120 gal set up

Hello. I am currently in the process of building a 120 gal reef with 29 gal sump.

Please forgive me for double posting these questions but I am trying to get some answers before making a few purchases. I posted these on the New to the hobby forum but I'm not getting any replies so I thought I would try here.

Will a 13w 6500k light be enough for macro algae in the refugium?

I'm not ready to get one yet but, Any suggestions on a CUC?
Should the CUC be in the tank during the cycle?

What's the diff between Instant Ocian and Intant Ocian Reef Crystals?
Is the regular IO good enough for cycling?
Should i change the water at all during the cycle?


Glass or no glass covering the top of the tank?
Is silver egg crate a good choice?

Should I put egg crate on the floor of the DT under the sand and Rock?

Should I used a sock on the drain tubes going into the sump?

Thanks for the help.

 

I would go with more than a single 13w fuge light. Go with a 65w CFL, or even 2. Lots of light for a shorter period of time than running the 13w all day long.

CUC-- Go with whatever you like, but my advice is not to mix hermits and snails. It is inevitable that the hermits will kill your snails for their shells. Snails are more useful in my opinion. A mix of snails is best, Ceriths, Nassarius and astrea. Avoid Nerite snails because they climb out of the tank, into plumbing and are a general nuisance. I have had more than one flood due to nerites clogging plumbing.

No problem at all using IO for cycling. Just be sure to use RODI always. Reef crystals has more available calcium than IO, but unless you have corals in your tank, that is not an issue, and you should not have any corals during cycling.

Putting glass on the top of your tank will hold in heat, a real problem if you are using halide lights. More of a problem is unless you have a FOWLR, you will want every bit of light to get to the corals in the tank. The glass will filter out and reflect some of the light. There is no reason to use a glass top unless you have known jumpers or escape artists. Even then, if you are trying to just prevent jumpers, then go with egg crate, though its not generally needed.

No egg crate at the bottom of your tank. You just dont need it. Some people use it to support their rock, but a good sand bed will work just as well, and it wont impede the movement of sand-dwelling animals in the tank. Just put the sand into the tank and press the rocks down through the send to the bottom.

Definitely use a sock in your sump. Mechanical filtration is important, and socks work really well. Buy a bunch- theyre cheap and change them very often.

Good luck!