Okay, I have had a goal of doing a large reef for many years now. I intended to do something in the 300 to 400 gallon range, but settle for a 210g used tank I just bought. I have decided to put in our dinning room wall. Which will be framed out in to the garage.
I want to weigh the options before I start, and I would like to have everything thought out before I start. I want to be frugal, but will do what I have to to keep things going in the right direction. I want to focus on diversity, while maintaining as much of a self-sustaining environment as possible.
Here are some of the questions I need help with, while I am sure that you will have more for me.
* Deep sand bed in main tank, or do I do it in another tank or refugium? I have seen tanks with no substrate and others with just a little. I do like the idea of watching stuff move around under the substrate. need to be the size of the tank or could that and a deep sand bed be put in a smaller tank as part of the filter.
* Pros and cons for a rubble substrate.
* Considering a large rock formation on one side of the tank, can I do it as a wall with ledges, or will it be better to layer it a hill rather than a cliff.
* I have used "grunge," but is there a safe way to introduce larger beneficial critters, without bring in all the crap.
* How do I set up current so that I can support different levels needed, while setting up different lighting requirements?
* This tank will be 4 feet from a 6 foot wide glass door, which faces north west. Do I need to do something to those windows. We live at 4700 feet, so the sun can get intense in the summer.
* What are possible problems with wave makers. Is an alternating current better, or would a constant wave motion work better. Or are there certain things that like one thing or another.
* This little room will vent into the house, but can I put an air condition in the wall and use it as a cooler.
* Are there traders here in East Idaho?
I have more questions, but this can be a good start. Once I get some of this figured out, I will start a new thread with pics and my ideas to be scrutinized. Thanks for any Help.
I want to weigh the options before I start, and I would like to have everything thought out before I start. I want to be frugal, but will do what I have to to keep things going in the right direction. I want to focus on diversity, while maintaining as much of a self-sustaining environment as possible.
Here are some of the questions I need help with, while I am sure that you will have more for me.
* Deep sand bed in main tank, or do I do it in another tank or refugium? I have seen tanks with no substrate and others with just a little. I do like the idea of watching stuff move around under the substrate. need to be the size of the tank or could that and a deep sand bed be put in a smaller tank as part of the filter.
* Pros and cons for a rubble substrate.
* Considering a large rock formation on one side of the tank, can I do it as a wall with ledges, or will it be better to layer it a hill rather than a cliff.
* I have used "grunge," but is there a safe way to introduce larger beneficial critters, without bring in all the crap.
* How do I set up current so that I can support different levels needed, while setting up different lighting requirements?
* This tank will be 4 feet from a 6 foot wide glass door, which faces north west. Do I need to do something to those windows. We live at 4700 feet, so the sun can get intense in the summer.
* What are possible problems with wave makers. Is an alternating current better, or would a constant wave motion work better. Or are there certain things that like one thing or another.
* This little room will vent into the house, but can I put an air condition in the wall and use it as a cooler.
* Are there traders here in East Idaho?
I have more questions, but this can be a good start. Once I get some of this figured out, I will start a new thread with pics and my ideas to be scrutinized. Thanks for any Help.
