New 120 gal

[gmartin2003]

Hey guys it me again. I Bought a 120gal a few on craigslist for a hell of a deal. I bought it and a few days later did not like the stand so made a custome one. my tank is 48' x 24' x 25'. i have one overflow in the middle. I have bought the lights and the pump. The light are 2 150 mh with 4 t5's. the pump is a reeflow dart. I read and i got good reviews hopefully its good. Now comes the questions. i read tons of furom saying dont put bioballs in the wet/dry. I do not under stand then why have a wet/dry. Also i want to get opinions n how big should i do a sump. And devide the sump and in the middle put a refug. Last the protein skimer it came with is a redsea is that a good protein skimmer? and thanks in advance for all your help. :bounce:

 

[reeffreak]

That's the thing,most reefers don't use wet/drys anymore.Bioballs tend to raise nitrates in time so either they need to be cleaned or done away with altogether.Live rock serves the same purpose(biological filtration) and in many cases takes it a step further,reducing nitrate too.

Most simple sumps is usually made of three chambers.The left or drain end for the skimmer,middle for the refugium and the last for the return section.As far as the skimmer goes,I've only read that it wasn't very good,no experience with that skimmer.Maybe it will do alright in a lightly stocked tank.

Welcome!

 

[Bifferwine]

Did it come with the Red Sea Prizm? If so, that skimmer is really only okay for small tanks, like 30 gallons or less. You will need to upgrade skimmers for a 120.

Why have a wet/dry? I have no idea why. They are just not effective for reef tanks. For fish only tanks, they do okay because fish can tolerate high nitrate levels (which Freak pointed out, wet/dry filters tend to cause). Wet/dry filters will often create conditions that are unfavorable for corals and inverts to live in.