Shallow reef build

[Piper27]

Ok so I bought a tank for my girlfriend, since "our" 210 became mostly sps and she seemed to loose interest since she is a zoa and paly person. I figured I would document the build here as well as ask for help. I want this tank to be simple and easy to maintain.

The tank is a 3' long 2' wide 12" high tank with a corner overflow. I haven't chosen a sump yet but I have room behind the tank in the water heater room to go big if I want to. Thinking about doing that so I can keep lots of live rock in it and her reefoctopus skimmer. There will only be one or two small nice looking pieces in the display.

I am thinking about doing a closed loop for flow with a little giant 1100gph I already have. That way everything can stay hidden in the few rocks that will be in the display. I am not sure if the 1100gph pump is too much or not? Suggestions? She wants to use the fine sand also.

The overflow has 3/4 and 1" holes for drains and I really want to do a full syphon drain and keep the tank quiet, but I always see the three drain setup with these. I was hoping to use the 3/4" drain full syphon and the 1" as a backup. I have an adjustable flow 650gph max internal return pump I will use. Any suggestions?

 

[Piper27]

Lighting is what I really need help with. I really want to do two t5 bulbs with a pink and purple bulb. Then have a friend help me do some diy LEDs. I don't know how many LEDs I should use, but I am hoping he can help me with that. I have to build a canopy for this tank too. Suggestions on lighting options? I certainly do not want too much light but do want enough for her few Lps colonies to do well.

I am tempted to just run 4 t5 bulbs on the tank though...

 

[Piper27]

No feedback?

 

[Red_Blenny]

I think that 4 t5 would be enough for a lps/softies only tank. Are you planning to hang the lights?

 

[Piper27]

I am going to build a canopy so the cat can't get in there since it's beside the stairs and also so she can keep fish that like to jump.

 

[Salinity01]

I agree the T-5s should be enough. As far as the led's i would just put some moonglows in for nite time viewing

 

[wireefman]

id do a reefbrite srtip or 2 for leds...

t5
led
t5
t5
led
t5

 

[tlsrcs]

i agree with the 4-t5s i have 4 over a standard 55g and at the sand bed my LPS are doing just fine. also you could add some LEDs like reefbrites for color. or do some supplemental 3wLEDS for color and some extra par.

 

[Piper27]

I wonder if 4 t5's with all different bulbs spread out over that space is going to look wierd. I am going to have to play around with the lights for sure, I guess a start would be to buy a retro fit and see how it looks. Thanks for the help guys! I hope I can get started on the plumbing this weekend.

 

[Piper27]

So I decided to go cheap and buy two t5's and got 12 blue LEDs. I am using 4 24" power compacts with them since they were laying around and I won't be able to get anything for them.

Pc blue
Pc white
t5 purple
12 blue LEDs
t5 pink
Pc white
Pc blue

That's what I was thinking, input would be nice if you can think of a better combo (I do not like really blue tanks).

I also have the 40 breeder baffled and will be cutting the holes for the closed loop this week so I can water test the system and see how flow looks.

All I need now is a top off and to either buy or make the canopy.

 

[Piper27]

So I skipped plumbing school to do some plumbing.

Hey mr. I only drink out of the Ro top off tank, that's not Ro water!!!! Hahaha, what a wierd cat...

Sump is done, going to water test that tonight. Now I just need to make the canopy and get some t5s weeeeeee!

 

[650-IS350]

That's gonna look cool. much luck in your build.

 

[Piper27]

Thank you, I will need it. This is the first tank i will have cycled since my first 55gal 8 years ago! We want to do it right and keep the aptasia and algaes out of this system. Though the zoas have some now since they are in the other system so it's going to be though.

 

[Friday Night]

I love flats as main displays. Cool tank and setup so far.
Will be following this thread :smokin:

 

[Piper27]

Yea I love them too, I couldn't resist buying this tank for her. Maybe with her permission I will take some pics of the frags she has for the tank. Which will be grown into colonies and not chopped up as they grow! Should be fun to mess with this system.

How would you guys go about getting algae off of the plugs the zoas are on so they don't end up in this system? I have done some h202 dips and it seemed to work okay for the ones that weren't bad but there is still some funny stuff on a few plugs? What ratio do you use in your h202 dips?

 

[Piper27]

So we got the lights, everything is plumbed up, frag tank is full, all I have to do is change out the old electircal socket and start cycling. Its going to be a slow process of moving stuff over to the tank and I am not sure if I should even start a "cycle" because there are a few pest algaes in our system where the frags are growing out. Bubble algae, bryopsis, and another one thats kinda like stiff grass. Oh the fun it will be. I was thinking I mine as well use some live rock and water from our main tank but then again, it would be nice to at least TRY to have a system with no nasty stuff in it.

The lights we got are 6 t5's and three blue 1w led strips. I am going to mount them on a piece of wood and see what the par is like at different heights. Not sure what the best par is for a shallow zoa and paly tank with a few lps so if someone has info on that shoot. I was thinking I would shoot for 250 or 300 or whenever the light spread looks best. Then once I find out height is best for the lights I will make the canopy.

Here are a couple of pics from our 210. Sorry the blue t5s were all that were on...

 

[650-IS350]

Polyps look cool and healthy

 

[A. Grandis]

You can use only the 6 T5s if you want. That's very good.
I would skip the pink and the purple bulbs.
What 6 bulbs are you using?
What order?

I like the second picture very much!

Gook luck and watch that cat! :rollface:

Grandis.

 

[Piper27]

Yea I like the second pic too, not sure of the bulb combo yet, why would you skip the pink and purple?

 

[Piper27]

Bulb combo suggestions oils be great, I have only used t5's as mh supplements so far. Well we have 4 on the frag tank pink, blue, blue plus and white I think. Do the pink and purple bulbs promote algae growth or something?