New 125 gal tank, ideas on equipment?

[azfishgal]

OK, I have my new 125 gallon, reef ready tank. *celebrate Will start with FOWLR and then move s l o w l y to coral. I know I need lighting, sump, skimmer, uv, powerheads, pumps, etc. (My husband is building the stand/canopy.) I've been doing some research and there is a lot of stuff out there to say the least. I can trust my lfs store, but who wants to spend that much money. So, any tips I would greatly appreciate. And remember, I'm still learning the saltwater verbage, so spell it out for me. Oh, one specific question I have is what bulbs can I use (can I get T5s) with the light fixtures that came with my tank. I have three light fixtures about 22" long. (I know I will have to upgrade when I start adding coral).

Thanks so much for your help! *SUNSMILE*

Edit: Oh and if you can give me the best place to buy my equipment (if you are allowed to do that on this forum).

 

[ram man]

the lights should do for now without any corals. for sw check out "about the reef"(lfs) good store, and should know about every thing you need.

 

[1979camaro]

If you are looking for online stores I like marineandreef.com and marinedepot.com

For a tank of that size I can't reccomend a skimmer (no personal experience) but I know Lotus is setting up a similar tank so maybe she can help.

You do not need a UV filter.

The big stuff for you right now is going to be the return pump from the sump (get one that does a lot of GPH...and figure out if you want a submersible or external pump) and powerheads. You want to turn the water over in the tank a minimum of 10x (I would shoot for more like 25x) per hour so you are going to want your pumps to total at least 1,250gph.

I wouldn't spend any money on lights until you are ready for coral. At that point, get a high quality metal halide fixture with Double Ended HQI bulbs.

 

[Lotus]

I have a similar setup that I started a month ago, with the same intention of eventually making it a reef tank. I'm still a newbie in saltwater, though.

The lights you have now are probably fine until you're ready to upgrade to a reef tank (possibly in a few months). Reef lighting will probably cost you $600 or more for that size tank, if you want to have the best lighting for the widest range of corals.

Right now, your major expenses will be for live rock (125lbs or more), powerheads, return pump and protein skimmer.

We decided to get a sump/refugium setup for our tank. The refugium allows you to grow macroalgaes to reduce nitrates (great for reefs) and to grow copepods (food for fish). We got an in-sump protein skimmer. The sump should have enough room/chambers for you to put your heaters, skimmer and return pump. Make sure it will fit under the stand, though!

The other piece of advice I have is to fill the tank with freshwater before you get your live rock to make sure all your equipment is working right and that there are no leaks in the system.

We buy most of our stuff from our fish store. They give us great service, and lots of help, so we want to support them. They also sometimes give us discounts if we're buying a lot of stuff, or throw in some freebies. If you're not in such a lucky position, then the sites recommended above are probably a good idea.

 

[zoalover34]

check out the ASM G3 or larger for your skimmer the G3 is rated at 250gallons but im sure its over rated (as are all skimmers) you can find a new one on ebay for 269.95 .. ive heard great things from everyone who has these skimmers.. euro-reef ( i think) also makes great skimmers but are more expensive.. they use the same styles and look alot alike

 

[Lorna]

In addition to the online sites mentioned above I highly recommend Premium Aquatics. They are based in Indianapolis, their prices are great and their customer service is far and above outstanding. I bought my live rock from them and though maybe a bit more pricey I was able to go and handpick it myself from their 600 gallon tanks. I have heard their shipping is reasonable and they cure their own in store.

 

[azfishgal]

Thanks so much everyone for giving me some great tips.

Lotus, thanks for sharing what you have done. I'm also going with a sump/fuge and will get an in-sump skimmer. I think I'm going to go with the ASM skimmer as I'm getting a lot of good feed back about that one. What do you have? We have a really good lfs store here, but I'm new so I want to make sure I'm not being taken for a ride, if you know what I mean. If I find they are trustworthy and reliable then they will get a lot of my business. I just bought my tank from them, so I've given them a reason to treat me good, right?

Thanks again, and know I will have more question and will be sure to post more pics as it gets started. Here is my first pic!

 

[Lotus]

We have a Coralife skimmer, but I don't think it's one that many people recommend.

 

[dbacksrat]

I wouldn't go to ATR unless you're going for the fish--their corals are terribly overpriced (but you shouldn't have to worry about that for now).
Also, check out Reef Central Online Community - Arizona - Fish & Reef Aquarium Group (FRAG). This is the local board on Reef Central with a lot of really friendly and knowledgeable members. If you ask, you may be able to find a lot of new/used equipment for really cheap as well as some free corals for later on.
The reef scene is really hot down where you are.

 

[azfishgal]

I wouldn't go to ATR unless you're going for the fish--their corals are terribly overpriced (but you shouldn't have to worry about that for now).
Also, check out Reef Central Online Community - Arizona - Fish & Reef Aquarium Group (FRAG). This is the local board on Reef Central with a lot of really friendly and knowledgeable members. If you ask, you may be able to find a lot of new/used equipment for really cheap as well as some free corals for later on.
The reef scene is really hot down where you are.

Thanks for the tip on ATR. I bought my tank from Aquarium Arts (closer to me). Know anything about them? I"ll also check out Reef Central. THANKS!