Need help setting up 125gal tank...

[Jeremy-S]

I'm somewhat new to saltwater. I messed around with a 55gal year ago and failed. So this time I'm going to take the time and get this right the first time. As of right now, I'm looking to do Fish only.

So far I have the following:
-125gal tank 72"x18"x24"
-Oceanic trickle filter model 250 (was given to me, have no clue what to do with it) Has buckets of bio balls and measures out to be 30"x18"x22" tinted glass and bulkhead in the sides.
-Little giant pump (flow rates about 1200gph)

What do I do for lights, protein skimmers? any other filters?

 

[reefvilla]

Welcome to Reef Central....

I started out with a 125g.
I had a 50 gallon sump with a protein skimmer in it. Thats all I had for filtration (along with 175lbs. of live rock). I had no idea what I was doing but it "worked" I guess....never did too good with the corals. I never checked anything except salinity so I never really knew what the tank was doing. I had Three 250watt Metal Halides over the tank.

NOW, I check just about everything there is a test for, once a week or more if needed. I think the best thing I've done is get on a schedule of testing the water and adjusting accordingly.
I have a 120g tank with 880watts of lighting and the only thing I have in the sump is some poly fill for mechanicle filtration and a Phosban Reactor with Carbon and Phosguard in it. No skimmer.

Your live rock will be your main biological filtration.... I say you need to have about 1.5 times your tank size. (about 190lbs. for you)
Lighting is hard because there are so many different ways to go... What do you want to keep in the tank?

The trickle filter I know nothing about.....

 

[rayn]

Fish only you can pretty much do any light you want. Not sure if you really need the skimmer if you do regular water changes either. An particular reason you don't want live rock? Will really he'll with your biological filter. Oh, and welcome! and have plenty of patience.

 

[lisafoster]

I have a 125 I have a protein skimmer, 3 x 250 watt MH but I keep coral you would not need that powerful of a light for just fish. I have 175 pounds live rock and I do 20-30% water changes weekly. When I stared neglecting water changes I had nitrate issues. 125 is a decent size tank so you will probably put some larger fish I do not think you can by without a skimmer. I do not have a sump but if I had room in my stand I would. Don't even bother with a trickle filter and steer clear of bio balls they are a nitrate factory. You can get cheap dry rock from marco rocks and seed it with a few pieces of live rock.Keep up weekly water tests tehy are important. Buy some decent test kits I use elos the cheap ones are not accurate trust me I tried out the cheap ones fisrt. I also have 3 koralia evolution 1400. I went with my lighting in the beginning in case I wanted corals many times people end up wanting them. You can pick up cheap retro kits for MH or t5s. The lighting systems that are already housed in a cover are much more expensive retro one into a canopy.

 

[Jeremy-S]

An particular reason you don't want live rock?

I have nothing against live rock and most likely will be using it. I just have a problem with the price of $7/lb and needing 150lbs of the stuff. That is one expensive filter.

So I can turn this trickle filter into a sump. (so just a plain tank with holes drilled in the side) Will I need baffles or anything inside it? Or just drop in a skimmer and heaters?

 

[tallreefguy]

I would definitally run a sump with a filter sock on it to polish the water. Throw some carbon in there. I would buy a reactor to run Phosban or carbon actively in it.There's your mechanical filtration.
Bioballs can create some nitrate. I'd put in as much live rock as you want to decorate the tank. More is better, but it will add up quickly!! (About 200 lbs sounds about right, but that's up to you.)
Lighting for fish only... Anything, really. I'd go with T5's with good reflectors because they're bright!! I run 1 48" T5 on my 100 gallon (Wavepoint fixture) and it's plenty. Also with T5's you can manipulate the color by changing bulbs.

As for a skimmer, buy what you can afford. Seriously. You pay for what you get. The Octopus line of skimmers & Vertex skimmers seems to be really affordable & also very good. Deltec is top of the line (I run a TC2060 and it is sooo great!!)

 

[Jeremy-S]

Oh yeah, one more big thing. The tank is not drilled. Should I use an overflow that requires you to drill the back of the tank? Or just one the the hang on ones that use a siphon effect to get water out of the tank?

 

[Palting]

I have nothing against live rock and most likely will be using it. I just have a problem with the price of $7/lb and needing 150lbs of the stuff. That is one expensive filter.

So I can turn this trickle filter into a sump. (so just a plain tank with holes drilled in the side) Will I need baffles or anything inside it? Or just drop in a skimmer and heaters?

If, as you said, you'll do fish only, you pretty much have everything you need already. Your trickle filter with bioballs will work fine. The filter should have a compartment for carbon, and I'd use some for adsorbing junk as well as odor control.

For fish only, no need for a skimmer, just do regular water changes.

Lights can be the cheap flourescent fixture, although a 72" long isn't really cheap, but still cheaper than T5 or MH.

You have to figure a 4 foot head for your 1200 gph pump, and that will come out to an effective flow of about 900 or so. Split between your two overflows/returns that's about 450 per. Good enough.

Heater, yes. Probably 2 200 watts, but one is good enough to start. Put one in your trickle filter, and the second one later in the main tank.

Rock is still needed for the fish to hide in, and a 72" tank with some aquascaping looks better anyway. You don't have to buy ALL live rock. Dry rock is good at about $2 per lb. You can use Fiji, Lava rock, Tufa.

I did this for several years a long, long time ago. Works well, I had fun!

 

[Palting]

Oh yeah, one more big thing. The tank is not drilled. Should I use an overflow that requires you to drill the back of the tank? Or just one the the hang on ones that use a siphon effect to get water out of the tank?

.

Oooh, didn't pick that up. I assumed you had a a pre-drilled tank since you had a trickle filter.

Your choice. I prefer to have it drilled if the back or bottom glass is NOT tempered. If the glass is tempered, no choice, you need to have the HOB type. 2 of them for a 125 gal.

 

[reefvilla]

I drilled my tank and installed a glass holes dot com overflow....Works great!

And on the lighting... I would spend a little more now and get something that you can also use with corals. If not, in about 6 months when you get the bug for some coral, you'll have to ditch the cheap lighting you have and buy all new.

 

[Jeremy-S]

Ok, time to order the overflow box kit from glass holes. I think the one that flows 1500gph should work? or get the 700gph?

Any idea on placement of the overflow? or the returns? I was thinking of putting the overflow in the middle, and have 2 returns (one of each end of the tank)

-J

 

[mal1099]

You can also order dry rock and cycle your tank with dead shrimp instead of going with live rock. Cost is alot less. I personally started with all cured live rock cause i didnt want a long cycle and that is why you pay out the butt for your live rock. If you want to have corals id recommend t5 or better lighting and also get the new np bio pellets. I have been running the vertex bio pellets in a uf-15 reactor for little over 2 weeks nitrates and phosphates where 5-10 and 0.1 after 5 days both were 0. Had a small bacterial bloom in the tank the first few days while learning the reactor. Didnt loss anything tho. Id also recommend alot more powerheads for flow inside try to get upwards of 30 times the tank volumn. I have a 150 and have almost 10000gph going thru it. Everything is very happy.

 

[reefvilla]

Ok, time to order the overflow box kit from glass holes. I think the one that flows 1500gph should work? or get the 700gph?

Any idea on placement of the overflow? or the returns? I was thinking of putting the overflow in the middle, and have 2 returns (one of each end of the tank)

-J

I would get the 1500 kit..

 

[Palting]

The Oceanic 250 should be able to handle 1500 gph. My only issue would be the probable noise with a single 1500 gph overflow. That's a lot of water going through one overflow. I believe the oceanic has 2 intakes, and it may be a better idea to get two 700 gph overflows.

 

[reefvilla]

The Glass Holes 1500 overflow has dual 1.5" overflows. You have to drill two holes for it.

 

[Palting]

The Glass Holes 1500 overflow has dual 1.5" overflows. You have to drill two holes for it.

Ah. Ok then.