What do I need for a complete setup

[ttheus]

I am about to start gathering supplies for my new 120 gal. I currently have a 29 gal biocube and would appreciate some clarity in reference to what all I will need.( sump, skimmer....ect ) Also what I may not "need" but will make my system more efficient..

Any help will be much appreciated

 

[rdnelson]

Start by telling us what you have in mind for this tank. reef or FOWLR? Are you on a budget or are you comfortable spending some cash?

If you are going reef get the best lighting you can and a quality skimmer. If you can swing it, get an Apex controller. You won't regret it.

 

[ttheus]

I will be doing a mixed reef.
I know for the tank to be the quality I want, I will have to come out of pocket. I will take my time buying materials so it doesn't hit me all at once.
As far as lighting goes I was leaning toward the kessels??

 

[snowmansnow]

You'll need a sump
A skimmer
A heater (preferably w a thermostat)
A return pump
Some sort of powerhead(s) to move water inside the tank
A lighting source
--
A controller will make automation and timer stuff simple and efficient (but it isn't completely necessary)

An ATO will keep your evaporates water topped off with fresh water and add stability to your salinity



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[ttheus]

My 120 is a 72 inch, so I have plenty of room under the tank. I was thinking of going with one of the trigger sumps. I also have a 30 gal I was gonna try to do some kind of ATO with. I'm really lost when it comes to trying to plan out plumbing everything.
I always read about doser's also, can you have a great system without one

 

[snowmansnow]

You don't "need" a doser. In fact a lot of stuff is optional . I had this tank with an ATO, a kalk stirrer, and a controller. I didn't run any optional reactors or anything. Nothing fancy.

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A lot of your success will depend on simply keeping things consistent. I would say start as simply as you can. Then slowly build. Master it as you go.

The one thing I keep reminding myself of is the mentality that we keep water. If you can simply keep the water within a few parameters the fish and corals will do fine. Keep water.... Not livestock



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[rdnelson]

I agree with Snoman. Bells and whistles can be nice but can also make it more difficult if you are not up to speed on them or don't have the time to maintain them.

During set up, plan for additions in how you set things up and in your plumbing. That will help down the road should you want to ad things. But for now, keep to the KISS method. Do however include a means to run carbon. A small inexpensive reactor can help tremendously.

 

[ttheus]

Thanks fellas!! I'm going to start slowly buying equipment for the tank soon.
I do have one other question... do I have to do anything special as far as the electrical outlet I will be using since I will be pulling a good bit from it?

 

[rdnelson]

You should have a GFI outlet installed at the least. A dedicated circuit couldn't hurt either.

Fist step, find out what all outlets are on that circuit. Make a list of all the items that will be plugged into that circuit. Add up the wattage of everything that is on that circuit. If it is something that is rarely on, don't count it. Next find out what size breaker it is. On a 20 amp breaker you can run 1920 watts continuously. A little more if some of it only runs now and then for a short time. 1440 watts if it is a 15 amp breaker. DO NOT put in a larger breaker. The breaker is sized to protect the wire in the house.

If everything you add to the tank plus all the other stuff on that circuit totals within those limits all you need to do is change the outlet to a GFI

If not, you may need to add a circuit just for the tank. I actually ran 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits to my tank.

 

[picoreefguy]

i agree with the two guys up top you can have a great system off of very little. i ran a 20 long off of nothing but a filter sock, a carbon/gfo reactor and an ato. and half the time i didnt even change the media for weeks on end and id "forget" to do my water changes for a very long time but the tank looked great. not that im condoning being lazy. but as far as things you would need to run a good system id say some good lights (im a fan of radions but there are other lights that work well) a protein skimmer, an auto top off, a calcium reactor or dosing pumps if you plan on having lots of stony coral and a sump to put it all in. oh and plan on running filter socks and changing them regularly. they keep a tank cleaner than almost anything else and are super simple and cheap to run.

 

[bkostuch]

+1 to all of these guys. I just setup my 120 and their help has been extremely valuable. The only 2 thing I didn't have on my list originally was an ATO and RODI unit. Both I found almost necessary with evaporation rates.

 

[picoreefguy]

oh and the one simple thing that all of us left off. A FAN! a small well placed computer fan or desk fan can be a life saver in these Georgia summers. if you have a controller hook it up to that if not then use a timer to have it cool your tank on the hottest hour or two of the day between the months of may and september

 

[ttheus]

I was thinking about putting in a fan. My stand came pre drilled with a hole on the side perfect to mount a computer fan.
One thing I have been stressing is plumbing the tank. Maybe it's because I haven't done it before, but I feel like running the pvc pipe to and from the sump is going to be a task.

 

[bkostuch]

If i was closer I would help on the plumbing, it's actually not to bad, just do test fittings before cementing everything.

 

[ringo®]

It's probably because it's something new to you. Do a dry run and make sure everything fits. If it all looks right, disassemble it, cement it, and put it back together. Nothing too tough. May want to post a dry run picture here and see if you can get any tips.

 

[ttheus]

I saw on the forum somewhere that someone with dual overflows had two drains and one return. They used the other return as an extra drain, I assume for water changes.

 

[russ-iv]

you could do half and half with the pvc/reinforced vinyl to give you some "play".

i HIGHLY suggest you prime before cement. ive seen some youtube horrors with pvc coming loose after a few years just "glued".

 

[rdnelson]

Can't believe everyone missed these items. Two very portent items would be........ Water and salt.

A dry run on the PVC is difficult at best. The pipe does not slip into the fittings all the way with no glue. So when you glue it, everything "shortens" up if you will. Best to just go for it in my opinion. You can hold a piece up next to a fitting and see where it will bottom out.

And as Russ said, use primer. One other trick...when you glue two pieces together, twist it a bit and then hold for about 5 seconds.

 

[indecloudzua]

I didn't use any primer on mine. Just cleaned the ends with alcohol and used the all in one glue and twisted the pipe until it quit moving. Pretty much melts the two pieces together.once they are melted together they won't come loose.

 

[russ-iv]

like rdnelson stated. do a 45 degree cock before 30 seconds is up when gluing. it helps with the bond.

indecloud, it could work no issues but primer roughens it up for a good "melt". ive seen some pvc break completely free. usually takes 3-4 years. tbh its just an extra swab so it doesnt hurt.