new 120 setup log

[joshuaroot]

So i have been in the saltwater game for about a year new and i've decided that its time to move on up. so with some help from a few good guys its now starting.

Heres is were the new tank will sit.

i have about 5 feet total from the desk to the door so i think that it will sit nicely right there. I am planing on running the overflows and the return through the wall to my sump and fuge. 55gl sump and a 55gl fuge should work nicely.

the new aga 120 arrives tues and i can barely wait. i did not get the one that had the overflows built in cuz why pay $100 more on that when u can do it for next to nothing myself. Now for lighting i'll be running six 4' vhos 2-whites 2-50/50 and 2-atinics with that mix of bulbs i'll get the white i want but enough blue to make things stand out, i like it! more pix to come. still waitin on the new typhoon 3 and my electrical switch panel to arrive, so all in time!

 

[sir_dudeguy]

looks cool so far. I love seein new setups and stuff. And by the way, you know you're an addict when you have the reefcentral homepage on the computer in the pic lol jk. Same would be true for me (if i had a computer in the same room even )

 

[joshuaroot]

haha i never even realize that one but you think its a bad idea to run the supply and return through the wall? should i use flexable tubing or pvc? i'll be running 1 inch from the over flow and 3/4 returns...idea are always good!

 

[sir_dudeguy]

i think it should work w/out any problems...after all, i see where people have their sump and all that stuff in the basement 1 floor lower than the tank...shouldnt make it any different imo...you'd still go about setting up the return and intake the same way as if it was under the tank imo.

 

[joshuaroot]

the tank was suppose to be here today but it got delayed a week. but a little present did come!

 

[joshuaroot]

and more stuff today, this psot will get more interesting once the tank arrives..........

 

[joshuaroot]

ok so i did a little work today and made a short stand for my sump to sit on and figured out how high i have to build the stand for the fuge so it gravity feeds back into the sump. also hung up ply wood on the wall to mount things to like so far my new typhoon 3 and cut the top out of a clean blue barrel for my water storage tank.

oh and i got the other ballast i'll be running so i'll have eight 4' vho lights hope thats enough for a 120.

Any thoughts or suggestions or opinions so far? dos or don'ts? anything?

 

[sir_dudeguy]

8 vhos should be awsome. how many watts are each bulb?

 

[joshuaroot]

110 each

 

[sir_dudeguy]

!!!! wow! that will be plenty imo lol. lets see...110x8 is...880...vho's are stronger than pc's right? (arent they the same thing as t5's or no?) that would be plenty of light for pretty much anything.

 

[joshuaroot]

i am hoping that there is enought light to keep corals that need a good amount of light on the bottom of the tank. so i'm not stuck on where i can put certain things at. i mean its only 24inchs but i have a good idea i'll be fine w/o mh or t5's. imo

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya i think you will too. thats an awful lot of light lol.

 

[joshuaroot]

oh btw i sent u a pm

 

[sir_dudeguy]

yep sent you back

 

[ReefWreak]

Man. I just put 4x54w of T5 over my tank, and FWIW, I would have gone with MH + supplimental T5. I wouldn't do VHO, because they don't give intense light towards the bottom of the tank, even though it's a lot of light. Also, I'm assuming that you'll be going reflectorless, so it's definatly not going to be as strong as one would think.

As long as you keep mostly softies and LPS, they should be fine, just don't expect to keep acros and stuff. You probably knew that already

 

[nickterp]

Gonna be an interesting setup.

One random thing I noticed is that you have your 55 gallon (i think) sump sitting on some plastic baskets. I'm not sure what those can hold, but a 55 gallon totally full would way around 500 pounds.... as a sump maybe 350lbs or more, since its not totally full.

Just a thought before you fill it up . Do you think those will hold or maybe a small iron/wooden stand that could support it.

Good luck!

 

[nickterp]

Wait, never mind, i think i had your tanks reversed.... looks like those baskets are just to see how high it needs to be for you to build a stand later, lol! Sorry.

I knew that seemed crazy to me.... ha.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

vho's are dif. than t5's? i'm lost on that subject...i'm just stuck w/a 4x96 pc retro so i dont worry bout it much...but whats all the different lights, and which ones are stronger than otheres?

I know metal halies are supposed to be the strongest, but i've read that t5's are just as strong...or is there a t5vho (or t5HO) that is a completely different light than just regular t5's?

and is there a difference between vho's and ho's? i'm guessing vho is stronger (hence the "very" hi output" )

 

[dous]

looking good.. I'm in the planning stages of building a custom 300gal in my basement. I'm just interested in how people set their big tanks up.. Keep us posted.

 

[joshuaroot]

ok finally got some progress, it took forever it seems to get this 120 but here it is

also made my stand for my fuge and i started making ro/di filling that 55gallon drum

og and i ordered my supple hose for my sump. i went with flexable pvc at 1" id. and got my bulkheads for the overflow i am building into my tank. it will look similar to this but with 2 holes instead of 2.

and i got my salt and the return ends for in the tank to. Next step is building the stand and the canopy! Oh what fun we shall have!