New Tank (Back after 10 years!) Need Advice!

[ktbug545]

Hello!

After moving from state to state and completing college, my fiancé and I have purchased a home. I always promised myself when I settled down and bought a home, I would start up another reef tank! (I have missed this hobby so much!).

With all of that being said, i am in the very beginning planning stages. If anyone has equipment suggestions, anything would help! I honestly have not kept up with the advances in the Industry. So now I am researching, and open for suggestions!

I have started a list of the equipment that I am wanting. If anyone has any issues with the items I want to start with, please let me know why. All opinions and suggestions are welcome. We close on our house on the 17th of December, and I plan on picking up the tank and stand that week. I will be looking at equipment, and making a solid plan until tax season in January, and then I will make an order to purchase my equipment. As of right now, I just made a "cart" on Marine Depot, just so I could see all the products together. But when I am ready to order, I will be price matching on different sites to get the best deal. (If anyone has any sites they like to order equipment from, let me know! Same with livestock... If anyone has a site they like to order from, fill me in!).

I honestly have NO idea what I want to do for lighting... I need help in that department.

I am going with a 120 Gal. Aquarium

Here is what I think I want to start with...

API Filstar XP Canister filter, L (Up to 175 Gal)

2x Colbalt Aquatics Neo Therm 200 watt aquarium heater with LED display

(I have NO Idea what to do for lighting... Im having trouble. HELP)

2x Hydor Koralia 3g Third generation circulation and wave pump 1350gph

Reef Octopus Classic 150 EXT Recirculating protein skimmer

Marine Dept KleanWater Basic RO Systen- 100GPD

160lbs of Black Hawaiian sand

20lbs black Hawaiian live sand

50 lbs eco dry rock

100 lbs live rock

Red Sea Coral Pro Salt Mix

Red Sea Foundation Pro Multi test kit

 

[Hitman]

Welcome to R2R!!!!

Sounds like a good start. I am not a fan of canister filters, I would just run carbon and other media in a reactor in your sump/refugium.

 

[ktbug545]

Thank you so much for your advice! I will take that into consideration. Any Advice on lighting? I know I eventually want to do coral, and I would like to go ahead and get a good set of reef lights, without breaking the bank. (I would also like to avoid my fiancé rethinking this haha)

 

[JasonK84]

Sounds like you have a good solid plan. I'm running a 120 fish only so lighting for a reef will come from someone else. I know people here like the radion and kessel lights but some are also doing led/T5 hybrid lights. Tons of options there. Can't go wrong with reef Octopus. I've got the 200int on my 120.
Congratulations on the house.

 

[JasonK84]

Thank you so much for your advice! I will take that into consideration. Any Advice on lighting? I know I eventually want to do coral, and I would like to go ahead and get a good set of reef lights, without breaking the bank. (I would also like to avoid my fiancé rethinking this haha)

If you are looking for budget lights there are tons of the Chinese black box 165w lights for around $100 each. If your 120 is 4' you could do 2. If it's the 6' then 3 of them. They are pretty much no frills but some do have built in timers and wifi connectivity. For the sump on my 120 I used a 40 gallon breeder aquarium and added baffles for a cheap sump filter. I order all my fish on Live Aquaria. They are great with the 14 day guarantee and free next day shipping with $99 or more.

 

[ktbug545]

Thank you all so much on the warm welcome! I have missed this hobby SO much! It feels so good to finally be settling down, and getting back to what I love!

(Tell your Blenny hello ).

I feel like I am so out of the loop with all the new equipment. I have been doing nothing but researching this tank ever since we found out we got the house. (My nerd is showing ). Lights are the only thing I am nervous about. About 10 years ago, I had a 75 gal. reef tank, with a set of state of the art 08' metal halides. (I felt super cool then) but everything I am reading today is about LEDs. I just want to make the right decision.

Just to introduce myself a little, my name is Katie. Im 27. Im in Nashville TN.
I begged my parents to set up my first tank on my 14th birthday. and ended having to sell it all off when I went off to college when I was 19. By 2010, I had a 55 FOWLER tank, a 10 Gal. Sea Horse tank, and a 75 Gal reef tank with a 45 gal sump.

My fiancé grew up not having pets, or animals at all. He has always thought I was crazy when I talked about how much I love SWF. (I probably scared him with my facts and knowledge the first time he took me to an aquarium) But here we are, 3 dogs later... and I have compromised with him, that if he gets an ENTIRE room in our house dedicated to music, I get to start a saltwater tank. (To my surprise... I was planning a 75 Gal. reef.... and he said "Why not go bigger?" ... Im not going to fight him... but I dont think he realizes the monster he has released haha)

 

[ktbug545]

I guess I could have added dimensions before asking for lighting help. 21W in x 74L in x 54H in

Im not trying to go "Cheap" I just dont want to spend a grand on lights... if I can avoid it.

 

[Oscaror]

Hello!

After moving from state to state and completing college, my fiancé and I have purchased a home. I always promised myself when I settled down and bought a home, I would start up another reef tank! (I have missed this hobby so much!).

With all of that being said, i am in the very beginning planning stages. If anyone has equipment suggestions, anything would help! I honestly have not kept up with the advances in the Industry. So now I am researching, and open for suggestions!

I have started a list of the equipment that I am wanting. If anyone has any issues with the items I want to start with, please let me know why. All opinions and suggestions are welcome. We close on our house on the 17th of December, and I plan on picking up the tank and stand that week. I will be looking at equipment, and making a solid plan until tax season in January, and then I will make an order to purchase my equipment. As of right now, I just made a "cart" on Marine Depot, just so I could see all the products together. But when I am ready to order, I will be price matching on different sites to get the best deal. (If anyone has any sites they like to order equipment from, let me know! Same with livestock... If anyone has a site they like to order from, fill me in!).

I honestly have NO idea what I want to do for lighting... I need help in that department.

I am going with a 120 Gal. Aquarium

Here is what I think I want to start with...

API Filstar XP Canister filter, L (Up to 175 Gal)

2x Colbalt Aquatics Neo Therm 200 watt aquarium heater with LED display

(I have NO Idea what to do for lighting... Im having trouble. HELP)

2x Hydor Koralia 3g Third generation circulation and wave pump 1350gph

Reef Octopus Classic 150 EXT Recirculating protein skimmer

Marine Dept KleanWater Basic RO Systen- 100GPD

160lbs of Black Hawaiian sand

20lbs black Hawaiian live sand

50 lbs eco dry rock

100 lbs live rock

Red Sea Coral Pro Salt Mix

Red Sea Foundation Pro Multi test kit

Welcome to R2R! Looks good but from personal experience I really wouldn't recommend a canister filter, especially if you already have a skimmer.

 

[ktbug545]

Can I ask the Cons of a canister filter?? ( Not disagreeing, Just trying to learn.)

 

[Oscaror]

Can I ask the Cons of a canister filter?? ( Not disagreeing, Just trying to learn.)

Basically just fills up with detritus and becomes a nutrient sink, even with regular cleaning (in my experience)

 

[ktbug545]

Understood. How about hanging filters?

 

[Oscaror]

Understood. How about hanging filters?

They're fine-ish but in the world of salt water there's just so many better forms of filtration. Marinepure bioballs, refugium, GFO, carbon, algae scrubber, skimmer (which you already have on the list). I'd recommend looking at these they are great forms of filtration that can honestly work so well people nowadays have to dose nitrate!

 

[JasonK84]

They can work but are often referred to as nitrate factories. Lots of people use them and as long as cleaned out regularly can be great. One disadvantage is having all the equipment in the main tank as an eyesore. With a sump all of the equipment can be hidden in the cabinet except for a power head and return nozzles. Any reactors, heaters, refugium, or anything else will have to be in the display or hanging over the back.
Here is my 120 with everything down below and out of view. It's almost done cycling!

 

[ktbug545]

Awesome! I will start researching some other options, to see what is doable. For the time being, I was going to hold off on a sump, only because Im not sure im going to have room for it. I will have to get it and measure. Ive had a sump, and know how wonderful they are, but I was also completely happy with my "Hang on the back" filter that I had on my fowler. I will start doing some research for different filtration options. (I really appreciate the feedback!!).

NOW FOR LIGHTS!

 

[ktbug545]

Trigger Systems Sapphire Sump - 26 inch, I want to say this system will fit under my stand. Its about a 50 gal sump. Do you think this will be able right for a 120gal tank?

 

[Oscaror]

Trigger Systems Sapphire Sump - 26 inch, I want to say this system will fit under my stand. Its about a 50 gal sump. Do you think this will be able right for a 120gal tank?

Yes! That's a great sump and is a good size for your tank!
Also if you're going to have a refugium keep in mind that lighting high in the red and blue spectrum is best for algae growth. With good lighting a refugium can be an amazing form of filtration.

 

[ktbug545]

Yes! That's a great sump and is a good size for your tank!
Also if you're going to have a refugium keep in mind that lighting high in the red and blue spectrum is best for algae growth. With good lighting a refugium can be an amazing form of filtration.

Great! I will add that to the list I will look at some refugium lighting

 

[ktbug545]

Where does everyone recommend buying live rock from?

 

[SPR1968]

It looks like you’ve got some great advice already, and welcome to R2R as well!

And if you haven’t already, start a build thread when you get the chance. And we NEED pictures! Lol

 

[JasonK84]

Where does everyone recommend buying live rock from?

I've heard a lot of good things about Tampa Bay Saltwater. People are getting tons hitchickers on their rock orders. Some are bad though so it just depends on what you are wanting. There are YouTube unboxings that you can watch and see the diverse life that is growing on the rocks. It's the route I would go if buying live rock. Look at the primo deco live rock offered by Gulf live rock. It looks amazing in their web photos.

If you are looking to keep hitchickers out then dry rock would be the answer. I've used Marco Rocks in the past and their rock is great and very natural looking.