building a 120gal, need ideas

[Ty1e]

Hi everone, I finally talked my wife in to letting me get a bigger tank.

because of the light that i have now( sunlight supply lumen max III pendant, 250watt DE aquaconnect 14k lamp) i wanted to make a tank with the best dem's for the light spread x2. So i want to make a tank 48"long 24"tall and 24"wide, about 120gals of water.

The tank is going to be 98% SPS corals(sweet) so I would love some input on what you guy's the experts found to be the best 1. LR to coral ratio, 2. the best SPS to keep 3. the best skimmer, sump system 4. and lastly intank overflow or built in external overflow?

I know that's alot of stuff to cover but any suggestions on any thing would be helpful. (even pics of your tanks for examples would be great)

thanks in advance.

[Wrench]

Lucky you

1.) I'm on my second tank and I used too much LR in both. If I were to do it over again I'd do 1lb/gallon. More swimming room for fish and easier to place corals.

2.) Start with hardy corals. Montiporas, milleporas, birds nest and stags. If you have good success you can move up to acros etc.

3.) Whatever you can afford and fit where you want. I like DIY sumps with pressure lock baffles. I also like Octopus skimmers. They get the job done without the highway robbery prices.

4.) I like drilled tanks personally.

[Oldude]

I would check the TOTM for great aquascaping ideas.

[Ty1e]

hey what do you guys think of the tunze wave box for my 120gal?

[Wrench]

I know nothing about them. I have koralias and a nanostream that run constantly.

[Brewen]

Check out this thread it is with equipment and stocking 120's. Just an idea on what others have done in the past.
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1247711

[Ty1e]

Originally posted by Brewen
Check out this thread it is with equipment and stocking 120's. Just an idea on what others have done in the past.
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1247711

thanks for the tread that was very helpful.

[Bax]

I have not used one, but I think a wave box would be excellent in a 4 x 2 x 2 tank. I use 2 x Tunze 6100s and a VorTech. It's good flow.

I keep about 150 pounds of LR or less in the tank. I keep another 150 in my fuge. It is still crowded in the display and I may thin it out some LR soon to make more room for corals.

My AGA tank has dual over flows. They are OK. If you're custom building a tank a coast to coast external over flow would be the ticket.

And get the biggest skimmer you can swing it's never too big.

[Ty1e]

Originally posted by Bax
I have not used one, but I think a wave box would be excellent in a 4 x 2 x 2 tank. I use 2 x Tunze 6100s and a VorTech. It's good flow.

I keep about 150 pounds of LR or less in the tank. I keep another 150 in my fuge. It is still crowded in the display and I may thin it out some LR soon to make more room for corals.

My AGA tank has dual over flows. They are OK. If you're custom building a tank a coast to coast external over flow would be the ticket.

And get the biggest skimmer you can swing it's never too big.

Coast to coast overflow...................................................sounds like a very good idea. how's your sps doing under the light you have, do you think it should be stronger?

[Bax]

Ty1e

Given the footprint, 4 x 2', I have all the T-5s and MH I can squeez in. I use the Lumenarc mini reflectors they are about 19 x 19" that bearly leaves me the room to squeez in the 3 54watt T-5s, but it just fits.

I have been running 10K Ushio bubs but just tried a XM 15 K on the left lamp and I am sold, I am getting a matching bulb for the right lamp. Nicer over all color of light and better color responce form the corals in just a couple of weeks under the new bulb.

[Yinger]

Originally posted by Ty1e
hey what do you guys think of the tunze wave box for my 120gal?

it'll work, you can get approx a 1 - 1.5 inch wave with it. but it'll be an eyesore unless you place it in the back of the tank. I had one and got rid of it because everytime one of my streams clashed with the wave, it moved all my sand around.