Beginner 125 gallon build ideas/sugestions

Natelee32

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Been wanting to get into the hobby for a bit now and have been lurking around for a bit. Yesterday I picked up a 125g that came with some rock and sand for a good price. Really wanting to plan this out properly and on somewhat of a budget. I am thinking of doing a 40 breeder sump with a 20 long qt tank. I think I want to do leds or a hybrid set up. I think I'm going to set up the 20 gallon for now and work on building a stand and a sump and gathering the pricey equipment for the 125. Looking for some advice on sumps, skimmer, lighting, and ATOs.

20201128_111730.jpg 20201128_111736.jpg
 

mike550

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Been wanting to get into the hobby for a bit now and have been lurking around for a bit. Yesterday I picked up a 125g that came with some rock and sand for a good price. Really wanting to plan this out properly and on somewhat of a budget. I am thinking of doing a 40 breeder sump with a 20 long qt tank. I think I want to do leds or a hybrid set up. I think I'm going to set up the 20 gallon for now and work on building a stand and a sump and gathering the pricey equipment for the 125. Looking for some advice on sumps, skimmer, lighting, and ATOs.

20201128_111730.jpg 20201128_111736.jpg
Welcome to R2R and good luck with your build. There is a ton of information on this site. I started about a year ago with a 120. Here are a few suggestions for you.

1. There is a great DIY forum and I know there are some really good discussions on how to build a stand. I had mine built and had I known more I would have tried to make a “dry side” for controllers for your powerheads, heater, etc and possibly a Neptune or GHL controller.

2. When you think about your sump think about where equipment will go in and how it’s placed. I recently switched from filter socks to a Klir roller filter and it took a bit of engineering to switch things around. Union joints between your sump and tank are a huge help if you ever want to make a change.

3. For equipment there are great reviews and thoughts all over R2R and vendor sites. I’ve seen folks build great tanks with both high end and low end equipment.

Good luck!
 

Philly Reefer

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I suggest you throw away the sand. New sand is better for your new setup and they won't bring whatever the old sand have.

For the rocks, not sure if that trash can is food grade, if it's not , get another one, fill it with saltwater, heater, and powerhead and leave it running while you are building your tank.
 

Philly Reefer

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Regarding equipment, there are couple ways to do this of course,
Buy everything new and get some warranty or buy used from CL, FB Marketplace, or this forum.
I got a BiNB skimmer from this forum for a great price.
The one thing that you might want to spend more is the lights. 120g is also my dream tank and I already have my wish list ready. 3 - XR30 to start.

For the sump, there are some pre made baffles that you can buy if you don't want to use cut glass. I also recommend just get the filter roller. I wish I did on my current set up.
 

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