Converting my 120 fresh into salt

[AquaAlexCardinale]

I'm really thinking about turning my 120 gallon saltwater instead of selling it but the one thing stopping me is my limited budget, I have only about $500-$700 truthfully to invest. But I do want a bigger saltwater so I can keep my dream saltwater fish.
I am thinking for this size tank I may just end up having to do fish only system with about 40-50 LBS of New Life Rock or a cheap Rock.
Could I do 40-50 LBS of rock with a HOB Protein Skimmer, and 2 HOB Filters with LIVE Sand?
Here is what my stock would look like for the 120:
-1 Yellow Tang
-1 Blue Hippo Tang ( I'd grow him out from the tiny 1-2'' size and then give him to my friend's 300 gallon Reef)
-1 Foxface
-1 Diamond Goby and maybe 1 pink spotted watchman
- 1 Flame, or yellow lemon peel, or bicolor angelfish
- my black and white clownfish pair and maybe an additional pair of normal occellaris
and then the live rock and shrimp and inverts
Good idea and can I do this on a budget?

 

[lmforbis]

Fish are fine except hippo tang. They really need a 6' tank even when young. Because you already have a pair of ocelaris I'd add regular ones with caution and add very small ones. You already have one female and don't want to introduce another. That will result in a fight to the death between the females.
Fish only wouldn't be too expensive. Dry rock can be purchased at BRS fork about $2.50per pound depending on the kind you get. You can also add more rock later. I get their reef saver. Shipping is free most of the time too. You can then get a piece of live rock at a local fish store to seed the system. I wouldn't spend the money on all live sand, maybe one bag and the rest dead sand. I never use live sand it will turn live as the tank cycles. Since you already have the tank you probably won't need light s immediately but you might want to change out the bulbs so it looks better. I don't think you really need a skimmer with fish only at least not at first. As your tank matures you can upgrade and add equipment as you go. A couple pieces of equipment I'd recommend are some sort of GFO and carbon reactor especially as your fish grow and a RODI system if you don't already have one. Really helps keep phosphates down and that helps with algae.

 

[flower]

Hi,

You have a pretty good budget to work with. Since you want fish and no corals, T5HO lighting is not expensive, and will really make the colors of the fish pop. If you want corals later, you can get the expensive lighting then, and be able to keep whatever you want.

As for the tangs, you have plenty of room for them. I see no need to rehome the Hippo, they only NEED 100g, and a 120g tank is 6 foot. Place your rock in the center making an island, the fish will have double the swim room going around and around the island...and if you make a cave, it would be even better. You will need all live reef sand if you plan to get the sand sifters (SWF.com sells good reef sand), without a refugium, I wouldn't anyway...they deplete the fauna in the sand, and then starve if they haven't managed to learn to eat regular fish food (which is very iffy that they will)

You can keep the filter system you already have, you won't need a skimmer right away,, so that gives you about 3 to 4 months before you need to purchase that. Add rock and sand (in that order, it's not wise to build on shifting sand). Set up a quarantine tank to cycle right along with the display, a 20g with an air line bubbler, and a piece of plastic décor or PVC (attach the air line to it to hold the line down). A cheap light and your good to go.

Salt mix, and your own RO/DI or at least an RO unit, and get your own test kits. Master kits are cheaper than buying individual tests. Stay away from the API brand, they read high, which leads to thinking there is a problem when there isn't.

 

[geridoc]

Good advice so far. the only comment I would have is that it would be a mistake to add a small hippo tang. Hippos in the 1 inch range have a terrible survival rate in the hobby. get one in the 2-4 inch range at a minimum and it should do fine if you give it greens to eat.

 

[AquaAlexCardinale]

Thank you guys! I'm excited to finally have a large tank..
My friend was trying to tell me to get a snowflake eel but I am not really interested in them..... however, could I potentail do a few gobies? Like maybe my diamond, a pink spotted goby, and a yellow watchman?

 

[lmforbis]

Certainly the diamond and one watchman. I wouldn't be surprised if two watchman are fine they seem pretty peaceful, I've never tried it though. Blennies are also an option small rock dwelling fish with a ton of personality.

 

[pegasus]

Diamond Gobies are sand sifters. Do not get one unless you have an adequate, well-established sand bed. A refugium is also highly recommended for DG's.

 

[lmforbis]

I think he already has the DG

 

[AquaAlexCardinale]

Diamond Gobies are sand sifters. Do not get one unless you have an adequate, well-established sand bed. A refugium is also highly recommended for DG's.

My diamond goby is eating new era marine flakes, bloodworms, brine shrimp, and market shrimp. I must have lucked out. He is my favorite fish. I feed him 3 times a day small feedings.

I think he already has the DG

Yes I have a 3'' one, and he is doing rather well.

 

[flower]

My diamond goby is eating new era marine flakes, bloodworms, brine shrimp, and market shrimp. I must have lucked out. He is my favorite fish. I feed him 3 times a day small feedings.

Yes I have a 3'' one, and he is doing rather well.

I had one that ate very well, anything I fed in the tank. Food had fallen onto the sand so he learned frozen Mysis was food (a happy mistake)... but I also had one that only ate from the sand...it died of starvation. I love sand sifters, they are all personality.

 

[pegasus]

If your Diamond Goby eats prepared food, you're one of the lucky ones. I had one in my 40B, and while I thought the sand bed was established enough, apparently it wasn't. I also had a refugium that had been established for years, and I even watched it eat processed foods... only to pass it back out of it's gills. It suffered the same fate as that one of flower's.

 

[lmforbis]

Hi,


As for the tangs, you have plenty of room for them. I see no need to rehome the Hippo, they only NEED 100g, and a 120g tank is 6 foot. Place your rock in the center making an island, the fish will have double the swim room going around and around the island...and if you make a cave, it would be even better.

I believe the standard length of a 120 gallon is only 4'. A 125 is 6'. I can't see a hippo doing well in a 4' tank.

 

[flower]

I believe the standard length of a 120 gallon is only 4'. A 125 is 6'. I can't see a hippo doing well in a 4' tank.

Oh...I really thought anything above 100g was standard 6".

That being said, making an island solves that problem, since it's an unending loop to swim. I had a nice Hippo in my 4" 90g, and he was happy as could be...I lost him when we had the power off for 4 days, I don't think I ever cried so hard over the loss of a fish. Now I have a generator, and I recommend one for all who love their tanks.

One thing I will say about them...rehoming said fish is a nightmare. For such a big fish, they go completely flat, and you will find the fish under the last rock you remove from the tank. Over the years if you have coral, it grows across the rock, and you will tear it all up trying to reach a Hippo to remove it.

 

[bang guy]

I've often suggested draining the water out of a tank to get a fish out. I either get laughed at or ignored. I'm not sure why since it works so well. Just dig a shallow area in the sand and all the fish will be in that area once the water is gone.

 

[AquaAlexCardinale]

Oh...I really thought anything above 100g was standard 6".

That being said, making an island solves that problem, since it's an unending loop to swim. I had a nice Hippo in my 4" 90g, and he was happy as could be...I lost him when we had the power off for 4 days, I don't think I ever cried so hard over the loss of a fish. Now I have a generator, and I recommend one for all who love their tanks.

One thing I will say about them...rehoming said fish is a nightmare. For such a big fish, they go completely flat, and you will find the fish under the last rock you remove from the tank. Over the years if you have coral, it grows across the rock, and you will tear it all up trying to reach a Hippo to remove it.

Thanks. I will make an island. I think if I do get a Hippo I will limit stock. But I am going to set this tank up right after the holidays.

 

[flower]

I've often suggested draining the water out of a tank to get a fish out. I either get laughed at or ignored. I'm not sure why since it works so well. Just dig a shallow area in the sand and all the fish will be in that area once the water is gone.

LOL... I do drain the tank about 1/2 way, but I still have to remove the rock.

Your method is great if you plan to upgrade to a larger tank and want to remove all of the fish, but to get to one fish to rehome it....That is so hard and disruptive. It's best to get the fish that can live in your tank it's entire life. Not only does chasing a fish to get it out a pain, but it stresses all the other critters in the tank as well, including you.

 

[flower]

Thanks. I will make an island. I think if I do get a Hippo I will limit stock. But I am going to set this tank up right after the holidays.

Yes, I agree, I always had a few favorite fish, and never overstocked my tank. My father liked to have the tank filled with fish... he always had problems with polluting the water. Keeping just a few fish swimming about the rocks (I always liked to make a cave too) always looked better to me.

 

[bang guy]

LOL... I do drain the tank about 1/2 way, but I still have to remove the rock.

Your method is great if you plan to upgrade to a larger tank and want to remove all of the fish, but to get to one fish to rehome it....That is so hard and disruptive. It's best to get the fish that can live in your tank it's entire life. Not only does chasing a fish to get it out a pain, but it stresses all the other critters in the tank as well, including you.

Dismissed again :-(

 

[flower]

Dismissed again :-(

Awww...{{{HUG}}} Your advice is always so good and very appreciated, you are never dismissed.

 

[AquaAlexCardinale]

Thankful to be partnered up with CaribSea, I promote them on my podcast show and I get some awesome goodies. Today they sent me way over 75 lbs of life rock between regular branch and shelf rock and some cool reef chemicals as well as other goodies. So now all I need for my 120 is the live sand and salt.
Sorry for crappy video I was filming in 1 hand and trying to unwrap in the other... but for now I have to let the rock sit until I get all the other stuff.