Sump, Skimmer, & Lighting Question for my 300g tank

[abereefur]

wow man, tank is huge. have you considered DAS skimmers? kinda like deltec, but the prices wont kill you, actually they are less than most skimmers on the market. if you wanted, you could even buy two of the beasties.

 

[mcliffy2]

For lighting, you could go with all T5 and eliminate the need for a chiller. I am using all T5 on my 238 gal which will be SPS dominant. Also check out tbone's build and mrpet's build, they are going all T5 on big tanks. You could go with 2 ATI 8x54w or 10x54w powermodules.

I personally have never seen the need for a chiller. If you run a controller with some big honeywell fans, or just have the fans set to come on with the halides (as I do with my 400w halide on my 125g). IMO the only advantage of a chiller is that it is quieter than a fan or two. One Honeywell fan that costs $15, blowing across my sump, can drop my tank temp 7-8 degrees on my 125.

For a skimmer, look into the Reeflo Orca 250, it was used on a 500g TOTM (Sep 07) and another TOTM (oct 07) which I think was 300+ gallons. For 1250, its only 400 more than the BM 250...heres a review: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-11/pr/index.php

 

[Jar*Head]

I agree with mcliffy on the HO T-5. I have seen many beautiful SPS tank using T-5. I am using the MH and T-5 combo because i can't get over the shimering affect of the MH.

I hope you don't get offensive with all the recommendation. I know certain thing we recommended kind of pricey and seem to be rediculous but those are something that will work well.

 

[ricks]

Several of the responses you have received were from been there, done that guys. I have been around long enough to know that setting a large reef up, and acquiring the proper equipment later is a real PITA... Your tank is only 25" tall? You might be able to use 250's, then again you could be re-working your lighting at a later date.

Same thing with the Tunzes if they are your only source of flow, you will be adding more down the road.

As for the chiller, with low lighting and flow, and basement installation. You might not need a chiller, again re-plumbing in the future is a PITA. And a 500.00 new chiller will not be large enough.

Remember everything is on a much larger scale. the time requirements for a non-automated reef, can consume half a day every weekend. Also monthly maintenance costs can run around 1.00 per gallon. This advise is offered to help see some of the other side, sure you can run a reef on a limited budget.

Happy Reefing

 

[Black Mammoth]

Thanks guys. I didn't mean to sound offensive. I just kept on hearing & interpreting that you guys thought I was trying to do this without spending money. I wanted to be clear that wasn't the issue

I thought about doing T5s, but I thought it might be more expensive in the long run. Now that I think about it, I think it may not be so bad. I could do 2x 4' long T5s. The width of the tank might be the issue. I'm trying to think about how many T5s I would need. When I first calculated the costs & energy, the MHs seemed to be a better fit. I'm glad you brought that back up. I'll crunch the numbers tonight.

 

[Jar*Head]

You can get away with 2 fixture of 10 54w bulbs =1080w worth of light will lid up your tank and the coral will thrive . With T-5 you don't have to replace the bulbs every 8 months, it will run much cooler compare to MH. It may cost $500 to replace the bulbs every year but you will saved on electricity and it may not be much different with the MH replacement cost.

 

[Black Mammoth]

Jar*Head...good thinking. That's what I was thinking 2 sets of 10 54w. Even though it is using more watts (80), it is probably saving wattage because of the lack of a chiller. Do you really replace your bulbs ever year on the T5s?

I'm changing mine somewhere between 1.5 to 2 years. I still get good growth and colors up to that point. I'll have to borrow the clubs PAR meter and measure when it actually drops off.

BTW, are you running fans over your T5s? I've been running them over the end caps. I was told I would get a longer life out the of the bulbs. We'll see if that happens. I do have to say that I have noticed less charing of the bulb closer to the end caps.

 

[Jar*Head]

Black Mammoth, 20 T-5 54W will use less electricity than 4 250w MH. The 250w MH use more than 250w doesn't matter which ballast you use and also depend on the bulb. But if you are using IC ballast for T-5, it will OD the bulb up to 80w on the 48" bulb. I do run fans on my T-5 even though the ballast did not OD the bulb as much as the IC and i change the bulb out every 10-12 months.

If you decided to go with 2 fixture of 10 bulbs, i highly recommend the ATI power module. It doesn't OD the bulb at the same time the PAR output is almost the same with the IC. The ATI power module has fans build-in to keep everything cool. Therefore the bulb wont burn out prematurely.

I know the ATI power module cost twice as much as the TEK T-5 and a little more than the Aquatinic but you pay for what you get. You won't regret with the ATI. You can find a thread on T-5 comparation on Lighting a Filtration forum or you can ask (The Grim Reefer) he is the expert on T-5 testing and comparison.

 

[Jar*Head]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12478303#post12478303 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Black Mammoth


I will keep everyone posted. As soon as I can procure a tank, I'll start a new thread. I might end up going with Aquarium Obsessed. They seem like pretty good guys over there.

hmmm, i hope you think twice about it or do some research before you pick the company you want to have them build the tank.

 

[jpa0741]

I am running 3 250w on a 96"x36"x16" sps tank. I know many people running 250w on 25" tall sps tanks. 400w are not always needed for sps. Keep your water params good and water clear you will be fine. I don't run a chiller. I am using a blower across the top of my tank, but is is not really needed. I am just trying to keep the daily swings in temp less than a couple degrees. Click my red house for my build thread. Just look into some large reflectors if you want to use only 3.

 

[Black Mammoth]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12484690#post12484690 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jpa0741
I am running 3 250w on a 96"x36"x16" sps tank. I know many people running 250w on 25" tall sps tanks. 400w are not always needed for sps. Keep your water params good and water clear you will be fine. I don't run a chiller. I am using a blower across the top of my tank, but is is not really needed. I am just trying to keep the daily swings in temp less than a couple degrees. Click my red house for my build thread. Just look into some large reflectors if you want to use only 3.

Very nice! I like your tank.

 

[tas5tas]

As far as the skimmer is concerned....get yourself a Reeflo 200 and call it a day. They now come with the upgraded pump and are $850. You will not be dissapointed and you will not have to tinker with it either.

 

[jpa0741]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12488995#post12488995 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tas5tas
As far as the skimmer is concerned....get yourself a Reeflo 200 and call it a day. They now come with the upgraded pump and are $850. You will not be dissapointed and you will not have to tinker with it either.

I agree but I would go with the 250. I love mine!

 

[Jar*Head]

I agree on the 250....

 

[sjm817]

I think a BM250 would work well for that setup, especially if you can find a good deal on one.

If you go T5s, I'd consider doing a 20 x 48" retrofit setup.

Big sump, big fuge are good ideas and also help to keep the tank cool.

 

[reefierone]

i have been running two 400watt MH and two 110 watt vho on a 225 for several months now with out a chiller. temp is perfect! i was concerned about it getting a little high during the summer as i live in the south so i added a 4" fan in the back of the canopy and the temp dropped 6 degrees in 24 hours

reeflo!!! dont have one but if i was to spend more than five hundred on a skimmer it would deff be one of these