ReeferClad
New Member
This thread is delayed by two weeks or so, been busy working on this tank! To start out with I tore down the 125 gallon tank. When I bought it off of craigslist, the bottome frame was broken(of course I didn't find out until after I payed the guy, the stand had a wood lip which hides the frame of the tank). I took to the lfs and had them put a new frame on.
I stupidly ordered a full blown CUC from reefcleaners.org because I had green hair algae and diatoms growing like wild fire. Dino was growing where the GHA wasn't. I scrubbed all the rock with a tooth brush rinsing between the three thorough scrubs in three totes of saltwater. I put about 50lbs into a 46 gallon tank that I am using as a snail holding tank. For snails I have 30 nerites(lost a few to hermits, going to buy more they are amazing!), well over 100 dwarf cerinths, 55 nassarius snails(5 are tonga nassarius), 38 florida cerinths, and 2 turbo snails. They are doing well with the loss of 10 or so while switching them to the 46 gallon(nassarius snails got to bulk up lol).
A couple of days ago I soaked the 125 gallon tank with a vinegar/water solution to dissolve as much of the diatoms and dead coraline algae as I could. I used 3 gallons of white distilled vinegar and filled it up with water to the point just below where it would start to flow into the overflow boxes. The overnight soak did quite the trick, hardly any diatoms(what is left is for the snails, it won't come off with a razor blade) and no more dead dried out coraline algae.
Today I started painting the back of the tank black. I am using rust-oleum flat black paint as recommended by the Menards worker. He said the latex would peel and scratch easily. Let's just say I am very happy with the way the paint is going on! The first coat did a fairly good job. Paint didn't want to stick in some areas for the first coat. I did a second coat 5 hours later and it looks pretty darn good. I am doing a third coat for assurence. I can't see the paint from the inside on one half of the tank.
I was going to take the baffles out of the sump today and get new ones, but the baffles don't want to come out for me. I guess I will have to wait for my dad to get home. Enough of my rambling, lets do quite a few picture posts!!!
I stupidly ordered a full blown CUC from reefcleaners.org because I had green hair algae and diatoms growing like wild fire. Dino was growing where the GHA wasn't. I scrubbed all the rock with a tooth brush rinsing between the three thorough scrubs in three totes of saltwater. I put about 50lbs into a 46 gallon tank that I am using as a snail holding tank. For snails I have 30 nerites(lost a few to hermits, going to buy more they are amazing!), well over 100 dwarf cerinths, 55 nassarius snails(5 are tonga nassarius), 38 florida cerinths, and 2 turbo snails. They are doing well with the loss of 10 or so while switching them to the 46 gallon(nassarius snails got to bulk up lol).
A couple of days ago I soaked the 125 gallon tank with a vinegar/water solution to dissolve as much of the diatoms and dead coraline algae as I could. I used 3 gallons of white distilled vinegar and filled it up with water to the point just below where it would start to flow into the overflow boxes. The overnight soak did quite the trick, hardly any diatoms(what is left is for the snails, it won't come off with a razor blade) and no more dead dried out coraline algae.
Today I started painting the back of the tank black. I am using rust-oleum flat black paint as recommended by the Menards worker. He said the latex would peel and scratch easily. Let's just say I am very happy with the way the paint is going on! The first coat did a fairly good job. Paint didn't want to stick in some areas for the first coat. I did a second coat 5 hours later and it looks pretty darn good. I am doing a third coat for assurence. I can't see the paint from the inside on one half of the tank.
I was going to take the baffles out of the sump today and get new ones, but the baffles don't want to come out for me. I guess I will have to wait for my dad to get home. Enough of my rambling, lets do quite a few picture posts!!!
