I have a BUNCH of questions! (HELP)

Anchovy

Anchovy

New member
I bought a 150 gallon tall (used) on Saturday. It isn't drilled. I've been reading non stop for days and can't figure out some things. Things I have figured out include: RO/DI unit and lighting (not much, I know)

Here are my questions:

1. The Aquarium on Papermill said I needed a trickle filter and a fuge. Nothing was said about a sump. This goes against everything I've read (seems like everyone has a sump). I know to not always believe what a pet store says so here I am.

2. What size sump do I need (there is a lot of room under the stand)?

3. Garrett is convinced that a couple of these should be sufficient for skimming/filtration. This doesn't seem like it would be, but I can't back it up with any REAL reason.filter/skimmer link

4. If I do a sump how does the water get down there if it isn't drilled? Can I get it drilled or is there something I can buy that will get it there? Is there a DIY on the plumbing and pumps. I can't find anything with a step by step.

5. If #4 won't work (which I know it will not) what skimmer should I be looking at?

6. If this all gets overwhelming is there someone local that I can pay to deal with this (plumbing/sump stuff)?

Here is a list of things I want in the tank incase that has an influence on suggestions:
*Group of Pajama Cardinals
*tang (would like a blue hippo and yellow, but I'm sure I'll have to pick one or the other, any thoughts on this)
*flame hawkfish (heard he may eat the shrimp so he may not be an option)
*mandarin (I know I'll have to wait a while before adding him)
*horse shoe crab
*a couple of shrimp

Is this over my limit for 150? Thanks for any help!
 
1. GET IT DRILLED... I sure wish my 40 was drilled... it would make life so much easier... try West Knoxville Glass Co.
5209 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN
(865) 588-0486

They're great and cut a few pieces of glass for my sump on the spot and did a great job.

2. Go with a sump, maybe 125g tank set in your stand that has room for a fuge AND sump. Sump is fancy for place that you can do your mechanical filtration (skimmer) and fuge is fancy for biological filtration. I am making a 29g tall tank my sump/fuge for my 40g. Simple in design but many ideas are out there for what is best.

3. ASK MORE QUESTIONS... never be affraid. If you want good answers hit up the Coral Reef up the hill from Krispy Kreme!

-geoff
 
1) You need some type of filtration system for the removal of wastes...

A trickle filter is a type of filtration system that builds up denitrifying bacteria to help complete the nitrate cycle and remove those harmfull chemicals from your system...

A refugium is another type of system where instead of the excess nutrients/harmfull chemicals being used by algae in your tank (causing a bloom/polluting your tank), they are used up by macro-algae/ denitrifying bacteria in the sand bed in your refugium

There are many other types of systems out there... People have success with every one of them... It just depends on what works for you and what you want to maintain...

2) Technically you don't need a sump... Yes they are nice to have, but no they are not a necessity... Sumps help you to increase your water volume keeping your water chemistry more stable and also allow you a place to hide your equipment from your display tank...

3) Those will not work for you... :)

4) You can drill your tank and set up an overflow with a diamond hole saw, bulkheads, and PVC... You risk cracking the bottom and having to replace the pane of glass... You can also buy an overflow box...

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...lies_Overflow_Box_External_Boxes~vendor~.html

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produ...lpartial&Ntk=All&N=2004&Ntt=overflow box&Np=1

Sometimes these have problems restarting should your power fail...

5) There are many different skimmer options depending on how much you are wanting to spend, and what kind of performance you are looking to get out of it...

6) I wouldn't pay anyone, the advice on here is free, and I know I speak for most in that we are willing to help out... Besides usually you end up disappointed with what you get when you pay someone... I don't know of anyone reputable around here that sets up systems, though perhaps that new maintanence store openning up soon might be somewhere to check with...

*** Not sure a horseshoe crab would be a good idea... They get rather large and aren't necessarily reef safe... :)

You're fine with that stock list and can probably fit a little bit more in a 150g...
 
#1 get unbiased opinions here. Some will contradict others because theres many ways to find success. Patience is the key!
#2 use as much space as avail for a sump & fuge combo as possible. (you'll wish you had more space in due time)
#3 The link pointed to a useless item for you. Get a real skimmer the first time vs wasting $100 then spending $200-$300 for a real skimmer. There's a recent thread here on skimmer recommendations.
#4 You can do an overflow box (easiest). Scott/Runner will be selling his after he sells off his other stuff.Scott's thread You might even ask if he's selling his sump//fuge.
#5 Too many skimmers to consider. How much do you want to spend? Keep in mind that $150-200 is about minimum and you get what you pay for. Look for a used one to save $.
#6 You really should work it out yourself if you want to succeed Now you have a couple dozen people who've set up much more complicated systems to help you. Ask away...

Not sure of the dims of your 150 tall but tangs like long tanks. The tang police may chime in if your tank is 4' or less. :strange:

Heck, 2 replies were already posted during the time it took me to write that.
 
Great advice so far.
That's the cool thing about this club. We all have different tank set ups, opinions, experiences, but like to bounce our ideas off of each other.
Buy the good stuff the first time and it will save you tons of money in the long run.
And as Squeak said:

Patience is the key!
 
Getting a tang depends on the dimensions of your tank. If you have a 4" tank (how long are 150gs? 6 feet?) then I would not suggest more than one tang (and honestly I wouldn't suggest any of them personally...hah hah). If you're hell bent on getting a tang, make sure you get one that stays smaller (some eventually get about 18-20"). That hippo tang that you suggest will ultimately get about a foot long.

Those tangs roam far and wide in the wild...so to me...maybe they're a little big for your tank? But that's just me...I encourage people to err on the side of choosing fish that will be comfortable in the tank they currently own.

The yellow tang you suggest will get to be like 8", which is still big, but much less than a foot, ya know?

Kole tangs stay even smaller and are much less common (therefore cooler IMO). I love those little guys. I had one named Linus before I had to sell my big tank (now he's in Matt's lagoon).

On Mandarins...yeah...good size tank for one but if you want to keep yours and have him get like a fat little sausage, I would recommend you waiting at least one year (without other fish that will feed on copepods in the tank) and then introduce one. Plenty of people will say that's too long...but you wait that long and see how well your little fish does! You'll be amazed at how quickly he fattens up and that he stays that way.

On the whole sump or not sump debate...well...I did just fine for a number of years without one. But most of my success was due to a great calcium reactor, good live rock, very low bioload, and tons of weekly water changes. It's a lot more work keeping up with a tank without a sump. So figuring out all the PVC/plumbing crap...it's a small price to pay.

I would certainly not have a hawkfish in with any shrimp. Shrimp are cleaners and will pick parasites off your tang, should you choose to get a couple, so if you get a tang...seems like cleaner shrimp would be the way to go. While you're at it, since you're not getting a hawkfish...has anyone ever talked to you about gobies? Your cardinals might eat them though...but everyone knows I'm a goby fanatic...so if you want to talk about some peaceful fish to add to your tank, hollar at me!

Just some stuff to consider.
 
I still think that Cardinal eating the wrasse was a fluke... :D

RyanBangai010.jpg


Members of the Ctenochaetus Tang family will stay the smallest for you... My favorite is the Chevron... But thats only because its from my homeland... :D Though I never saw one out there... ;)

chevron.jpg
 
I haven't seen one larger than 7 or maybe close 8" at most... Like I said earlier, I think those must be wild sizes...

The Kole, Chevron and Tomini all stay around that size...
 
Thanks again guys! The tank is 48 x 24 x 31 high.

I love gobies and have them in my 20 gallon long. I just didn't know if a tiny fish would be ok in that tank? I would wait at least a year for the mandarin. I've heard several stories of them starving. Are Cardinals aggressive? I thought they were peaceful? I'm open to all fish suggestions :D ! Where do you guys get your fish? I haven't seen anything like that tang at the Aquarium or the Coral Reef.
 
Oh no...gobies in a big tank are awesome!!! You may not see them as often but to me that's part of the fun. I am a HUGE fan of tons of tiny fish in it. Most people like "something to look at" but I sorta like to have to search around for my fish...and I don't like most big fish anyways.

I don't think Cardinals are aggressive (not sure) but their mouthes are HUGE and subsequently I believe they will eat anything they can...just like all other marine fish/inverts (IMO).
 
Yeah, I'm not sure that wrasse was all that healthy... He was a bit sluggish the day before... For all I know he parished and was scavenged... I have other Cardinals and none of them are aggressive whatsoever...

I like a mix of small and larger fish... I get fish from all over... Whenever I go on a trip, whether it be for business or pleasure I always hit up the area reef shops... There are also a bunch of reputable on-line vendors around too...
 
Mel- I agree that finding them is fun. I have a green clown goby that I see 1-3 times a week (he was my first fish and his name is Anchovy). Every time I see him I make a big deal of it. He is getting better as time goes by. At least now I know what rock he stays under!
 
Hey, Kim. I'll be happy to add my $0.02 when you stop by on Sunday -- especially about sumps and overflows.

One item for now, though: for a tank that isn't drilled you need an external overflow box. I've used external overflow boxes with U-tube siphons for 5+ years and they work -- but they are high maintenance in that you have to remove and clean them out every now and then or they get constricted with excessive growth and lose flow/siphon.
 
Great advice so far:)

A couple of things. I agree to drill if you can but you need to make sure the pane you want to drill isn't tempered. You might have to drill the side.....which will work also.
This should help a bit with sump info.
I definately would not recommend the hippo. They will get too big. I actually think a yellow is a great choice for a tank that size. I've had mine for 6 years and he's still not close to too big for my 120. Kole's are also good choices for that size tank.

Chris
 
Thanks again! You guys have made things much more clear. I do have a new question. I haven't had to quarantine anything yet but I imagine that would be the smart thing to do with the larger tank. My question is do I quarantine corals and fish? just fish? I've read several people just place pvc pipe and a power head in the tank, but would I need some live rock? How big of a tank does it need to be, guess that would depend on the size of the fish? I've also heard of people using dips for new corals. If I should be doing this what should I be using. Thanks again!
 
Thanks for the great link. Every time I try to search it says the server if busy. Am I doing something wrong? There is so much info on here! I've been looking at pictures of aquascaping for DAYS!
 
You virtually have to "support" RC to use their search engine anymore. Support means paying like $20/yr. Well worth it to me. That does not mean you never get "server too busy" reply during peak times but off peak you very rarely get it.

I say dip corals, and QT fish. But I dont QT fish for lack of a QT tank... one day I'm sure I regret that!
 
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