Help me select my lights and my flow – please!

[ReefArtist]

OK here’s the setup at this time:
New 65G tank that is 36in L x 18in D x 24in H
80Lbs of Live Sand
20lbs of Play Sand
60 Lbs of Live Rock
Coralife Protein Skimmer that is sized for a 125g (In other words I oversized the skimmer)
At this time my return pump is a Quiet One 3000
Moon Lights are Lunar Links with 2 white and 1 blue
Refugium/Sump is 20g
That is it. I feel the tank will cycle very quickly because I took half of the rock from my 75G tank and the other rock was Live Rock from LFS. Most of the sand is Live.

What I would like opinions on are the following:
Lights â€"œ I like T5’s but need to make sure I can keep everything I’d like with a 24in depth tank.
Pumps or power heads for more flow â€"œ I really don’t want to mess with a SCWD again and I don’t want to drill the tank now that it’s full of water. Powerheads aren’t a problem â€"œ size? Plumbing coming over the back through entry behind is not a problem â€"œ closed loop without SCWD?

What I’ll be keeping:
This is my clown-town tank. It started out being 29G and to keep the story short it is now 65G. I have two Amphiprion ocellaris (black - Clownfish) that have been in a sick tank for over two months. I must say that I need to thank John and his wife Jenn from Fish and Other Ichthy Things (Oldsmar) in helping me medicate and care for them properly. John worked with me step by step in the dosing and they are now in perfect health and are ready for their new home.

I’d like to keep an anemone for them, but I know better. This is a new tank and the anemone would not have a chance, let alone my tank is just too small. What I would like to try is a Sarcophyton elegans (Yellow Leather Coral). I’d like to find the yellow leather and I’m willing to hold out for some time before giving in and purchasing a Sarcophyton sp (cream or tan). Believe it or not, my clowns have taken to a toy anemone that I put with them, so I think I have a very good chance of it working.

Those above are a must. The following items are livestock I really like and will get at some point, I might not have the knowledge for them at this time and/or the tank is not established enough but I will at sometime:

Top fish on my list:
Amphiprion ocellaris (Mated pair â€"œ as stated above)
Synchiropus splendidus (Mated pair â€"œ Tank needs to be at least 6 months old)
Wrasse - species? I like them all (These are one of my favorite fish)
Gobies ? Love these and will be getting one if they get along with Mandarins
Others â€"œ open as long as they get along with rest of tank

Clam â€"œ This is a must have
Tridacna crocea
Not sure if any other clam would fit

Corals:
Sarcophyton elegans (Yellow Leather Coral as stated above)
Gorgonians (Favorites â€"œ I know these are not easy but some are and some aren’t)
Euphyllia glabrescens (Torch Coral)
Heliofungia actiniformis (Long Tentacle Plate Coral)

SPS â€"œ not heavy on the SPS but I would like to keep a few
Hydnophora sp. (Fluorescent horn coral â€"œ love the green)
Montipora â€"œ I like the encrusting

I also have a question about the center bar on my tank. I was thinking about going with two T5’s (36 inch) and one MH 250w. With the bar in the center I can’t put the MH in the center of the tank. I of course don’t feel comfortable removing it. I do have a canopy. So what do you all think? Please give me some guidance?

 

[CMcNeil]

if i were you id go with a 250mh(maybe 2 /150mh if your worried about the center brace)and a couple of T5 actinics.you would be able to keep anything you want.you could pack a bunch of T5's under your hood.i wont say you can keep a clam under T5,but i bet if you have enough T5 you can place one in there(somewhere up high).flow im still struggling with myself.but mjmod pumps work well for the money and produce alot of flow(added one to my 38 and helped cyno problem).you could get the new tunze nanos(or whatever they are called).i will suggest if you havent already done this,split you lockline return from the sump to the tank into two smaller locklines(i had one 3/4" lockline and got a splitter that made it two 1/2" locklines with wide flare nozzles.if your not keeping alot of sps then i wouldn't go crazy on the flow.you can always place the corals near or in the greatest flow areas.

 

[mflamb]

Sounds great. As for the center brace problem, you can put a MH on one side of it (a small pendant), and the rest of the tank can be T5. You can put your sps on the MH side and it should work well. I agree that the tank should cycle quickly with what you have. Be patient and you will find the yellow Sarcophyton. I've seen a couple. As for the Synchiropus, you need the tank to mature and have a substantial population of copepods. The best way to achieve that is with a fuge that returns directly to the tank without going through a skimmer. The skimmer will remove most pods. Flasher or Fairy Wrasses would do well for you. If you go that route, make sure any open areas of your hood are screened. Wrasses jump. How deep of a sand bed are you using? What is the flow of your return pump? How is the tank drilled? If $$$ isn't a problem run a closed loop using a Dart and a OM 4-way, over the top. I think that's all my little brain can come up with for now.

 

[ReefArtist]

Thanks checkinhawk,
I was thinking of going 6 T5's but I was still concurned about the clam. I'd really like to keep it on the sand if possible. The 2 150's with the actinics looks interesting. I might look at getting 2 T5s and 1 150MH now and then later getting the other 150. I have the budget for the T5's and 1 MH but not all three right now.

 

[ReefArtist]

I think your brain is working overtime . Good idea with the lights and as I was writing I might start that way as it is. I like that idea about the Dart and the OM 4-way, it might be over my budget right now but I can work it in later. I'll have to do some research on the Dart and 4-way, do you think it would be to much flow?

 

[BlitzK]

If you go with MH get 250 and not 150... The 65 is deep enough to use the light and a 250 is more versatile for future projects.

I might be getting a 65 too and would be lighting it with 2 250watt and probably 2 T5's... Depends on what I'll be keeping in it, might not need the T5's at all.

 

[mflamb]

I agree with the 250 MH. And the Dart may be a bit much.

 

[ReefArtist]

Mmmmmm 250 that I could do - one now and in a few months a second one. I really like the look of the T5 actinics - have it come on from say 7am to 8pm and the MH from like 10 to 2?

I have another tank that's 75g with 4 - VHO's and I have 2 T5s to add to that now. I'll be changing it to all T5's once I've used up the VHO bulbs. I do have plans to upgrade to something like a 180+ in a few years, if everything goes good. So if a 250MH could be used on something like that it is a plus with my decision. That's the reason I'm going with IceCap T5 ballasts - very versatile. Again mflamb thanks for your help.

 

[ReefArtist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8851314#post8851314 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mflamb
. . . As for the Synchiropus, you need the tank to mature and have a substantial population of copepods. The best way to achieve that is with a fuge that returns directly to the tank without going through a skimmer. The skimmer will remove most pods. . . .

Hi mflamb, not sure if you remember but we had a conversion about the plumbing of the refugium about a month or so ago. I remembered you telling me about splitting the return (using a tee). I did this on this tank and put a ball valve after the tee for control. So now I have the output from the tank going into the skimmer area and into the refugium. So as I understand it, some of the copepods from the tank can now go directly into the refugium area and return going into my return area through my pump. Does this sound correct?

 

[ReefArtist]

Hey BlitzK - thanks for the information. I think the 250 is the way to go and as you said more versatile - thanks for bring that to my attention.

 

[mflamb]

Yes, I remember the plumbing conversation. You are correct with the way you have it. You want flow from tank to fuge and fuge to tank without any of that water being run through the skimmer. Sounds like a well thought out setup.