120g re-home build!

[jdpierce21]

Hi all,

I am getting back into the hobby with a 120g cube build! I will be posting pictures soon. I am getting a 34 in. x 34 in. x 25 in. 1/2" Starphire Glass Cube with an oak stand and canopy. I am purchasing the complete setup. I will be re-homing it around the first week of August - and I can't wait!

I prefer a docile tank. Currently, it has a blue tang, a yellow tang, a silver fish (thanks to you guys it's probably a Pompano) and one small clownfish. The current owner is rehoming the yellow tang and the silver fish. He says that the yellow tang is very aggressive and I am not having that in my tank! LOL He is removing the yellow tang and the silver (maybe Pompano fish.) I will be left with the blue tang and a small clownfish.

Pretty much all of his coral have either died or are they are not happy. They are always closed in the pictures. He says that he's lazy when it comes to the water changes. So, I don't know if that's the cause or there's something else going on. After the tank settles from the move that will be one of my first tasks. I definitely want a lot of corals. He has over 100 pounds of live rock (in only 4 pieces) so there's definitely room for them!

I do have a few questions.

First, about the clown. He said the other clown was much larger and died. So I am assuming it was the female. Do you think the smaller clown is a male? I don't know how long they were together and I don't know how long it takes them to form their sex roles. Should I get rid of him and get a pair or try getting him a female clown? Because I do want a pair.

Second, what type of bio load and recommendations do you guys have for a 120g cube tank? He said that he tried 4 sand gobies but that all committed suicide via jumping out of the tank. Very strange to me, but my guess is that it is is the yellow tang. But, just a guess.

I previously I had a Reek Keeper. Is that still the controller of choice or is there any new/better ones on the market? I want the RK to check everything (pH, ORP, salinity, temperature.)

Some of the other goodies I am getting:

Eshopps RS-200 Reef Sump with carbon and a refugium with mud
2 VorTech MP40wQD Propeller Pump w/ Wireless QuietDrive Driver and ReefLink
Reef Octopus Classic 202 Space Saver Skimmer
Radion XR30w Pro with the wide angle lens and an RMS XR30 Tank Mount (to hold the lights)
Melve's Reef 100 GPD 5-Stage RO/DI System
40 lbs CaribSea Caribbean Live Sand
10-gallon overflow
2 Heaters

LEDs in the reef world is new to me, they were way too expensive when I was last in the hobby. I had metal halide lights. He says because of the LED lights he doesn't need a chiller which makes sense to me. Again, I just have zero experience with them.

I am an iPhone/Apple guy, so controller my toys on my iPhone/iPad is highly important to me.

Any ideas, suggestions, you'd get rid of this or get rid of that is 100% welcome!

Thanks!
Joe

 

[bobz]

Joe,
First, welcome back to the hobby! The setup sounds really nice. You should have a lot of success with it.
I can weigh in on your question about pairing clowns. When i was breeding them, the most success I had when I lost one of the pairs for any reason, was to always add a much smaller one to the tank. I would look for a vendor that had a large tank of juveniles and pick the smallest one in the herd. That way I was fairly confident that the sex was not female. As you suggested, you can always try and find a new home for your single fish, and pick up a bonded pair, then there is no issue. You didn't mention what type of clown, just a precaution, I have found that Maroon clowns can be very tough to pair, especially if the female is very aggressive. So, in that case it may be worthwhile to try the second option and pick up a pair.
As for the lighting, I have Radion's over my 120 now and they are great. The heat issue is no longer a concern. Whether you need a chiller would probably depend on where the tank is situated and how warm the room gets and how stable you want to keep the tank and your choice of corals. Others here have much more experience with that, than I do, so sure they will chime in.
Your last question on controllers, I have a reef keeper as well, but that is because i have had it for 10+ years. The most widely used now is the Neptune. I'm just waiting for mine to finally die so I can upgrade.

hope this helps some what... bob

 

[jdpierce21]

Hi Bob,

Thank you for the welcome and thank you for the information. I am going to research the Neptune's and possibly a chiller. Living in Georgia with 95 degrees I want my tank to stay very stable.

Thanks again,
Joe