...feel like throwing in the towel.... :(

[AngelLeah1981]

I purchased a 120 gallon tank and am wanting to purchase the pump and skimmer next. I want to do reef and fish with a sump that has macro algae and rock and maybe sand. I thought I had the pump figured out that I was going to get. ...around 1500 gph at 4 foot head height but then I saw where someone had said they had one pump hooked up for their return and ANOTHER ONE on the skimmer ! How many pumps do you have to have? I'm so confused. Please help. Also, I am very interested in getting a pump that uses low wattage and any suggestions would be fantastic. I have such a hard time googling it for some reason. THERE ARE TWO overflows.

48X24X25 - From the top of the tank to the bottom of the stand is almost 54 inches.

Leah

Oh, and the reason I mentioned the skimmer is because that is part of the confusion. Someone said they needed to know what kind of skimmer I am getting before they can tell me what kind of pump to get. ?I actually cried tonight because I just don't understand why this has to be so complicated. What's really ridiculous is I have money and want to buy the next piece of equipment and I can't understand what to buy. sigh. This is the second emotional breakdown I've had over the aquarium. LOL....the first was over the actual tank ! and now this one is over the skimmer and the pump. ha ha. I want 2-6 Ocellaris Clownfish, one or 2 tangs, and I would love to have seahorses but I don't know if they would be ok with the tangs or not.....and also I would love to have 1-3 yellow faced jawfish but I think there may be a problem because I was wanting a sand bed and I think these fish need to have rock. I could put rock in just one section of the tank though. I thought since the tank is so big everyone could have their own little section. I might only end up getting 2-3 clownfish if there is a problem with the rest of my wants. I want anemones and later on difficult coral/animals.

Thanks alot. (trying to smile)

[AngelLeah1981]

Here is the actual list of fish I would like to have but I don't know if you can mix these all together or not.

yellow faced jawfish
seahorses
ocellaris clownfish
blue jaw tilefish - (very active lives on bottom - so probably not with the seahorses, right?)
blue powder tangs
other tangs,
racoon butterfly fish,
Angel Fish

[XnSdVd]

Try not to over complicate things. As far as i'm converned, with reef tanks all you need is one pump. Water goes into the inlet, goes through the sump, then is pumped back into the main tank by the pump. I hope you realize that if your inlet is at water level it's ALREADY skimming the surface.

http://www.greenchapter.com/home.php should be able to provide reliable consultants. They're based in Singapore i doubt you'd need more than a few questions answered.

As for the fauna, i find that the safest thing to do is base my tank off an ecosystem. Especially one that's in your region. You can probably get some good ideas by watching NatGeo or Discovery channel. Heck, try Animal Planet.

[DE Lightings]

hi bro,

from reading your post, i guess you are very new in Marine. Im not sure why are you posting at this section as there is a marine section in AQ.

What i suggest is that you learn more from this hobby than start instead of starting without knowing.

As for a marine setup, you will need proper equipment such as an overflow tank, good lighting, skimmer, chiller, etc.

You will need to cycle the tank properly before adding any livestocks.

From the list of livestocks you mention, some are not compatible to keep together.

yellow faced jawfish - Ok for reef tank
seahorses - slow eater and need slow flow rate. not to keep with fishes
ocellaris clownfish - Ok for reef tank
blue jaw tilefish - Ok for reef tank
blue powder tangs - Ok for reef tank
other tangs, - Ok for reef tank
racoon butterfly fish - Fish only tank. Buttefly nips on corals
Angel Fish - Aggressive. Nips on corals

As for skimmer, there are alot of brands and type in the market. So you will need to know what type of skimmer u are interested. Different skimmers works differently.

Here are some of them

Venture - need a small pump to drive. Normally they are cheap
Beckett - need to stong pump to drive. Harder to tune
Needlewheel - insump type, just plug n play. outsump type, you need to have a feeding pump to feed water to the skimmer.

Have fun keeping ya!!

[BFG]

AngelLeah1981, first of all, welcome to AQ!

The 1st thing you need to do is to be patient and take thing slow. Have you read up on what it takes to start and upkeep a marine setup?

I would deal with your 1st concern, the skimmer. If you need a skimmer that does not need multiple pump to operate, there are 2 that I know but do not have experience since they are still new in the market and no one in my side of the planet distribute them here.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1252315

Read through this thread on your own time. The reason I recommended the ATB Small is that this skimmer uses 1 Eheim 1260 that is used to feed as well as to churn out the bubble in the skimmer body. Everyone in the aquatic hobby knows that a Eheim pump is a workhorse and doesn't breakdown easily. If the need arise for a replacement pump, it is available in most popular lfs in your state. The small model should fit into your need nicely. All you need to check for is the space where this skimmer will be placed. This is afterall an in-sump skimmer. Check that the sump has the necessary space to house this skimmer.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1168748

This is a thread for the Mini BubbleKing skimmer. It has the Red Dragon pump and uses less electricity than the ATB skimmer. But the replacement pump cost a lot if it ever need a replacement and only available through the distributor or the manufacturing company. It also uses a single pump to operate and doesn't need a feed pump to the skimmer. This is also an in-sump skimmer and you need to have a space for it in the sump.

Take your time to read through the 2 thread above. There are other brand of skimmer available but they did not fit the bill that you wanted.

[Shaihulud]

May i suggest that a 1500gph for a 120 gallon tank is huge, your overflow should likewise be as large volume as well, otherwise it will drain your sump quite quickly. Here is a site http://www.melevsreef.com/allmysumps.html where they reroute some of the water from the pump back into a sump with a ballvalve and some pipes. It has alot of information about everything as well.

[XnSdVd]

AngelLeah1981, disregard anything i've said save the advice from Green Chapter. BFG's the real Marine pro here

[kramsa]

Im also into marine I dont use any protein skimmer no kh,ph testing kit just want to share my secret its with the sump DIY sump bro first compartment wool filter and under it is coral chips, second compartment gravel under is charcoal. 3rd compartment leave it bare im using this for the last two years and all my corals and fish are still alive up to now of course need to change water every month 30% only.

[o2bubble]

Bro, I did wanted to start marine as well last time and did quite an extensive research before. It's not easy and just reading and figuring out what equipments to get is already a headache. Then finally I realised the quickest and easiest way to start safely and nicely is simply buying a 2nd hand tank from someone who is giving up hobby or from a shop. These tanks are already setup and established, so you can start enjoy this hobby instantly. Moreover, it will be much much cheaper than from scratch (not to mention all the time and money on the setup and upgrades later).

However, sad to say, I choosed to go back to planted tank instead Haha, its not any easier but I'm glad I'm almost done. Good luck and hope you get your dream tank soon! cheers!

[BFG]

AngelLeah1981, disregard anything i've said save the advice from Green Chapter. BFG's the real Marine pro here

Whoa, hold on there bro. There are better reefer here in this forum, just that they are currently on the " crouching tiger, hidden dragon " mode.

[XnSdVd]

Lol, true but you're way more credible than me, my marine setup relies on a deep sand bed and a sump. No skimmer and just one powerhead. It works but i don't know how reliable it is.

[BFG]

You could add some chaeto in your sump to absorb the nutrient. It just need lighting to grow.

[AngelLeah1981]

I think I finally am figuring things out slowly with the help of a friend. Thank GOD. Thank you all for your time and support. It is most appreciated.
Leah

[alvin_varian]

skimmer is th primary equipment. Go for H&S needle wheel skimmer.

[DE Lightings]

I think I finally am figuring things out slowly with the help of a friend. Thank GOD. Thank you all for your time and support. It is most appreciated.
Leah

find some buddy and learn from them......btw, enjoy this hobby