New Tank Plan/questions

[Goibot]

Ok I got with my wife yesterday and we came up with some really good ideas about the tank we want and where to put it. If you don't mind I would like to rough out our best idea with you. Please keep in mind I have never done a salt water tank before and if you see something really stupid please point it out for me.

I have some restrictions I need to adhear to: Like the back of my house is almost solid glass. I also need to be able to clean it and I dont want to carry buckets of water for water changes. We also want it to be in a used place in the house - we dont want it in a room where we seldom go. So with all this in mind we decided on the kitchen/sun room area.

The cabinate counter tops in my kitchen kind of form an angled "U" with the part that has the sink on it splitting the kitchen and the sunroom (about 20x20) and is open on the top. Right now the counter top hangs over the counter by about 11 inches in the sun room side and is about 7 1/2 feet long providing a place for bar stools beneath it.

I can cut off the overhang of the counter and use a 120L 72x18x24 tank with all the drain and returns drilled under one end of the tank. I would build the cabinate and canopy for it.

I think this would work well for me. It is far enough away from the widows where it wouldn't be in direct sunlight. Water and drainage would be right there on the other side of the counter and I should be able to clean it from the countertop area.

Hold your hat here comes some questions:
Sump Size: The cabinate will be 18" deep and about 32" tall and 72 long. What size sump and skimmer would I need for this and would it fit inside?

I would also like to have some sort of tank inside the cabinate to use for top off water and to mix the sea water in. Would it fit inside as well?

How tall do I need to make the canopy (how much clearance inside the hood)? I plan on trying to stay away from metal halides and use VHO but I want to pack enough of them in so I can do soft corals. Is this doable?

Since the tank would be viewable from 3 sides and the holes drlled at one end (the 18" end would be the back), how do you plumb the return water? Through the canopy to the other side?

Thanks for your patience,
Tracy

 

[zebrafish]

There is a great deal of knowledge in the club about setting up tanks. I am surprised no one has chimed in yet to give you some advice. I think the best thing would be if you plan on attending the meeting in March is to bring a lay out of the room you pan on putting the tank in and then everyone can give suggestions.

There are people in the club that make sumps or take glass aquariums and make modifications to them to turn into sumps.

As for your canopy I think if you are using VHO’s you can keep it about 4-5 in off the water and have enough light for softies. How many bulbs are you planning on having in the canopy? There is a member (neuroslicer) in the club that has had great keeping SPS with VHO’s but I think he as about 5 or 6 bulbs running.

I don’t know if you will have enough room for a sump and a top off container and a salt mixing bucket. I loose about a gallon of water each day, but I run MH. When topping off you use RO/DI water not newly mixed salt water.

I think this may get everyone going on ideas for you.

 

[Rendos]

A "standard" 120L (or 125) is 72 x 18 x 20. I would think you would use a sump about half the length of the tank, which would give you plenty of room for an auto topoff reservoir under the stand with it.
ASM G3, or Octopus PS-150 would be great choices for skimmers for this size tank. Both are in sump models and very easy to setup and maintain. Drilling in one end will provide you with the best viewing area in the tank, and there are many options for your returns, and many more options for additional circulation within the tank. (i.e. Closed Loop, Tunze's, Koralia's, etc.)

Lighting for softies...you could do VHO's, or T5's with great success. I would make the canopy around 8"-10" tall. This will allow for the addition of metal halide in the future if you decide you want to go that way without the need for a new canopy. Plus the extra height will make it easy to vent heat out.

 

[Goibot]

Thank you both for your advice and help. I'm learning - it just takes this old dog a bit to learn new tricks

After reading through these fourms I have learned a lot and I'm quite impressed with the pictures of your members tanks - awesome. I am really glad there is a club here to turn to for answers. I don't feel like I am groping around in the dark anymore.

Thanks again,
Tracy

 

[Goibot]

As with all good plans - they must change. My wife decided that she really didnt want the Tank next to the counter that she prepared food on and we really dont want to split the rooms. So we are going to put it up against a wall in the same room. It should still be far enough away from direct light though.