First 120 gallon fish only aquarium with sump/refugium

This is my first SW aquarium and I'm just waiting for quotes on the set up at the moment.

I think I'm going to go with a 120 gallon tank with a sump(not sure what size i should go with). I want to use the sump as a refugium to grow Copepods and Amphipods. The refugium in this video is what I think I want to shoot for:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXWK7...eature=related

For the display tank I'm wondering what easy thing I can put in it besides live rock? Any marine plants that you would recommend from this list:

http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/produ...?did=3&cid=284

Also, what are the best plants to put in the refugium?

As far as fish go, this is my list of fish i want:

Flame Angelfish
Marine Beta
Lawnmower Blenny
Leopard Blenny
Banggai Cardinalfish- 4 or 5
Black & White Ocellaris Clownfish - a pair
Ocellaris Clownfish - a pair
Black Spot Red Damsel
Green Chromis - school
Firefish - a pair
Green Mandarin Dragonet - a pair
Green Clown Goby
Blue Spot Jawfish
Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish
Yellow Banded Pipefish
Blue Tang
Niger Trigger
Blue Cleaner Wrasse
Sea Grass Wrasse
McCosker's Flasher Wrasse

Any fish you would recommend? Fish on the list that don't go together?

Invertebrates:

Clean-up Crew

Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp
Astraea Snails
Nerite Snails
Margarita Snails
Turbo Snails
Red Leg Reef Hermit Crabs
Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
Emerald Crabs
Tonga Fighting Conch
Bumble Bee Snails
Cerith Snails
Nassarius Snails
Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs
Sally Lightfoot Crabs
Sexy Shrimp

Not sure how many of each or if I should cut down the list of species.

For lighting I don't know much and was wondering what is the most attractive lighting for a fish only set up?

Well let me know what you think and tell me if there is something else i should be thinking about.

OldManOfTheSea said:

First, I like to Welcome you to AC and hope you will enjoy being here and learn yourself a great deal of information from many knowledgeable members to best assist you in your quest to see you succeed.

The Dendrochirus brachypterus I think it grows to a size of 7", short meaning, he will eat most of the fish on your list, and another is, a 120 for most 120 gal tanks are 4' long, two pairs of clownfish may not work out well. And your too many wrasses for a 120, just one. And the pipefish, if your just really starting out with only freshwater experience, you not want to buy this fish as well, it will perish in short order.

The Blue Tang, will demand a larger tank and this tank your already over crowded before getting started. I know if you look around some for info on this, you find only links suggesting a tank size like a 70 gal tank, it is misinformation.

The Niger Trigger crowded in with all those fish could be open season when its adult size.

With your cleaning crew figures, one would think your starting a reef tank and not F/O, the other thing, if you do it, do it very slowly at first for you would loose many of your cleaning crew due to them staving.

Keep your shirt on, you will get other thoughts on the matter to what your thinking of doing, you will most certainly have a good number of changes in your ideas for your 120.

You are best to take it slow and research, you will be requiring a great deal of patience here

Buddy

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Thanks! The list is just of fish that interest me(same thing with the clean- up crew). I will cut it down and add the fish slowly. I cut the lion from the list.:

How big of a tank do you need for two pairs of clowns? 150g? 180g? What dimensions?

OldManOfTheSea said:

I shouldn't had said two pair clown fish may not work, it wont work and I year from now or so, im to start a 240 gal SPS reef tank with a 125 gal sump, im no plans yet to the live stock at this time, but if i was to want a pair of clownfish, it be only one pair. They are extremely aggressive to other species of their own kind, even if your a 60 gal tank and wanted two single species of clownfish, you end up with the decision to which to remove from your tank.

Your two links don't open>

Also, you need to plan your tanks equipment worse you go to your LFS, know exactly what you want to tell them you want, they will or most lfs will sell you anything. You need to plan if you will have a chiller, this you can even do as im going to do by having a 1/2 HP chiller outside of the tanks stand, and it will have the same type of wood build around the chiller, leaving the back open for the heat to escape. Do get or have as large a sump you can, addition to your tanks water volume is a huge plus for your tank, also you might want to check out some UV Sterilizers and a 1/3 HP chiller should do find for you. Lights, nothing fancy and you will not want to have the lights on more then 6-7 hours a day. And the best skimmer you could afford, do it right from the start so you not have to spend more to do better later. It will always run you more money if you buy cheap to save a few dollars and find it that you need to still buy better equipment.

Buddy

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Thanks Buddy,

What in your opinion would be the best tank size for a FOWLR, 120g, 150g or 180g?