New 120 gallon build.

[Robbiekrause33]

I finally decided to get into the 100+gallon club and Build this 120 gallon tank up. If you have any tips or feedback that will help my tank out please let me know.

The tank
a 120 gallon 60” long 25”tall and 18” wide oceanic starphire tank with customs build stand that came with the tank when I got it. 2 diy screen tops
2)1” drain lines
2)3/4” flex tubing return lines

The equipment
I am running the adjustable 2 rail 60” long AI light rails

4) AI hydra 26 HD lights ran at 12” above the water.

2) Ecotech MP40wQD

Roughly 120 lbs of live rock

80 lbs of aragonite sand

Trigger 34 sump

Ecotech vectra s1 return pump

ViaAqua titanium 500w heater

Maxspect celestial refugium led

Eshopps Axium X-220 protein skimmer

Tunze 5017 ato unit.

Aquatoo ME-20 bio reactor

Roughly 30 lbs of live rock in the sump

Bulk reefsupply 75 gpd 4 stage ro uint

Red Sea coral pro salt


I plan on building a 40 gallon breed frag tank in the future to run with with tank. But that’s a future build at this time

 

[zombie]

A controller would be useful.

The biggest issue I see is the single large heater. You want some sort of a backup heater. Ideally I would say use (2) 300W heaters for that size tank, but if you keep the 500 in, go with a 200W.

 

[Robbiekrause33]

I’d love a controller but I gotta find the funds lol.

I did for get to say in that post I do have a back up Eheim 150 watt heater in there till I can get another titanium 300 watt heater

 

[SkyShark]

Awesome start. I would consider rearranging the rock. Maybe cement some of the pieces together into more defined “bommies.” As the tank natures and coral fills in I think you will want more height and openness. Do a little search into aquascaping online. I am jealous of all the real estate you have to work with!

 

[Robbiekrause33]

Awesome start. I would consider rearranging the rock. Maybe cement some of the pieces together into more defined “bommies.” As the tank natures and coral fills in I think you will want more height and openness. Do a little search into aquascaping online. I am jealous of all the real estate you have to work with!

I appreciate all the input. Do you think I need to bond if I just do zoas softies and lps? I won’t be doing any sps or anything like that. I love the zoas.

 

[SkyShark]

I appreciate all the input. Do you think I need to bond if I just do zoas softies and lps? I won’t be doing any sps or anything like that. I love the zoas.

It’s 100% what you want to see. That said, with softies you may want to create islands to keep things isolated. Some of those softies can takeover quickly.

 

[Robbiekrause33]

Do you then

It’s 100% what you want to see. That said, with softies you may want to create islands to keep things isolated. Some of those softies can takeover quickly.

Do you think zoas mushrooms and some LPS will over take a lot? How high would you take the scape I’m about middle of the tank now

 

[JZinCO]

I go up to 2/3rds-ish. You'd be surprised at how much high light can benefit some zoas and other softies. As far as LPS, my experience is that some, such as candy canes will be perfectly content being blasted by light (whereas some other LPS would not).
I'm in the middle of a build but if you follow my signature, you can see my current tank. I was going for a couple bommies on the left and the tail of a large rock formation on the right. I ended up failing miserably. I added more rock to add more coral and now the left half is disorderly. I lost the 1/3 of the tank bottom that was open sand. The only thing I did right was have multiple tiers of shelf rock on the right half. That way I could accommodate frags with different tolerances.

I prefer the look of several distinct rock features which are fully or partially separated by open water, but try it and see if you like it or don't. To each their own.

 

[Robbiekrause33]

Hmm I’ll for sure have to do some research and see if there is anything that can really benefit the tank and fish. I appreciate it

 

[Robbiekrause33]

Took the advice added more rock and made the structure higher and added more hiding and swim through. Let me know what you guys think.

The next task is wire management it is driving me nuts.

All live stock seems super happy and even the SPS I am trying out seem pretty happy as well. Doing weekly 15 gallon water changes and dosing seed as well still. Not dosing anything else at this time. Running a small reactor right now. Waiting to up grade.