently set up. enjoy, i think.
