Upgrading to 125g (Recommendations please)

[chrisbenavides]

TONS OF QUESTIONS....ANSWER WHAT YOU LIKE.

Any steps you have can help me make a good transition. This will be my third tank in one year. Gosh this is addicting. :)

I will be upgrading from a 55g tank to a 125g tank pretty soon. So that means I will be buying everything new for this tank. My current tank will be moved to my future classroom so the kids can enjoy (You can see some pics I have taken in my gallery).

First of all, how do I get the water I have in the 55g tank into the new 125g tank? I want to save time and money here, so I will be using the same sand, live rock, and same water from my 55g tank in the 125g tank. That way the cycle will not take long at all. At the same time the other tank will need to go through a new cycle, since it willbe setup once again. I am planning on keeping all my fish I have in my 55g tank with me at home in the new 125g tank.

Second of all, what equipment do you recommend for me for a 125g tank? Which skimmer, lights, pumps? Remora skimmer good for this setup? Do I need a calcium reactor?

Lastly, the reason I am going to a bigger tank is that I really want a Blue Tang. My question is, since it is going to be setup new, will this help my Yellow Tang cope with the arrival of the Blue Tang? Also, can I keep three Tangs in a 55g tank? I was thinking of adding a Blue Tang and a Powder Blue Tang to that tank setup, but thought that might be too many Tangs in one tank. I'll be cool with two tangs (the blue and yellow). What about a Imperator Angelfish? Is this guy good with corals?

The reason I am doing this is I am finally graduating from college in a couple of weeks, and I am almost promised a teaching job with a starting salary of 41K. Now thats a heck of a lot more than what I am making right now. So if I could afford what I got now, I know I could afford a bigger tank.

Thanks for your time,
- Chris

P.S. Afterall that said, what do you think about a 72g bowfront? Just a passing thought.

:rollface: :rollface: :eek1: :rollface: :rollface:

[chrisbenavides]

Need help with ID of this fish too....

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/102345DSCN1330__Small_.JPG

I took this pic yesterday. I like how it came out, but I could never ID him. Scooter blenny? Is it a blenny? Lawnmower?

[chrisbenavides]

nobody? :(

[beard]

First of all, how do I get the water I have in the 55g tank into the new 125g tank? I want to save time and money here, so I will be using the same sand, live rock, and same water from my 55g tank in the 125g tank.

Just try to keep the first 1/4-1/2" of sand bed seperated from the rest and place it back of the top. That is where most of the life is. As for transfering water if the new tank will be close to the old use a pump and hose.

Second of all, what equipment do you recommend for me for a 125g tank? Which skimmer, lights, pumps? Remora skimmer good for this setup? Do I need a calcium reactor?

Depends what you will keep. AS for the calcium reactor Some like them some dont personaly ive never used one just dose kalk works the same from what ive seen and its cheaper.


Lastly, the reason I am going to a bigger tank is that I really want a Blue Tang. My question is, since it is going to be setup new, will this help my Yellow Tang cope with the arrival of the Blue Tang? Also, can I keep three Tangs in a 55g tank? I was thinking of adding a Blue Tang and a Powder Blue Tang to that tank setup, but thought that might be too many Tangs in one tank. I'll be cool with two tangs (the blue and yellow).


Tangs arnt recomended for tanks smaller then 75gal!


What about a Imperator Angelfish? Is this guy good with corals?

They are good at eating them!


P.S. Afterall that said, what do you think about a 72g bowfront?

IMO bow front arnt all there cracked up to be and may be very hard to find a hood for.


Need help with ID of this fish too....

Looks like a skooter blenney to me!

[cristhiam]

I upgraded from a 55 to a 125 around February here is the thread that I started. Don't use you LS, underneed it's pretty nasty and it might polute your water. couple of full cups to seed the new one, I didn't use any of the water from the 55 either. All the benefitial bacteria are in the LR and sand. I got the new sand from Lowes $5 for 50#s so it's pretty cheap. it took a couple of days to do the transfer. I didn't loose anything, and everything is going great. On the thread are pictures. too. Just get your water as close as the main tank. You can use some of the old water.
Good luck
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=760314

[chrisbenavides]

thanks for thread! I'll be reading up on it.

[chrisbenavides]

I found out what this guy really is. He is a Mother Sailfin Dragonet or: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1722&N=0 Gosh I think when I bought him, they sold him to me as some other type of Blenny. I did not pay near $25 for him.

[Alaskan Reefer]

I upgraded from 75 to 125 a few months ago...

No cycle at all with the fully cured and clean (cooked it for a couple of weeks, no shed at all) LR. Use fresh sand for most, skim the top off your established bed to reseed or just count on the LR to do so and use all fresh. Best piece of equipment is a reef ready tank and a sump, so you can use a skimmer suitable for a tank this size -- if using HOB I'd only recommend the Deltec MCE600, I adore my ER CS-180 but an ASM would do the job just as well for cheaper (quality and price). Other Deltec skimmers another worthwhile step up if you want to invest heavily there. You don't need a calcium reactor right away, kalk or two part additive will do the trick and may be all you ever need. Use all new water, nothing worthwhile gained from old water -- temperature and chemistry matched of course. HOB, in sump, or separate refugium -- I use HOB for simplicity. 3 X 250W halides with VHO actinics probably the best overall. For circulation pumps a pair of Tunzes is sweet -- 6060s work, 6000s with controller if you want to go all out. Seios can do the job as well for cheaper (quality and price). That's a mess of tangs, I keep a single powder blue in mine, along with an ocellaris clown, royal gramma, orange spot goby, and six line wrasse. I know I'm lightly stocked (I like corals more than fish and just need them for the action), but with three tangs you're pushing it -- and for the blue tang a 180 is more appropriate they get pretty big.

If you're starting with a fairly limited budget, I'd invest in the RR tank, a sump with sections for fuge and skimmer, an ASM skimmer, a pair of Seios, a Tunze Osmolator, a 44 gallon Brute trash can (for topoff kalkwasser), and the best lighting you can afford.

Here's where I am at the 13.5 week mark, loving every minute of it. The 125 is a great tank size overall, but of course I wish it was a 180 that doesn't take long... :)

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e71/aarongray/4.jpg

[hopkisag1]

don't get a tall 125... bad mistake on my part

[chrisbenavides]

Does anyone keep a Blue Tang in a 125g tank? Is a 180g tank really needed? Like I said the reason I want the upgrade of 55g to 125g was the Blue Tang. Thats about it really.

What are the average demensions for a 180g tank? Now I am interested. If you all know any place I can get a 180g tank near Laredo, TX (San Antonio, Corpus Christi), let me know.