Repurposing a 75g, good idea?

[JordanInNC]

Hey all, I’ve been running freshwater tanks for awhile, and I’m looking to flip my existing 75 gallon tank to a mostly invertebrate reef tank on the cheap.

It has a smallish 307 canister filter that probably won't be applicable, double 48" Current USA LED bars, redundant heaters and two cheap circulation pumps.

I'm trying to decide if it'll be better to get an aftermarket AIO kit for filtration (sock and media) for the 75 gallon, or get a smaller used biocube 32 and source equipment for that. Options? Looking around on Facebook marketplace near Raleigh, NC makes me feel like buying used will have me spending most of my money on a tank and stand that I already have.

 

[kharmaguru]

If you are DIY handy it's not hard to drill the tank and build an overflow out of glass or add an acrylic one (pricier). Buy a used 30 gallon for a sump and you're good to go. Total can be way cheaper than an AIO kit if you're willing to drill the tank and cut and silicone some glass. Having said that, you could also just do nothing and run your canister filter depending on what stuff you are going to keep. What spectrum are your led bars? That is where you may end up spending some money though there's also some budget options that will work for reef.

 

[griss]

If you are DIY handy it's not hard to drill the tank and build an overflow out of glass or add an acrylic one (pricier). Buy a used 30 gallon for a sump and you're good to go. Total can be way cheaper than an AIO kit if you're willing to drill the tank and cut and silicone some glass. Having said that, you could also just do nothing and run your canister filter depending on what stuff you are going to keep. What spectrum are your led bars? That is where you may end up spending some money though there's also some budget options that will work for reef.

Yep, agree completely. Shoestring budget reefer for 37 years.

 

[JordanInNC]

Good points, and I considered a sump, my 75 gallon Marineland tank is a bit older, and I'm worried that it's tempered glass and would crack if I tried drilling, leaving me in a hole for a new tank. The stand its on doesn't have room for a sump, so I'd have to build one out of 2x4's and skin it with plywood, I've estimated that's probably $200 for materials at minimum due to current plywood prices, before buying the glass tank and panels/mechanical filtration. That was why I was considering an AIO situation, maybe I should just sit tight until a used tank/sump combo comes up on facebook?

 

[JordanInNC]

And the lights are https://www.amazon.com/Current-USA-Marine-Aquarium-60-Inch/dp/B00GFTSV24, seems like they'd be good enough for softies, but I wouldn't want to put any LPS's too deep.

 

[kharmaguru]

Good points, and I considered a sump, my 75 gallon Marineland tank is a bit older, and I'm worried that it's tempered glass and would crack if I tried drilling, leaving me in a hole for a new tank. The stand its on doesn't have room for a sump, so I'd have to build one out of 2x4's and skin it with plywood, I've estimated that's probably $200 for materials at minimum due to current plywood prices, before buying the glass tank and panels/mechanical filtration. That was why I was considering an AIO situation, maybe I should just sit tight until a used tank/sump combo comes up on facebook?

You can totally do the AIO but you said the words "on the cheap" lol.

Fiji Cube AIO Box All-in-One Kit 4th Gen - 75 Gallon Standard

And the lights are https://www.amazon.com/Current-USA-Marine-Aquarium-60-Inch/dp/B00GFTSV24, seems like they'd be good enough for softies, but I wouldn't want to put any LPS's too deep.

I don't know anything about those lights but I see some reviews moaning about the PAR. Still could be enough to get you going. At least they are marine spectrum.

 

[DgenR8]

Keep your stand, and replace your 75 with a used one that's already drilled. No worries about cracking your tank. Sell your undrilled tank to use as a sump