planing my dream tank

[m_wonnacott]

Ok so I need some help from you more experienced reefers.

I want to plan my dream tank for our space. I was just going to use the tank we have now but decided to just start out with my dream tank rather then waste money. I started planning a 55 gal sumpless about a year and a half ago but am starting to rethink it.

So far what I know I want is a 55 gal standard dimentions 48"lx12"dx20"high but I want this tank to be a 3sided starfire glass rimless tank. Many may say why a 55? Well its because that is what fits the space we have. I am leaning towards going with a sump but haveing never been in the room with a tank that has one running I don't know how much noise they make. Since this is in the main part of our apt i need it to be as quiet as possible.

I am going to be getting the tank custom made by miracles since I have read good things about their tanks and since I live in ontario they make sence.

What I need help with first is what are my options for setting up a sump system for this size tank that won't take up much internal tank space. I am looking at having the tank drilled but up to this point was going sumpless so haven't looked much at the options. Also I need this tank to have the least chance of failing as possible since we are in a third floor apt.

Ok well will leave it at this to start while I go do some more reading on sumps

 

[m_wonnacott]

Oh ya and I would like to put a refug in as well weather it be seperate or part of the sump but need to go in the stand as well

 

[mullinsd2]

So the 55 dimensions are final? I think that is cool, but if you are going to pay for a nice quality glass like that I would probably move some other stuff around to make the tank the center piece, and get different dimensions. The 12 inch depth is kind of limiting.

 

[m_wonnacott]

that is the final dimentions there is no moving things around to allow for bigger. I would love to go up to a 75 but the aquarium would then block the path from the living area to dinning area. So far I think I am looking at doing a coast to coast overflow since it seems from my reading thus far to be the quietest and most effecient overflow.

 

[gaucho30]

Have you looked into 120's at all? They are 48lx24wx24h. I went from a 40g breeder to a 120 and it was an amazing switch.

 

[m_wonnacott]

assuming you posted before that last post and I will not go higher the 20 inches had a 90 in past and it was to hard to work on

 

[downhillbiker]

If you are that limited on space I would find a new spot or do an in-wall build. I am not trying to bash, but I think that 55g tanks are very limiting in what you can do with them. Not a lot of space front to back and if you have to light that footprint you might as well get more bang for your buck in terms of front to back spread. You say you wanted help from experienced reefers out here, well we are saying that most likely you will not be happy with your 55g later on.

If you go with a 55g, you shouldn't worry about starphire. The thickness of glass on a 55g wont show a significant change whether it is starphire or standard glass. I have a 200g and the glass is 1/2" thick and I can barely tell.

You are talking about a coast to coast that takes up a lot of space outside the tank in the back, think about this...Take that extra 3" and add it to your tank dimensions. Get a 75g, not as tall as the 90g but the same length and front to back dimensions. Then put a corner overflow in it, and have your return and drain going through the stand. This will allow you to put the tank much closer to the wall, but wont take up a lot of real estate in the tank.

As far as overflows, the coast to coast is probably nice, I haven't seen one in person, but as far as being the quietest, you can make anything silent. My HOB overflow is silent, and so are my dual corner overflows, you may have to add a stockman or durso to it, but you can make them all silent.

 

[m_wonnacott]

Again I am in an apt and there is no other spot, the size of the tank is what it is and is not going to change what I need help with is what my options are for this tank not another tank. Sry if I sound a little irritated, I am I have said three times that tank size isn't changable

 

[JonnyD91]

ok, working with the 55 @ 12" and the given space how much room can you afford to have behind the tank? (space between the back of tank and the wall)?

 

[m_wonnacott]

Ok so thank you for the info about the coast to coast. So they take up alot of room behind the tank? I know the measurments of a 75 by heart and I know it would not fit there isn't room for 6 more inches. Right now I have a 55 gal with a penguin 350 HOB on the back and it just fits in the spot so the tank can't be out more then that from the wall. I just went and measured and The tank is 3.5 inches from the wall now.

You did mention something that has me interested though about running the overflow and ruturn through the bottom of the stand? How Does this work?

 

[JonnyD91]

There are 2 holes drilled in the bottom of the tank, behind the overflow

one for the drain and one for the return.

 

[JonnyD91]

here is a decent pic of how it looks inside the tank.

You can have a center or a corner overflow. This one is in the center

 

[m_wonnacott]

Ok so if I recall corect that is a durso standpipe which I haven't go to reading baout yet. Ok so I really like the idea of this with the holes in the bottom takes up less space behind the tank correct? Are there any extra conserns with this method I should be aware of? Also not sure I understand the three inlets part

 

[m_wonnacott]

thank you for the pic of it inside the tank I am leaning towards a center overflow

 

[JonnyD91]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15631266#post15631266 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by m_wonnacott
Ok so if I recall corect that is a durso standpipe which I haven't go to reading baout yet. Ok so I really like the idea of this with the holes in the bottom takes up less space behind the tank correct? Are there any extra conserns with this method I should be aware of? Also not sure I understand the three inlets part

No, Juts get a reef ready tank, you dont want to mess with drilling holes in a tank. Im pretty handy and build most things myself and i didnt even want to mess with that. I was going to drill a closed loop in my new tank and wound up getting 2 400.00 vortechs just to not have to drill holes.

Also if you dont want to mess with the plumbing get a megaflow accessory kit it has the standpipe and bulkheads all together.

 

[m_wonnacott]

I was planning on having the holes drilled when I get the tank custom made since I can't seem to even find a 55 rimless tank let alone if I decided to go starfire on three side.

Ok so far I think I have decided on the center overflow for sure. Now I need to decide on the size of it taking up as little front to back space as possible and what I am doing for return and drain. If the holes in the bottom aren't going to cause added issues to worry about then I like them the best.

 

[m_wonnacott]

Ok so if I go the bottom drilled route would there be anything sticking out the back of the tank that would require it to be away from the wall? If not then I think there is a small chance it would allow me to squeez in a 75

 

[Hookup]

If I understand your plan, you'll be adding the overflow inside the tank. This will take up some extra space you might not be willing to part with.

As a suggestion, cover the overflow with DIY rock (cement mixes).. you could build a surface skimming overflow box, with drains off-center at the backof the tank, have DIY rock cover the back part right up to the surface area... the on the other side of the tank, at the back, you could have a hole drilled for a 1" return line, which you could also cover in DIY rock... this would help minimize the impact of the overflow and return lines in your smaller space. In fact, if I was you, I would build in a closed loop system, again, drilled from the bottom, and cover those inputs and outputs with DIY rock as well... nothing visible in your tank but rocks, fish and corals... Then in your sump, get the heaters, fuge, carbon reactor and skimmer running... just add lights, and your TOTM... well maybe anyhow.

 

[m_wonnacott]

Well if the drilling the bottom of the tank will allow the tank to be right against the wall then i think i can fit a 75gal and thus wouldn't need to worry about the overflow. What i need to know atm is does drilling the bottom instead of the back mean the tank will sit right against the wall

 

[downhillbiker]

If you are going with a 55g, you will lose a TON of space with a internal overflow, especially in the center. You only have 12" front to back and I would think that the overflow will take 6" of it. As I said before, there is no need for starphire if you are going with glass less than 1/2" thick. You would just be wasting your money.