Start to finish: Our 125g

Well, I am finally getting around to posting about our journey through this hobby. I am amazed, in doing the math I realized my husband, Jeremy and I have been reefers for fourteen years, this summer. Our reef has outlived friends, houses, jobs, cars and just about everything else that you encounter in a 14 year old relationship. I am more driven as an aquarist at this point, than I was when we began.
Jeremy bought our first tank when we were still dating. He scraped up enough cash to buy wood, the tank, some old fluorescent bulbs, and some wood stain. It took him over a year to even save up enough to buy the bare bones. He built the stand and canopy, and for his birthday his dad bought him the first canister filter. At that time everyone recommended cycling tanks with fish. (BAD IDEA) I can’t even imagine doing this now. We tossed in a few mollies and finally got the tank to cycle.
Life goes on and eventually we had kids. One day or eldest son was toddling around and slammed a toy into the tank. I thought I would die. Jeremy was at work and I was in a panic. I ran to Petco and picked up the first 55g I could find. Somehow we were able to get everything transferred without losing anything. I still don’t know how.
Many years passed, and the tank was great. One night we were sitting around watching a movie with our boys, when we heard the worst sound in the world. It wasn’t the sissy little sound of a clicking pistol shrimp, not the clack of the dreaded mantis shrimp. IT WAS THE SOUND OF THE CENTER BRACE CRACKING IN HALF. Jeremy ran to the garage. I ran to the phone. He grabbed wood clamps. I called my Dad (the guru of all things mechanical.) I got online and found a craigslist posting for a 125 gallon tank in San Jose. The next morning we were off (8 hour drive round trip.) We bought the tank and headed back. As we were unloading the stand, we realized that the wood underneath was junk. It was some particle board crap and it had been through a flood. [If you want to check out how cool my dad is, he built us a new stand and hood. It is out of this world. I’ll insert a link here soon.]
So, this brings us to today. Here is the photo diary of our crazy little reefing journey. I have been told that the photos I had on 3reef do not do justice. So I hope everyone enjoys this and thanks for reading my post.

(THANKS PackLeader…for motivating me to do this.)​

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Here is the first pictures we have of our tank. Can you believe it was before digital? Wow, I feel old.​

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Never mind the birthday decor. Check out the hair algae?​

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I cant believe these are our only pics. Sorry about the cracked out DUMBO BOY!!​

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Here is the tank swapout. I cant believe the difference in our tank. We were having all kinds of algae bloom. Our water quality has come WAY up.​

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Jeremy converted the HOB refugium. It now sits inside the cabinet and dumps into the sump.​

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Now we added our 100lbs of live sand.​

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We added our LR and the two most awnry oscilaris clown fish you have ever seen. They had a kill pattern. The male fish would get a tankmates attention by twitching uncontrollably. Then, the female would swoop in from behind, grab the new fish by the tail and drag it backward. If the new fish tried to turn on the female, the male oscilaris would rip its side fins off. Eventually the new tankmate would drown. I tell you, they were serial killers!! ​

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Here's the latest picture of our tank. What an improvement eh?​

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Here is left to right​

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And right to left​

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Thanks for all the interest. I am so happy to have this photo diary. Now I can start showing everyone our new additions. ​

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nice pictures!! Tank has come along way!

 

Im jealous!! Looks great

 

I love your guys tank
it looks so great in person!

 

your tank looks awesome! good story

 

tank looks great, much better than before.

 

Its about time you got a tank thread up!
Looks great, pics don't do it justice. Keep up the great work over there guys!

 

beautiful. I love it. Wish I could have one that big. Later maybe. But really, very nice.

 

I know..I still feel like someone could pinch me and I would be back in our old rental house with our tank covered in muck. LOL!
It is crazy to finally have our dream tank.

 

125 gallon reef
CORALS:
Birdsnest, Hammer, Montiporas, Mushrooms, GSPs, Devil's Hand, Maxima Clam, Galexia, Candycanes, Purple Xenia, Pink Pom-Pom, Xenia, Blastomussa, Acan, LTplate,
STplate, Leathers, Fox, Toadstool, Green Brain, Duncan, Frilly Duncan, Zoas, Kenya Tree, Green Horn, Doughnut, LTAs & Seabae Anemone.
FISH:
Blue Hippo Tang,Yellow Mimic Tang, Skunk Clowns,Green Chromis,Yellow Head Sleeper Goby,Firefish,Purple Firefish,Talbot's Damsel,6Line Wrasse, Carpenter Wrasse, Dusky Jawfish,Mandarin Goby & Algae Blenny
INVERTS:
Peppermint Shrimp, Skunk Cleaner, Brittle Star, Banded Serpent Star, Red Thorny Sand sifting Starfish,Tan Sand-Sifting Starfish, Pom-Pom Crab,Emerald Crab,Scarlet and Blue Leg Hermit Crabs, Turbo Snails, Nasaris Snails, Cerith Snails,Margarita Snails, Queen Conch, & Black Sea Cucumber.​