90 Gallon reef aquarium set up help

[Gomes]

Hello reefcentral I am new to the community and saltwater aquariums in general. I recently purchased a 90 gallon aquarium [stand canopy tank] and am now trying to put together a list of parts I need to make a complete reef capable system. I plan on drilling my 90 gallon tank with a 1" hole for my sump. I have made a list of parts to complete my set up so far and was looking for input to help complete my setup / list. If there are any red flags you guys can see in the parts I plan to purchase please inform me aswell. Thanks in advance for this HUGE help :wave:

1 90 gallon tank 48x18x24 [main]
1 20 gallon long 36x13x13 [sump]
2 koralia 1050/1150 powerheads
2 150w EHEIM jager heaters [For inside main tank]
1 Reef Octopus 150 INT protein skimmer
1 APC Battery backup 1000-1500 for emergency power
2 Grounding probes full titanium for tank and sump

I need help on what LED lights I should choose along with a return pump / overflow box and any other parts I am missing. Thx - Gomes

 

[CuzzA]

Gomes,

I would skip the Koralias and go with either Ecotech, Tunze or Jebao. I would also skip the UPS. They're not designed for our intended purposes. Instead set up something like this. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2440002 You only need one grounding probe, but make sure all of your equipment is on a circuit that it protected via GFCI.

You're going to need a return pump. I have an Eheim 1262 on my 90. Great pump.

I also have the RO 150int and it works well.

I suggest getting a GFO and Carbon reactor and running them 24/7/365 from the day your rocks hit the tank.

You'll need an RO/DI filter for making clean fresh water for water changes and an Auto Top Off to maintain the water level in the return section of your sump and for salinity stability as salt does not evaporate.

As far as your overflow goes, since your tank isn't drilled which gives you the ability to make it however you want I suggest you set up a BeanAnimal overflow system. Search for Silent and Failsafe Overflow and you'll find the thread.

When it comes to lighting there are a lot of options and ultimately it boils down to how much money do you want to spend. Personally, I have the Reefbreeders Photon 48 and I couldn't be happier with this light. Are there better options? Yes. Are they more money that achieve the same goal? Yes.

Finally, you'll want to seriously consider getting a controller like the Neptune Apex. This will not only allow you to monitor things going on with your system, but it can inform you if there's a problem and the possibilities are nearly endless with what you can have this piece of equipment do for you.

Good luck. I'm sure others will chime in with their suggestions as well.

 

[Gomes]

I really appreciate your feedback. 1 I chose the koralias 1050/1150's because of price I know the mp10's / mp40's are superior and I like the out of tank cord magnet system however they are $700+ for 2 of them vs $70 for 2 koralias. Second I wanted to purchase the battery backup to simply run my power heads and perhaps 1 heater in case of a power failure at my house is the apc unit really not a smart and simple choice?
I already have the GFCI plug but why do I only need 1 ground and not a ground in both the main tank and sump? Finally this may sound foolish but since the GFCI plug is only 2 sockets what would I use as an extension to plug all my parts into? I am just a little confused on the electric setup of a tank at this point.

 

[Mark9]

Maybe get 1 MaxSpect Gyre XF150 instead of the 2 Koralia's.
If you really want LED's, Ecotech Radions.
And maybe a controller, an Apex or a Reefkeeper elite, will solve your electrical hookup questions.
Definitely an RO/DI system.
And just my 2 cents, buying better quality components (ie more expensive) may up your chances of success.
This hobby is not cheap.

 

[Gomes]

Alright so I am understand that flow is extremely important would 2 MP10's produce enough flow in my 90 gallon aquarium or do I have to get the MP40's? Also thank you for the LED suggestion I really would prefer to get LED lighting and anyone who can give me some serious guidance in the lighting department would be great.

 

[Mark9]

Alright so I am understand that flow is extremely important would 2 MP10's produce enough flow in my 90 gallon aquarium or do I have to get the MP40's?

Seriously, google MaxSpect Gyre XF150.

Ecotech radion LED's.

 

[CuzzA]

Look at the Jebaos. They aren't too much more than the Koralias and I guarantee you'll be replacing those Koralias as the flow is just laminar and doesn't provide you with any flexibility.

Look at it this way. UPS's are designed to give someone a few minutes to save documents on a computer in the event of a power failure. Even if you bought a larger one the best you could expect is a couple hours. The batteries don't last very long and most of them use a modified sine wave which can damage pumps. My design is a little more money, but depending on what your powering it could last 24 hrs +. What good is a UPS if you leave for work and the power goes out and it only lasts for a couple hours while you're gone for 8 hrs. or more.

You can put two grounding probes in both bodies of water, it won't hurt. If your return pump is on then both bodies of water are one. Since almost all of your equipment is in the sump this is where most people put them.

As far as the GFCI goes, as long as there is one protected outlet on the circuit the whole circuit is protected. (Provided it's installed correctly). So equipment doesn't need to be plugged into the GFCI outlet, there just needs to be one on the circuit.

Also, I forgot to mention you should look at getting a quality UV like Emperor Aquatics. If the flow is set right they can sterilize up to 95% of Protozoa and kill free floating algae and bacteria. It will not kill ich however, unless you substantially increase the size of the UV and substantially lower the flow. You can call them and they can explain everything to you. Don't fall for gimmicks like turbo twist, etc.

 

[CuzzA]

Seriously, google MaxSpect Gyre XF150.

Ecotech radion LED's.

Mark, I haven't seen the Gyre in person, but after talking to a few people they're not all that impressed. Again it's just a lot of laminar flow. I think it would make for a good supplement to wave makers maybe timing them to operate with an Apex. And why CoralVue didn't make them Apex compatible is beyond me. Neptune gave them all of the info to make it work. I don't get it.

 

[Gomes]

I am really impressed with the Ecotech equipment and can see why the added cost is worth it in the long run but I am unsure on the sizing of equipment for my tank size. Like I said before would 2 MP10's or 2 MP40's be the route to go. Aswell would I need 2 XR15w Pro's to cover the size of my tank. It says the lights are 18x18 and my tank is 48x18x24. Thanks again for answering my questions I know some of it is repetitive.

 

[CuzzA]

I am really impressed with the Ecotech equipment and can see why the added cost is worth it in the long run but I am unsure on the sizing of equipment for my tank size. Like I said before would 2 MP10's or 2 MP40's be the route to go. Aswell would I need 2 XR15w Pro's to cover the size of my tank. It says the lights are 18x18 and my tank is 48x18x24. Thanks again for answering my questions I know some of it is repetitive.

You could get away with one MP10 and one MP40. For the light, you'll need two 30's. ChaChing. Lol

 

[Mark9]

I am really impressed with the Ecotech equipment and can see why the added cost is worth it in the long run but I am unsure on the sizing of equipment for my tank size. Like I said before would 2 MP10's or 2 MP40's be the route to go. Aswell would I need 2 XR15w Pro's to cover the size of my tank. It says the lights are 18x18 and my tank is 48x18x24. Thanks again for answering my questions I know some of it is repetitive.

It's my opinion you'd want 2 MP40's.
The MP10's you'd have to run at almost max to get the flow you want.
I got the MP40 so i could run it at a lower speed, should last longer and is quieter.
Or get 1 XF150.
I've seen it in action and it works quite well, actually impressive.
Had I not already bought Ecotech's overpriced product, i would have bought the gyre.
Pretty sure you'd need at least 2 Radions.

 

[Gomes]

I was looking at getting the EHEIM heaters but wasn't sure which wattage to choose. Would I want 2 150w's or a 150w and a smaller 100w? How do you balance your heaters out. Do you purchase 1 stronger one and then a smaller one set to a lower temperature to kick in if temp falls? My house has central air the temp is always the same so I don't have to worry about drastic changes

 

[CuzzA]

I was looking at getting the EHEIM heaters but wasn't sure which wattage to choose. Would I want 2 150w's or a 150w and a smaller 100w? How do you balance your heaters out. Do you purchase 1 stronger one and then a smaller one set to a lower temperature to kick in if temp falls? My house has central air the temp is always the same so I don't have to worry about drastic changes

I have one Eheim 250 watt on my 90. Bigger is usually better and redundancy is a great way to avoid disaster. On my new build I will have two heaters sized for the tank and set the fallback heater a degree lower than the main one. This way if my main heater were to fail, the second heater will be on the ready and only keep the tank a degree cooler.

This is another area where a controller is extremely helpful because when many heaters fail, they fail on and cook your tank. Your controller will cut power to the heater once it hits the desired temperature.

 

[Jeff210]

I am really impressed with the Ecotech equipment and can see why the added cost is worth it in the long run but I am unsure on the sizing of equipment for my tank size. Like I said before would 2 MP10's or 2 MP40's be the route to go. Aswell would I need 2 XR15w Pro's to cover the size of my tank. It says the lights are 18x18 and my tank is 48x18x24. Thanks again for answering my questions I know some of it is repetitive.

I have both the Gyre and MP40's running in my 210. The MP10's would probably suffice in your 90 but you would have to run them at a higher speed and would be a little nosier. You could run the 40's at a much lower speed and they would be quieter but they also ding your wallet quite a bit harder...

The Gyre moves a lot of water. I am sure that they will be made Apex compatible in the not too distant future...

I have Radions as well (3 of the G30's)... I believe 2 15's will work as you can adjust the intensity and install the wide angle lenses that come with them...

 

[Mrramsey]

I am really impressed with the Ecotech equipment and can see why the added cost is worth it in the long run but I am unsure on the sizing of equipment for my tank size. Like I said before would 2 MP10's or 2 MP40's be the route to go. Aswell would I need 2 XR15w Pro's to cover the size of my tank. It says the lights are 18x18 and my tank is 48x18x24. Thanks again for answering my questions I know some of it is repetitive.

I recommend the Jebaos. I use two wp-25's in my 120g and will likely upgrade to 3 RW-8's and 1 RW-4. I really like them. Your rock work is going to dictate a lot as far as how many and what size IMO. Lighting I use the 48" reefbreeder photon48 LED. Great light and made very well. It is also fully programmable. I just now added a BRS dual media reactor and run it 24/7 with a bit of GFO and Carbon.

I have not bought into a controller at this time. I am really on the fence about them. I guess I am from the old school of thought that if you don't learn how to do it all manually and understand it fully, automation just creates complacency. IF I could find a good deal on a used one I wouldn't mind having one to just monitor the parameters.

 

[Jeff210]

I was looking at getting the EHEIM heaters but wasn't sure which wattage to choose. Would I want 2 150w's or a 150w and a smaller 100w? How do you balance your heaters out. Do you purchase 1 stronger one and then a smaller one set to a lower temperature to kick in if temp falls? My house has central air the temp is always the same so I don't have to worry about drastic changes

I have the Eheim heaters as well...you can run 2 of the same wattage (150 in your case - I run 2 250 watts). I recommend running 2 heaters for redundancy in case one keels over (heaters are notorious for this).

As mentioned earlier, this is where a controller really comes in handy. Your controller will turn the power off to your heaters when it reaches a certain temp. That way if one sticks on you don't have to worry about cooking your tank...

 

[Gomes]

I really like this idea of a controller as it helps someone newer to the hobby by having a fail safe in place. Does anyone know of some controller systems that are not bank breaking? Also welcome new posters to my forum post and thank you so much for giving input and helping me. I am not starting my tank until early Jan so getting this knowledge and plan now is amazing.

 

[Gomes]

I have an updated list so far
1 90 gallon tank
1 20 gallon long tank
2 MP 40's or perhaps 2 jebao's? [Depending on final costs]
1 reef octopus 150 INT
1 EHEIM 1262 pump
1-2 Grounds
2 Radion XR15 pros or XR30w's [not pros] I am still unsure which one is better..?
A controller unit? Do I want the full apex or the apex jr?
Working on figuring out maybe a back up generator for my circuit?
Missing overflow box - BRS GFO reactor - Auto top off system - water purifer? - what else?

 

[Mark9]

You'll probably want the XR30's, not the 15's.
You might want to consider a quarantine tank.
If ich gets into your display tank, it can become a nightmare.
Testing kits, ph, nitrate, ammonia, nitrite, ca/kh/mag.
Are you going to have corals?
If so, consider a dosing system. No rush to get this though.
Not sure you need the UV, there was a debate on that, your choice.
I still suggest you look into the gyre instead of the MP40's.
Just read up on it.
As i said earlier, Apex or Reefkeeper elite for a controller.
I got the RKE as it was on a huge sale, really simplifies things and can save you from catastrophe.
The MP40/jebao debate is probably still ongoing. I wish I had a gyre.
I'll get one when my MP40 craps out.

 

[Mrramsey]

I really like this idea of a controller as it helps someone newer to the hobby by having a fail safe in place.

I think there is a problem with this statement. These are not failsafe devices. In fact you you are giving the ultimate control of your system to ONE device. You can program some redundancy into the individual systems that are operated / monitored by the controller, but short of having two controllers in sync with one another so that when one fails the other continues in its place, there is no failsafe.

To reiterate it important to know and understand how to do these things on your own, manually, because when it does fail it is up to you to correct it.

Here are a few ideas that IMO are true failsafes:

1. A well designed sump that allows for backflow from the DT without overflowing the sump during a power outage.

2. A properly sized return chamber for the return pump so it is impossible to overflow the display in the event that the drains are all blocked.

3. two independent circuits to power your system so in the event a breaker trips you can have some powerheads on both to keep water moving.

4. An overflow drain on your RO storage in the event your shutoff fails during filling.

Now with all of that being said I am not against the use of controllers at all. I am just stressing the point that it is very important to think about the design of your system, have a very good understanding of the chemistry involved and how things work together and understand the requirements for your particular system. I think all newcomers to the hobby should know this before embarking on the automation track.