Unexpected Upgrade! 24gAIO to 120g RR!

[Snaizel]

Uh so this was really not what I planned happening. I joined this forum a couple weeks ago because I've just started my journey in the saltwater hobby! I'm a longtime FW planted tank fan and wanted to make a gentle step into saltwater with this cute 24g aio I got for a good deal

It's got caribsea life rock, live sand, kessil a80, standard return pump and skimmer that came with the tank, a small WaveMaker, and a couple other little things. I just recently added an ocelaris clown and got 2 free corals thrown in with that purchase (looks like some kind of mushrooms. Im not good with ID-ing corals just yet.) And its been great so far.


Then I found a very nice local deal on a 120gal RR tank with stand, sump, return pump, and light mounting brackets. And i really couldn't resist. So one of my roommates and I headed over to pick everything up and after severely overestimated what his little sedan could fit and several uber xl's at midnight to transport all this gear back to our little rowhome and gathered a few friends to help us carry and move everything in:

I believe this tank is an oceanic tech? Eurobraced 120gal 4x2x2 tank. (Correct me if im wrong)

(Not pictured is the sump and the LED mounting brackets: theyre both diy so im cleaning them up right now. I kinda dig the 2x4 light brackets haha)

I have never owned an aquatic tank this size and this is also my first introduction to sumps. Everything is already plumbed and im going to give it all a good vinegar soak, but im very new to this and out of my element so any help will be greatly appreciated.

Right now im trying to deepclean the homemade sump. It looks like its made from a 30 tall or 37 gal tank with extra pieces of glass siliconed in for baffles and chambers. Lots of dead chaeto i gotta clean out. It's pretty beat and the previous owner suggested I get a new sump like an eshopps or something, but im gunna try to do this whole tank build on a major budget (1. Because i do not make a lot of money haha like 12k a year and 2. I like penny pinching its like a fun challenge.)

I'm gunna try salvage this sump if I can but ill try to get pics soon and see what everyone else's opinion is. I dont want to start off on the wrong foot with my tank with a bunch of dead stuff putting in nitrites and other harmful things into my tank. But id like to avoid spending $$$$ cash on a sump.

The biggest take away right now is that I feel very lucky to have been able to afford and aquire something like this (and to my very understanding roommates who let me keep this in our living room and my friends who helped move it.) I never thought I would be able to have something like this with so many options for stocking ideas and corals so soon in this hobby and it makes me very excited to see what I can do with it!

Any and all suggestions for gear, maintenance, general diy stuff, and beginner fish and corals are greatly appreciated!

Now its time to scrape up some dry rock!!

Happy reefing everyone!!!!

 

[harley32907]

Congratulations!

 

[Snaizel]

Tyty!

 

[Drew_E36]

I’m actually going to follow with you build bro this is super cool

 

[Snaizel]

Aaaaahhhhh!!! So sorry for not keeping up with this im horrible at this stuff hahaha!

Lots of progress has been made! I got the dry rock in and the sump setup (no skimmer yet still doing lots of research) and im starting to fill the tank! Im going with an approach of "wow I really like saltwater fish but I might want a couple corals here and there" as far as the stocking ideas go.

I've never had a sump system before so im scared it might overflow but im doing my best and trying to make sure everything is correct. I guess I'll have buckets on standby. Next on the list is probably a bit more rock now that I look at it and an inkbird to control the heaters. Still trying to find lighting options that can mount with my eurobraced tank relatively easily. Kessil seems to work alright but they can be expensive. Ill try to keep updated on this more but I got a lot of life stuff so progress may be slow.

I appreciate anyone who wants to check my thread out it means a lot to me and everyone here is always so helpful )) this community rocks.

 

[Drew_E36]

Dude you should look into adding macro algae I just found out about it and I’m obsessed with adding some plus corals once my tank is ready!

 

[Stang67]

I wouldn't worry about the skimmer right now. I got one and found that a refugium (chaeto in the middle sump chamber) works better for nutrient export. But I dont have alot of fish (high bioload). You have time. The one thing I would do with a used tank is replace the bulkheads that drain the tank (if your tank is drilled at the bottom for the plumbing). Big leaks are easy to fix. The smallish ones aren't as easy because you won't notice them right away. Keep an eye out for any salt creep that will show you where they are. Fill everything up and test the whole system wit fresh water first. No need to waste salt water if you find a leak and have to drain it all. Invest in a good rodi system. It will be the best thing you do to get started. If your not keen on corals no need to dump a ton of $$ in a light. Get a vispectra or Mars aqua off amazon. Inexpensive and they do the job ( even if you end up getting coral they will work too). Sorry just some early morning thoughts. Good luck and following.

 

[Snaizel]

I wouldn't worry about the skimmer right now. I got one and found that a refugium (chaeto in the middle sump chamber) works better for nutrient export. But I dont have alot of fish (high bioload). You have time. The one thing I would do with a used tank is replace the bulkheads that drain the tank (if your tank is drilled at the bottom for the plumbing). Big leaks are easy to fix. The smallish ones aren't as easy because you won't notice them right away. Keep an eye out for any salt creep that will show you where they are. Fill everything up and test the whole system wit fresh water first. No need to waste salt water if you find a leak and have to drain it all. Invest in a good rodi system. It will be the best thing you do to get started. If your not keen on corals no need to dump a ton of $$ in a light. Get a vispectra or Mars aqua off amazon. Inexpensive and they do the job ( even if you end up getting coral they will work too). Sorry just some early morning thoughts. Good luck and following.

I have another reef tank in my bedroom so I've had an rodi for a hot minute haha and all the hard plumbing bulkheads and ball valves are all totally fine and don't leak. I scrubbed it all thoroughly and everything is filled and running fine. I do want to extend the plumbing deeper into the sump and add some filter sock setup if I can.

As far as lighting goes I try to stay away from the black boxes because I'm very afraid of issues with potential fire hazards and I just dont want to mount them 18-24inches above my tank. Plus I rent theres no way to do any kind of hanging or wall mounts at all.