120 Gallon Setup - New Build

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TH2013

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
Messages
11
Hello All,

I have been out of the hobby for about 4 years. The cost was getting to be too much and when my tank leaked and I lost my beautiful 35g reef tank I packed it in.

Recently however, we have moved to a new home, and I have acquired a 120 gallon tank. It came with a few power heads and about 80 pounds of 'Dead' Live rock. I am hoping you guys can help me out with a few questions I have.

1. Location. At the back of my house I have a 3 season sunroom. the back wall of the room is a full window. I would REALLY like to put the tank against the window, as on the other side of the window is our patio hot tub and BBQ area. I think the idea of being able to view the tank tight to the window would really enhance the experience in the backyard. That being said, is this doable? It will not be getting direct sunlight as it is under an awning. Also I live in Ontario, where our winters gets easily below 0 degrees. I will be insulating the room and and heating it this summer, but the windows will still be cold, and only a few inches from the tank.

2. FOWLR. Ideally I would like to do a fowlr tank. I am a bit of a minimalist so I will not be stocking it heavily at all. I am more interested in rock work with small pairs of fish. I only have experience with a reef tank, which required a ton of equipment and very close attention. For a fowlr tank is a protein skimmer really required? I plan on doing a sump, however the tank is not drilled so I am still thinking about whether to just do a few hob filters and power heads.

3. Lighting. Last time I researched lighting LEDs were really just hitting the market. You could pay a fortune for them, or you could pay a reasonable price for High Output T5s. What would be a good light for a fowlr setup? Honestly I would like to stay as cheap as possible on this and I would prefer a pendant that I can hang.

Thank you all for reading and your help on this!
 
What you have described shouldn't be a problem for putting the tank up near the window. Outside light can bring some increased algae growth, but if nutrients are controlled this won't be a problem.
A skimmer isn't required for the FOWLR systems, but with a tank this size it will help greatly with maintenance. I always suggest skimmers on systems larger than 30 gallons.
For a fowlr system, you can put whatever lighting above it you want. It doesn't matter, the fish don't care. It can totally be up to you.
 
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