New tank, but...

jimmybling31 · Jan 15, 2013

I decided to buy a big tank. I bought a 120 reef ready tank and stand. I tried tilling it up in my condo and... well the floor started warping so I had to drain it. I am shopping for a house to buy and will set up the tank when I buy a house.

Just to put out there what I'm going to do and look for input here is what I am doing and what is on my mind about it:

I have a 20long sump
mag 18 pump
reef octopus nw150 with neck extension and bubble blaster 2000 pump upgrade ( still messing with the drain tube trying to get the perfect balance for it, but let's just say it skims 2-3 times better than the otp2000 pump)
phosban 150 reactor with biopellets. Probably going to run 2 of them on the 120 instead of just one.

trying to decide if I should run a refugium or not. I've been running a 20 gallon tank as one lately, but I really am not seeing as much gain as I think I should to it. I see the biopellets doing plenty to reduce the nitrates and phosphates.

I'm trying to decide if I should try to get an external skimmer so that I have the room to do a big refugium under the tank.

I am going to start running kalk in my ato when I start adding corals in the 120.

If you have any input on any of this let me know. I'm still thinking about all of it.

firefightered · Jan 16, 2013

Sounds like you have a good start. If this is your first tank PLEASE take it slowwwwwww. I prefer a fuge some people don't it's all up to you. You could go with a 30 gal sump and have plenty of room for your skimmer.....

jimmybling31 · Jan 16, 2013

Definitely not my first tank. This is even my 2nd time doing a 120. I currently have a very successful 40breeder with the 20 as a sump and a 20 tall as a refugium. I'm about to test the 40 breeder running no refugium but a little bit more biopellets and see how it goes. I think it will actually do about the same. detaching the refugium from my current setup would be easy and I can ease it off by reducing the flow to it over a week or so. My current tank has as close to perfect parameters as possible. 0phos, sub 5ppm nitrates, 8.3ph 410 calcium, 10dkh, 1.024 salinity. I do a 2 gallon water change every week to keep calcium and dkh up.

I didn't mention it above, but I also run a reefkeeper lite to manage my system.

It might be a few months before this new system actually goes together. It looks like I'm going to be waiting till I buy a house.

fullmonti · Jan 16, 2013

There are so many ways of doing everything on a reef tank, I think the best thing to do is tons research. Then do it the way that best fits what you'r wanting to keep in your tank. Sounds like thats what your doing.

jimmybling31 · Jan 16, 2013

I'm probably just not going to run a refugium until I upgrade skimmers to an external one, so not for a long time. I am going to run 2 led lights and a metal halide in the center with a 20k bulb to increase the total amount of light. The metal halide does penetrate the water deeper.

jimmybling31 · Jan 17, 2013

I have some houses I'm looking at next week, so maybe I'll be moving in a couple months and I can set up my tank. I just don't want to do it where I am right now if I'm about to move.