SCA 120 Gallon Reef Tank | Ep.3 | Floating Canopy Build

[@bigez1974]

Great Video . Watching you put this system together is like watching a television show.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

bigez1974 ✊🏾✊🏾

[@strat1960s]

That canopy is AMAZING!! Great idea.You've given me some ideas to consider.Thank youTed

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

hopefully everyone can take this and improve on it.. thanks for watching

[@jong9970]

That turned out great CJ. DIY projects can be so challenging, but a successful execution is so rewarding. That tank is going to be sweeet!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Jon G. Your right on the money with that one... sitting back looking at one mission completed but still so much work to do..

[@seyed7705]

Im glad to see you went with the floating canopy CJ. Looks way better

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

was def the plan when I purchased the tank.. just wish i could have skipped all that planning and work haha

[@vincevengeance9755]

one best thing about DIY is that you get the real satisfaction after all your hard work and the moment you watch it RUN successfully. you are standing there and watching it like "damn..it works." you smile and you are fully satisfy of your own built.

[@mtkregs]

Getting there. Good call on floating the canopy. That tank was made to view without a canopy directly on top of it.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Kreger's Reef yea no doubt! Gonna enjoy this tank even better when I get my lazy boy in front of it haha

[@richiebag6072]

Everything is looking great. What a great start. I'm getting excited to see it grow.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

me and you both! thanks for watching

[@charlese665]

That's some gangsta floating canopy dude. Good Job!

[@dwsdarius]

Very nice with the floating canopy...coming along nicely!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

DWSDARIUS FISH TANKS so far so good! A lot of work left to do

[@patrickmcdonald1804]

Keep up the amazing work man! Excited to see what's the come your a true example of what kind of amazing things can be accomplished in this hobby when you take your time and plan things out!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Patrick McDonald appreciate it .. gotta break this update into chunks otherwise it would be way to much work for one weekend haha

[@TheThielvaldes]

So happy you are upgrading. Love your channel from the good all days. My 150g and 100g sump leaked now building the 180 should be up and running soon!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

thiel valdes that's good news man... good luck on the build. Happy reefing ✊🏾

[@willsimmons7526]

Hats off to you CJ wish I could have picked your brain before I built my stand and light setup for my 100 gallon you gave me a lot to think about on my future 150 setup I will always keep an eye on your channel thanks for letting us in your world

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Will Simmons if only I could build the things I want myself haha.. thanks man

[@ADiaryForMom]

Ah man, that's a clean set up! I like that a lot. Gonna be nice setup once the tank gets wet.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Tyler Herlein yessir slow and steady... only get to do this once.. might as well do everything I ever wanted to try

[@Chango305]

Man CJ you are one very creative talented dude man. Canopy looks amazing really liking how everything is coming out. Can't wait for the next vid.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Chango305 appreciate it man! One thing I'm never short on are new ideas haha

[@PhongLe-rl5vg]

awe man, you floating canopy idea is pretty sweet. great job bro. cant wait to see your scape.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

appreciate it.. just kinda came up with it on the fly.. worked out well.. still gotta plumb the tank then we can get to the fun part..

[@billshreeveable]

CJ that looks awesome, I think you did just fine and it looks professional. Keep the videos coming, oh and the drawer sliders are a freaking genius idea!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

billshreeveable was pure luck how they fit the fixtures perfect.. def worked out well 👍🏾

[@seanfleming7947]

Great job with that canopy, looks awesome!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

thanks

[@MyMidlifeCrisis2024]

This is really starting to take shape now. This tank has a lot to live up to based on previous setups but already I think it's going to be awesome.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

slowly but surely.. still have alot of work to do... Just trying to make this my best work yet.. The JBJ is looking over my shoulder saying I better not have been sold for nothing hahahah

[@stuartcoleman3782]

that is a top quality modification CJ, well done mate

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

appreciate it!

[@KevinENHVlogs]

Nice work CJ ... i think you out did yourself on this one. I think it came out really nice and it looks good and functional. Keep up the good work.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Kevin ENH Vlogs so far everything is going according to my master plan... still a lot of work to do that's for sure. Appreciate it man ✊🏾

[@reefjunkie9018]

Damn I have been waiting for a video like this . CJ you killed it , can't wait to see it up and running .

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Peter Hand just doing it the only way I know how... thanks for watching man

[@MaccaWelland36]

Loving the build dude. Can't wait to see the next few steps...

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

seems like its taking a life time.. but I plan on making progress every weekend.. thanks for watching man

[@jbliss2000007]

very nice bro. Came out amazing, I've build that same style canopy several times and its always great to see builds like yours.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

jbliss2000007 honestly if only I had tools to build a nice one myself... this canopy was heavy as hell I had doubts in the beginning but glad I stuck with it. Thanks for watching man

[@jbliss2000007]

CJ'S AQUARIUMS your ingenuity really showed our here. I'm glad you saved the money for more corals👍

[@MadHattersReef]

Nice work on the canopy.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

one weekend down.. alot more work to go haha.. appreciate it!

[@briansfishtanks]

Good idea for the canopy. I may have to do something similar for an upcoming project I'm working on

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Brian's Fish Tanks so far so good... just trying something a little diff.. u must have something crazy in the works haha

[@JorgeTorres-rd3xn]

that's pretty dope CJ, it came out great! pretty cool how u though about hanging the canopy

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Jorge Torres def feels like it was the right move... still have a lot of work to do tho

[@trureef2319]

that was genius adding the hinges

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

inspiration is all around us hahaha.. walked in home depot with no idea.. walked out with hinges and a few supplies..

[@trureef2319]

you're right. and being able to lift the canopy without removing anything makes things much easier. giving how stocked your last tank was this one should be extremely interesting. use some of that inspiration or should i say melanin (the true inspiration) on the aquascape as well haha..

[@waynelscott]

Great video bruh. Loved how you did the planning and components you used to accomplish the task. Very informative.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

appreciate it man... I had to get this right.. too much depending on it being sturdy.. thanks for watching

[@curtisskinner8230]

Very cool. I am looking at how to add a floating canopy to my tank and I may use some of you ideas.

[@keltongreshamphotography6116]

awesome CJ!! Your channel has grown and your tank has too. Great to see u still doin your thing! God bless you and your family and I'll be watching!!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

kelton gresham just trying to step my game up... one tank at a time. Appreciate it man best wishes to yours as well

[@NEMO20G]

Very nice mate!! Becoming DIY King!! Can't wait to see your scape you will put in this bad boy

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

NEMO20G hahaha far from it... just a guy with a fish tank and a phone camera 🎥

[@linarestribe]

Came out great. Every few month you can move the lights and your sps will grow zigzagy.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

haha good idea

[@reefinged7706]

Good planning and great outcome 👍

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

so far still solid... thanks man

[@pmrossetti1]

Excellent video. Tank's beautiful.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

thanks

[@NetGawker]

My man, hats off to you! You put in ungodly amounts of work, not just with everything you do in the name of love for your hobby but, also with these videos!!!! They are very well done. I tried making a few videos and GAT DAYUM they take a lot of work........not to mention mine look like shizzle compared to yours!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

hahaha.. it takes making your own videos to truly understand.. the amount of time it takes to build and film and edit.. cant even put a number on how many hours it took for this.. glad you all enjoyed it man.. alot more to come. thanks for watching

[@mozby76]

Drawer sliders to move the lights easily for full coverage.... GENIUS

[@iLoveSkylines]

Great job there! Keep on the updates coming.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Arturo Chao a lot more to come.. thanks

[@FloodXL]

Awesome canopy! Nice work

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

appreciate it man

[@ChangeYourMind2This]

Can't wait for the scape, good job on the set up CJ, I wish I had your patience cause if it were me I'd have that tank filled already...and then later I'd struggle with the modifications...

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

you called it.. Ive had enough tanks to understand slowing down and paying attention to the details.. thanks for watching

[@AcuaTV]

I'm loving the new tank man, can't wait to see it filled with fish and coral. I wanted to do the floating canopy as well but my wife and I were afraid of the light intensity it would produce for our 2 year old and 9 month old when they are playing around the tank if they looked directly at it. I never really investigated if this would be a problem or if we were over reacting lol. First time parents :P

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

AcuaTV glad I decided to do it... I'll just give the Lil one some sun glasses 👓 haha

[@jeremylynch8992]

tank & canopy lookin great. Im in elizabethtown. Would love to come by and see this setup in person someday!!! Keep up the great videos. In the process of a new tank setup myself!!!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Jeremy Lynch right up the road! Still along way to go but hopefully we both have nice tanks within the next year! Happy reefing

[@sheldonjessup]

nice idea with the drawer slides

[@FenderSchonJPX]

I LOVE these vids. I am really looking at getting an Aquarium from SCA and these videos are so helpful for a newbie like me to hopefully get it set up and best as you possibly can. Definitely going to use this hanging canopy solution you came up with. GREAT idea. Can't wait to get going on this. Just gotta keep saving up.

[@itsjojo7360]

Looks really good. I've done similar stress tests on things I hang off the wall better to fall on your behind instead of something falling on someone or something.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

was surprised when the canopy hung from just the chains alone with no prob.. thats when i knew it was all good

[@WCorbin182]

Looks great I watched twice. YOUR PLAN came together cause it's YOUR TANK. Keep doing what you do. (No advice was given or taken during these comments) People just watch and enjoy the build or get your own tank (DC Reefer rant)

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

DC Reefer THIS GUY! hahahahahha.... hey man I'm just gonna keep doing what I do just like I tell everyone else. 😁✊🏾

[@cameronbasford8991]

You killed it man, well done.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

thanks

[@ferozkaamil1]

Oh man tank is coming along awesome. keep it up Cj

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Feroz Reef plenty more to come

[@ferozkaamil1]

CJ'S AQUARIUMS looking forward to it

[@PRFishGirl]

Looking good.. that build is looking sharp

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

PRFishGirl so far so good

[@johnsreef2622]

Too Cool CJ. Thats awesome. I love that look. That opens up all kinds of possibilities. I was thinking. I can remember in the other video, but when you added the padding for the sump. One of the cool things I have noticed about my tank is Red Sea added a 1" tall pad along the back wall. Its the same thickness as the floor membrane but I think it helps keep the tank quiet buy not allowing the sump to contact the back wall. Keep it up... Tank is looking awesome!!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

John appreciate it John... I still have some modifications to make but def can't beat Red Sea having it all included

[@johnsreef2622]

oh I was just trying to suggest you putting one on there. You are killing it man. One last thing. Just a little electricians shortcut. if you decide to run the wire in the wall. A little section of the chain you used to hold that canopy up works well if you want to run wire in a wall. You feed it in the wall and the weight will help it drop straight down. Then you tape the wire to the chain and pull it through.

[@kg2nc]

You did a great job on installing the canopy to the wall. There is nothing stronger then attaching something to the studs in the wall. Oh and those 4" hinges are over kill but better be safe then sorry. Just think those hinges hold up really heavy doors I know I've install a few doors. CJ you did a good job man.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Ruben thanks man. I oversized a lot of the things I used.. just to be safe. From what I could tell it would still hold even if one of the chains failed or two of the hinges... No doubt it would survive a occasional bump too...

[@Shortman1990]

Looks very smart, if the tanks anything like your previous this will be a very smart tank, subscribed for future updates

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Lee Shortman if I have it my way this will be my best work yet

[@camerongiddings6487]

Love the canopy BTW

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Cameron Giddings ✊🏾

[@avasquez6140]

that idea was amazing! Looks great bro!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

A_ Vasquez_ lift_laugh_love_n_bbq appreciate it

[@Reefgrrl]

Looks beautifully elegant and balanced - great plan and nice job! One thing though - now the lights are on, that white vent glows and is really distracting. If it were me I'd paint it in a flat bronze colour so it blends with the wall colour, then it won't draw your eye right to it. I think you can buy metal grates in various finishes, but that one looks like a non-standard size....fwiw. 😎👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Reefgrrl working out good so far... I agree that vent glows like no other haha... been looking for a black non reflective replacement. It's on the list with every other eye sore this tank presents that only I know about haha. Thanks for watching

[@JupiterSailfish]

Looks really good man! I don't think I've seen that wall mount before and that's interesting. Damn now this is really making me want to setup my 70 gallon again. Looking forward to your progress!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

im sure someone else has done this but I haven't seen anything like it before... thanks for watching man

[@danielsalt363]

looking awsome so far, cant wait to see it in a year, gonna be a proper piece of art for sure 👌 You should consider staining the ventilation to the right of the tank aswell for less eye sore

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

funny you mention that... ive been looking at diff vent covers already hahah.. black or something less reflective. thanks for watching

[@danielsalt363]

when i saw the screws i thought "i bet he will paint those", then you said you would. So when i typed that about the vent i knew you had thought about it already....great minds etc ;)

[@demariosreefaquarium7475]

nice design.. i build a canopy for my 90 gallon i just have to take it down and paint it. Just been working y butt off..I used my ocean revive as one of my lighting,an another full spectrum for the right side.. Came out pretty good.Can't wait for the aqua scaping....You can view both my systems on my channel..Happy Reefing

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Ill def sup and check you out... you must have just started putting vids up recently.. while ago you didn't have any when I checked. thanks for watching man.. keep doing what you do!

[@FishyDrizzy]

Bro, I already know this is gunna be one of the sickest tanks on KZbin! keep up the good work man, I'm excited to see how it turns out

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

FishyDrizzy trying to make it my best work yet! But that's what I said when building the JBJ haha ... thanks for watching man

[@mason0865]

Glad I subscribed enjoy your vids very motivating and inspiring!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

mason0865 appreciate it! Glad to share

[@bigtrox999]

Can't wait for the next vid cj keep up the good work

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

thanks man.. hop to get this thing plumbed this weekend

[@Arie_Idaho_Reef]

Came out clean. Good shit man.

[@9StickNate]

Great job! I think the rollers were a great idea. I really didn't like how the original canopy hung over the tank. It looked like it cut 6" off the height of the tank.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

the canopy did include wood runners that needed to be installed ... it would have raised it to not cover the glass. should have mentioned that. Even so I still planned to float it regardless haha.. thanks for watching man

[@maocdroid]

great work CJ.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

yessir

[@PurelyAquatic]

That a clean install! Nice work man!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

just doing what I do.. and trying not to kill myself hahaha... thanks for watching man

[@moereefer]

Great job CJ

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

yessir! thanks

[@texaquatics6260]

Not the way I would have done it but what you did was just fine and looks good.

[@rimlessreefer9549]

Its amazing what we are capable of when you put your mind to something. Good work Cj the Canopy came out clean. T5's Later?

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Rimless Reefer954 hahha well of the time comes I could add them no prob... then blind everyone in the family room from so much light 😎

[@electricwater83]

wow thanks amazing great job man by far didn't look easy at all and looks to be situated in a great spot 🖒

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

was alot of work.. couldn't record everything but hopefully this video gave the impression i was aiming for. Alot of thought went into this.. thanks for watching man

[@electricwater83]

Most difinelty did CJ Wish the best of luck with the new build 🖒

[@MASSAquariums]

Very nice man. Great work CJ and yes I did enjoy it. Lol

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

yessir! i still have a few other ideas up my sleeve... more to come haha

[@jeremiemcd]

Great job, looks awesome 😊

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

slow and steady wins the race!

[@superfly2323]

Great job man. That came out really nice. for someone that's never done wood work I think you might have a calling. :)

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

alot of reading went into this trust me... safety was primary concern above everything else.. thanks for watching

[@kylejc20]

Great setup man!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

CRosSin 👍🏾

[@sadeghsachedina8480]

Very nice setup

[@BuddySheroka]

that's nice bro it came out great happy reefing

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Buddy Sheroka yessir! Appreciate it

[@n2reef826]

Wow impressive now you make me think get a bigger tank with sump! lol Gud job CJ👍and I did subscribe I'm enjoying watching your video!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Newbie nano Reef you will when your ready I have no doubt.. this is my 3rd tank and I still know there are challenges I'll have to figure out along the way

[@wesleyforbes]

Excellent job!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

appreciate it man.. still alot more to do

[@Davelembo]

And you say you're not handy? Nice work CJ.

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

was holding my breath when judgment day arrived ahaha

[@lstewart54]

I already see that you made one heck of a tank build. The floating canopy/light fixture is amazing. Are you adding accent lighting to the sump area as well? IMPRESSIVE.... Great job CJ. I'm a proud subscriber. Keep up the awesome work and I can't wait to see your fish and coral selection. As for your aquascape design, have you considered constructing a scape that has multiple viewing angles? BTW, where is your recliner in regards to the tank again?

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

yea i have a specific plan in mind for this tank.. im revealing them 1 episode at a time... aquascape will 3 viewing angles.. extending vertically, horizontally.. and portions of it will be floating... Recliner will face the tank.. haven't gotten it yet tho.. kids toys still are in the way hahaha... more to come. thanks for watching man

[@RookieReefer]

Looking mighty fine bro!! You did a really good job by the looks of it. Its def not too far off the water line? At least the tank isn't too deep. Coming along nicely :)

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

it ended up about 3'' higher than I wanted.. but Ill live with it.. having access to the tank is a hug plus. these lights will just have to be cranked up to about 80% to hit the bottom with enough par.. should be fine. Par testing will come later tho thats for sure

[@SamWilliamson317]

You sure you don't have wood working experience? Its look tight man. Kind of making me want to do something similar with the hood I need to build.

[@EdwardParks12]

You executed that to perfection homie. #Dope

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Eddie P ✊🏾

[@jasonthomas4928]

love this!! great job

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

thanks!

[@traynice9633]

that looks good, have not seen that style before. what's next?

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Tray Tracey only thing left is plumbing... then we can get to equipment I'll use and finally Aquascaping the tank... still a lot more to do..

[@JRam0409]

👌👌👌 perfect man it looks awesome

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Juan Ramirez so far so good 👍🏾

[@RogueAquariums]

looks good CJ. I like the footprint of the 120. I used to have one years ago when I had cichlids. there's so much you'll be able to do with this set up. I'm assuming you bought another ocean revive T-247?

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

NW Marine62 yessir just added a second fixture... running two of them to cover the 4 x 2 x 2 footprint

[@legozombiemocmaker8026]

looking good sofar

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

appreciate it

[@parallax3339]

Looking good man!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Parallax appreciate it

[@SharbucklesReef]

Ya man. Thats dope. Good work!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

not as dope of the profile pic i need one! haha

[@SharbucklesReef]

CJ'S AQUARIUMS my girl painted that for me. What kinda fish you like ill ask her to paint you one

[@DJ_LittlePea]

Ok how many times did you get angry and frustrated hahaha I'm doubting this was as easy as the video made it out to be hahaha you've done a fantastic job cj and it looks great 🤗🤗

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

wasn't trying to make it look easy that's for sure lol... just glad it worked out.. thanks for watching PB (and you didnt end up in my spam folder haha)

[@DCALLUS23]

Impressive as ever cj dont think ive ever watched a video of yours that i aint enjoyed hats off to you buddy! Any plans for tangs in the new bigger tank?

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Dan Callus yessir... def gonna take advantage of this larger tank and keeping tangs one of my plans. Thanks for watching man

[@chrisciavarino]

CJ do you recommend ocean revive? I also have a 120, looking for lighting options without breaking the bank.

[@delsreef6970]

looking good one day at a time you will get there before you know it

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

no doubt.. i have nothing but time myfriend

[@BraddaMarlon]

I see you went with ocean revive again. Is there a specific reason? Also will you be growing sps in the tank? If so do you think thay they will be sufficient? reason I ask is I'm looking for lights for my 65 gallon red sea max

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

they served me well on the JBJ growing lps and sps corals.. considering I only had them running at 30% I have no doubt I have the power to run them on this tank.. I only had to add a second fixture.. so keeping my cost down on this build was also a factor..

[@Sketchylemons]

looks great!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Sketchylemons thanks

[@tsurro8086]

looks good, maybe add t5 in the future!!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

T Surro not interested in T5 lighting honestly... but I do have room to make that addition later down the road that's for sure

[@Happiness_is_a_Reef_tank]

Nice work!!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Happiness is a Reef Tank thanks man

[@mvp_tv5837]

CJ you see how you connected the chains to the little thing thats holding it I would create another hole and and attach another 2 chains onto just to make sure if the chain does break it has another chain to support it ( looking clean though)

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

the entire weight of the canopy can be help by 1 chain... the 2nd of for redundancy. i tested that when mounting the canopy on the time lapse shot.. u can see me completely disconnect one of the chains for a moment. like your thinking tho.. thanks for watching as always

[@mvp_tv5837]

ohhhhh ok ok I got pimpin

[@ReefProShop1]

Good Job!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

Reef Pro Shop appreciate it

[@10JaminBen]

Sick build brah!

[@CJSAQUARIUMS]

so far so good

[@sagewon1]

Nice job...