New Tank Checklist
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Is there any brand of sand that you recommend, where can I buy it, and how much does it cost?
I already have 60lbs of live sand, I just wanted to add more sand, and I know that after a while, it too will be live sand. So, where do I get sand that is acceptable to use for reef applications?
I already have 60lbs of live sand, I just wanted to add more sand, and I know that after a while, it too will be live sand. So, where do I get sand that is acceptable to use for reef applications?
gflat65
New member
I wouldn't run bio balls. They can't process nitrates. I have rubble where the bio balls usually go (near where ever it drains from the tank). I run carbon near the return pump. The return is only going to shut off when you feed and need to have no flow. The auto top off will turn on and off based on setting and water level. You want to set the auto top off at a position that doesn't starve your return, but allows enough drainage from the tank until siphons are broken and water stops draining. The height of the baffles are a good way to influence how much water voulme your sump/fuge require. Tall baffles mean more water volume. Shorter baffles, less volume, more area for overflow from display. You can calculate the volume allowable in the sump (roughly) by finding volume above the baffles (multiply width x height x length) and divide by 231. That gives you gallons (~231 cubic inches to a gallon of water). A couple of gallons of overflow capability is usually a minimum. As long as there is enough room in the sump to allow for drainage after the pump turns off, you won't overflow your sump (unless other oddities occur like algae growing in your overflow causing your water level in the tank to rise, which then causes the auto top off to add more water to the sump so that when power os lost there is more water volume in the tank than normal-thus a flood...). HTH
gflat65
New member
With a separate reservoir holding fresh top off water to cover evaporation (RO/DI), you would have a small pump with plumbing to the return section of the sump. An auto top off switch (float switch that uses a relay to turn power on and off to the attached receptacle) turns the pump on when the water level drops below a certian leve in the sump, keeping the salinty more constant. Makes life a lot easier. I actually leave town for a week at a time now and don't worry about the reef tank. There are other ways of doing it, too. Some drip at the rate that ~ matches evaporation. Some use dosing type pumps and the ever famous osmolator (of which I know almost nothing about...).
rm41400
Member
I have a 120 gal GC tank stand and canopy. I have had it a little less than a year. Here is a few things I wish I had done different-
Dont buy the GC stand and canopy! if you can DIY great if not I would still look for a better option. I think black mold is starting to form on the inside due to the closed design. Its main supports are just plywood not 2x4' or 2x6'. So it is completely enclosed. Also you will want cabinent doors instead of the slide in one. That DIY is in the works.
Regarding the lights. If you are a newbie like me (2) 250watt would be the most I would go. I have (2) 400. I plan to downgrade.
Here is my sump with my (2) CS 8-2 ER skimmers. It is a 40 gal sump and fits good in my stand.
<a href="http://photobucket.com"><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y286/rm41400/Picture028.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
Also I would go with the overflow cover but I would modify it so you get the thinest (sp) layer of water overflowing. I would get one without teeth and cut my own and use gutter guard or something as a screen.
hth
Dont buy the GC stand and canopy! if you can DIY great if not I would still look for a better option. I think black mold is starting to form on the inside due to the closed design. Its main supports are just plywood not 2x4' or 2x6'. So it is completely enclosed. Also you will want cabinent doors instead of the slide in one. That DIY is in the works.
Regarding the lights. If you are a newbie like me (2) 250watt would be the most I would go. I have (2) 400. I plan to downgrade.
Here is my sump with my (2) CS 8-2 ER skimmers. It is a 40 gal sump and fits good in my stand.
<a href="http://photobucket.com"><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y286/rm41400/Picture028.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
Also I would go with the overflow cover but I would modify it so you get the thinest (sp) layer of water overflowing. I would get one without teeth and cut my own and use gutter guard or something as a screen.
hth
Boy I thought my skimmer was crammed in there RM41400
Reusing anything but the top layer(~1/2" to at most 1") of a sandbed is a bad idea. Sandbeds, even well cared for ones, build up phosphates and presumably other things over time. Putting this into a new tank when a sandbed allready only has a life of a few years before it needs to be replaced is just asking for problems. That's not ust my opinion or even a "barebottom advocates" opinion. From what I've heard Dr Ron says they need to be replaced every 5 years or so. I know calfo, another DSB advocate, says reusing sand is a bad idea.
As far as sand the cheapest option is Southdown but it's pretty hard to find these days. You might have to take a drive to get what you want. You might want to ask around in the reef club forums that are close to us. I bet you can probably find some with a little searching. You might even try to get a group buy together from one of the local stores. I have heard HD will order it if you can come up with enough people to buy a pallete which might be possible with the amount of traffic we have in this forum now
Another couple of reasons you need to be sure your sump will hold the water when your return turns off is because the power sometimes goes out and you will want to turn it off during water changes. The overflow from a 120 that size should be 10 gallons at the most(according to RC's sump volume calculator).
hth, Chris
Reusing anything but the top layer(~1/2" to at most 1") of a sandbed is a bad idea. Sandbeds, even well cared for ones, build up phosphates and presumably other things over time. Putting this into a new tank when a sandbed allready only has a life of a few years before it needs to be replaced is just asking for problems. That's not ust my opinion or even a "barebottom advocates" opinion. From what I've heard Dr Ron says they need to be replaced every 5 years or so. I know calfo, another DSB advocate, says reusing sand is a bad idea.
As far as sand the cheapest option is Southdown but it's pretty hard to find these days. You might have to take a drive to get what you want. You might want to ask around in the reef club forums that are close to us. I bet you can probably find some with a little searching. You might even try to get a group buy together from one of the local stores. I have heard HD will order it if you can come up with enough people to buy a pallete which might be possible with the amount of traffic we have in this forum now
Another couple of reasons you need to be sure your sump will hold the water when your return turns off is because the power sometimes goes out and you will want to turn it off during water changes. The overflow from a 120 that size should be 10 gallons at the most(according to RC's sump volume calculator).
hth, Chris
rm41400
Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6675292#post6675292 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishdoc11
Boy I thought my skimmer was crammed in there RM41400
Reusing anything but the top layer(~1/2" to at most 1") of a sandbed is a bad idea. Sandbeds, even well cared for ones, build up phosphates and presumably other things over time. Putting this into a new tank when a sandbed allready only has a life of a few years before it needs to be replaced is just asking for problems. That's not ust my opinion or even a "barebottom advocates" opinion. From what I've heard Dr Ron says they need to be replaced every 5 years or so. I know calfo, another DSB advocate, says reusing sand is a bad idea.
I forgot to mention this mistake! Well I kinda did not want to bring it up. I think fishdoc was one of the foremost persons to warn me not to reuse sand from another tank. I am afraid I am paying the price for that mistake now. I have a bunch of hair alagae I am trying to get rid of.
Did you bring that up with me in mind fishdoc (after listing my mistakes)? Lol. O well live and learn.
No actually I had forgotten about that.
With all the time effort and money that goes into setting up a tank it has never made sense to me why someone would want to use dirty sand to save a few $. It will cause 10 times the headaches in the long run. If you think about the fact that algae problems drive more otherwise successfull reefers away from this hobby than anything else it doesn't make sense to create one from the get go. Not to mention the fact that stirring up a sandbed releases all kinds of potentially toxic things besides just the P. Hydrogen sulphide is just one possibility.
This is a real popular layout for people that want a fuge.
http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/f/sump_f.html
I think the rubbermaid with a laid in sump can work but I like a sump with more of a flow pattern.
Here is a pic of my sump
It's similar to the design above except the water comes in on one end(the right in the pic where the skimmer is) and goes out the other(left) with the fuge/detritus settling area in the middle. I built it with a 30 gal glass and siliconed acrylic baffles into it. I plan on ordering an acrylic tank from Glass Cages and gluing the baffles in place myself on my next one.
Chris
http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/sumps/f/sump_f.html
I think the rubbermaid with a laid in sump can work but I like a sump with more of a flow pattern.
Here is a pic of my sump
It's similar to the design above except the water comes in on one end(the right in the pic where the skimmer is) and goes out the other(left) with the fuge/detritus settling area in the middle. I built it with a 30 gal glass and siliconed acrylic baffles into it. I plan on ordering an acrylic tank from Glass Cages and gluing the baffles in place myself on my next one.
Chris
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crumbletop
New member
I'm going to be building a sump also so I have been thinking of designs. I was going to do mine in 3 sections with 3 baffles between each section. The first section is where the water would enter from the aquarium and my skimmer would be there too. The second section is where a "fuge" could be. I'm not sure I'll put anything in there to begin with. The baffles will be to remove air bubbles, and will also be set up so the first two sections always stay at the same height. The final section is where my submersible return pump will be. The water in this level will be lower than the other two. It is this section that I plan to install some kind of auto top off. Sorry I don't have a pic of the design.
One thing that it looks like the design you post above might not handle well is a power outage when the pump stops. You need to make sure the overall volume of the whole thing can handle the water that will drain down when your return pump stops. I'm not quite sure how your design would handle that. Also, from the look of it, you are not overflowing the middle tank but using a pump to push water from there to the output portion. I cant tell if the output portion is a separate section altogether or if it is simply the pump itself. If you are taking the outflow of the skimmer and routing that into the middle tank, you'll probably have a hard time matching the flow exactly with the middle tank outflow pump.
So I'm not too sure how that design would work, and it looks a bit over complicated to me.
Jack
One thing that it looks like the design you post above might not handle well is a power outage when the pump stops. You need to make sure the overall volume of the whole thing can handle the water that will drain down when your return pump stops. I'm not quite sure how your design would handle that. Also, from the look of it, you are not overflowing the middle tank but using a pump to push water from there to the output portion. I cant tell if the output portion is a separate section altogether or if it is simply the pump itself. If you are taking the outflow of the skimmer and routing that into the middle tank, you'll probably have a hard time matching the flow exactly with the middle tank outflow pump.
So I'm not too sure how that design would work, and it looks a bit over complicated to me.
Jack
crumbletop
New member
Just saw fishdoc's post. The sump design I am thinking of is the exact same as the link he provides except that the right section would be the return and it would have 3 baffles like are on the left. I'm also going to use a regular old glass aquarium for the tank.
Jack
Jack
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