120 Gallon Saltwater Tank Questions

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jshep105

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 5, 2011
281
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Massachusetts, USA
Hello. I will be buying a 120 gallon tank soon and am trying to decide between freshwater and saltwater. The dimensions will most likely be 48"X24"X24". I am on a budget so I would like to figure out how much all of the equipment and decorations will cost me before I make my decision. For fish I would like to get some clownfish, blue and yellow tangs, and some over fish. I would also like to get some live rock and maybe some coral and anemones to help out with biological filtration but I would like mostly fish. This will be my first time doing saltwater so please lead me in the right direction with prices recommendations and prices. Any information is helpful to me.

Filter - I am thinking about getting an FX5 but am also considering a Sump.

Lighting - ? I need help with this

Protein Skimmer - ? I also need help with this

Powerheads - I have one but am not sure on the model. I am assuming I'll need two more? Any recommendations?

Live Rock - where can I buy this online? And how many pounds? 100?

Live Sand - I will probably just buy this from Petco/petsmart. How many pounds for about 1 and a half to two inches? 80?

Heater - 250 Watt Aqueon Pro Heater. Will this be enough even for cold New England winters?

Test Kit - API Saltwater Master Test Kit or API Reef Master Test Kit? I have an API Freshwater Master Test Kit if that makes a difference...

And one last question, is it required to run water through a RO/DI reverse osmosis filter before adding to a salt water tank for the initial fill up and water changes?

I think that is it so please help me out thanks in advance.




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My input is in red.

jshep105 said:
Hello. I will be buying a 120 gallon tank soon and am trying to decide between freshwater and saltwater. The dimensions will most likely be 48"X24"X24". I am on a budget so I would like to figure out how much all of the equipment and decorations will cost me before I make my decision. For fish I would like to get some clownfish, blue and yellow tangs, and some over fish. I would also like to get some live rock and maybe some coral and anemones to help out with biological filtration but I would like mostly fish. This will be my first time doing saltwater so please lead me in the right direction with prices recommendations and prices. Any information is helpful to me.

Filter - I am thinking about getting an FX5 but am also considering a Sump. Get a sump as that's the preferred filter for multiple reasons; avoid canister filters and go with HOBs if a sump is out of your budget.

Lighting - ? I need help with thisThis is the interesting part since you want corals & anemones and the proper lighting for them can either be expensive initially but cheaper in the long run (high output LEDs) or cheaper initially but expensive in the long run (metal halides). If I were you, I would reconsider the corals & anemones if I was on a tight budget and opt for cheaper lighting such as lower output LEDs or T5 HO fluorescent bulbs.

Protein Skimmer - ? I also need help with this Go big or go home as this is your most important piece of equipment; oversize it as much as possible. An in-sump skimmer is preferable as you have more options and such.

Powerheads - I have one but am not sure on the model. I am assuming I'll need two more? Any recommendations? Hydor Koralias are really nice; you can add them during the setup process after bringing the filters online and pinpointing dead spots.

Live Rock - where can I buy this online? And how many pounds? 100? Get high quality dry rock; you'll save a ton of money and will avoid parasites and such. A pound per gallon is a good starting point with more/less being needed depending on the porosity of the rock. Add a small amount of high quality live rock to get the cycle started and to seed the dead rock.

Live Sand - I will probably just buy this from Petco/petsmart. How many pounds for about 1 and a half to two inches? 80? Live sand is a waste of money and isn't even "live"; just buy enough plain aragonite sand to make a 0.5" to 1.0" layer with more than that being needed if you wish to keep burrowing fishes. Beneficial bacteria colonies will colonize the aragonite sand during the cycle thereby making it "live."

Heater - 250 Watt Aqueon Pro Heater. Will this be enough even for cold New England winters? That will work fine provided that you keep your house at a reasonable temperature with little to no fluctuation of the room temperature; the other equipment (filters, powerheads, etc.) generate a fair amount of heat while on and will help with the heating.

Test Kit - API Saltwater Master Test Kit or API Reef Master Test Kit? I have an API Freshwater Master Test Kit if that makes a difference...I have the API Reef Master Test Kit, and it works well; I would get that one if you choose to do corals and/or anemones.

And one last question, is it required to run water through a RO/DI reverse osmosis filter before adding to a salt water tank for the initial fill up and water changes? It's not required, but it's highly recommended and will make your life much easier when it comes to maintaining good water quality while avoiding nuisance algae and such.

I think that is it so please help me out thanks in advance.




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Wiggles92 said:
My input is in red.
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If I do get corals and anemones then it wouldn't be until later down the road. The only problem with this is what you said about lighting. The lighting all depends on whether or not I get corals. And I am still thinking about the RO/DI Filter as it is about $200. I will most likely go with a DIY sump. What size tank should i get for the sump? Thank you for your information. I look foward to hearing from other people as well.


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jshep105 said:
If I do get corals and anemones then it wouldn't be until later down the road. The only problem with this is what you said about lighting. The lighting all depends on whether or not I get corals. And I am still thinking about the RO/DI Filter as it is about $200. I will most likely go with a DIY sump. What size tank should i get for the sump? Thank you for your information. I look foward to hearing from other people as well.


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Bigger is better for the sump; the system will be more stable with a large volume of water. The one of the key elements for sizing the sump is ensuring that it isn't going to overflow in the even of a power outage; I found that out pretty quickly when I made a 10 gallon sump for my dad's 55 gallon only to have it overflow when I did a test scenario. I would use a 55 gallon for the sump as it will give you a lot of room to work with while still being relatively inexpensive, especially if you come across a used one or find a dollar per gallon sale (those tend to stop at 55 gallons); you can go with something a little smaller, though, and that size is just a suggestion that will allow for future equipment additions in the sump.
 
Wiggles92 said:
Bigger is better for the sump; the system will be more stable with a large volume of water. The one of the key elements for sizing the sump is ensuring that it isn't going to overflow in the even of a power outage; I found that out pretty quickly when I made a 10 gallon sump for my dad's 55 gallon only to have it overflow when I did a test scenario. I would use a 55 gallon for the sump as it will give you a lot of room to work with while still being relatively inexpensive, especially if you come across a used one or find a dollar per gallon sale (those tend to stop at 55 gallons); you can go with something a little smaller, though, and that size is just a suggestion that will allow for future equipment additions in the sump.
Click to expand...

Ok thank you. Sadly at my local Petco store the dollar per gallon sale stops at the 40 Gallon Breeder tanks. My local petsmart sells 55 gallon tanks but they are about $100 which seems expensive...I'll have to look for a used one.


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jshep105 said:
Ok thank you. Sadly at my local Petco store the dollar per gallon sale stops at the 40 Gallon Breeder tanks. My local petsmart sells 55 gallon tanks but they are about $100 which seems expensive...I'll have to look for a used one.


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Ouch, that sucks; my local PetCo's sale goes up to 55 gallons. A 40 breeder would work as well, though, so don't worry if you can't find a 55 gallon.
 
jshep105 said:
Ok thank you. Sadly at my local Petco store the dollar per gallon sale stops at the 40 Gallon Breeder tanks. My local petsmart sells 55 gallon tanks but they are about $100 which seems expensive...I'll have to look for a used one.


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Really? The PETCO's in wisconsin sell up to 55gal doller per gallon. That's wierd

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Wiggles92 said:
Ouch, that sucks; my local PetCo's sale goes up to 55 gallons. A 40 breeder would work as well, though, so don't worry if you can't find a 55 gallon.
Click to expand...

Your lucky. My local Petco doesn't even sell 55 gallon tanks. Every once in a while they'll have one but not often and they never go on sale. And okay that is good to hear.


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jshep105 said:
Does anyone know where to find the T5 HO lighting for the cheapest? What I have found seems really expensive and wil
Take up most of my budget...

Also is this a good protein skimmer for a 120 gallon tank? http://www.amazon.com/Coralife-Super-Skimmer-Needle-Wheel/dp/B000BJM9BI

Thanks again


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Try ebay for a cheap new light. Sometimes you can get lucky and find a sweet deal.

Coralife makes a good skimmer for people on a budget but if money isnt an option I would reccomend a Reef Octopus. They are a little more expensive but they are much better.

http://www.reefoctopus.com.au/v2/pub/index.cfm
 
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