Starting a new reef try 2

[Bloat]

Lets try this in the right spot Im new to here and coming back to marine from fresh water after a long leave. I have been reading on it for about 2 weeks now

My tank is a 125 72" 18" 23" and I plan on using 45# live rock
25# of base rock and a 50/50 mix of live sand

just wondering if you folks can help me with lighting and filters wet/dry or canister . and do I need to have a drain plug. Are Protein skimmers needed.

I also plan on leaving it cure for 8 weeks before adding inhabitants would this be to long and could hurt the system.

Any help you folks have for me I would love greatly

Thanks
Scott

[wanareef]

Scott

Welcome back to the "madness and the addiction" err Hobby

What type of tank did or are you wanting - fowlr (fish only w/live rock) or a reef? This will regulate you to what type of equipment that you need or want.

For fowlr - you won't need too much light, a skimmer will be nice cause of the bio-load. Or even the canister filter will work.

Now for the reef part. There are so many combinations and different ways to acheive the same goal - great water params and diversified cleanup crew (lr & DSB or lack of one) to be able to house our little piece of the ocean. You may want have a sump for your skimmer, heaters - (but some guys are running sumpless), a refugium for growing out macro algae and a haven to grow pods and such for the tank. Maybe even use as a holding tank for that "bad" fish. A calicum reactor if you are going toward sps's, kalk ractor for top off.

So as you can see this is just the begining. Maybe read and read up on what you want. Will need to know which way you want to go then we can answer better.

[JennM]

Welcome back to the hobby!

It's hard to adequately filter a long tank with HOB type equipment. If you only plan to add that much rock, a wet/dry might be in order, or if you can add more live rock, a good skimmer and perhaps some powerheads for movement, you can get away with less filtration.

I don't recommend canisters - except for occasional polishing of the water. They tend to harbour nitrate if they are allowed to go biological, and by virtue of the fact that you are starting with minimal live rock and no other biological, the canister would have to be biological. They are closed loop systems and they don't allow the water to properly de-gas and that can lead to low dissolved oxygen and consequently, low pH.

If you can plumb up a sump, that would be better. Bio media if you have minimal live rock, no biomedia if you can boost the live rock content. Sump allows you a bigger, better skimmer and your other peripherals such as heater, carbon etc., can be concealed outside of the tank.

HTH

Jenn

[Geoff]

Welcome back to the hobby!

waiting 8 weeks before adding anything is a great idea. it will only make the tank better. it gives the system plenty of time to get the bacteria really going. it will also get you through some of the annoying algae phases.

G~

[Bloat]

thanks for your help folks cant what to get started will post pics soon