New 120gal rr - Need some help please:)

V

vman181

[Hello everyone. I have a couple of questions to ask and would like any and all input. Thank you in advance.

I just bought a 120gal RR tank. The tank is 6’ long 19” wide and 20” deep. It also has a 36” stand for a total height of 56” (all most 5’). It will have a 3” or 4” DSB and an unknown amount of LR. It came with two bulkheads, one in each rear corner, which are 1” in diameter. It also has a wet/dry w/bio balls rated for up to 200 or 250 gallons. The previous owner had the two lines connected together with PVC pipe and it goose into the wet/dry via one 1’ bulkhead and not two. There is one 1" return line that goose back into the tank. There are only two elbows in the return line so the return line can go over the backside of the tank. It also has one ball valve in each line. Right now I have a 55gal SW tank with about a 3” live DSB and about 100 pounds of LR. The 55gal tank is a standard 55(48”L x 13”W x ?H). All of this will get moved over to the new tank including the water. Now with all that said here are my questions.

1) Should I leave the wet/dry w/bio balls as is or should I convert to a sump (I have never had ether one)?
2) What kind of light should I put over the sump (if I go that rout) and how long should it stay on for?
3) Should I put a “Y” PVC connection in the return line so I would have two lines coming over the top of the tank for more water movement?
4) What size pump do I need for the return line with or without the “Y” PVC connection? The placing of the pump will be outside of the wet/dry or sump, because that is how it is set up right now. I was thinking a Magdrive 9.
5) I have an Icecap 660 wired for four bulbs right now. Would four 4’ VHO bulbs be enough or should I run six 3’ VHO bulbs on an IC 660 and 430?
6) How much more sand would I have to buy in order to achieve a 3” to 4” DSB
7) In my 55gal I also have the following 3 fish, Blue Damsel, True Purc and a Coral Beauty. Can they live in a 35 gal tank with salt water and some LR without any sand until the new tank cycles?
8) I have never mixed my own salt. I always buy it premixed from the LFS. They use Oceanantic salt mix. How many cups pure one gallon of this do you mix together?


I think this is all I can think of for now. If I have any more questions I will add them to this post. Again I thank every one who can help me out.

Thank you,
Kevin Veneman]
 
[Hi Kevin,

1) Should I leave the wet/dry w/bio balls as is or should I convert to a sump (I have never had ether one)?

You should convert to a sump.
http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html
http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html

2) What kind of light should I put over the sump (if I go that rout) and how long should it stay on for?

The light goes over the refugium. If you want small lights over the sump area just to see, you can install small spotlights available at Home Depot for under $15. They are designed for curio cabinets and under the upper kitchen cabinets. Here's the bulb you could use over your refugium:
http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html

3) Should I put a “Y” PVC connection in the return line so I would have two lines coming over the top of the tank for more water movement?

That is a good idea. If you can't find a Y, a Tee would work as well.

4) What size pump do I need for the return line with or without the “Y” PVC connection? The placing of the pump will be outside of the wet/dry or sump, because that is how it is set up right now. I was thinking a Magdrive 9.

A Mag 9.5 would be just fine for this application. Maybe even a Mag 12. They can be used externally, but I prefer submerged in the return section of the sump.

5) I have an Icecap 660 wired for four bulbs right now. Would four 4’ VHO bulbs be enough or should I run six 3’ VHO bulbs on an IC 660 and 430?

This depends on the livestock. If you plan soft corals only, then you would want 6' of lighting. If you plan fish only, you can stagger your current lighting so that the ends are not dark. The center would be brighter due to the bulbs overlapping. If you think you'll want hard corals in the future, you'll want 3 MH bulbs (3 x 175w would be fine), and use the current Icecap ballast and bulbs to supply actinic lighting.

6) How much more sand would I have to buy in order to achieve a 3” to 4” DSB

What you have in your current tank, double it or more.

7) In my 55gal I also have the following 3 fish, Blue Damsel, True Purc and a Coral Beauty. Can they live in a 35 gal tank with salt water and some LR without any sand until the new tank cycles?

Yes.

8) I have never mixed my own salt. I always buy it premixed from the LFS. They use Oceanantic salt mix. How many cups pure one gallon of this do you mix together?

Typically 1/2 cup per gallon. Of course, check your salinity with a hydrometer or refractometer to reach the optimum level. For a reef tank, 1.026. For fish only, 1.023.

HTH]
 
[Thank you Marc for all of your answers. I can only think of one more question at this time.

1) I went to my LFS yesterday to ask him some of these questions and he said I should have two lines running into the sump and two return lines. Is this a necessity or something that would be ok without?


Also if there is anyone else who would like to add to this thread please do so. You don’t have to answer all the questions like Marc did for me, which is greatly appreciated.

Thank you again

Kevin Veneman]
 
[and he said I should have two lines running into the sump and two return lines. Is this a necessity or something that would be ok without?

Two drain lines would be fine on a 120g. Hopefully they are 1" or larger. If one were to clog for some reason, the ideal situation is that the other drain can keep up. But that isn't the main reason. Having two drains allows you to have good surface movement to keep things clean and clear for good gas exchange.

One return line that is split on a large pump would give you two returns. I can't imagine needing two lines and two pumps. That is a disaster waiting to happen, imho.]
 
[Marc
I have two drain lines in the tank but they are both plumed together and then run into the wet/dry. Should I drill another hole and add a bulkhead to the wet/dry and run the drain lines separate or would they be ok plumed together like they are?

Thank you

Kevin]
 
[@vman181 wrote:
Marc I have two drain lines in the tank but they are both plumed together and then run into the wet/dry. Should I drill another hole and add a bulkhead to the wet/dry and run the drain lines separate or would they be ok plumed together like they are? Thank you Kevin said:
Just to add another perspective... I've had a snail crawl down a drain line and clog it. Both my drain lines are independent tubes into the sump. I'd be very nervous about having a point where the two lines became one. In your described set up, had the snail in my tank contintued down, he'd have reached a point where he could have effectively clogged both drains. JMO, but I'd use two separate drains if you have the means to do so.]
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