New 135-Gallon in the Planning Phase!

[jadefox]

So I took the proverbial plunge and ordered a 135-gallon tank yesterday. The new baby is 72"x18"x24 with a center trap overflow and a black back. SOOOOOOOOOOOO....what do you think I should do with it?

Give me all your ideas on equipment, livestock, etc.

Thanks in advance.

[110galreef]

I would do a mixed reef.
Plan your fish and corals ahead of time.

I'd also drill a CLS as well. Get a BIG skimmer and do it right the first time.
Also get good lighting. MH or T-5 or a mix of both.

[jadefox]

THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS!

Originally Posted by 110galreef

I would do a mixed reef.
Plan your fish and corals ahead of time.

I'm going to plan everything ahead of time...I'm kind of anal like that...lol. Thoughts on species?

Originally Posted by 110galreef

I'd also drill a CLS as well.

I was going to do an over-the-back CLS system, but I guess you're right about drilling it. What's your preferred CLS configuartion?

Originally Posted by 110galreef

Get a BIG skimmer and do it right the first time.

I'm choosing between an ASM or Aqua C skimmer...do you have an opinion?

Originally Posted by 110galreef

Also get good lighting. MH or T-5 or a mix of both.

I'm trying to decide whether I am going to build a canopy for the lights or hang them from the ceiling. I'm planning to go MH.

[110galreef]

Well, I'd either go octopus over the ASM....cheaper, skim better and better built. Another skimmer option is MRC.

A drilled CLS would be a better option IMO. I'd Do a spray bar behind the rock at the bottom of the tank. The put a jet low in each back corner and one high in each upper corner.

The coral selection is up to you. But I'd say start w/ softies, zoo's & LPS. Then if yoy really want go to some SPS.

I prefer the look of lights in a canopy as oppsed to lighting the entire room. Very bright....

[jadefox]

Originally Posted by 110galreef

Well, I'd either go octopus over the ASM....cheaper, skim better and better built. Another skimmer option is MRC

Unfortunatley I have to choose between ASM and Aqua C. Any thoughts on those two brands? (btw I love the Octopus!)

Originally Posted by 110galreef

A drilled CLS would be a better option IMO. I'd Do a spray bar behind the rock at the bottom of the tank. The put a jet low in each back corner and one high in each upper corner.

That sounds like a good plan.

Originally Posted by 110galreef

The coral selection is up to you. But I'd say start w/ softies, zoo's & LPS. Then if yoy really want go to some SPS..

Agreed. Trying to decide about fishes too in terms of which species I want to build around.

Originally Posted by 110galreef

I prefer the look of lights in a canopy as oppsed to lighting the entire room. Very bright....

Great call. Thanks for that.

[110galreef]

Why do you have to go ASM or Aqua C??

As far as fish: Look at chromis, Tangs, clowns, Blennies, cardinals, gobies, some reefsafe wrasse's.

Also plan on some cleaner shrimp, blood fire shrimp and a coral banded shrimp. Also plan on some serpent and brittle stars. Plan on a bunch of varios snails. Stay away or limit your crabs to a few as they inevitably will eat your snails for there shell or food!


Asso f0r the lights if you plan canopy and primarily softies & LPS and maybe a few SPS...I'd go 175w MH's and the some T-5 actinic supplementtation. Oh yeah clams are awesome as well.If the tank is 60" you can get away with 2 MH's but if tank is 72 plan on three

The 175's will cut down on heat, lower electric bills and still get plenty of light and growth. Trust me you ineveitably be fraggin as stuff gets to big!

[jadefox]

Originally Posted by 110galreef

Why do you have to go ASM or Aqua C??

It's a cost thing because of some connections I have.

Originally Posted by 110galreef

As far as fish: Look at chromis, Tangs, clowns, Blennies, cardinals, gobies, some reefsafe wrasse's.!

I've never kept wrasses, but I was just researching them today. They will certainly be in the set-up. I've also been thinking about some cardinals (either Sphaeramia nematoptera or Pterapogon kauderni). I have one yellow tang I'm going to move over to the 135. Blennies and Gobies are for sure. I also might keep a pair of Wide Band Clowns (A. latezonatus) in there. SO MANY CHOICES...lol I do want to try clams...I've never kept them.

Originally Posted by 110galreef

Also plan on some cleaner shrimp, blood fire shrimp and a coral banded shrimp. Also plan on some serpent and brittle stars. Plan on a bunch of varios snails. Stay away or limit your crabs to a few as they inevitably will eat your snails for there shell or food!!

Indeed...the CUC will be massive but carefully chosen. I'm scared of coral banded shrimp but maybe. NO CRABS! Okay maybe some electric blue knuckled hermits and a few zebras.

Originally Posted by 110galreef

Asso f0r the lights if you plan canopy and primarily softies & LPS and maybe a few SPS...I'd go 175w MH's and the some T-5 actinic supplementtation. Oh yeah clams are awesome as well.If the tank is 60" you can get away with 2 MH's but if tank is 72 plan on three! The 175's will cut down on heat, lower electric bills and still get plenty of light and growth. Trust me you ineveitably be fraggin as stuff gets to big!

It's a 72" so I have to three 175W MHs with the T-5 supplementation.

[110galreef]

OK then I'd go Aqua C EV 240 w/ a good pump! Or go ASM G4+ or G5.......

Don't fret the CBS...I have had one for over five years and no issues w/ anything. You can do like 2-3 emerald crabs, 15 or so red leggs and a few of the electric blues. Then just load up on the snails.

[110galreef]

Oh yeah, plan the Sequence hammerhead pump for your CLS!
Get as large a sump you can(50-75g). If you want to do a refugium...optional and up to you. Keep you sump return pump in the 700-900gph range for your size tank.

Start getting rock ahead of time and start cooking it while you plan all this out. I'd start with about 150-175#'s.The cooking will take like 4-6 weeks.

Also be sure to get a RO/Di unit. a 75gpd unit will be plenty and very effecient.

[jadefox]

Originally Posted by 110galreef

Oh yeah, plan the DART hammerhead pump for your CLS!
Get as large a sump you can(50-75g). If you want to do a refugium...optional and up to you. Keep you sump return pump in the 700-900gph range for your size tank.

Start getting rock ahead of time and start cooking it while you plan all this out. I'd start with about 150-175#'s.The cooking will take like 4-6 weeks.

Also be sure to get a RO/Di unit. a 75gpd unit will be plenty and very effecient.

I was going to go 50 gallons on the sump, but you think bigger? I'm definately doing a fuge. I've already started cooking the rocks--150 lbs and will probably add more.

[110galreef]

Originally Posted by jadefox

I was going to go 50 gallons on the sump, but you think bigger? I'm definately doing a fuge. I've already started cooking the rocks--150 lbs and will probably add more.

50 is plenty, I only had a 29g sump on my 110, but that was all I could fit....wanted bigger.

[jadefox]

Originally Posted by 110galreef

Oh yeah, plan the DART hammerhead pump for your CLS!
Get as large a sump you can(50-75g). If you want to do a refugium...optional and up to you. Keep you sump return pump in the 700-900gph range for your size tank.

Start getting rock ahead of time and start cooking it while you plan all this out. I'd start with about 150-175#'s.The cooking will take like 4-6 weeks.

Also be sure to get a RO/Di unit. a 75gpd unit will be plenty and very effecient.

Did you sell your Dart CLS pump?

[110galreef]

Originally Posted by jadefox

Did you sell your Dart CLS pump?

Yeah it's gone....you'll want bigger(the hammerhead) especially if your doing the spraybar on the CLS. If no spray bar the Dart is plenty. I realized my typo on the CLS pump above and fixed it. DOH! I called the pump a DART hammerhead....DOH DOH DOH

[jadefox]

Originally Posted by 110galreef

Yeah it's gone....you'll want bigger(the hammerhead) especially if your doing the spraybar on the CLS. If no spray bar the Dart is plenty. I realized my typo on the CLS pump above and fixed it. DOH! I called the pump a DART hammerhead....DOH DOH DOH

Yea...lol...I'm thinking a DART Hammerhead for the CLS with an Ocen Motion 8-way.

[110galreef]

Here are some pics of my CLS setup. I'd do something similiar if you plan the spary bar and then use the ocean motions on the return nozles!

Here is the waterflow output idea:

Red= CLS outputs
Black= Sump returns
Yellow= CLS pump feeds