Hello new here

[Reefgirl9899]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, though I've been in the saltwater fish keeping for about 7 yrs. I started with a 10 gallon nano, and have worked my way up to a 50 breeder. I'm going for my most venturous upgrade this weekend, a 120. I didn't realize there were local forums until I was talking with my LFS and they mentioned here so here I am. Figured going this big I will probably need all the expert opinion I could get. I've not used a sump before, nor a protein skimmer. I have a hang on magnum and 2 Korlia power heads, 150 lbs of live rock, 45 lbs of live sand. I have stocked two Percs who host in my Duncan coral, a devil damsel, a mandarin, and several Sps corals. I also have an evil carpet anemone that will be finding a new home sometime soon as I refuse to move him to the new tank. He is fond of eating my fish and inverts as he has exploded in size beyond my tanks capabilities. I know that with the new tank being bigger I am going to need more items and hope that's where the advise comes in from all you awesome reef keepers. Thanks in advance! :lolspin:

 

[Galantra]

Welcome, you will come to learn this site is full of information specially in tank up keep, new technology, and many ways of keeping a different type of system. Plus its good to know there are fellow reefers that can help out and give answers to problems in a hurry

 

[terahz]

Welcome! I'm sure you will find a lot of useful information here.

Hope to see you at our next meeting. Keep checking the forum for the next one.

 

[JoeBellz]

welcome to the forum! I'm sure you're excited for this 120g upgrade, very cool.

A few things:

- a sump is a must for a reef tank of that size esp, I know you mentioned you haven't used one before, but I'm guessing the 120g is drilled with overflow boxes? I used to have HOB equipment for my reef and when I upgraded to my new tank I went to a sump and it's a no brainer. You can hide all your equipment, you have added water capacity/stability, you can dose additives there, do water changes, etc without disturbing the main tank.

- unless you do a lot of water changes per week, I would definitely get a skimmer for the tank. I recently picked up a SWC xtreme cone 160 skimmer and it's amazing, so quiet, look into them I highly recommend them.

- 45lbs of sand is not a lot going into a 120g, you could probably have a nice sandbed with about 120lbs-150lbs of sand. If you're going for a really minimalist look than your amount of sand is good. I'm a fan of a moderate sandbed so always like having more, great place for your good bacteria to dwell, snails, bottom dwelling fish, etc.


Some other questions:

- do you have an RO/DI unit for making your own water? If not, I can't stress how important using RO/DI water is in a reef tank or saltwater tank at that. I recommend SpectraPure units as they are the best IMO. If you buy water at the LFS that works too. I help around at Westport Aquarium and we sell pre-mixed reef ready water & RO/DI water for a fair price.

- do you have an ATO (auto-top-off) which replenishes fresh water as it evaporates to keep your salinity level stable? I would reccomend a DIY or a Tunze Ozmolator (although the Tunze is pricey)

- what types of lights are you going to use? I know you mentioned SPS. Metal Halides get my vote, but you would probably need a chiller for the summer. I currently run an Ecotech Radion LED fixture over my tank but I'm still not completely sold on it for SPS. LED's for LPS and softies are fine. But, MH has been proven to be good for years and years for most everything. LED is just still in its infancy for reef keeping IMO, too many variables. A nice T5 fixture would also work, the more bulbs the better, some nice brands ATI, Sunlight Supply.

Hope some of that may help but the more we know about your build the better we can help too.

Joe

 

[Reefgirl9899]

Joe,

Thank you so much for the info. I'm hoping these items are all ones that I can add on here and there? My tank now is a 50 breeder that'll be transferred to the 120. I will be adding a lot more sand and eventually rock. The tank I'm getting I right now set up as a fresh. It unfortunately isn't drilled, so I have already started looking into hang on overflows and sump kits, which for me is the most important first item I'd like to add. I'm running t5s right now and think I'm going to continue to use iChat with the plan of retrofitting the canopy for such.

As for RO water I usually top up with distilled water, as my lfs doesn't sell ro/di and I have yet to be that adventurous to try on my own.

I will be posting pics soon of my current set up as well as the new one I'm picking up this evening and thanks again for the info. I will def be picking everyone's brains about this.

 

[Reefgirl9899]

Thank you for the welcomes everyone. I hope to make it to meetings and gain a lot of knowledge

 

[thefuz]

Welcome to the party. The best advice I've ever gotten in this hobby is to take your time and do as much research as possible. That goes for anything you're thinking of putting in the tank now and in the future. Nothing good ever happens fast in this hobby! It's amazing how much early choices will influence your mini-ecosystem far down the road. Depending upon your choice of coral, flow is quite important. That doesn't mean just powerheads - it also means thoughtful placement of rock.

I personally haven't done a reef with a hang-on overflow but they do have their drawbacks. You may want to explore drilling a calfo-style overflow for a tank that size. Great for flow and flood prevention.

T5s are solid and will offer you a wide spectrum of options for your coral's needs.

Definitely get your top situated as this is quite important for stability. Tunze makes a great all-in solution but there are a number of DIY options that will work great also.

Good luck and have fun. Looking forward to some pics!

 

[tyler91913]

Just a quick suggestion--150 lbs of rock will take a lot of room in your display and may not be necessary for your tank's health. Good luck with the transfer/build, and welcome!

 

[JoeBellz]

Joe,

Thank you so much for the info. I'm hoping these items are all ones that I can add on here and there? My tank now is a 50 breeder that'll be transferred to the 120. I will be adding a lot more sand and eventually rock. The tank I'm getting I right now set up as a fresh. It unfortunately isn't drilled, so I have already started looking into hang on overflows and sump kits, which for me is the most important first item I'd like to add. I'm running t5s right now and think I'm going to continue to use iChat with the plan of retrofitting the canopy for such.

As for RO water I usually top up with distilled water, as my lfs doesn't sell ro/di and I have yet to be that adventurous to try on my own.

I will be posting pics soon of my current set up as well as the new one I'm picking up this evening and thanks again for the info. I will def be picking everyone's brains about this.

My advice, and take it with a grain of salt (as I understand finances and what not or getting free tanks).

If I had the option to upgrade I would buy a new drilled (with overflow boxes) 120g or find a good used one vs taking one that was non-RR. Or as Thefuz said, see about getting the tank drilled. Looking at the big picture I just feel having the benefit of having the built-in overflows will really help down the line. Not to mention the aesthetic clean look of having overflows that are in the tank vs having an external possible source of leakage etc. Plumbing should also be easier.

In my experiences running a reef that was non-drilled I had some hang-on back equipment and I was never fully satisfied with it. It was lacking in the end and when I had the opportunity to upgrade I never looked back.

I believe you will find it easier to start with the best possible set-up initially. That is probably my worst regret in the SW hobby. I always tried to make the thing that was "pretty good" work and always ended up getting the thing that was "the best I could get" in the end. The cheap always came out expensive as I ended up paying twice for equipment. Another thing to think about is that tanks are really not the expensive part of the hobby, so if you do have a stand already then finding a good used tank or getting a new one is little expense vs. the benefit.

 

[RTMA]

Hi Reefgirl, welcome to this wonderful yet sometimes frustrating hobby. You have a bevy of options, I've seen and done most of them, as have most of the people who have replied to this thread. There is always something better, best advice to create a plan and stick to it. There is also a million and one ways to skin that cat, so do your research, ask questions and you will be enlightened.

As for a sump, I would say hell yes. It makes your life easier.and the tank easier to maintain.
For an overflow a HOB will work, but most will fail at some point. Keep diligent and you can hopefully avert that. I don't want to scare you away from that but they have a reputation which is what everyone is talking about.

A good investment is a reef controller, it can help you maintain your tank without worry (top off, heating and lighting to start, later you can add dosers, etc).

T5's are great and as long as you are happy with the spread and intensity for your corals, stick with it.

Nothing in this hobby is cheap, as I am sure you know. However we do have some pretty talented DIY'ers in our little group.

Good luck and hope to see you at an upcoming meeting..