equipment help

[aquaticnewyorker]

i recently have purchased a undrilled 120g (48x24x24).

i want to make a reef tank, primarily with LPS corals but i want to eventually add SPS, mushrooms, xenia, polys and maybe a calm or two.

my plan is do this over the course of a year or two starting out with SPS and working my way up

also a short list of fish i plan on having are; clowns, hippo tang, a flame angel, damsels, trigs, an eel and of course inverts.

i have been doing some research and been around to my lfs but all their advice comes with a sales pitch.

i want to know what i need and where i can get these item at good prices, i know online but specifically what websites, if you know?

 

[aquaticnewyorker]

anyone have an ideas
lights?
skimmers?
pumps?
sump or refugium or wet dry?
wave makers?
anything? anyone please?

 

[Anonymous]

:welcome:

I'm not one of the equipment gurus here so I'll leave those manufacturer specific suggestions for others. Having in mind your potential stocking list is a good place to start a tank build. Design things for the most demanding of your 'must haves' and work backwards. I'll pitch out some general suggestions below. But...is that tank tempered glass so it can be drilled for a sump setup? Otherwise, your options are limited that way.

Lighting? In a tank that big I'd say metal halide due to the depth, and the fact you say you want SPS and clams both of which need that high output.

Skimmer? Buy the biggest you can afford, spending money now on that saves lots of hassles later.

Wet Dry? Don't even think about it-not necessary and can be detrimental for a reef system.

Sump vs Refugium? Either or, but know that the more demanding SPS don't like the additional nutrients that tend to occur with a refugium. You need a sump of some type to house your skimmers, etc.

Wave maker? Nice if you can afford it but not a 'must have'.

 

[Anonymous]

Better than a wavemaker would be a couple of Tunze Stream pumps or Ecotech Vortechs set up with a controller. The Vortechs are probably considered better by the majority of people, for value (the controller is built in, so doesn't have to purchased separately) and broad, powerful flow. The Tunze are perhaps a little quieter (from what I've read - I've owned the Streams, but not the Vortechs, so can't compare based on experience) and have a more established record for reliability (though the latest version of the Vortechs has apparently ironed out a lot of the earlier bugs).

If your budget won't stretch to either, you can get similar broad, powerful flow with Hydor Koralia powerheads or even modded Maxijets (sold as the Sure Flow upgrade). Neither are quite as powerful nor probably as reliable as the Tunze Streams or the Vortechs, but are worth considering. I think both could be run on wavemakers.

 

[Anonymous]

Are you going to get the tank drilled?
It is not a necessity, but it is nice to hide the equipment in a sump and it makes it a bit easier monitor evaporation.

I agree w/ The Ape, Tunze or Votrechs would be great for your system and cut down on the need for plumbing.

Just an FYI - only some of the Hydor Koralia power heads are suitable to use with wave makers.

 

[aquaticnewyorker]

thank you guys for all of your advice. To answer your question about the tank being drilled it is not and the guy who i purchased from does not know if it could be drilled so i will not chance it. so ill just have to get a overflow kit.

 

[Anonymous]

thank you guys for all of your advice. To answer your question about the tank being drilled it is not and the guy who i purchased from does not know if it could be drilled so i will not chance it. so ill just have to get a overflow kit.

you could also use pvc pipe to make your own overflow for about $20 or so.


my .02

 

[SnowManSnow]

I just setup a tank with those exact dimensions and am having very good success thus far. I keep SPS, LPS, clams, and a lot of other stuff in there with no worries. Here is my equipment list, just to give you some possibilities. I'll also list an apx price with the items, so you can kind of keep things in financial perspective too:

Lighting:
Aquatinics Constellation 7X48" T5 fixture. = $670 no lamps $820 WITH lamps
http://www.saltycritter.com/lighting/aq ... ion-t5.htm
* Keep in mind that all T5 fixtures ARE NOT created equal. Just because one has more lamps than the other doesn't mean it will be more capable of growing corals. You'll want to look at reflector quality (only get one with INDIVIDUAL reflectors), active cooling, and type of ballast.

Flow:
2x EcoTech Vortech = $840 / $420 per 1
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumP ... eller.html

Skimmer :
EuroReef Cs6-2+ : Around $300 if you can find one on eBay Like I did.

Live Rock:
Premium Aquatics: $4 / LB (very easy to deal with and they pick nice rock for you)
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/LiveStock.htm
* With LR don't over do it. The rule of thumb for 1 lb / gallon is really misleading. IMO you will want a nice open aquascape with room on the front back and sides all around for flow. Dead spots = problems. LR is fun, but I'm of the opinion that less is sometimes more.

Substrate:
Agramax: 90 lbs = apx $60
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant ... Substrates

I know some folks will disagree with some of the stuff, but it has worked well for me thus far. The sps corals and clam really seems to do well under the T5.

Hope this helps out.

B