Replace Bottom of 55

[Budde]

I would have to agree though that the 55 is the worst tank size and I would vote for a 75 or a 90.

I am pretty certain that I will be going with a 75 or 90.

 

[Budde]

I liked my 55 ok as a fish only with live rock tank. Not alot of room to aquascape for a feef though.

Alright, thanks for your input. Looks like I am going with a 75 or 90, more likely a 90.

 

[Budde]

It looks that I will likely be going with a 90. I have a 20 or 55 that I could use as a sump, or I could buy a 40L. Input would be greatly appreciated on whether or not a 20 or 55 would be sufficient for a sump on a 90. I probably won't be able to get the tank for at least a month, due to money; I am just getting back to work after my ear surgery last Thursday.

I have the skimmer on the way, it's rated up to 100 gallons. As stated in an earlier post, I still have plenty I need before I can get it set up. Can anyone recommend a good T5HO fixture for a 90 that will be either SPS-dominated or a mixed reef.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Input would be greatly appreciated on whether or not a 20 or 55 would be sufficient for a sump on a 90

Depends on what you want to put in the sump an what your stand design is like. 55's are commonly used for sumps on large tanks (probably because no one wants to bother using them for displays, so there are a lot of them around). They work fine, but again - the narrow width can be a pain.

Think about what equipment you will want in the sump and what functions you will want there. If you just need room for a small skimmer and a return pump, the 20 is more than enough and depending on storage near the tank (is there closet close by?) the extra room in the stand might be welcome. If you want room to upgrade, a refugium, GFO and carbon reactors, etc - you might want to use the 55 if it fits in the stand (it'll be 4 feet long, the same as the 90 DT).

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, dwzm hints at the trick, the 55 is the same length as the 90. It makes stand design a little tricky if you catch my drift. It just makes it look a little bulky because you have to extend the width out a little bit, and also you usually have to build the stand around the sump tank, so it doesn't come out. If you think creatively you can do it though. If you don't feel like thinking, a 30g tank fits nicely under a stand for a 75/90

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

My favorite method is to have one (or both) of the end "skins" of the stand as removable panels, held on by magnets. Then you can pop them off and slide the sump tank out if required.

If you design a typical 2x4 stand frame and skin it with removable panels the stand only needs to be about 1/2" wider than the tank which is easy to hide.