Starting a new 125G Soft Coral/Live Fish tank

[newsaltwater]

Hi everyone!

I had a salt water aquarium several years ago, but didn't have the money to upkeep and so cut corners and things did not go well for me, obviously.

I now have the money and want to start and keep up with a 125 G(minimum) tank. I know I also want a refugium, and an automatic top off.


I'm planning on having soft corals, mostly ricordea and zoas, and some fish. Blennies, Gobies, Clowns, and a Foxface. Anything additional to that will be added on a case by case basis and only if it fits with those.

I'm looking for thoughts on the set up, a "shopping list" of things I'll need, brands to steer towards and steer away from, and any other ways to make this tank as "low maintenance" as possible as I do travel for work and will have someone else doing basic upkeep while I am gone. Budget-I'm willing to pay for quality equipment, but I'm not willing to pay more just because it's X brand if Y brand works just as well.

Any of thoughts/comments/concerns would be great appreciated.

 

[silverado61]

ReefOctopus for a skimmer. Orbit Marine for LEDs. Finnex for heaters. Not API for test kits. AutoAqua ATO system.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Is it a 125 long or a 125 wide? A wide tank could have a 40g breeder tank underneath it for a sump- and they are cheap at the $1/g sale at the big box store. A 30g or 40g long would be good for a 125 long unless you have room for a 55g. A 20g ATO reservoir might be necessary if you are out of town a lot. The bigger the display, the more it evaporates. I like JBJ ATO systems - mine has been reliable on two different tanks and survived storage.

Instead of hauling water, I suggest buying your own RO/DI unit. I prefer AirWaterIce Typhoon III ReefKeeper. Their prices are very reasonable.

If you want a sump, I suggest buying a reef ready tank - it will have the holes and overflow boxes already installed. If you want to drill your own tank, glass-holes makes good kits, but they can be loud compared to other overflow systems.

Jebao powerheads are knock off Tunze powerheads which I could never afford. Jebao makes great variable speed DC powerheads for waves, random flows and even detritus removal. If you want to go fancier for powerheads, try a Maxspect Gyre or Ecotech Vortech MP40s. If the budget doesn't allow, modified maxijets will get you by for a while.

For a pump in your sump, many people prefer Mag Drives - but to me they use too many watts and are heavy and vibrate. But they are work horses and they last for years! I liked LifeGuard Aquatics Quiet One pumps and I have had one really quiet one and one not so quiet one over the last couple of years. (If you haven't figured it by now, I'm giving you cheap, moderate and expensive choices) the expensive option is to buy a variable speed DC pump like the Jebao sump pumps for sale now. Apparently they are getting great reviews. The thing about a DC pumps is that they are programmable and controllable and supposedly last longer because they have "soft starts."

Reef Octopus skimmers are a great brand of skimmer. I was always happy with the handful of them that I had. I would take the size tank you have (125g) and go "plus one" - meaning to buy the next size up that is available. Reef Octopus will range from $190 to $325 for your size tank depending on the features you want. I just bought a skimz monzter mini skimmer SN123 for my 75g and even though the tank is just cycling, it's working great. They make a SN143 version that would be a plus one for your size tank. It even has a variable speed DC pump! And they are cheaper than Reef Octopus. The cheapest option may be an Eshoppes skimmer, although I haven't checked their prices in a while now.

I'm not very knowledgeable about lighting systems since there are so many options out there. I have had nearly every type of lighting system over the past nine years and I personally really like LED systems. Cheap Chinese LED systems offer cheaper options than US designed systems like Ecotech or Kessils.

Since your not going to have a whole lot of time for maintenance and are going to pay for services to be done to your system the rest may be automatically taken care of. You might have to buy an automatic feeder to help feed your fish while you are traveling. I have never had to travel that much, so I don't know a good brand.

Over time if your tank starts to grow and mature, you might want to figure out a way to add trace elements to the tank to keep up with the tanks demand. But like I said, that might be later down the line.

 

[beaslbob]

To me the refugium full of macro algae is the key.

As you already know the auto top off can cause floods should the drain fail kicking in the auto top off. You might conside a drip type system of float valves prevent that.

my .02

 

[snakeblitz33]

Finnex titanium heaters are great! I would avoid the 500w version though and possibly go with two smaller ones in case one of them broke - the other one would keep up until you can get it fixed. The reason I would avoid the 500w is because it has been known to leak voltage. I read reviews on it and decided to buy one for myself and ignore the warnings and it did leak voltage in my tank afterall.

As far as test kits go, you might not want to buy the basic test kits and just have your live fish store check all of your normal levels. They usually do that as a free service. It will avoid $30 in a basic test kit. I like Seachem test kits for calcium, alkalinity and magnesium.

I think I remember you saying you wanted a fuge- I suggest using Caulerpa racemosa or C. mexicana as your macroalgae instead of chaetomorpha (key-to-morpha). As long as you keep it pruned you'll be fine.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Bob, have you ever used an auto top off system? The ATO sensors are basically floats. If the water level drops, the pump cuts on. If the drain fails and the water rises then the ATO top off pump will not cut on. Unless the circuitry is damaged or something is wedged in the sensor, it won't happen. Bob, stick to macroalgae.

By the way, I would not recommend adding macroalgae as the first thing in the system. Your tank has to properly cycle and build up bacteria to break down ammonia first.

 

[pegasus]

Bob, have you ever used an auto top off system? The ATO sensors are basically floats. If the water level drops, the pump cuts on. If the drain fails and the water rises then the ATO top off pump will not cut on. Unless the circuitry is damaged or something is wedged in the sensor, it won't happen.

Bob was referring to the drain from the tank failing, which would cause the return pump to suck the sump dry. This would cause the ATO to kick ON, which will result in the tank overfilling...

 

[snakeblitz33]

Ah. I never had a DIY PVC overflow or a cheaply made one that would eventually fail. I prefer internal overflows.

 

[newsaltwater]

I don't have the tank yet. I'm in planning stages and will be buying things in about 3 months from now. I just want a solid plan to start with. What do you think at the advantages and disadvantages of the long and the wide?

I would definitely buy pre drilled as drilling myself doesn't sound like a good idea at all, and I also love when things are already done for me. Less chance for me to mess it up.

Do you have any good plans or resources as far as plumbing the tank? I've been reading your Guides thread and haven't really found anything that covers that unless I missed it.

The pump you are talking about for the sump is to pump the water back up into the tank yes?

Thoughts on having a HOB filter as well as the natural filtration?

So far for my basic setup I've got
125 Pre Drilled with overflow tank
Stand
Canopy? Maybe?
LED Lighting
Live sand for Standard sand bed
150 lbs of Live Rock
40 or 55G Refugium
20 gallon overflow tank
Reef Octopus Skimmer
Mag Drive pump for the sump
RO/DI Unit, not sure on brand just yet, though the Typhoon III does look nice
2-4 Jebao RW-8 Powerheads
Skimz SN143 Skimmer- I really like the looks of this one, gonna have to read some more reviews before making my 100% decision.
2- 300W Finnex Titanium Tube Heaters with AquaLogic Digital Temp Controllers
AutoAqua Smart ATO system.

Thoughts? Am I missing anything?

Thanks for the help!

 

[pegasus]

A 40 or 55 gallon refugium should be plenty large enough for the skimmer, so no need for an HOB. If I were setting up a new 125, I'd set it up like my current 125. Dual overflow 1" bulkheads (one on each end), and a 3/4" return in the middle. I would attach elbows to the bulkheads and run either PVC or braided flexible tubing to the sump/refugium. Not sure if I would add gate valves to the drains as I don't have them on my 125. I drilled 3/8" holes in the top of the overflow elbows and inserted a 4" piece of 1/4" RO tubing in each. Perfect flow with no slurping, and it always drains after a power cut (my other tank with gate valves always tries to overfill after power is restored). I control the flow in the refugium from the 125 with a gate valve on the return line (between the pump and tank), as it will only drain as much as is pumped in...

Good choices on the Reef Octopus, Mag Drive pump, and Jebao RW-8 powerheads. I have all of those, and I think you'll be very happy with them. If you opt for the Skimz, I think it will make a good alternate skimmer, as I've read a lot of good reviews on it. I use Eheim Jager heaters in my tanks. A little pricier, but you get what you pay for.

I use T5 HO, so I can't comment on lighting. A canopy will always be my choice, as my tanks are in the kitchen/den where my wife and I spend most of our evenings. The canopies keep the light from flooding the room, so there's minimal spillage of light coming from the tank. Makes for better TV viewing...

I'm assuming the 20 gallon overflow tank is meant for top off water? If you implement an RO/DI unit into the system, you won't need a reserve tank. A simple float valve in the return chamber of the refugium will turn the unit on and off as needed. One less tank (ATO reserve) to fill is one less thing to worry about...

 

[snakeblitz33]

I don't have the tank yet. I'm in planning stages and will be buying things in about 3 months from now. I just want a solid plan to start with. What do you think at the advantages and disadvantages of the long and the wide? They both have advantages and it depends on what you want to do with the tank down the road. If you want to keep fairly large fish, those fish prefer long distance swimming, such as tangs, require a longer tank. If your primary focus is on keeping corals with some small to medium sized fish, then a wider tank makes for better aquascaping possibilities and is easier and cheaper to buy lights (and less of them).

I would definitely buy pre drilled as drilling myself doesn't sound like a good idea at all, and I also love when things are already done for me. Less chance for me to mess it up. Good choice. A reef ready tank will allow you to easily install plumbing that is already pre-made. Check your local fish store for a "Mega overflow kit" which is a little noisy, or a "durso overflow kit" which is not as noisy. The kits are easy to install and should have bulkheads included. I suggest using 1" drain for a 1" bulkhead and a 3/4" return for a 3/4" bulkhead. Basically, keep the size pipe the bulkhead is and don't restrict it.

Do you have any good plans or resources as far as plumbing the tank? I've been reading your Guides thread and haven't really found anything that covers that unless I missed it. Plumbing a simple tank is easy. Drain pipes go to the drain section, Return pipe goes from the pump to the return bulkhead and up to the tank. The way your sump is baffled determines how your plumbing is positioned. If you use a 55g tank, you can have one side drain into a refugium and the other side drained into a skimmer section and your pump can be in the middle.

The pump you are talking about for the sump is to pump the water back up into the tank yes? Yes, I am referring to the sump pump.

Thoughts on having a HOB filter as well as the natural filtration? A hang on back filter is unnecessary when you have a sump. The filtration and equipment is all in the sump.

So far for my basic setup I've got
125 Pre Drilled with overflow tank
Stand
Canopy? Maybe?
LED Lighting
Live sand for Standard sand bed
150 lbs of Live Rock
40 or 55G Refugium
20 gallon overflow tank
Reef Octopus Skimmer
Mag Drive pump for the sump
RO/DI Unit, not sure on brand just yet, though the Typhoon III does look nice
2-4 Jebao RW-8 Powerheads
Skimz SN143 Skimmer- I really like the looks of this one, gonna have to read some more reviews before making my 100% decision.
2- 300W Finnex Titanium Tube Heaters with AquaLogic Digital Temp Controllers
AutoAqua Smart ATO system.

Thoughts? Am I missing anything?

Thanks for the help!

A tall stand leaves more room to work and more skimmer options. A canopy would be great to keep your expensive fish from jumping out and keep light spillage to a minimum as Pegasus mentioned. If your not running an RO water line to your tank then you will need a reservoir to hold fresh top off water. Even then, I prefer to have an ATO system because they are redundant. If you plumb your RO to your sump, if the float valve gets stuck or fails, it will drop your salinity and kill your creatures. The ATO reservoir tank needs to be only big enough to hold the amount of water that evaporates on your longest trip plus some. You do not need a skimmer for the first three to six months on your system while the tank matures. You have plenty of time to research your preferred brands and read plenty of reviews.

 

[snakeblitz33]

You might want to click on the "click to expand" part of the quote in my previous post. I did add a lot of additional information to it, highlighted in red. For some reason, this new forum system they have installed doesn't let you see the whole quote. Kinda annoying.

By the way, I encourage you to read many other sources other then what I have typed up. My reef keeping philosophies change every frew years according to advances in the hobby. I think the last set of articles I wrote was from 2012.

 

[pegasus]

You might want to click on the "click to expand" part of the quote in my previous post. I did add a lot of additional information to it, highlighted in red. For some reason, this new forum system they have installed doesn't let you see the whole quote. Kinda annoying.

By the way, I encourage you to read many other sources other then what I have typed up. My reef keeping philosophies change every frew years according to advances in the hobby. I think the last set of articles I wrote was from 2012.

I agree with everything you stated, except for the mega or durso overflow kit. These aren't necessary, and take up extra space. An elbow out of the bulkhead and pipe (or tubing) to carry the water to the sump, and an elbow with strainer on the inside is sufficient. 90 degree at the bulkheads, drain pipes angle towards center of stand at 45 degrees, then 90 degrees towards the sump. If I had it to do over again, I would have used 45 degree elbows all the way down. Setting it up that way would allow for a smooth flow without siphoning because the water would cling to the sides of the pipe... which would eliminate the need for the red vent tubes. Like it is, it's pretty darn quiet.
This is the overflow setup on my tank(s):

 

[snakeblitz33]

A standard reef ready tank needs an overflow kit. The reef ready tanks are drilled on the bottom, not the sides like yours Pegasus. You either drilled your tank or had them drilled. The OP is buying a standard reef ready tank, which needs an overflow kit.

 

[pegasus]

A standard reef ready tank needs an overflow kit. The reef ready tanks are drilled on the bottom, not the sides like yours Pegasus. You either drilled your tank or had them drilled. The OP is buying a standard reef ready tank, which needs an overflow kit.

I apoplogize... I guess I misunderstood when he said "predrilled with overflow tank". It didn't register that he was talking about a "reef ready" tank. I should learn to read a little more carefully... DOH!!!
(My 125 came predrilled, and I drilled the 40)

 

[beaslbob]

FWIW don't even think of attempting to drill bottom glass. It will almost certainly be tempered and will shatter when you attampt to drill.

 

[pegasus]

FWIW don't even think of attempting to drill bottom glass. It will almost certainly be tempered and will shatter when you attampt to drill.

+1.

 

[snakeblitz33]

FWIW don't even think of attempting to drill bottom glass. It will almost certainly be tempered and will shatter when you attampt to drill.

Bob, they are BUYing a pre-drilled reef ready tank. It's already done for them. "Reef ready" = pre-drilled.

Most tanks have an orange or yellow tag in the bottom that says "tempered glass, do not drill" or "all panels tempered". They already said they didnt want to drill. Alls good.

 

[beaslbob]

Bob, they are BUYing a pre-drilled reef ready tank. It's already done for them. "Reef ready" = pre-drilled.

Most tanks have an orange or yellow tag in the bottom that says "tempered glass, do not drill" or "all panels tempered". They already said they didnt want to drill. Alls good.

Sorry I missed that. It was buried past the first post.

Using a diy pvc hob overflow means you could buy a non drilled tank and save a little money.

my .02