Calling all 120g reefers to share some info

[medicreefer]

So, I'm planning and slowly making purchases for my future 120g tank build (48x24x24). It seems like all I'm doing is planning and asking question on RC these days. Hopefully nobody minds all my questions in all the different forums. I don't have a choice but to just think and plan right now though because I won't be able to get my basement finished (which is where the tank is going) until next year. Well, I guess forced patience is a good thing because I'm learning lots. I have a 20g nano-reef running to keep me satisfied for now.

Anyway, I'm wondering if all of you with successful 120g tanks can post your tank info, pictures or links to your tank pages here if you don't mind. I'd like to see a bunch of different set-ups and how different reefers make things work in their own individual way. I'm looking for ideas on aquascaping, system design, maintenance etc. There are tons of ways to approach this to get the same end result and I'm sure I'll develop my own style but some starting points are always good.


Thanks

[ryanlala]

Very good choice in tank size! I stepped up from a 29g biocube to a 120g 6 months ago and i love it! It is a good thing you have time to figure out what you want, and have it all ready and waiting for the day you can set up the tank. I started a build thread but wasnt too detailed with pic, i was too busy working on the tank to stop and take alot of pics showing the progress. Im still have not gotten the tank the way i want it. I still need a controller, some real wave makers, and 2 part dosing for bulk reef supply. Here is a link to my build page. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1747627 If you have any question just let me know.

[solitude127]

If you have the room you may want to go deeper. I have a 30" wide tank and love the options for aquascaping.

[Raceimage]

I have a 120 built into a wall in my basement. Good choice for location because you should not need a chiller. My tank stays in the mid 70's. I have photos on my profile of the tank build if you want to look. I have a 40 gal breeder under the display for a sump and use a Reeflow Wahoo for the pump.

[nova67]

here are some pics from when i had my 120.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m276/nova1967/120gal%20rr/05MAY2008046.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m276/nova1967/120gal%20rr/05MAY2008011.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m276/nova1967/120gal%20rr/new120rr006-2.jpg

[Indymann99]

Sent you a PM with a link.

[medicreefer]

Thanks all for your quick replies. great tanks! I really do love the versatility of the 120g. I think it's great for aquascaping while still being a reasonable and manageable size. Your tanks are very inspirational so far. I'm slowly getting through all your tank threads.

Looking forward to seeing more!

[ludnix]

Here's my 120g mixed reef:

http://www.reefsome.com/gallery/u/ludnix/March-10//thumbs/fts-800x600.jpg (http://www.reefsome.com/gallery/focus/v/ludnix/March-10/fts.jpg)

Here's the stand before it was setup:
http://www.someawe.com/uploads/120gallon/tankinplace.jpg

I use a 40g breeder for a sump, 10g is dedicated for a fuge, Mag-Drive 12 for return pump, and Octopus Skimmer (older OTP 2000 series I think).
http://www.someawe.com/uploads/120gallon/water_day/sump.jpg

Lighting is 2x 250w MH 14,000k hamiltons, 2x 54w daylight T5, and 2x 54w actinic T5.
http://www.someawe.com/uploads/120gallon/canopy/frameandlights1.jpg

It's 3 months off from being 2 years old now.

Current stock list:
1 yellow tang
1 one spot foxface rabbitfish
1 tomini tang
1 coral beauty
3 engineer gobies
2 percula clownfish
1 royal gramma
1 blue/green chromis
1 mandarin goby

Here's a link to my build thread:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1392128

[Metal Man 1221]

it seems your on track, patience was forced on me as well, owning a reeftank in high school also helps to learn budgeting lol, i guess the only advise i can give you is take your time and dont over react or panic to any situations, plumbing was a PITA but five months down the road im quite happy with the way i have every thing, and im very glad i didnt rush any thing

[RVANANO]

I was in your same position about a year ago. I started with a 34 Solana and have stepped it up to a 120 that has been up and running for 2 weeks. The biggest piece of advice I can give is doing what you already are doing. Research and planning. Don't just throw things together b/c you are in a rush or b/c you find decent deals.

I am cutting no corners whatsoever and I feel it is worth it :)

Here is the link to my build.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1795908

[goldmaniac]

you can click on my name and 'visit my homepage' to see a page with my 120 AGA. Just scroll past my tirade (sp?) of my failure trying to make my tank ich-free and you'll see lots of pics. Not great pics, but lots of pics.

my tank:
120 gal AGA with a 50+ gal sump/refugium. I started with a 29 gallon (tall) tank as my refugium and upgraded to a larger fuge.

with lots of rock and a decent refugium (mine is 16" x 24" footprint), i only use 100 micron filter socks for my entire filtration. no skimmer, no carbon, no gfo, etc etc. I have a full mixed reef including about 10 SPS that seem to be doing pretty well. I've only been into SPS for about 18 months. I've had the tank for about 9 years.
it's a great size, especially if you can keep the sides available for viewing. Even a front view and a single side available would be great.

[ReefTECK]

These pixtures are a little dated now but:

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs163.snc3/19066_1376999265457_1246129485_1115738_4032502_n.jpg

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs238.snc3/22558_1382098432933_1246129485_1128398_2407973_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs218.snc3/22558_1382101513010_1246129485_1128404_7892066_n.jpg

This is a link to my build thread, I wired in two new dedicated 20A breakers for my system, built my own stand, and put in some vinyl flooring under and in front of my tank to give me some wet space.

[medicreefer]

Thanks everybody. Great links and build threads. I'm slowly making my way through all your write-ups. Learning from all of your experiences.

[mhummel]

I took my tank down to move so it's not running at the moment. We were renting when i bought the tank. The fish i didn't sell are currently in my 60 cube, but heres a few pictures of the basement fish room now that we finally found a house. Still not completed but work in progress.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=1500&pictureid=11586
http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=1500&pictureid=11587
http://reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=1500&pictureid=11588

[str8leg]

5x24x18
http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu240/robalv/FTSJUNEPHOTO.jpg

[Luckylouse]

Here's my 144 it's close to a 120Gal. Dimensions are 52x26x23. I made is custom for a reason described in my build thread.
Here's my build thread.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16769859#post16769859
Here's a few pics of my SPS/ Acan dominant tset-up.
<a href="http://s690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Luckylouse/?action=view&current=IMG_7132.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Luckylouse/IMG_7132.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Luckylouse/?action=view&current=IMG_7028.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/vv266/Luckylouse/IMG_7028.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[gillesec]

PLanning is a great idea! I jumped into a 125g and I definately hit some bumps along the way. A few pieces of advise I learned along the way for whatever they are worth.

When looking at rock to fill the space to not be afraid to by bulky base rock. I started by only buying pieces of live rock and it cost me a fortune. Most fish stores have big pieces just laying around and most of them will haggel somewhat on the price. Then you can use the decorative live rock pieces to "fill in the gaps" to creat caves, bridges, alcoves, etc. Saves a ton of money. Or search locally and see if someone is tearing down a tank and selling the rock for cheap. Or even a combo of the two.

Second, make sure to have as big of sump/regugium as possible. I started with an undersized sump I got from a buddy and the evaporation from the tank had me refilling the sump on average 4 - 6 times a week. Once I went big life was much easier.

Third, prepare the easiest way to do water changes. If you follow the recommended changes of 25%, your looking at 30 gallons and moving that amount of water is tricky to say the least. I have a dedicated brute can (40 ish gallons), pump, heater, power strip, tubing that I only use for water changes. You said the tank was going into the basement so you should have good access to a drain (esp if your finishing the basement yourself) but a 30+ foot tube makes life alot easier when trying to remove water from a tank.

Hope this is helpful, good luck, happy reefing.

[Navyblue]

I have been running my current 120G for 3 years now. If I were to start over, here is a list of what I would do different.

- Go with a 180G (6x2x2') instead, or a 6x2x1.5'. The 6' length would open up more fish options.
- Go with T5 instead of MH. I have 2x250W MH and 4x54W T5. With 20000K bulb, the MH isn't that much brighter than the T5 with it's more than double wattage. With 10000K bulb it would be a different story though, MH loses more intensity if you want to go blue.
- Get the setup very right the first time, there are things that are hard to replace once the system is up and running (tank, stand, sump and etc)