129 gallon All Glass (AGA) Aquarium with 3/4 inch glass. Originally started November 2005. Total weight exceeds 1700lbs. Current estimates put the tank / stand and all accessories right under one ton.

       The tank was purchased from the late Coral Island for a grand total of $250. Needless to say, that included the glass only, I had to build my own stand, and clean the glass because it was originally used when purchased.

I decided to go with Glass because I am clumsy and lazy when it comes to cleaning the coraline algae off. Acrylic scratches much to easy for me and glass is cheaper. unfortunatly, glass is also about ten times heavier.

       Custom stand consisting of a base 4x4 skeleton and wrapped in 1/4 inch oak sheeting. Original design obtained from the reefcentral 32 gallon dark oak design and modified for the 129 gallon including another 50 gallons of water volume on the inside for sump, refuge and protein skimmer.

      The canopy (currently unfinished) was a success as well as a failure. the general idea was to have a fold out design that hid the fact that the canopy opened. Because of my budget, I was forced to use 1/8 inch plywood sheeting which warped almost instantly due to the high humidity and the heat from the lights. A new canopy design is currently in the works but will require about $100 to complete.

       The current water flow is provided through three different setups. The main water transfer system consists of an iwaki WMD40RLXT pump that averages around 1000 gallons per hour. The Iwaki pump is responsible for skimming the top level of the tank for water clarification and filtering.

       The primary in-tank water movement devices consist of dual Tunze Turbelle Stream 6100 pumps running through an automated stream controller. Both of these pumps are faced at far ends with a wave simulator to create breaking water in the middle - top of the aquarium which creates a downwards flow creating dual cyclones throughout the tank

       The secondary movement pumps include dual Seio 820 power heads. These power heads are used on a temporary basis to create severe turbulence to simulate moon phases and oceanic storms. These can also be used in the event of a tunze failure to help balance the tank's water movement

       Water clarification is obtained by top level skimming and through OZONE generation. The dual 660 gallon per hour overflows provide much of the needed skimming and transport the water into a refuge where nutrients are removed by macroalgae. The water is then transported to the sump for further processing and fintration. The OZONE generator feeds a 10-12mg of ozone per hour directly into the protein skimmer which defuses bacteria and other non-dissolved organics for removal.

       Water filtration is simply achieved through an Aqua Medic Turboflotor 1000 multi which is mounted externally to the refuge. With the addition of the OZONE, skimmer output typically reaches more then 1oz oz skimmate per day. Occasionally, a backup media reactor will be placed in-line with the primary water flow to polish the water, but this is only required once every few months strictly for aesthetic purposes.

       The current lighting consists of a total power rating exceeding 900watts. The current par value has not been calculated but is expected to be over 25,000 lumens. The primary lighting is a pair of 250watt metal halide fixtures running 12,000 Kelvin output, the metal halides provide the majority of the nutrients required for the phytoplankton and other bacteria that hosts in corals in a symbiotic relationship.

       Supplemental actinic lighting is added through dual 110watt T12VHO bulbs. The addition of actinic lighting is not proven to increase coral growth, so addition of actinic lighting may be only for aesthetic reasons. Natural colors of corals and other living organisms are accented by such lighting.

       Lastly, the refuge is supported using a pair of 96watt power compact 50/50 bulbs. The current bulbs are used only for the growth of macro-algae. Lower Kelvin bulbs would be more suited, but the refuge is also the primary home for acclimating corals and / or treating sick specimens, thus the mixture of high wattage and higher Kelvin.

       The lights work on a timer that simulates morning, mid day, and afternoon. With the VHO's turning on at 9am, then the MH turn on at 11am and then turning off at 8pm and finally the VHO bulbs turning off at 10pm. So far this configuration has proven to be enough for the corals, but not quite enough for nuisance algae to grow.

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