Hi All

[BuddaTurk]

Hi,

I've been a lurker here and joined to get your opinion on some supplies I am going to need for a new (used) 120G I will soon be purchasing. The dimensions are 2' wide by 2' high by 4' long. It is drilled with a corner overflow and tt comes with a custom built stand. Also included is a 760W light fixture (2 - 250W DE MH, 4 - 65W CF, and 6 Blue LEDs). I am getting all this for $500 and the tank/lights have been used for one year and everything looks to be in good condition. All lights are new (Hamilton MH bulbs) and have been used ~ 2 months.

That being said I need to plan on getting a sump/refugium, protein skimmer, substrate, live rock, heater, return pump, and basically replumbing the sucker. That being said I would like some input.

Protein Skimmer - I am leaning toward either an ASM or Octopus. Definitely want the model that will handle the 120G (some skimmers are rated to be able to handle a volume they really can't).

Sump/Refugium - I'd like to do a combo unit or at the very least have these consolidate in the stand below. Any nice premade units out there or should I try to custom make one? I plan on having a couple of mandarins so the refugium is important to me.

Live Rock - Heard nothing but good things about Tampa Bay...anymore suggestions?

Heaters - I am all ears. I have a Rena currently. It has been solid.

Substrate - I like white sand...is live sand worth it?

Return Pump - I'd like to get enough flow from the return for my entire tank, but I am assuming I will probably have to go with some Koralia somewhere in my tank...let me know.

Also, any good ideas for plumbing would be helpful. Ideal locations for cutoffs and the like. Diagrams are always welcome.

Please any and all suggestions are welcome. Also, the best bang for the buck is also appreciated. I know I am asking alot, but I figured this was the best place to ask since you guys seem so nice.

BTW I am getting the back of the tank tinted!! :sfish:

Thanks so much,
BT

 

[daugherty]

hi as for a sumo just go to walmart and buy a 55gal or a 20 gal tank and put some baffels in it. also look up garf grunge for an addition to sand dont buy the over priced sand that says live on it. look for cribsea aragramax sand. then if you want to add live sand get it out of one of your LFS tanks that will sell it.

Does the tank have duel overflows?

 

[BuddaTurk]

hi as for a sumo just go to walmart and buy a 55gal or a 20 gal tank and put some baffels in it. also look up garf grunge for an addition to sand dont buy the over priced sand that says live on it. look for cribsea aragramax sand. then if you want to add live sand get it out of one of your LFS tanks that will sell it.

Does the tank have duel overflows?

Just one overflow that I can see in the left hand corner. It isn't a done deal yet so I could always possibly get the right corner drilled I suppose?!

BT

 

[daugherty]

just wondering you will never get the flow that you want out of one overflow. you will have to have a couple powerheads in the tank. if it is the appereance that you do not like than put them behind the rock but use maxijets if you do that.

 

[Piggy]

Welcome to the reef.

First if your looking to save money I would make the sump. All you need is a 30 or so aquarium and some baffles. Lowes will cut the size you need for free. Plus silicone.

As for protein skimmers from the two you listed the Octopus gets recommed quite a bit.

Live Rock- Tampa Bay gets very good reviews. Also get lots of hitchhikers. Liveaqaria also has nice LR.

As for substrate aragonite sand is the best choice. I like the real fine stuff. I did add some live sand.

Heater- I use Stealth. I had way to many problems with Theo brand.

Powerheads - I love Koralisa I have 4 in my 120.

If you go and check out the tank threads you'll find sump ideas.

 

[ladypheesh]

just a minor suggestion to think about... I saw you said you're getting the back of the tank tinted. Eventually the back of your tank will be all nice and purpley, covered with coraline algae. Most people like this and it's good biological filtration. So you won't need to worry about what's on the back too much. Most people here just spraypaint the back black and it looks good. Just thinking of a way you could save some money for better equipment!

but certainly if the tinting is important to you then by all means, do it, but it will add to your maintenance time to keep the surface clear of algae.

 

[Bifferwine]

Hi and welcome!

I use an Octopus skimmer for my 240, and it works great. It's a really really good skimmer for the money. Of course, there are better brands out there, and if you're willing to fork over the cash for them, they work great, but they are really really expensive. I highly recommend the Octopus skimmers, especially for big tanks like yours. Buy a skimmer that is rated for a tank size larger than yours, since manufacturers consistently over-rate the power of their skimmers. You'll also need to measure your stand and see if you can fit a large skimmer in your sump (they are tall). If not, you'll have to buy a recirculating skimmer that sits outside of the sump.

Don't bother with premade sump/fuges. They are so expensive, and you can easily make one yourself for a fraction of the cost, and you can customize it to look how you want and do what you want. Any used tank will be fine (or even a rubbermaid tub or bin). Like Piggy said, Lowe's will cut plexiglass for free, just silicone in the baffles to make compartments.

I've ordered live rock from www.liveaquaria.com and always got good stuff. Tampa Bay Saltwater and saltycritter.com are other sites that are highly recommended. To save money, you could buy some dry rock and some live rock, put them in the tank together, and over time the dry rock would become seeded with bacteria and become 'live'. I recommend 1 to 2 lbs per gallon of rock.

I don't really have anything to say about heaters. I've never had one that didn't malfunction at some point -- and I've tried lots of brands. I currently don't use a heater because I live in Arizona and it's hot ALL THE TIME anyways.

Sand, like rock, can be seeded. If you want to buy dry sand (just make sure it's aragonite!) that's fine, but you should get some live sand from other reefers to seed it with. The dry sand will eventually become live too.

You won't be able to get enough flow from just your overflow. 1" holes (and you say so far you have one hole) will allow approximately 300 gallons per hour through. It's recommended to have at least 10 times turnover of your tank for a fish only tank, and even more so for corals (some people have 30 or 40 times turnover). In your 120, 10 times turnover is 1200 gallons per hour, which is just not possible with the tank drilled that way. You will need powerheads, no way around it, unless you also get the tank drilled for a closed loop system. Koralia powerheads are great.

I have used these three brands of return pump before: Eheim, Rio HyperFlow, and I'm currently using a MagDrive. I have no complaints about any of them, and recommend the Eheim and MagDrives especially.

 

[reeffreak]

Welcome!

Protein skimmer-I would go ahead with the Octopus skimmer.Less expensive and works just as good,if not better than the ASM.Both are good skimmers,though.

Sump/refugium-Like Piggy and Daugherty said earlier,if you're handy then build your own.It will save you alot of money over a premade sump.There are plenty and for the most part are well built.Lifereef,My Reef Creations(MRC),CPR and Precision Marine(PM) all make good sumps/refugiums.Go as big as you can.More water=better stability.Sorry,Daugherty.a 55g. will not fit under the stand.

Live rock-Liveaquaria's lalo live rock looks particually nice and Saltycritter.com Uaniva live rock looks really,really nice!

Heater-I've been using the Stealth heaters.No problems whatsoever,better to have heaters on controllers but that might be another story for later.

Sand-Whatever sand you chose,make sure it's aragonite base.It has better buffing capacity than anything else out there.I find live sand not worth the added cost over dry unless the price is about the same.

Return pump-I'm not sure what your overflow drains can handle.I'll assume it the standard 2/600gph towers which drain less than stated.A Mag 9.5 or 12 will work if using in sump.Always put a ball valve on the return end so you can control the flow.The return will not be enough flow,you will either need to do a close-loop system or add powerheads for added flow.Maxi-Jets are cheap and reliable,Koralias are a little more but have a nice wide-disperse flow and magnet mounts.

 

[daugherty]

i guess a 55 wont fit (both are the same length my bad)not thinking today i was thinking about my 50 it is only 36in.

 

[RyanG]

Just a side note if your tank already has one overflow the likelyhood of having it drilled are slim. It probably as a tempered glass bottom which makes the bottom impossible to drill. You could do an external overflow throught the backwall if you wanted though.

Sump see above(I would only to one manadrin though unless you are fortuante enough to find a mated pair)

For live rock I would get a mix of TBLR and some fiji rock of your choosing. Tampa is great stuff but very dense. Check craigslist and local reef clubs. There are constantly tanks going up and down. A lot of times you can find smoking deals on it. I just bought a couple hundred pounds of highly purple rock for 2.50 a pound

As far as plumbing goes check the articles section of the forum(and everything else!) IMO, you should make the plumbing as modular as possible with ball valves and unions so that if there are problems you can isolate them for repair and the unions make repairs easier. Keep the fittings to a minimum if you need to make a 90 use two 45s use Y's instead of T's. Anything to reduce friction and keep the flow rates up. You can use spa-flex or flexible PVC if you dont mind a more cluttered appearance.

For the back of the tank I would just paint it myself. Blue lends to a deeper feel, black makes things stand out more(good and bad)

Bottom line is if you are patient you can find great deals.(Which IMO the tank,stand and lighting that you found are)

Welcome to the Reef. Have fun, be patient and learn as much as possible!