Starting a 120 reef tank NEED HELP!!

[vlepouce]

Hi everyone. Just starting out with a new 120 overflow tank. Trying to get a handle on what all I need to do and what decisions I need to make. Any suggestions are appreciated. The equipment so far:
120 gallon Megaflow All-Glass and Stand.
All-glass wet dry filter.
Corallife skimmer.
Corallife 300 + watt light 10K and actinic and lunar lites

Still need to get heaters,
return pump,
sand,
LR,
RO/DI filter.

I am still working out what I should do.

So much information available and alot contradicts others.

I want to do this slowly and do it right!

[jankytomato]

Are you doing a reef tank or fish only/fish only with live rock?

Reef tank=trade in wet/dry

Live rock suggestion: get uncured online and use it to cycle your new system and if you want sand just use dry it will populate along with everything else.

I'll try to remember to check back on this for your reply, we really have to nail down your end goal for advice that is helpful. (many will give you a list of crap to buy that you may not need, esp. LFS people).

[vlepouce]

I had envisioned a coral tank with live rock and a few fish. Still working out the type of coral, but will worry about that later.

I had planned on pulling the bio balls from the wet/dry and put some LR rubble and maybe some sand into the area before the return. I also and debating about a refugium and having some of the overflow water divert to the refugium and then to the sump at the return pump. Still trying to work out the best plan.

Thanks for the reply.

[SirToppemHat]

I just set up my 120 mixed reef. You can check out my photo's in my gallery. I have (2) 300 watt stealth heaters, MAG 12 return pump, 150 ibs figi rock (50ib was base rock from ebay = looks great), 5 or 6 bags of sand. I would suggest getting an auto top of system sooner then later. I also have a American DJ power strip so i can turn everything on and off easily. I could go on all day, there is a lot of information for this hobby. Let us know if you have any specific questions or concerns.

[Tswifty]

If you have some time to read... you can walk step by step through the setup of my 90g reef tank.

It's got everything from painting the back of the tank, to plumbing, lighting, sumps, aquascaping, QT tanks, supplements, storage...etc... basically anything you could think of that would occur in setting up a tank... It's probably in there.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1310919&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

[vlepouce]

What are the best options and places to get sand? I have read a lot of different threads and there seems to be several different ways people go about it? Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

[SirToppemHat]

For a DSB, I used 4 or 5 bags of argamax with 1 big bag of seaflor on top to hold it down. From Drs. F&S.

[jleichtman]

Stop! Start about six months of research and read everything you can get your hands on.

With a tank of that size make sure you know what you are getting and buy the right products the first time. Jumping in may be fun but it will be costly in the long run.

[Playa-1]

Loose the wet-dry filter and replace it with a sump/refugium
Check out.
www.melevsreef.com
www.dursostandpipes.com

You will need roughly 120lbs of live rock in the tank.
I would suggest that you cure it before adding the sand to the tank.

The local fish store or Dr Foster & Smith is a good place to buy sand.

I like the Stealth heaters and Eheim return pumps.

I'm using the Filterguys 6 stage RO/DI and would highly recommend it.

If you haven't read any books on the subject then you should stop in your tracks and pick up a copy of "The Conscientist Marine Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner and Read it. This information will save you a ton of money and frustration. This would be the very first thing I would do If I were in your shoes. The book lays out information in a structured easy to understand format. It separates fact from fiction and in my opinion is a must read.

[vlepouce]

Thanks guys. I have been doing a lot of research and have been spending as much time reading as I do working. The only thing that concerns me about the amount of information available online, is that so much is based on opinions, and experience. Sometimes there are multiple opinions that are opposite views. Since I do not have an unlimited budget to get this up and running I have not done anything but bring the tank home, put it on its stand and put the light on top.

After reading and looking at what I have I found that I have an All-Glass Megaflow #4 Sump filter. It does have a small area that has a stack of bioballs, and I will probably remove them. Not sure. I have read different opinions about putting sand in the bottom and will be going with a 4" bed. There are several opinions about what to use, anywhere from all live sugar sand, to putting play sand or silica sand on the bottom and about 15% live sugar sand on top.

I agree about making sure that I take my time and do as much research as possible before going further. What I have came in a package deal that I could not pass up. I was about to buy a 75 or 90 and spend more when I stopped at a nother LFS and they had this in the front of the store. They had been trying to sell it for quite some time with no takers and had discounted it about 35% from what they had been asking.

I also have bought a 55 gallon with an overflow to use as a QT in another room. I had planned on putting sand in both, getting them filled with water and cure the live rock in the 55 before putting it in the 120. The 120 will be the display tank and the 55 is in a room that I can close the door, open the window, and not have the smells throughout the apartment.

I am not in a rush, and neither is my wife. It only takes space sitting there waiting to get started, and we want this to be a success, not a black hole to pour money in for no reason other than foolishness.

Please keep your suggestions coming, as I welcome all opinions.

Thanks!

[vlepouce]

As far as a RO/DI unit goes, I was looking at a Dual Home Reef system with a tank and faucet from airwaterice. Have heard a lot of good things about their systems. I also have checked with our local water utility and they do not use chloramine.

They use Free Chlorine, Alum and a small amount of PolyPhosphate. The PolyPhosphate concerns me, and will have to discuss this with the people at airwaterice to make sure that this can be filtered out.

Thanks for the suggestions and please keep them coming.