29G rebuild plans

[canadian_eh]

Hi all.
I’m looking for any advice you may have on some major changes I’m planning. I’ve had my reef up and running now for about 4 years. I’ve gone through good times and bad times and figure its time to make some changes. Overall the plan is to rebuild my 29G adding a sump/fuge and upgrading the lighting. The goals of this are listed below. Eventually, I’m planning upgrading to a 90 or ideally a 120G tank…its not in the books for now.

Goals:
• Keep SPS and clams
• Reduce/eliminate equipment in display
• Learn
• Reuse equipment in future upgrade

Lighting:
Upgrade current 2x65w PC (10k+actinic) to 175w MH 10k keeping PC lights for actinic. Will that be enough or should I plan for 250w?

Sump/Fuge:
Currently no sump/fuge. Planning to drill the new talk and install an overflow feeding a 10G sump/fuge like Melev Model E. Also planning to add ATO in the future.

Flow:
Currently running 2-MJ400. I’m hoping to get away without any powerheads in the display. Will a mag700 running though a SCWD provide enough flow?

Any help you can provide would be great. I'll be working on the details over the next few days like overflow size etc

Thanks,
Ron

 

[drparker]

A 10g sump/fuge does not give a lot of room for skimmers and other equipment. Go as long as you can with the sump.

I would run the SCWD as a closed loop not as your return line. You'll find that you want a slower flow through the fuge skimmer area than the flow you want through your SCWD.

 

[canadian_eh]

Thx for the reply....agreed 10G is not optimal but I think that's all I'll be able to fit in. I'll take measurements this weekend and head down to a lfs to see.

Good point on the SCWD plans. I was planning on getting low flow in the fuge area by splitting the return...most flow going back to the DT and low flow to the fuge. Doing that I was just going to put my HOB skimer in the fuge area....would that work?

-Ron

 

[drparker]

Yes, I have the return spilt on my fuge with a ball valve going to the fuge side so I can dial it back if needed.