Setup Help!!!!

[countrygirl7107]

I AM CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING A 120 GALLON TANK, WITH INTENTIONS OF SETTING UP A SALTWATER, CORAL, LIVE ROCK, FISH AQUARIUM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD SO MANY THINGS ABOUT FILTRATION AND THE TYPES OF FILTERS TO USE. IM SO CONFUSED ABOUT THE WHOLE CONCEPT IM GOING CRAZY. DO I USE THE SUMP FILTRATION SYSTEMS, SUCH AS THE MEGA FLOW? OR SHOULD I USE THE CANISTER FILTERS, SUCH AS THE EHEIM OR RENA CANISTER FILTERS. THE LIGHTING IS ALSO KILLING ME.I HAVE DECIDED ON T5 HO LIGHT FIXTURES. ARE THESE APPROPRIATE OR DO I NEED THE METAL HALIDE. I DO KNOW FOR SURE THAT I WANT TO ADD A SKIMMER, UV STERLIZER AND A SCWD TO SIMULATE WAVES AND CREATE A MODERATE TO HIGH WATER CURRENTS. I JUST NEED TO KNOW THE BASIC EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR GREAT FILTRATION!!!! HELP???

 

[datablitz]

just get a pre-drilled tank, a return pump rated for the drains, the biggest tank you can fit under the stand, width wise. height is not as important/desired. please your skimmer in the sump.

T5 should be fine, or t5/MH combo. depends on what corals you want. then for more flow you can use other deices like a closed loop, or powerheads

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

[welcome]
for filtration all you will need is 1.5-2lbs of LR per gal. so i would go with around 180 - 240lbs of LR and a good skimmer. a UV is IMO not nessasary it will rid the bad as well as the good. for lighting a good T5HO setup will be just fine as long as you get good quality reflectors for each bulb I would check out ICECAP retro's or the solarflare they are great.

 

[countrygirl7107]

THANKS!!!! YOU GAVE ME SOME VERY HELPFUL ADVICE. BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE THIS STUFF OUT FOREVER. DOES ANYONE HAVE A FAVORITE STORE FOR AQUARIUM SUPPLIES, THAT WON'T BREAK THE BANK. AND WHERE DO YOU FIND SALTWATER FISH FOR SALE. I CAN'T FIND NO PET STORE AROUND HERE THAT ACTUALLY KEEPS THEM IN THEIR SHOP ANYMORE. I DON'T WANT TO BUY A PIG IN POKE.

 

[sabbath]

I like the look of MH. Take a look at a tank with MH and one with T5. The MH gives it a natural look to me that can't be matched. IMO.
Get a very good skimmer, No wet dry! Fuge's are great as well.

 

[WingnutSr]

I also got to say go with the drilled tank and fuge/sump set up. Also to go with a really good skimmer. Just make sure the height of the sump will allow for access to the skimmer for removal and cleaning. Live rock, definately. At least 120 lbs. Sounds like you all ready know what you want for lighting.
Check the links availble on this site, at the top of the page, under sponsors for some really good on line retailers of supplies and live stock.

 

[demonsp]

Well just go step by step. Its really not that hard. You are starting the right way , lots of research and preplanning will be very helpful. That is a big tank.It will take weeks to fully cycle so this will give you lots of time to research. Get the best light you can afford. high watt t-5 lighting works good on all types of coral and MH is the best you can get. Stay away from PC lighting , not that it doesnt have alot of possibilitys but good lighting is essential. GL

 

[phil519]

countrygirl7107,

Can you turn the all-caps off? it is very difficult to read.

Most of the questions you are asking have answers on this sticky by waterkeeper here:

FAQ for new tanks

My only caution is that while having a large tank like a 120 has its benefits (stablity etc.), it is going to be time-consuming and costly to maintain - much more so than any FW tank you have had experience with.

Good luck.

 

[jer77]

Hey countrygirl,
Unfortunately this stuff will break the bank no matter where you go, especially to setup the tank, but it should get under control once its all setup. But then again corals can cost an arm or a leg sometimes. There are places online where you can buy supplies and even livestock that have great quality and are lower priced than your LFS, but then there's shipping charges. Just look through the sponser list on here to find some cool places. I like www.premiumaquatics.com for general supplies, www.liveaquaria.com for livestock and corals and other places or lighting and more specialized equipment.

About the filtration setup, just as the others have said, use a sump system with the megalows. Can you build your own sump? Its very easy and can be the single most important piece of equipment for your tank. Building your own saves hundreds of dollars and you can customize it for your setup. You should definately try to learn more about building sumps by asking around here. You could add a refugium too which would go into the sump and would help with filtration and many other things. Its basically a natural way to filtrate your tank with macroalgae. It also helps to grow small lifeforms like pods which feed fish and inverts and it also limits the growth of algae in your tank. The protein skimmer and the return pump with possibly a refugium all fit into the sump. Besides the lights maybe the protein skimmer is the best piece of equipment for your tank so don't skimp on it. The return pump for a 120 gallon tank should be around 700-900 gph in my opinion. Remember not all the flow in your tank will come from the return pump. Powerheads or a closed loop, which is something reefers sometimes put on their tanks, make up the rest of the flow needed. Do you plan on having a deep sand bed? A DSB can help with denitrification which reduces nitrate in reef tanks naturally which can cause problems when trying to keep corals and inverts.

T-5's are great lighting for a reef tank and should be able to keep any kind of corals and clams you wish. But make sure they have the individual reflectors or else they are not going to be as efficient as they can be. It may cost more for the reflecotrs but its well worth it.

So the main things you'll need are:
1. protein skimmer
2. tank for your sump that fits in your stand
3. glass or plexiglass baffles and silicon to make your sump if you plan on making it yourself
4. return pump
5. live rock
6. sand
7. powerheads
8. lighting
9. RO/DI filtration unit
10. salt
11. test kits

 

[countrygirl7107]

GREAT IDEA! BUILD MY OWN SUMP? WHERE IN THE WORLD DO I START? I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU COULD DO THAT. ANYONE KNOW HOW TO BUILD THEIR OWN SUMP FILTRATION?

 

[WaterKeeper]

That link Phil gave you has links to about any subject the new hobbyist could ask. Setting up a tank, lighting, plumbing, sumps, water chemistry are all there in detail. I realize some of the threads are very long but having a marine tank that you can be proud of is complex and does not lend itself to short answers.

Good luck. :thumbsup:

 

[smy168]

first....stop usin "CAPS"(haha) you get the same responses using regular size fonts.

second, do your research first as far as building your own sump.

third, i don't think you're ready for a reef system yet, you could look for some books to start your learning process off, otherwise you'll be spending alot and losing alot as well.
"The Reef Aquarium Vol.1 by Delbeek & Sprung"

Tank: pre-drilled tanks gives you the flexibility to really control the hardware you use but you have alot of plumbing that needs to get built or you can spend a little more and buy components that are pre fabricated like CPR.

Filtration: tons of options but knowing what you need is the key, skimmer, pumps(external/internal), fuge or no fuge, lighting.

supplements: calcium, stron, iodine, etc etc

in tank: powerheads for water movement, therm.,

lighting: MH, PC, VHO all the lighting depends on the type of system you plan on building.

temp. control: heater, chiller

live filtration: live rocks, sandbeds

and I haven't even scratched the surface yet...there's alot of work to building a reef system, the best advice ANYONE can give you here is to read and learn before you jump into something you're not ready for. when i started out I dove in without knowing what i was doing and lost ALOT, you have to be sure of what you're doing. If done right, a reef system can be one of the most rewarding projects you'll do in your life, wrong and you can lose the enthusiasm that you have now.

best of luck.

PS. no such thing as stupid questions, so ask.

 

[Shooter7]

I realize some of the threads are very long but having a marine tank that you can be proud of is complex and does not lend itself to short answers.

This should be a permanent subtitle under the title name for this forum.
:thumbsup:

 

[countrygirl7107]

ok, i'll stop using caps (ha! ha!) so i decided not to buy my 120 tank. i have decided to purchase a 90 gallon instead. which is within my budget, and considering i'm going to put alot of investment into setup. but i would still like to know how i start building my own sump. i'm doing lengthy research on a saltwater tank, and i am trying to get as much info as i possibly can. so what about that sump filtration?

 

[ljosh]

Lots of rock or deep sand will provide all the filtration you need. An in sump skimmer is definately a good idea. While the skimmer isnt COMPLETELY neccesary it may make the difference between your tank crashing or not if something goes bad. You may want to consider some sort of carbon-phosphate removal. Like the 2 little fishies phosban reactor. Growing beneficial algae in the sump also helps removes phosphates and nitrates from the system with regular harvesting.

As for flow and lights you should try and decide what type of livestock you may want in advance. These are 2 biggest limiting factors for most animals and also can be the most expensive equipment purchases. Also with MH lights you are increasing the heat in your tank wich might result in you having to buy a cooling system wich can be very costly. There are methods to help reduce heat without buying chiller but they may not be as reliable.

 

[Shooter7]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10045415#post10045415 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by countrygirl7107
ok, i'll stop using caps (ha! ha!) so i decided not to buy my 120 tank. i have decided to purchase a 90 gallon instead. which is within my budget, and considering i'm going to put alot of investment into setup. but i would still like to know how i start building my own sump. i'm doing lengthy research on a saltwater tank, and i am trying to get as much info as i possibly can. so what about that sump filtration?

Like waterkeeper said, phil519 above linked you to the sticky thread at the top of this forum which has a whole section dedicated to sumps and their construction.

 

[WaterKeeper]

Here you go--
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<b><font color="blue"><u><i>Sumps</u></i></b></font><br />
<br />
Greg Taylor-<br />
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<a href="http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/gt/index.php" target="_blank">Sumps I</a><br />
<a href="http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/gt/index.php" target="_blank">Sumps II</a><br />
<a href="http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-07/gt/index.php" target="_blank">Sumps III</a><br />
<br />
Marc Levenson's DIY sumps-<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html" target="_blank">Melev's Reef</a><br />
<br />
<br />