120g build

[sharuq1]

So we are finally starting to get a move-on with this build. Ballasts and bulbs finally ordered and should be on the way here soon, (thank you to Kelly at the Reef Shoppe!!).

Everything from this tank http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=37529 will be going into the 120g.

To start off here is what we started with:


We had a lot of work ahead of us to get everything out of the tank, but still it went from that (relatively beautiful..I think ) to this (ugh). We had to throw in the cichlids from another tank to make room for a breeding group of S. Fryeri Iceburgs. Took a while but soon we were able to sell & give away everyone in here.



After the cichlids got kicked out I was finally able to start cleaning the tank. It was really encrusted with hard green algae at the back. This tank was treated at one point with copper, so I wanted to make sure everything was cleaned really well. I researched how I should go about this and the consensus overall was that as long as I got the Ca out of the tank, the copper should go with it, as Cu binds with Ca. I dumped in an entire jug of vinegar and left the filter to run. I dropped in a couple coralline encrusted seios as well to get them all clean. The water then turned white with the precipitate. After much scrubbing and dumping of buckets I arrived at this point.




This is what the top looks like. (Well..half of the top anyway, I'm not tall enough to get a full top shot.) It was done with the brace down the middle and corner braces at each corner.

After getting it nice and clean, and noting a few scratches here and there I looked down into the bottom of the tank and to my horror saw this! I asked on the forum about what to do should it be a crack.

It looks an aweful lot like a nice long crack to me. Then....I moved the tank to see for sure and lo and behold it was the mdf board underneath. It had a crack or scratch or something that had been coated in some sort of clear stuff. phew!


Looking at the silicone it looks to me like someone non-professional did it. It is quite messy, the edges are rough and there is a small gap in the silicone at the bottom/front pane, but it is only about 4mm in depth and an inch or so long. I am considering re-siliconing it, but I am terrified to do it. Last time we re-siliconed a tank we ended up with 20gallons on the floor. We tried that again and still same result.

Think we should just leave it? At least we know right now it does hold water.....

Next up we need to plumb it. Not too sure what I should do, but ideas and especially pics/diagrams would really help alot. (pretty please)