Equipment Suggestions For A 125g PLEASE.

[RevHtree]

Hey all I am going to upgrade my skimmer and pumps and I want to know your thoughts on what would be a good at a reasonable price for my tank. I like overkill, but I have limited funds for this project.

If this was your tank, and you had a LIMITED amount of funds to get something good and not over do it, what would you do?

1. Skimmer?

2. Skimmer Pump?

3. Return Pump to tank?

4. Water Movement In Tank? (NO TUNZE $$$$)

5. Other euipment? (Dosers, Media Chambers, ect...)

It is a 125g reef with a 30g sump, and a 20g fuge.

Thanks alot! Please help me here!

PS. I want a number of people to chime in here and give me their opinion.

 

[kfisc]

Ha! And people play fantasy football...

1 and 2- Euro Reef or My Reef Creations;
3- Iwaki- as big as you can afford and then throttle it-
4- a number of strategically placed maxi jets- the biggest they make; I'd do it because of the ease and reliability, although some would find it none too aesthetically pleasing- but in a tank that big, I would find a way to hide them.
5- My vote's for simplicity, albeit more labor intensive; regular water changes, a good two-part additive, a bag of carbon and an auto top-off- that's it, no kalk reactors, etc. etc.

I keep dreaming of a tank that's set up with a huge amount of random, turbulent flow, a horde of live rock and great lighting, never mind all the fantastic but complicated gizmos that I'd not know how to fix.

 

[RevHtree]

Thanks for the advice!

Anybody else? Also if you could point me to a specific size like MR2 or exact peices that's what I really need. Just be specific please.

Thanks agin for your input.

 

[RevHtree]

Also I want clean water for my sps.

 

[RevHtree]

For there to be so many members here at RC it sure takes a lot of bumping just to get a few answers, and sometimes that doesnt even work.........hmmm.....

 

[CoralFiend]

I have a 140 that I am currently setting up. I can tell you what I am doing. Some of this stuff I already have from my previous tank that I lost to Hurricane Rita.

Skimmer - EuroReef
Closed loop using a ReeFlo Dart
Sump return - Mag 18
OceansMotions 4-way on the Dart for flow control in the CL
GeoReef calcium reactor - (cost more up front, but saves time & money in the long run - fewer costly additives)
2 Phosban Reactors - 1 Phosban 1 carbon
Sump - 30 gal
Fuge - 20 - 25 gallons
Lights - 2 x 250 watt AB 10K - 4 48" VHO
Premium Aquatics Lighthouse Aquarium Controller
Auto top off system and 16 gallon reservoir

In my previous system, I did not have the closed loop, the OM 4-Way, the calcium reactor or the controller. So, this stuff will be added to the new system. You can get by without the extras.

Hopefully the new one will come close to the one I lost.

 

[ChemE]

1&2: DIY CC airstone (ceramic from AES) skimmer gravity fed from a toohless coast-to-coast overflow

3: MaxiJet 900 *IF* you locate the sump behind and 6" below the display or Eheim Hobby 1250 if you do the standard underneath and 4' below (like I had to because of space :< ).

4: This is *SO* easy; Mod 2 MaxiJet 900's into MaxiStreams

5: Fuge w/ chaeto & pod houses thats it.

If you want to finish out the low energy reef use 6 54 watt T5's with IceCap SLR's. With all that you can grow SPS's no problem and keep a 12 hour photocycle rather than those with 89K watts of light on a 13 minute photoperiod.