Ricky's 120 Stony Coral Garden

My tank finished cycling in six days and yesterday I added my ten Green Chromis to make sure the tank is cycled before I return the larger fish. The rockscape is not as minimalistic as I would've liked but it will allow me to place more corals and there are a lot of openings within the structure to allow for good water flow. Here are a few pictures to show you what I've been up to.







Here is a link to my old thread.

 

I also have a youtube video from today.
YouTube - 120 Gallon Rebuild March 26, 2011

 

Equipment list

Tanks
120 Gallon Perfecto Glass Aquarium (48”x24”x24”) with internal overflow
30 Gallon Sump (36”x12”x16”)

Water Movement Equipment
One Danner Mag Drive 9.5 (950 GPH, 73 watts)
Loc-Line return hose (0.75”)
Two Vortech MP-40w Pump (1,000-3,200 GPH, 7-33 watts)

Lighting Equipment
Two Lumenarc III mini Stealth Pendants (14.5”x14.5”x7”)
Two 250 watt 14K Phoenix DE Metal Halide Bulbs
One 250 watt Lumatek Dimmable Electronic Ballast
One 250 watt Lumatek Electronic Ballast
One TEK II retrofit T-5 48” lighting 2x54watt (2 bulbs total)
Two ATI Blue Plus 54 watt T-5 Bulb
8 bulb LED blue lunar lights

Water Quality Equipment
6 Stage Melev’s/Bulk Reef Supply Reverse Osmosis with Two DI Filters (100 GPD)
Vertex IN-180 Protein Skimmer (rated for up to 180 gallons)
CoralVue Bubble Blaster 3000 pump (400 GPH of air, 31 watts)
600mL NPX Biopellets
Phosban 550 Reactor
One Eheim Jager 200 watt Heater (15”)
180 lbs. of Live Rock (Fiji, Tonga Fusion, Kaelini, Pukani)

Additives
Reef Crystals Salt Mix
Excel Calcium Chloride
Soda Ash (Alkalinity Buffer)
Mag Pellet (Magnesium Chloride)
CVS Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate)
Seachem Strontium Chloride
Potassium Chloride
Brightwell Lugol’s Iodine
Bulk Reef Supply ROX 0.8 Activated Carbon
Brightwell MicroBacter7

 

I certainly enjoyed your last tank thread. Looking forward to seeing where this one goes.

Did you use Microbacter7 in the last tank and do you intend to keep using it in this system and why?

 

Yes, I used it before. It is to add bacteria for the bio pellets.

 

I was just wondering because I love the product. I am always suggesting it to people with nitrate and algae problems. Never used bio-pellets before though, but I hear combination is very popular

 

Here is an FTS and video of my 120 now with corals



YouTube - ‪120 Gallon Rebuild now with coral‬‏

 

Nice build. How do you like the bare bottom tank?

 

I miss the color of sand but knowing that the waste is not being trapped in the sand is worth not having the sand. Eventually coralline algae will cover the bottom. I have a spot in the tank where the fish poop settles for easy removal.

 

Looking good. Are those MP40s on the ends?