help me with item selection

S

str8clownr

New member
so my friend is starting a 120g (48*24*24)

and i need help telling him what equipment to buy... id like to buy used as well to save him some cash...

i need ideas for:
sump/fuge (what tank and baffle size)
return pump (whats big enough to work for this tank, it has dual overflows)
lighting (he wants to keep a mixed reef, minimal SPS but zoos LPS, shrooms, maybe an anem..) im thinking 2 250 watt MH DE
powerheads in tank (what type and how many) i was thinking maxijets with sureflow kits
skimmer (i dont use one so i dont know what size or brand he should be looking at)

the tank will have a canopy, so im thinking the retrokits, but if i can find used that would be the best

hes not going for TOTM or anything like that but he wants a reliable system so he doesnt have to upgrade again

i know you guys have a bunch of knowledge about these topics so please share!
 
for a 120, if I were to start all over again with a dry tank, the biggest thing I would have/should have done was to start with a 55g under the tank. I believe it takes up most if not all of the room under the tank. I wish I had room for skimmer->refugium-> frag tank, but as it is, I ended up having to wedge a 29g with baffles under my tank through the front opening, which only allowed a modest size skimmer and that was it. I've tried doing a photosynthetic refugium, but it's really inconvenient, and grew algae all over my skimmer and inside my clear plumbing.

Lighting, I would do either 4, 6, or 8 IceCap SLR Retrofit T5s, or 2x250w MH. If you want blue you can get 12k Reeflux or 20k XMs and you'll have plenty of blue without needing supplementation.

With dual overflows you can use up to 1200gph after head pressure is taken into account. I would use anything but a Littlegiant, as I've got one and they're loud as anything (though I've had people complement me on how quiet my tank is...::shrug::).

Flow - 2 sureflow kits maybe, or 2-4 Korallia 4s.

Skimmer... A big Octopus skimmer... Preferably recirculating. Maybe the MSX series. If you want to go a step up, you could find a used Euro-Reef. I'm running an ER 8-2 with only a gatevalve mod and bigger pump, that I bought used, as a whole thing, for $280 or so. Sweet price, and I've seen them go for that a few times on the RC selling forum.

Good luck, and if you want to see a 120 setup that's been set up for 3 years, I welcome you to come up to Boca when I'm home next week, and check it out.

Cheers
 
IMO 250w MH would be perfect for that tank, though heat may be an issue, so definitely look into having fans in the hood with lots of space for ventilation, or he may need a chiller. there is a 1/6 hp chiller for sale by ej797(?) that may be a good deal.

for circulation i think two koralia 3 or 4 or 2 sureflows would be sufficient, with maybe a third powerhead later on if there are dead spots

as far as the sump, consider what needs to be in the stand, then get the biggest glass tank that will fit or diy or get an acrylic sump made. try searching around in the RC gallery for sump pics to get an idea on the baffles, but basically you put 3 equal sized baffles spaced 1~1.5 inches apart for the skimmer and use another baffle with teeth or eggcrate on top for the fuge. definitely consider getting a reservoir and ATO for convenience.
 
Reefwreak, youve been to WWC right?

well my friend wants his tank to have the same type of shade of lighting as WWC tanks, what does he need for that?
 
i would highly recommend for powerheads 2 sureflow 1600's w/ the big prop's on mj1200's. I've got 2 in my tank(75) and with both of them on it's amazing flow, but the dsp gets stirred up. I've got them on a wave timer so only 1 is on at a time and it works out perfect!!! only thing i'll change em for is the tunze 6055's!!!

return pump...I'd say a mag 12 would be fine.

lighting 2x250 hallides.

deff would agree with eric on the the 55 as a sump...maybe even a 75 so it's a little wider. (you'll need a custom stand for both though I believe)

skimmer...i love my das ex-2 and wouldn't trade it for the world...but there are a lot of other nice skimmers out there.

i would just say...tell him not to cheap out and he'll be happy in the end!
 
I had a 120g before, I went through so much trial and error with it as many here know, but if I were to build it all over again, this is personally what I would do, so I wouldn't have to touch it/upgrade it in the near future. I give two options as it would be based on your budget and what you are planning to keep.

Custom acrylic sump would probably be your best bet, I am having one custom made as stand size tanks just don't get the job done right and are a hassle to find something that fits your needs. Manny from MarineDesignSystems.com is building mine and does fantastic work. At last resort, a 55g with glass baffles would be fine, as you might be able to fit your skimmer in the sump, but will be a hassle to make everything else fit in there with it, with only about 8-11" inches left of space.

2x250 watt metal halides 14k bulbs with two bulb super actinic VHO supplementation OR 48" 10x59w bulbs T-5 fixture with ATI Bulbs

Return pump - Aquamedic OceanRunner 6500 or Reeflow Dart ;)

Four Hydro Koralia 4's OR two Maxi Jet 1200 SureFlow's

ASM G4+ Skimmer OR ASM G3 Skimmer


Hope this helps,
-Mike C.
 
If you are looking for a sump/fuge, Pat has one for sale. She took it off of a 125. I will have her contact you.
 
smchais, i called you last night with no reply, you apparently have some equipment that would be of use to him, so i left my number please give me a call back.

how much do darts usually run? can they be in tank or out of tank only?

should he have two mj1200s with sureflowkits or maybe two mj600-900 with sureflow kits?
 
so i made him order the hellolights 48" dual 250w MH de and two t5 retro kit.

so all he needs now is the return pump, sump, and a lil more sand (thanks chef, )

does anyone know around how much i should pay for NSW delivered to his house? (miami, kendall area)

for the sump im thinking of a 50 breeder *(36x18x18)
with the design in this order.... drain->skimmer section->fuge->baffles-> return

what do you guys think?

any other ideas and what not please dont hesitate
 
for the sump, use the three baffles between the skimmer and fuge, then between fuge and return just use one baffle.if you plan on having snails or anything that can crawl out, put some eggcrate above the baffle to keep them in the fuge
 
so i got a used mag18 for the return and had Chris at Marine Design Systems on 8th street to construct the sump/fuge, it should be perfect and make this tank unbelievable

i think he'll only need two mj1200s with sureflow kits... what do you guys use in your 120s?
 
Here is what I would do:

i need ideas for:
sump/fuge: 75G w/ baffles I would make the fuge as big as possible. chamber size will be determined by the type of skimmer etc.... will it be an internal skimmer or an external plus how much space you hjave under the stand. My stand is 36" tall and my skimmer still has to sit outside LOL.

return pump: Mag12 submerged or sequence dart external if you want to drill the sump

lighting: I would use the halides SE or DE up to you. Keep in mind you will need some fans and possibly a chiller.

powerheads in tank: sure flos are nice if you are on a budget if not get the tunzes or the vortechs (vortechs ROCK)

skimmer: I like becketts so I say a big beckett LOL. Something like an MRC MR-2 or the recirculating MR-2R, they are for sale on the forsale forum some times.

Just my 0.02

HTH,

Mike
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12404959#post12404959 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by str8clownr
so i got a used mag18 for the return and had Chris at Marine Design Systems on 8th street to construct the sump/fuge, it should be perfect and make this tank unbelievable
Click to expand...

Do you mean Manny at Marine Design Systems on 24th street? Or is someone else using his name now? Lol, thats pretty interesting...

-Mike C.
 
i guess i could be mistaken with the name of the store, but its on 8th street right off of the palmetto, and his name was Chris, for sure.
 
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