# Trukgirl's 125 tank



## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

So an even bigger bug bit the heck out of me this time!!

Got a custom 7 ft long 125g used on Craigslist (you guys know I'm the CL queen by now LOL!!)
It has a very dorky stand that hubby and I are going to fix in the next cpl wks with a completely new surround and more doors, and going to paint it black like the 65g. He painted the back of the new tank, fading from blue to black near the bottom, he did a really good job I think but now there is so much live rock you can hardly see it unless you are looking for it. 

Just like all the other times, I've found parts and pumps from local reefers in the SLASH club (A Coralife 220 skimmer, a K6 powerhead) and we bought a new Coralife 4 T-5 fixture, 36", to match the one on the 65g instead of trying to find a 7ft light. It came with a ginormous metal halide fixture I have for sale on CL (it ran over 1200w with all lights on!!) Yeah too much for me, I have no plans on going back to SPS. WAY TOO MUCH work for me. 

Anyways the tank was in use with 2 fish when I bought it (Naso tang and Coral Beauty), with 150+ lbs of live rock. It is glass and not drilled, but came with a 55g sump and overflow. I know some experienced reefers may scorn me for this, but to accomodate a large skimmer (the area under the stand is small and we do not have a basement for the sump to go in), we downgraded the sump to a new 29g and set it up the way we wanted. The old sump was set up for bio balls and they had TONS of them. No bio balls for me, thanks. It did however come with a Two Little Fishies phosban reactor, and a UV sterilizer we are going to pipe in very soon.

As of this evening, this is how both tanks (65 & 125) look......
125g Tank Update 10/14/11 - YouTube


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

:welldone::welldone::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Haha you crack me up, Bear!!

I haven't been documenting this with pictures as well as I did with the 65g build. (It was projects week then finals week at school, plus if you remember I have 2 small kiddos so I've been busy!!) But this really isn't a "build" per se as we just loaded the live rock in new brute cans and filled them with tank water, and took the tank home. It will sorta be a build I guess when we start redoing the stand. It has FLOORING on it for the surround! You will see, I'll post a few pics. Going to replace it with wainscoating and some nice trim at the bottom and top, and have the hubs cut off the bits that are hanging down from what he's done to the "hood" so far. Also going to hang the lights from the ceiling so its not such a big pain in the rear getting into the tank, having to pick up and move the lights all the time.


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Oh, and have you seen my 44g predator tank??

My 5 yr old for perspective LOL









Tonight


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Oh, here are the 2 fish that came with the tank:

Coral Beauty (he is such a gorgeous specimen!!)









Naso Tang









Here's my clams (still in 65g)
Crocea









Derasa (cook islands)


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Wow :shock: Great job on those tanks. 

I'm going to go salt one of these days (I swear I am LOL), and seeing posts like this just make me want to do it more.


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

very well done!! great find.... will follow along


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Thanks Romad & Bear!! 

Hubby finally got the skimmer piped in and on-line this eve while I was at a gig with my band. Coralife 220 bought used off a guy in SLASH club.


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## chevysoldier (Oct 14, 2011)

Very cool! But isn't your boy a little young for coffee? :lol:


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

ahaha he is just like his Mommy & Daddy... we are both coffee addicts. We let him have sips here and there and sometimes let him have the rest of the cup when there are just a couple swallows left. He loves it! He might get 3-4 sips a week.


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Having a diatom bloom under where the light is in the middle of the tank.

Phosban reactor online, phosphates DOWN!! Woot!

All the fish are 100% great. Naso is back to his old self, eating like a pig and chasing me back and forth if I walk next to the tank.


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

You can sort-of see the diatom bloom in the middle of the tank in these pix:


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## SaltwaterTaylor14 (Sep 27, 2011)

trukgirl said:


> You can sort-of see the diatom bloom in the middle of the tank in these pix:


Your tank looks awesome. Keep up the good work!


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Thanks  I bet I will have another mini-bloom when I can finally move the other light over from the 65g.

UN-patiently waiting to move the rest of the rock, corals, and clams over. Ugh! 
I must be patient...I must be patient...I must be patient!!!


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## SaltwaterTaylor14 (Sep 27, 2011)

trukgirl said:


> Thanks  I bet I will have another mini-bloom when I can finally move the other light over from the 65g.
> 
> UN-patiently waiting to move the rest of the rock, corals, and clams over. Ugh!
> I must be patient...I must be patient...I must be patient!!!


hahaha im just like you. The one thing I lack with this hobby is patience


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

When I first set up my 65g, I had LOTS of patience. But I now have not one, not two, but THREE tanks in my living room. Two are staying (my predator tank and the new 125) but the 65 needs to GO! LOL! Its sitting right in front of the front door and in the way of the bar we sit at to eat all the time. That's really the only reason I'm feeling impatient. I learned my lesson about being patient with my first 10g salt tank and my 55g planted freshwater. But its really eating at me to have this tank done with all my stuff in it!!! :demented:


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## SaltwaterTaylor14 (Sep 27, 2011)

trukgirl said:


> When I first set up my 65g, I had LOTS of patience. But I now have not one, not two, but THREE tanks in my living room. Two are staying (my predator tank and the new 125) but the 65 needs to GO! LOL! Its sitting right in front of the front door and in the way of the bar we sit at to eat all the time. That's really the only reason I'm feeling impatient. I learned my lesson about being patient with my first 10g salt tank and my 55g planted freshwater. But its really eating at me to have this tank done with all my stuff in it!!! :demented:


ahhaha thats too funny. But thats awesome that you have three tanks. I am only in college so i'm only allowed a small 20g but im excited to start saltwater . And when im older i plan on having a few tanks myself. I will remember this as a good patience lesson though lol


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Please do... because lets just say those two lessons came about from MASSIVE casualties. Ehhh.... :/

Finally got my other pygmy Angel in this eve, the Rusty. Threw in a Kenya tree and a tiny clip of GSP to see how they fare...

YUM YUM! Nori time! (the big Naso rips it off, shakes it like a dog, and both Tangs will chase it around the tank. Hilarious!)


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## SaltwaterTaylor14 (Sep 27, 2011)

By showing me these beautiful pictures of your tank, its making my patience level go down for starting my own saltwater tank . Im supposed to start it around christmas, but at this rate with the constant pictures it will be around next week


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

LOL sorry hehe


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

trukgirl said:


> LOL sorry hehe


no your not!! i know its all a part of your evil plan!!

well its working i now have a target date to start and i am reading this thread (and many others) daily . urrgg your tank is coming along so nice...


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## ScarlettAngel (May 30, 2011)

Wow, your photos and tanks are stunning. I'm thinking I might add a saltwater tank to my collection but I'm also playing the patience game, lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gmate (Sep 19, 2011)

Trukgirl, I love your tanks and all the pictures. I've taken the time to read your previous threads and look at your pictures. Great job, very jealous. Well done :-D


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Thank you gmate and ScarlettAngel!!! I appreciate the compliments!!!! 

Ok Bear... you caught me, it IS all part of my evil plan MUAH HAH HAH HAAA!!! ROFL
I am happy things are coming along for you!!!! Are you doing some more DIY crafting? I always liked seeing the stuff you come up with.

The initial K tree and GSP clip did GREAT... so Sat we moved all the GSP and trees over. Did great!! Decided to see how zoas/LPS would fare yesterday... moved a small frag of zoas and my 6 head frogspawn... the spawn came out really fast and the zoas came out about a minute after I set them in....

So everything we've transferred is doing GREAT!!!!!!
...except the pulsing Xenias and "bumpy" mushrooms.... 
for some reason the new tank has killed them???? Way more sensitive corals are doing great though, I don't get it? The only thing that is still off is the KH. (its at 13-14 now instead of 22 which is a lot closer to what it should be, 12) The regular blue mushroom is doing fine, but the other 2 types I had that were bumpy are dead?? 

Took a vid last night, hoping to move more coral today. I promise more pics/vid this eve!


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

yes you know me DIY when ever i can LOL... after careful consideration i have just a few more things to make and i am almost 100% certain i can get mine up and running using no more than 5 plugs!! (4 if my electrician friend can help me chain my lights together) . i am going for a super simple set up and the plan looks really good so far.. i will do a thread on it as it gets closer so people dont get bothered with the slow progress (target start up is January)


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Awesome, I can't wait!

Here is the video I took last night...


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Equipment in stand


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Clams


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

wow nice job!! keep up the good work


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

I can't believe I forgot this one!! Finally got it all in there now!!!


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## gmate (Sep 19, 2011)

*applause*
love the videos, thanks!


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## trukgirl (Jan 28, 2010)

Thanks!!!!


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