HELP! Me set up a 125 SPS tank..please!

[specsgirl]

HI-
I'm not sure if this is where I should post this, but I figured with mostly everyone in this forum having sps you could help me out.

I have a AGA 125 RR tank that I am looking to start as a SPS tank.
I'm looking to go bb in this one after reading such great things about it. What other suggestions do you have for me in regards to equipment, lighting, etc. I would also like to drill the tank for any additional flow, etc as I hate all of the clutter that the powerheads, tunzees etc make up.
Thanks!

 

[Angelscrx]

Welcome to Reef Frontiers. What are the dimensions of your tank? That would help to determine how much light you need. Do you want to run a sump? Just pretty much depends on how much you want to do? I currently have a 55g with four PCs and two VHO actinics. I run a Sump/Refugium set up and my new skimmer is sitting at the post office. I run a SCWD inline with the return pump to two spray bars across the top of the tank and two powerheads. Works great for now since I will be setting up a 150g with probably two closed loops and a return from a 55g Sump/Refugium.

 

[wrightme43]

Welcome, I am glad your here. Hook us up with the specs, length, width, hieght of your tank. Like Angelscrx said. They more you give the more help you can get. These are great people here, and most anyone will go well out of their way to help you. Do you have a sump, if so how big, protein skimmer? how big? How much experince do you have so no tells you things you already know. Again glad your here, Welcome to Reef Frontiers. Steve

 

[NaH2O]

Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!! *moving to the tank design forum

Since the tank is glass, you might be limited to how many holes can be drilled. As far as other equipment, depending on your budget, you can go really extravagant, or simple. Protein skimmer is going to be important to your water quality, MH lighting, calcium reactor may be a down the road purchase, etc. Having some sort of flow at the bottom of the tank to keep any detritus and waste that collected up into the water column, IMO, is important. You can accomplish this by having something like a spray bar, if drilling the back is going to be limited.

Is this an inwall tank, a tank to be viewed from the front and the back, or (what I call) standard viewing?

 

[mojoreef]

Hey Specsgirl welcome to Reef Frontiers. I am glad to see you made it over, let us know a more about the tank and the equipment you have so far as mentioned above


MIke

 

[specsgirl]

Thanks everyone for all of your help already. My tank is the 72 x 18 x 22. I was thinking about using a 55 gal as a sump. Would this be alright? For skimmers, someone has suggested using the euroreef 8-2. What are everyones thoughts on that? I want to do MH lighting right away and don't know if it's best to run 3 250's or 2 250's and a 400. Also what are the best bulbs to run with it? Should I supplement with PC's or VHO's as well or just run a mixture of 20k and 10k or maybe even 14k...lol
I really like the idea of the whole closed loop, but have no clue as to how to set it up in a way that would be beneficial to my tank, ie hole placement, size, etc. I was also looking at the ocean motions 4 way device, but am undecided on that. What are your opinions on that. I've decided that bb is the way to go for me with this tank though. That is the one thing that I do know.

As far as experience goes, I currently have a 90 that is a mix tank. I do have some sps in there that I have been able to keep alive and growing, but am pretty much clueless as to what the best setup would be for the new tank. I read several of the boards every day trying to gain as much knowledge on everything, but would like some advice just to solidify what I'm reading.

Sorry for babbling on....I hope this makes sense to someone out there. Again thanks for all of your help...it is very much appreciated!!

 

[Angelscrx]

Thanks everyone for all of your help already. My tank is the 72 x 18 x 22. I was thinking about using a 55 gal as a sump.

We almost have the same size tank and I too am going to use my 55g as a sump/Refugium with dividers for a skimmer area. I don't anything about the euroreef skimmers so I can't help you there. But I can tell you that about 90% of the suggestions I got for my 150g were split between two 250W MH or three 175W MH with actinic supplementation for which I may use PCs. I may use two 20k bulbs and one 6500k bulb in the middle for coloration since the actinics will be off to the side.

To plan your plumbing you kind of have to know how you want the tank to look in the end. I would go with closed loop on the bottom with lockline so you can point them in any direction. Your pump intakes would be towards the top of the tank. Depending on how much water you are flowing you may want to split the intakes so you don't such animals in it.

That is probably the extent of my knowledge but I learn more as I go thanks to this awesome site and the people onboard!

 

[specsgirl]

Thanks so much!

 

[bradreef]

The three 250 watt mh's sound like a great Idea. euroreef skimmers are good skimmers and are really solid. as far as water movement. the pumps that run a closed loop take up a lot of power and the streams that they shoot can be overconcentrated. look into tunze streams. great pumps that move a lot of water at low power consumption and in a wide stream. You wont be able to find complaints about these pumps except for cost. yet you dont have to deal with all of the plumbling as a closed loop. and remember you have a glass tank so it will all be plumbed over the top. I would post in reef central's sps forum if you want a lot of feedback. also look at how other people have their tanks set up. closed loops are great but the tunze streams seem to be getting more popular.

 

[Shoreliner11]

Personally I would use 2-3 250w de mh with T5 actinic supplementation. You may want to use 3 because de mh pendents have a farely narrow light projection. Along with that I'd use probably 2-3 T5 actinics. Another skimmer to look at would be the Marine Bullet 1 or 2. I can't remember if the bullet 1 is rated for that high of a tank but the skimmer is truly amazing. I've saw it pull out thick brown skimmate after only 5min after starting it up. Anyway, good luck and keep us updated.

 

[MikeS]

Start with a good stand.... :lol:

MikeS

 

[specsgirl]

Start with a good stand.... :lol:

MikeS

I would as soon as you get your butt in gear...lol Jesus...you're everywhere aren't you....lol :badgrin:

 

[MikeS]

That's right specs....there is no escape... :badgrin:
Actually, CF and this forum here are really the only two I frequently haunt nowadays....

The design is finished...I just need to do the final drawings...that's my "keep busy" project for tomorrow on the airplane...I'll be gone until tuesday...I should have the design final to you by wednesday or thursday Specs....

Mike

 

[bradreef]

like the idea of t-5's for suppliments. bulb life is way longer than vho's and even pc's

 

[NaH2O]

For skimmers, someone has suggested using the euroreef 8-2. What are everyones thoughts on that?

I use the ER CS 8-3 on my 120 - works incredibly well. Stand height is definately an issue, however, so make sure your stand (if the skimmer is going in it) is tall enough. Fortunately for me, my stand is 36" in height, so the skimmer, once adjusted to the correct water height, just makes it in the stand.

 

[specsgirl]

I use the ER CS 8-3 on my 120 - works incredibly well. Stand height is definately an issue, however, so make sure your stand (if the skimmer is going in it) is tall enough. Fortunately for me, my stand is 36" in height, so the skimmer, once adjusted to the correct water height, just makes it in the stand.

Did you hear that Mike S??? Lol

I'm glad I'm giving you something to do on the plane besides enjoy yourself! :badgrin:

 

[MikeS]

Oh yeah specs...I just LOVE long plane rides.... :lol:

Ok...how tall exactly is this skimmer? Right now I have the stand designed 36" tall...but only 28" of that will be useable under the stand...

Last minute changes....geez specs.... :doubt:

Actually, with my design it's nothing at all to make it taller...just have to change a few numbers on the drawing is all....but I don't want to make it any taller than it needs to be...I start getting a bit nervous much past 36"...

Mike

 

[MikeS]

did a quick search...the EuroReef CS8-3 is 30" tall....Nikki....how much clearance above the skimmer do you need for maintenance, like removing the cup, ect....

Specs...is this the skimmer you plan on using? Do I need to re dimension the stand to accommodate this skimmer?

Nice skimmer....and only $600.... :lol:

Mike

 

[WaterDogs]

Hi specsgirl, what brands of MH and T5/PC/VHO bulbs are you going with?

Dwaine

 

[NaH2O]

No additional height is needed for cup removal. The union unscrews (they have since changed the design) and I lift the cup enough to separate the top from the bottom. I can't remember off hand how high/what depth in the water the skimmer needs to sit. That is where the issue comes in. Because of the depth of my sump, we had to have the skimmer sitting on a little acrylic stand, which caused it to be an inch or so from the top.

Here is a pic of my sump during fresh water testing: