What did I do?

[Dgmannn412]

I have a 125 gallon tank.
I loaded it with 128lbs. Of base rock. Dead and dry.
No sand In the display.
I built a wet dry tower out of a plastic drawer rack.
The 1st drawer is 10x12inches with a polyester pad covered in 1500ml of seachem matrix
2nd drawer has the marine pure bio media brick dry.
Submerged
12lbs. Of live rock rubble

Added a reef octopus 152s skimmer

I filled it with saltwater brought it to temp and waited 2 days.
Then I added 12 marine pure biospheres I had in a 55 gallon tank across the room. 2 days later I started adding fish. And not just a damsel but 4 damsel 1 tang 1 fox face 1 red lionfish 1 blenny 1 coral beauty 1 spotted hawkfish 1 Chesapeake toadfish 1 zebra moray eel 1 porcupine puffer 2 clarkii clownfish 1 Hawaiian cleaner wrasse Mexican turbo snail a choclatechip starfish 12 redleg hermit crabs a sally lightfoot crab and 8 black mollies.
ALL AT ONCE
I then added a few small hammer corals and some zoo frags as well as some green star polyp clumps.

3 weeks later I have 3 clutches of mollies open coral no dead fish.
Ph 8.4
Nh3/nh4+ 0
No2. 0
No3. 10ppm
Kh 7.6
Ca 490
Mg 1390
Po4 .41

How is this possible? How did I completely defy every sound word I heard and do exactly what I was told would not work? Is there really enough bacteria on a dozen marine pure bio sphere in 3 weeks to maintain and take over a 125gallon heavily stocked tank?

Please let me know your thoughts and reactions. View attachment 1281772 View attachment 1281773 View attachment 1281774

 

[Man vs fish]

Theres exceptions to everything, first let me say this. Your bioload is too great for a 120g especially with that small of a skimmer. That skimmer is only rated for 150g at a light bioload, heavy at 80g. You have exceeded the "Heavy" rating, this will all catch up to you at some point unless you begin doing weekly 25% or more WC's. Also... your fish choices that you have added together are for lack of better terms... Terrible. The blenny, coral beauty, hawk, clown etc will be eaten sooner or later, the lion is not suited to be with any of the others expect for maybe the eel. You made a good choice not using sand having added all those fish as you would have an insane amount of detritus build up if you had. I don't see any powerbeads listed, you will want to add a few.... All in all, I'm sorry but i hate your setup. Its not going to work in the long run, and whoever you got advice from when setting this up didn't know what they were talking about.

 

[Dgmannn412]

The long term is not the concern or the question. I am well aware that within the next few weeks that all of the selected fish will need a different home. This has already been arranged and has begun to happen.

The point was to do what was clearly said can't be done.

I did it. I did it well. And I did it over a month faster than any (professional fish keeper) told me possible.

 

[Man vs fish]

what a pointless thread, and pointless experiment. If it doesn't last long term, than you didn't "do it" at all lol. You just made yourself look inexperienced and as if you do not care about the life inside at all. Good job.

 

[Yoimbrian]

But...why did you do it?

You defied good advice and got lucky, it won't last forever.

I feel bad for your fish, they won't last long.

 

[Thyroyalgeek]

Tread lightly. VERY lightly. V E R Y V E R Y LIGHTLY. Did I already mention be careful? I didn't? Ok, be EXTREMELY careful. I on the other hand prefer not to play with fire.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Tread lightly. VERY lightly. V E R Y V E R Y LIGHTLY. Did I already mention be careful? I didn't? Ok, be EXTREMELY careful. I on the other hand prefer not to play with fire.

You tell people to not play with fire and some just have to take a bath in Greek fire,humans can be real odd