MCx23's venture in to the salt water world

[MCX23]

Hello to all! I've logged many many hours in this site as a lurker but have finally decided to dive in. I had initially planned on doing a 45-50g all in one/plugnplay system but while talking with my wife on the placement of the tank she suggested we go a tad bigger due to placement and layout of our house. So with that in mind I've pulled the trigger on a 72 gallon bowfront with an overflow built in. I have a friend that's going to make a custom stand/cabinet for it as well so it'll blend nicely with the decor in our house.

Now to the important stuff. I'm planning on taking a 20 gallon tank and making into a sump, I've done a fair amount of research and It seems like this shouldn't be all that hard. I ordered a Reef Octopus 150sss skimmer and a pump rated for 700 gph for my return along with some pvc, gate valves, and fittings from BRS. I'm planning on going to my LFS for the heater and lights. I should note I'm planning on doing a FOWLR to keep my fish options a little broader.

What else am I missing? I already have an RO/DI system in our house so that's not an issue. Can't wait to get this going but know that patience is everything in this hobby!


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[mcgyvr]

Powerheads
(totaling about 1500gph..)

And remember... Fish don't need lights so don't get oversold there.. Cheapo fluorescents do just fine but small (low power) LED fixtures are fine too..

 

[fishchef]

Just curious, why do you already have an RO/DI in the house?

 

[Pond Boy]

Just curious, why do you already have an RO/DI in the house?

I suspect for drinking water?

 

[fishchef]

RO/DI is not recommended for drinking on a regular basis. FYI

 

[MCX23]

We've got it for drinking water. We're on a well/septic system and our well water is not great at all. While there are pluses and minuses of using an RO system for drinking water we're sticking with it.

 

[fishchef]

RO is fine to drink, its the DI part that poses problems. You can contact BRS and there's plenty on RC about the subject. We use RO/DI for coffee, but don't drink it straight. The Mrs. says it tastes funny anyway. We had a well in Michigan and it had plenty of iron.

 

[mcgyvr]

Any full RO/DI system can be used for drinking water by simply adding a "T" at the output of the RO stage (pre DI stage), then a check valve/pressure tank (to avoid the slow trickle while filling up your glass) and then the faucet..

 

[fishchef]

If they are running well water through DI resin there's a problem with the CO2 exhausting the media.

 

[MCX23]

I'll have to look at exactly what we have, it was there when we moved in.
Back to more important things! Tank should be in early next week. I'll probably pick up any of the remaining items necessary from my Lfs when I get it. This weekends project is to get the stand built.


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[fishchef]

Water quality is one of the most important aspects of keeping a SW system even if its a FO set-up. Have fun. Its all on you now.

 

[fishchef]

I'll have to look at exactly what we have, it was there when we moved in.
Back to more important things! Tank should be in early next week. I'll probably pick up any of the remaining items necessary from my Lfs when I get it. This weekends project is to get the stand built.


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That's a good idea. You may only have RO or something completely different.

 

[MCX23]

So upon further investigation it looks like we have a RO system, its got three filters, one that says activated carbon post filter, sediment/carbon prefilter, and then it looks like just RO membrane. Our water tastes great, I'm guessing this wouldn't suffice to use for tank water though?

 

[MCX23]

I see on BRS you can buy add on DI canisters. Could i get away with a single, or should I go with a dual canister system?

 

[fishchef]

RO/DI is best. We've used a single DI resin canister for years. You just need a TDS meter of some sort. Current thought is two are best for maximum resin usage. There are posts on why, here on RC. With well water there's an issue with CO2 and DI resin usage. I would clarify this with BRS. You should be able to get by with RO with FO, but LR absorbs things like phosphate which can leach out and cause problems. Cleaner the better.

 

[MCX23]

I know most marine tanks go lidless, my only concern is w have a 10 month old golden retriever who tends to shed at an alarming rate. Should I be concerned about hair getting in the tank at all? The top of the tank is going to be a good 3-4 ft taller than he is but with him being a puppy and constantly on the move we've found dog hair in places I couldn't imagine. I've got a skimmer for my sump, should I look into a filter sock as well? Or do I just keep the lid on and not worry about it?


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[fishchef]

We have a black Lab mix and there's plenty of hair to go around. Never noticed a problem with the tank. Depending on your fish selection jumping can be a concern. You might want to do nylon screen. A tight lid will interfere with oxygen exchange at the water's surface effecting pH. BRS has kits to DIY.