New Tank But Need Filter Advice

[cocostar]

Last night my boyfriend and I purchased a 120 gal tank for Saltwater Fish. However since we're new at this they're are a few questions that I have...First off I've been reading and seen that Crushed Coral isn't recommended just because of everything that gets inbended in it, so i'm guessing all Live Sand is highly recommended over everything. Secondly we have everything for our tank besidese the filter. We aren't really sure we keep getting different opionins from different fish stores.Do You recommend the Fluval canisters or like hang on tank filters...Your advice is great needly..THANKS !!! :happyfish

 

[doglvr]

Welcome to the hobby Your 120 will need a lot more equipment before it's fish or reef ready. A skimmer will be a must, if you want to put corals in the tank, you'll need more lighting than the ones that come with the tanks. Lots & lots to learn too! For a reef setup you'll need
Live Sand 2-3" deep
Live Rock 1-1/2 - 2 lbs per gallon
Skimmer & Sump
Very High Output lighting, Metal Halide or T5's are best
Powerheads for flow

 

[cocostar]

We already have the skimmer...so we aren't going to need a sump too correct? And how much more lighting would you recommend?

 

[mandarin w]

If the tank isn't drilled, (holes in the back on the bottom) then you could get the tank drilled (which is best option) and add a sump. The advantage of a sump is it is an extra body of water, that will increase water volume to the tank, You can hide all/most of your equipment in there under your tank, It is 100 times better that any Hang on the Back or Caniter Filter could ever be.
If you don't want to get the tank drilled you have the option of a overflow box. Do research and find a good one. (These have been know to go out of wack and flood your house.
If you are nervous about the overflow boxes, then you could use a canister. or should I say "CANISTERS". a 120 is a big tank, and you need to make sure you have good filtration.
I would look into the new RENA XP4, they have out there. They have very good flow. I say two because you would want one for your carbon. and use the other for phos phate and nitrate absorbers.
Then you would need a skimmer. If you don't go with a sump you are fairly limited, Most good skimmers that would work on a 120 are designed for insump use, that means you can not hang them on the back of your tank. So the skimmers that are left are the ones for a 75 gal.
One thing you should realize that the tank rating you see on equipment is largely over rated. Basically it would work ok on a tank that size if there is one fish living in that tank.
So for a 120 I would look at equiment rated for at least a 180.

 

[cocostar]

So without the Sump your saying we defiantely need two canisters not to even b other with the hang on ones? I've just heard canisters are lots of work. I'm just new at this I need ALL the information possible..plus we already have a skimmer hooked up for about 300 gal. So hopefully that is large enough of our 120 tank... :happyfish

 

[joshradio]

Canisters are if they're not maintained regularly... sump is a natural filter... little to no maintenance (in my opinion)
it's hard to say, some have better luck than others each way... it's a very expensive "trial and error" hobby... good luck!

 

[mandarin w]

You don't have to have two canisters. It is just better. You want to try to keep as much of the equipment hinden under your tank.
I like the Rena's because they are basically baskets that you can put which ever filter media in and how much, if you want two baskets of carbon, or one. A lot will depend on what you want to do with your tank. Do you want a full blown reef tank, mix tank, fish only. How many fish do you want in it. You should figure out what you are going to put in to, so you can make the right choice about equipment. First get your hands on a book called The Conciensous Marine Aquarist
I might have misspelled that. This book will tell you about water quality, different types of tanks, differnt types of filtration and the pro's and con's of each. There are no good short cuts in this hobby. Most short cuts end up costing you money. That book should be the next thing you buy.

 

[ophiura]

I just need to throw some brakes on....
PLEASE do not buy ANYTHING else until you read and research more. This is simply to SAVE money and animals and frustration.
It is very common in this hobby for people to get excited, set up a tank...and then sell it within a few months. That is one of the really unfortunate thing about this hobby. It costs A LOT of money, and it costs animals their lives...and all too commonly people last at most 6 months.
Before you decide on filtration, you need to decide what you want. A reef tank? An aggressive tank?
You may very well need, or more likely want, a sump in the future. But a sump is not a filter at all, it is simple a container of water. It may include a "wet/dry" filter...it may include a natural refugium type filter...or it may just be a tank of water where you hide your skimmer, heater, etc and serves no filtration purpose at all. Lots of terms to learn

I do not personally recommend hang on filters for that size tank and certainly not if you want more aggressive or larger fish. But cannister filters may not be a better option either. You may need very expensive lighting, or you may be fine with the standard lighting depending on if you want corals. But all of these are critical - and expensive - decisions.
So look at some books, as about fish you might like, and build your tank based on that. But don't spend another dime on equipment until you have done that. We are not trying to get money from you, as an LFS is doing.

 

[cocostar]

My whole 'hope' of this tank is I want lots of fish..possible a star fish or two also. We are always planning for reef and live rock...

 

[ophiura]

The problem is that in saltwater you may not get your idea of "lots of fish." It is definitely quite a bit more limited than freshwater of the same size. Depending on the type off fish, you could get anywhere from 1 or 2 to maybe a dozen reasonably sized fish in this size tank. But aggression, territoriality and overall delicate nature of many fish makes it difficult to get lots of fish in a saltwater tank. That is definitely a limitation, and your filtration will also impact this.
In addition, reef tanks tend to have relatively fewer fish because water quality is critical. The trade off tends to be fewer fish than a fish only system of the same size.
Seastars are among the most difficult and delicate animals in this hobby, so that is also a potential issue. There are options if you have a lot of LR for sure, but these are animals that require lots and lots of planning.
I would definitely look around the photography section - look at tanks - read, research, etc.
If you want a lot of fish, then I would not personally do a hang on filter, or a cannister filter. A lot of fish = wet/dry, IMO. But then if you want a reef, I would not do a wet/dry or a cannister personally, I would go for a refugium system.
I know it sounds picky, but in the long run it will save you money and heartache.

 

[xdave]

One thing about having a refugium, no matter how you use it, it's extra water. The more water in a system the easier it is to keep stable. As ophiura said, there are a lot of ways to use one, so as you decide to go a different way you don't have to change everything.