90 gallon build questions

ConnorG

New member
I am ready to start up a 90 gallon mixed reef but really hav no idea where to start its all so over welming. Can someone PLZ help? I am using a used 90 gallon with a 30 long sump with a reef octopus rated for 150 gallons.return will be an ehime 1262 also used. I would like maybe a vortech or 2. Would 2 mp10s work or would it not be enough? I also have no idea what to do for plumping. For the return could I use vinyl tubing and how do I connect it to the return pump. Any ideas on how to do the plumbing I am just so confused please help! :eek2:
 
try posting this in the beginner section "New to the Hobby", i think you'll get more help and info there...if the tank isnt drilled then you will need to get a hang on back, over the side overflow box to get the water down to your sump. sounds like you have a lot of research to do, check out the section mentioned above and do your research. its better, and more cost effective to read now and setup once than to rush it and have to tear down and start over...slow and steady definitly win the race in reefkeeping
 
+1 it's always cheaper to buy once. You call also search for 90 gallon build threads... I just got sand in mine tonight and have been lacking in updates but my thread is out there. There is no one way to do it such as lighting, MH, LED, T5's you will find great examples of them all so use what makes sense for you.
I would get some rock and start letting it cycle in a brute with some saltwater, a heater, and power head. This should help buy you a few weeks to research while ur tank is getting ready... U will have to let it cure for a few weeks anyway.
 
I was gonna do a mixed reef with a reef ready pre drilled with a 30 gallon long sump....and I have a tank right now it's just all so overwhelming with that much supplies I don't know what to get first it's just all too much! And I posted this here cuz alot of threads get piled over with new threads so I wanted to post this in this section cuz it seems to be "more calm" but what should I get first? I was gonna do this all with dead rock and 20 pounds of live rock that I currently have. Could i start cycling the rock in trash bins before I even get the tank? What do I need for it? (to start cycling the rock?)
 
Oops sorry just read your post over again not realizing the part about cycling it in the bins thanks! Oh and could I just use the return pump for water movement and the heater that I would use for the 90 itself? And is a heater needed?
 
The return will not be enough flow for a mixed reef. I would invest in a nice ceramic heater, 2 is even better in the case one fails.

You can go inexpensive with powerheads like Koralia 1050s from the start as I would not recommend putting any SPS in the tank for at least a year or so while the tank matures. Since you're still in the "buying" phase, you have enough equipment to front the cost for. Put the MPs on the back burner for now as there really won't be a terrible need for such great flow up front.
 
Then what pump should I get cuz I wouldn't be using it as flow as much as just a way to get the water back up to the tank. And then I was gonna use 2 1600 JBJ Oceanstream powerheads and hook them up to a wave maker. For 3200gph.
 
conner, for cycling the rock, yes you can use the 1262 in a large brute garbage can with heat to get the rock going...this is a great idea, by the time you are ready to setup your system, your rock will be cured and live and you will have a shortend cycle once you fill the display. As mentioned, for every piece of equipment you need, there are several options or ways of doing it...example:
Flow - can be done via closed loop or internal powerheads. Internal powerheads also come in various flavors, like tunze, vortech, koralia etc
light - T5, LED, Halide, PC...
what's the "best" for one person isnt always the best for another, so it pays massive dividends to research other builds, but make sure you dont only read the setup section of a build, you need to see how the tank does down the road and what lessons the reffer learned in his/her build or what they say they would do differently. also you should not only be thinking about hardware, but processes as well, most importantly, how will you do water changes....this is one of th emost improtant maintenance items, and often tanks are setup without taking into consideration how new water will be mixed, stored and then transferred to the tank as well as how to get rid of old water...so think about maintienance too because the easier it is for you to conduct maintenance, the more you will do it...some other things to cinsider, is the floor where you will put the tank level? if not how will you level it? is there access to water and drains near the tank? if not will you use buckets or setup some hard plumbed lines...theres more to it than just buying the gear and filling it up...take your time, there is soooooo much great info here, take advzantage of it...
good luck to you, and feel free to reach out, i too have a 90 running a mixed reef.
 
The eheim will be fine to cycle in the bin, just make sure u point it sideways and not up or it will flow over the brute. U have ur skimmer so ur set there. In a mixed reef I would go with a refugium so u need to separate ur sump with baffles (search DIY sumps or melevsreef.com). You will need a light for ur macro algae, I use a clip on work light and CFL bulb. Lighting and it's requirements... MH will require fans and maybe a chiller. Will you go with an ATO? Controller? Sand is ur choice. The eheim is fine as a return but look into ur power heads, an MP10 and MP40 should be ok but an MP40 and some medium korallias would be fine. I agree you should think about ur maintenance but once u cycle the rock u can incorporate that into ur water changes. Will u get an RODI filter? I like special blend for bacteria help but man it smells.

Best advice is to search tank threads of other people.. Not just ur size or livestock selection but any you can find. With the rock cycling in the brute (throw a shrimp or ghost feed every other night) you have a month to plan. Make lists of equipment and draw diagrams of ur undertank design. I make new lists/drawings every few days from scratch just to see if there is something I have been forgetting or another way to plumb. I just updated my 90 sps/zoa in the NYRC forum (northeast)... GL
 
Back
Top