NyC ReeF 55
New member
wow, nice looking site & great prices. It says that it is "dry rock". Is this still considered LR? If so, is there any difference. I am not quite sure, thank you...
55 gal setup help
- Thread starter NyC ReeF 55
- Start date
wow, nice looking site & great prices. It says that it is "dry rock". Is this still considered LR? If so, is there any difference. I am not quite sure, thank you...
LITHIUMSTATIC
New member
I'm building a 30 gallon tank. I have a 350GPH pump and going with 4 inches of substrate with 30lbs of Fiji LR. I also have LR for the sump. I'm building a 10 or 20 gallon sump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxnugJGiT3o&feature=channel_page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgNe_OYgoL8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxnugJGiT3o&feature=channel_page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgNe_OYgoL8&feature=related
LITHIUMSTATIC
New member
Just means it has to cycle in your tank and get healthy bacteria on it. It's a lot more money to buy it curd and ready to rock. Not worth it IMO. Buy a small piece from your LFS and let it take over the rest.
NyC ReeF 55
New member
Here are the specs for the sump sytem I am looking at:
A sump for "Berlin" filtration system up to 125 gallons. This sump includes 3' x 1-1/4" tubing and 100 micron filter sock. Bigger internal baffle to accomodate other skimmer models. Removable baffle allowing a "refugium section" and/or increase in water volume and depth of the sump. Holds up to 12 gallons.
Looks like I would also need to purchase a mount and a filter sock. Would this be enough of a filtration system? Does this also make a protein skimmer absolutely nescessary or is it possible to set up the water & LR and add the skimmer before any livestock?
A sump for "Berlin" filtration system up to 125 gallons. This sump includes 3' x 1-1/4" tubing and 100 micron filter sock. Bigger internal baffle to accomodate other skimmer models. Removable baffle allowing a "refugium section" and/or increase in water volume and depth of the sump. Holds up to 12 gallons.
Looks like I would also need to purchase a mount and a filter sock. Would this be enough of a filtration system? Does this also make a protein skimmer absolutely nescessary or is it possible to set up the water & LR and add the skimmer before any livestock?
NyC ReeF 55
New member
okay so another way to say "dry rock" would be uncured? from what i've read this is quite a lengthy process (which I am not oposed to). Would this be more practical considering my tank is not set up yet? can it be cured in the main tank when I first put the water in? If so how do I know when it has actually been completely cured?
NyC ReeF 55
New member
Thanks for the links. These look very informative. I am at work so I can not watch them now but I will certainly have a look tonight. Thanks!!
LITHIUMSTATIC
New member
I don't like it.... Your better off buying a 20 gallon long tank and plexiglass and building your own. You can do this for under $50 if you shop around. Plus you will have a MUCH nicer sump.
Watch the you tube video I posted above.... he shows you exactly how to do it.
Watch the you tube video I posted above.... he shows you exactly how to do it.
LITHIUMSTATIC
New member
If I was going to buy one.... I'd lean towards something like the Proclear Aquatic Systems 175. Still your better off making a 20g and ditch the premade crap.
aquariumkeeper1
New member
It's hard for me to explain in my own words. Hope this helps a bit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef_aquarium#Water_movement. I have heard anywhere from 10 to 40X turnover rate is healthiest. I use 2 Hydor Koralia 2 pumps in my reef aquarium. Here's a link to a page with some info on them: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4585+15955&pcatid=15955
I have them on an Ocean Pulse Duo wavemaker to create a more natural effect. Hope this all helps a bit.
NyC ReeF 55
New member
Thank you. I thought the powerhead system was pretty simple but I felt like I was missing something or not understanding properly. Sorry if I am asking stupid questions but I am trying to be sure before I spend money and stock the tank. Thanks again!!
NyC ReeF 55
New member
Thanks, I am defintely going to check this out tonight!
aquariumkeeper1
New member
There's no such thing as a stupid question.
I spent 2 years researching, reading books, asking questions on RC (with my old account before it got deleted), etc. It's an expensive hobby, and some parts of it can be confusing. It's better to be safe than sorry!:rollface:NyC ReeF 55
New member
I totally agree and couldn't be happier with the responses I am getting. I am going to reasearch the sump and hopefully have that set up by this weekend. After that I will get the LR, sand and salt mix and get this show on the road. One more question though?
Will it be okay to put LR in the tank before I put the water in? I am worried that the essential organisms I need on the LR might not flourish if my tank water is not already setup and running at the correct levels. I am planning on mixing the water as I go rather than in the tank. Thoughts/suggestions?
Will it be okay to put LR in the tank before I put the water in? I am worried that the essential organisms I need on the LR might not flourish if my tank water is not already setup and running at the correct levels. I am planning on mixing the water as I go rather than in the tank. Thoughts/suggestions?
ReefDetective
New member
I just upgraded from a 56 gallon to a new 120 gallon after a year and a half. If I were you I would do this:
1. Buy a 20 or 29 gallon glass tank and then measure the width. Go to a local glass shop and have them cut glass rectangles, or baffles, for the sump. I had a local shop make mine and I paid $16.00 for 4 pieces, so it's cheap. I made a sump with a skimmer section, a return section, and a refugium section. Total cost is like 50 bucks. You just buy some aquarium safe silicon for the baffles and silicon the glass in place.
2. Buy something like the Carib-sea Dry sand. I got the Fiji pink, but it's a medium grain. For a 55 gallon tank I would get a 40 pound bag. Next, get a bag of the Carib-sea live sand. It already has some bacteria on it and will seed your other sand. Get a 20 pound bag, so now you have 60 pounds of sand and will make a decent deep sand bed for a 55. Also, if you can, get a cup full of sand from someone locally that has a disease free older saltwater tank to help populate your sand's bacteria population.
3. Use alot of dry base rock, like from marco rocks. It would be alot cheaper. Then, just get a couple of pieces of live rock from someone or a LFS and it will seed the base rock.
4. I would put the dry sand in the tank with the dry base rock and fresh RODI water (do not use tap water, it MUST be RODI water). Then, add your salt to make the salinity 1.025-1.026. I would already have a couple powerheads in the tank to help mix the salt. For a 55 gallon a couple Tunze 6045's or a couple Koralia 4's would be fine for LPS corals and some SPS corals. Your salt will mix very fast and it makes it easy. After about a week, add your live sand and live rock to really help the cycle. The sand will settle out in a couple days.
5. Do not skimp on lights if you want any corals. I would get a couple 250w MH lights if you want SPS, if you only want LPS and zoanthids, then a decent T5 light with a good reflector should be fine.
6. You need a skimmer. You don't have to buy a high dollar bubbleking type skimmer, but you need one to remove pollutants from the tank if you want corals. I bought a used MSX 200 skimmer on RC for cheap and it skims awesome. There are many decent skimmers for sale on RC and you will not be sorry if you get a decent one now. Good water quality= nice corals and healthy fish.
7. Add fish after your cycle. Wait until you have close to 0 Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ammonia. You can add a CUC (clean up crew- snails, hermits, etc..) just before then to assist with any algae. Don't overstock your tank. 1 inch of fish per 2 gallons is a recommended amount of bioload.
8. Go SLOWLY....nothing good happens fast in a reef aquarium
1. Buy a 20 or 29 gallon glass tank and then measure the width. Go to a local glass shop and have them cut glass rectangles, or baffles, for the sump. I had a local shop make mine and I paid $16.00 for 4 pieces, so it's cheap. I made a sump with a skimmer section, a return section, and a refugium section. Total cost is like 50 bucks. You just buy some aquarium safe silicon for the baffles and silicon the glass in place.
2. Buy something like the Carib-sea Dry sand. I got the Fiji pink, but it's a medium grain. For a 55 gallon tank I would get a 40 pound bag. Next, get a bag of the Carib-sea live sand. It already has some bacteria on it and will seed your other sand. Get a 20 pound bag, so now you have 60 pounds of sand and will make a decent deep sand bed for a 55. Also, if you can, get a cup full of sand from someone locally that has a disease free older saltwater tank to help populate your sand's bacteria population.
3. Use alot of dry base rock, like from marco rocks. It would be alot cheaper. Then, just get a couple of pieces of live rock from someone or a LFS and it will seed the base rock.
4. I would put the dry sand in the tank with the dry base rock and fresh RODI water (do not use tap water, it MUST be RODI water). Then, add your salt to make the salinity 1.025-1.026. I would already have a couple powerheads in the tank to help mix the salt. For a 55 gallon a couple Tunze 6045's or a couple Koralia 4's would be fine for LPS corals and some SPS corals. Your salt will mix very fast and it makes it easy. After about a week, add your live sand and live rock to really help the cycle. The sand will settle out in a couple days.
5. Do not skimp on lights if you want any corals. I would get a couple 250w MH lights if you want SPS, if you only want LPS and zoanthids, then a decent T5 light with a good reflector should be fine.
6. You need a skimmer. You don't have to buy a high dollar bubbleking type skimmer, but you need one to remove pollutants from the tank if you want corals. I bought a used MSX 200 skimmer on RC for cheap and it skims awesome. There are many decent skimmers for sale on RC and you will not be sorry if you get a decent one now. Good water quality= nice corals and healthy fish.
7. Add fish after your cycle. Wait until you have close to 0 Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ammonia. You can add a CUC (clean up crew- snails, hermits, etc..) just before then to assist with any algae. Don't overstock your tank. 1 inch of fish per 2 gallons is a recommended amount of bioload.
8. Go SLOWLY....nothing good happens fast in a reef aquarium
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YE||0W TA|\|G
New member
deff go with a sump, there a lot easier then a canister and you can create your own for less the 100$ you can customize how you want your sump where a a canister your stuck with it the way it comes
NyC ReeF 55
New member
Okay so I got a chance to view the DIY sump videos last night. I am pretty convinced that I can handle a project like that and am looking forward to it. I'll see what tank I can get in the 20-30gal range to use based on the dimensions so it will fit on the bottom of my stand.
It looks like the protein skimmer goes in the sump so I will make that happen as well. Will I need any other kind of filtration or will the sump + protein skimmer + LR be enough?
The only problem I have with the DIY sump is that I do not feel comfortable & do not have the equipment to drill into the sump tank. Will this be a problem? Is it possible to run the tube from the overflow box (b/c my 55 is not pre-drilled) into the first section of the sump? Would I just need to make sure it enters towards the bottom of the first section of the sump? (I guess using PVC piping attached to the hose running from the overflow)
It also sounds like I can add the LR with no water and then mix the water after the aquascape is in place. Correct?
ReefDetective, you mentioned that I can use base rock (which I undertand to be "uncured". Correct me if I'm wrong) along with some LR and the base rock will be cured in the tank after I add the water & let the tank cycle? If so, how do I know when the base rock has been cured? It also looks like you said I should add base rock & then the salt mix. After that has mixed properly (about a week) then I should add LR & live sand? (just want to be clear)
It looks like the protein skimmer goes in the sump so I will make that happen as well. Will I need any other kind of filtration or will the sump + protein skimmer + LR be enough?
The only problem I have with the DIY sump is that I do not feel comfortable & do not have the equipment to drill into the sump tank. Will this be a problem? Is it possible to run the tube from the overflow box (b/c my 55 is not pre-drilled) into the first section of the sump? Would I just need to make sure it enters towards the bottom of the first section of the sump? (I guess using PVC piping attached to the hose running from the overflow)
It also sounds like I can add the LR with no water and then mix the water after the aquascape is in place. Correct?
ReefDetective, you mentioned that I can use base rock (which I undertand to be "uncured". Correct me if I'm wrong) along with some LR and the base rock will be cured in the tank after I add the water & let the tank cycle? If so, how do I know when the base rock has been cured? It also looks like you said I should add base rock & then the salt mix. After that has mixed properly (about a week) then I should add LR & live sand? (just want to be clear)
YE||0W TA|\|G
New member
Sump+skimmer+LR should be enough for filtration.. If you have the room in the sump create a small fuge.. always something good to have.
you can use an over flow box that sits into the tank itself and will drain right into the sump just get a return that takes water back to the display. no drilling required. I would use PVC to plumb it as well.
If you plan on filling the tank up 1st and then sticking the rock in the tank same day thats fine.. Other wise if your going to let the tank sit before adding LR. wait until you get live rock or if you have it already keep the LR in a bucket of pre mixed salt so it wont dry out.
you can use an over flow box that sits into the tank itself and will drain right into the sump just get a return that takes water back to the display. no drilling required. I would use PVC to plumb it as well.
If you plan on filling the tank up 1st and then sticking the rock in the tank same day thats fine.. Other wise if your going to let the tank sit before adding LR. wait until you get live rock or if you have it already keep the LR in a bucket of pre mixed salt so it wont dry out.
ReefDetective
New member
Yes on the base rock first. If you order something like marco rocks before I put it into the tank I would cure it for about 3 weeks in a plastic container, like a trash can or a storage box that's sturdy, Rubbermaid makes some good ones. Mix up some saltwater and put the rocks in a there and do 50% water changes once a week, until there isn't a ton of ammonia, because there will be die off and you don't want all that nasty stuff in your new tank. Have a powerhead in the container to blow stuff off it too .
Then you can aquascape with the base rock and the dry sand and then immediately put the RODI water in and mix in the salt right away. Now you have some rock that will finish cycling in your new tank and it will help cycle the tank as well.
After about a week, add a couple of pieces of already established live rock and some live sand to seed the base rock and dry sand. This gives the dry stuff time to get rid of extra pollutants.
If you get a decent skimmer you don't need any other filtration. However, I just got a combination Charcoal and GFO unit that will clean the water and remove phospahtes (which create algae). You can get those from someplace like bulkreef supply for like 50 bucks. This will eliminate most algae you will get, but read up on GFO, because too much will strip the aquarium of nutrients quickly.
You don't need to drill the sump, just get an in internal pump, like a Mag 9.5 or an Enheim 1260 to be your return pump. You can attach plastic tubing to the return line and get a U shaped return with a nozzle. If I were you, knowing what I know now, I would go ahead and have someone that knows how to drill glass, drill my tank for an overflow. Any glass shop would probably do it for like 20 dollars or less.
.Then you can aquascape with the base rock and the dry sand and then immediately put the RODI water in and mix in the salt right away. Now you have some rock that will finish cycling in your new tank and it will help cycle the tank as well.
After about a week, add a couple of pieces of already established live rock and some live sand to seed the base rock and dry sand. This gives the dry stuff time to get rid of extra pollutants.
If you get a decent skimmer you don't need any other filtration. However, I just got a combination Charcoal and GFO unit that will clean the water and remove phospahtes (which create algae). You can get those from someplace like bulkreef supply for like 50 bucks. This will eliminate most algae you will get, but read up on GFO, because too much will strip the aquarium of nutrients quickly.
You don't need to drill the sump, just get an in internal pump, like a Mag 9.5 or an Enheim 1260 to be your return pump. You can attach plastic tubing to the return line and get a U shaped return with a nozzle. If I were you, knowing what I know now, I would go ahead and have someone that knows how to drill glass, drill my tank for an overflow. Any glass shop would probably do it for like 20 dollars or less.
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NyC ReeF 55
New member
Sounds good... Now I have to watch again to see if the video covered this, but I don't think they did... In order to return the water to the tank from the sump what do I need? my guess is some kind of pump with a hose and/or PVC? What would actually be in/above the main tank returning the water? would this be a hose or PVC or something else?
NyC ReeF 55
New member
Can anyone tell me what the piece is that sits above/just in the tank to return the water from the sump? Would this be PVC or something else? Also would I need a pump in the sump to return the water to the tank?
