# starting new 120 gallon and want equipment ideas etc



## n21981606 (Aug 8, 2010)

Hello

so i currently have 2 55 gal fish tanks and they have been up and running for 3 years or more. in one tank i have some cichlids and in the other i have 2 Koi fish.

the cichlids are beautiful fish but i have had problems with bloat and of course aggression. I'm kinda getting tired of paying for medifix and want something a little less problem prone.

the koi's are fantastic. no problems always healthy and no "drama".

so after giving it some thought, i've decided to do a 120 gal community tank and use the 55 cichlid tank as a sump. i have 2x 1.5" holes drilled in the top right side and would like some ideas on what would be good things to have before i set everything up.

not livestock but things that work well for you or something you wish you had or makes maintenance easier

for example, i bought a reef keeper elite (http://www.digitalaquatics.com/saltwater/RKE) and will have level switches for low and high levels in the sump and the display tank. as well i bought the option so i can log on remotely and control everything from my phone or pc when im away as i travel alot. also it will email me if there is an alarm. i also have bought leak detectors and will have them hooked up to turn off pumps etc in case of a leak

im going to run a 200 micron filter sock in the sump as well as a uv. also i think ill add some fluval biomax to it as well.

im not sure what else i would need but if you have any ideas on how i can make this tank problem free or maybe just something that you use that you really really like and you just cant live with out, please let me know.

thanks


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## n21981606 (Aug 8, 2010)

No one has any ideas or suggestions?


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

why would you need a reefkeeper elite for goldfish? What is "everything" that you need to control?

The reefkeeper might be alot of overkill and going the elite route is definitely extreme overkill.

Koi can survive quite a vast range of environments and so can the cichlids from what I remember. All you really need to do is throw a few heaters in and a timer for the lights if you're going that route.

If you end up going the planted route then I would think you would need a bit more control but for now all you need is a light, a few heaters, and a return pump.

Or you could make that 120g a reef!!! Then we can talk!!!


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

altcharacter said:


> Or you could make that 120g a reef!!! Then we can talk!!!


LOL, I have to agree. With a 55g sump, drilled tanks, and plumbing, it's overkill for a FW tank. Some people do it, but I think it's not really necessary.

To the OP:

FW is easy to setup. If you want to go planted, your only real concern is light. If it's fish-only, then you don't even need that concern.

Planted tanks, however, are far easier to maintain. A healthy planted tank requires no real water changes, just regular top-ups. For a non-planted FW tank, water changes would be the main chore, especially on a large tank.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

If you're going to keep the koi that's pretty much all you can really keep in there unless you go with other cold water fish. You might not even need a heater for the koi depending on how cold your house gets. 

55 gal sump is not over kill when keeping large fish or even just having a large tank with lots of smaller fish.
Don't know why anyone would say that.

I wouldn't blow too much money on lights if it's fish only. 

You seem to have everything you need to get going. 

Word of advice mela and Pima fix are garbage and don't do much, they're just a waste of money.

What are you planning to keep in the tank?


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## Kurare (Oct 8, 2010)

Planted tank with MILLLLLLLIONS of Neons!!!! =D


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## fbi (Sep 17, 2012)

I hope you're making your own melafix. 4L might cost you $12. 

I have a 110 with a Arowana and two big plecos. I have a 20ga sump. Heater, lights, air for sump, return pump, plumbing, done.

-B

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2


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