Starting my first reef tank soon.

GrizFyrFyter

GrizFyrFyter

New member
I'm not currently a paid member of MARS, I apologize if I'm out of line starting a thread here.

I just scored on the first equipment needed for my first reef tank. I got a 35 gal tank, 18 gal tank and 10 gal tank. This all came with a handful of HOB filters and a fluval 304 canister filter, everything was $20.
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Here's my plan (and I am open to suggestions). The 35 is the display tank. I want to disassemble the 10gal tank and use the glass (I'll probably have to buy more glass) to build a sump in the 18 gal tank. Total volume around 50 gals. Live sand and live rock in the DT.

I don't have any experience building a sump so any advice is appreciated. I have considered putting the fluval pump on my 65 gal freshwater tank and scavenge the pump from my Odyssea cfs500 (500 gph) for the sump since the connecting tubes on the lid are a continuous problem. I plan on putting live rock in the sump and would like to put a refugium in it too but if space is an issue I will put a HOB refugium somewhere. I need to find an affordable skimmer but I have no clue what to look for or avoid.

Lights. I would love LEDs but I may go with CF just for price savings. I have a few spare heaters.

Can the tank cycle without a protein Skimmer? Still need to acquire a stand, overflow, skimmer, lights, circulation pump(s), sand and rock. I'm sure I will have to get a RODI system cause I don't want to buy that much water from a LFS.


Planned livestock,
A pair of clowns and a nem for them to host in. Still researching appropriate corals. Shrimp (suggestions?) and crabs.
 
Not at all out of line, we welcome all in the area to post on here.

Sounds like a good plan, glass can be had for cheap to make baffles so you might want to save that other tank instead of chopping it up.

We are having a scrap swap on 5/18 @ your reef in roseville and i bet you could cross many things off that list for equipment. That was a great buy for all that stuff, if you become a paid member you could sell/trade at the scrap swap.

Just read all you can...... then read some more.

Anthony
Mars VP
 
I have no use for the 10 or room to store it. I guess I could us it as a QT but my wife won't be thrilled about it.

Thanks for the info
 
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Just found info on building an overflow out of PVC. I think I'll paint the back glass of the DT (black or blue) and paint the PVC to match.
 
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I can remember early on wondering why we needed extra small tanks... but they have certainly come in handy for qt, treatment, as well as trading stock. I know they are a pain to store but they are very handy.
 
I already have enough black paint for the glass and PVC, algae will cover it but in the meantime it won't stand out as much.


I am as excited out setting up, building the sump and plumbing as having it running. I'm nervous about building a sump without having a protein Skimmer, I don't want to not leave enough room in the sump for it.
 
Just make sure you don't paint any pvc that will be in the water. Corals and some fish are very very very sensitive.
 
Fusion is safe, it does come off over time, that I have experienced. My 1st overflow was pvc on my 55g, it worked well, just didn't get higher flow. Some thing tells me if I built it now it would be better
 
Saltwaternooby said:
Fusion is safe, it does come off over time, that I have experienced. My 1st overflow was pvc on my 55g, it worked well, just didn't get higher flow. Some thing tells me if I built it now it would be better
Click to expand...

The flow and lack of surface skimming (?) seems to be the biggest complaint about DIY pvc overflows. I can scavenge a 500gph pump but after factoring in tank height, a 1" overflow should keep up.
 
CLeadfootS said:
Why not go with a diy led fixture through rapid led? It's not very much money and you will get better growth and color. I think you will not be happy with a CF fixture.
Click to expand...

I will definitely look into it. I'm all for DIY projects. I'd make my own skimmer if I knew it would be adequate.

The DT is 36" wide so I have a lot of options.
 
So, from the calculations I have found, the size of the commercially available skimmers is inadequate. I don't really understand how they are effective being that small.

This is all from www.hawkfish.org/snailman/skimmer101

For my 50 gallon system, my skimmer (based on downdraft design and has to fit in the sump inside the tank stand) should have a reaction chamber no shorter than 28", 3" diameter and a flow rate of 40gph. I don't have any experience to judge if this is similar to commercial protein skimmers but they seem a lot smaller.
 
Just realized I was looking for the wrong thing. My 65gal freshwater tank came with a nice light fixture. It has fans, 2 95w actinic bulbs, 8 blue LEDs and a 250w MH DE 14k light. I'm currently using a 6.5k bulb in it. I just need to find lights for the freshwater tank by the time the reef tank is set up
 
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