My setup is pretty basic and I still have a lot of learning to do. I started collecting ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œpartsââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ for my new 72g tank over a year ago while doing tons of research along the way. Reefcentral has been a great tool and the members have been very helpful.
This is my first >15g salt water tank and I was overwhelmed with the amount of planning required for such a task. I wanted to do it right and so far, I think Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m on the right path.
Like many others, I started in fresh water and had always wanted to get into salt water. When a friend with a 10g s/w tank had to move about 1.5yrs ago, he offered it to me or else the fish were going down the toilet.
I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have a pic of the 10g tank on hand, but it was a basic 10g tank with Penguin HOB filter, about 1-2 inches of sand and one 5lb live rock in the center with 3 fish, a false perc. clown, yellow-tail blue damsel and four striped damsel.
I needed to learn how to care for these guys and after searching; I quickly learned that my 10g tank was way too small for 3 fish. I wanted to upgrade immediately, but I kept reading that I should buy the biggest tank I had space for and could afford. I knew this was going to take time...
In the mean time, my buddy gave me a 15g tall because it was the same footprint as the 10g. Hereââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s a pic of the 15g that Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve had for about 1.5yrs. Donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t mind the algae
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/IMG_2967.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
I wanted to get a standard 75g tank, but my gf and friends convinced me to go with a bow front tank since they thought it looked more modern. After looking a bunch of different tanks, I agreed.
I ended up with a 72g Reef-ready All Glass Aquarium bow front tank and stand. I was going to get the Oceanic stand (single glass door in the front), but it didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have enough space or accessibility underneath so I sacrificed aesthetics for functionality.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_0910.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
My next task was to find the biggest sump I could fit underneath the stand. After a taking lots of measurements to be sure, I ended up with a 29g AGA tank for the sump. I tried fitting it through the front and rear to no avail! Last resort was to remove the top center braceââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦ IT FIT!
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_0999.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
In this pic, you can see the tight fit.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_1001.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
Hereââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s how it looks from the front.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_0998.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
Ok, so now that I know it fits, I can begin on working on the sump by adding baffles. The sump in itself was a lot of work because not only did I have to figure out which design I liked best, I wanted to maximize water capacity while leaving enough space for my built-in overflow to overflow into the sump during power outages.
I went with the design with the return chamber in the center and a skimmer area on the left and refuge on the right.
I didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have the tools to cut Ã"šÃ‚¼Ã¢â"šÂ¬Ã‚ acrylic for the baffles like many recommended, so I went with a thinner acrylic that I found at Homedepot. After cutting and gluing everything into place, it was time for the water test.
This is where I came across my first mistake. The acrylic I used was too thin and began to flex because the water in the return chamber (center area) was a lot lower than the skimmer and fuge chamber. The weight and flow of the water made the acrylic flex and I wasnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t comfortable with the bowed baffles so I took them out and replaced them with glass.
In hindsight, I couldââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve found a shop to cut the acrylic for meââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦ but most places like my local hardware store, Homedepot and Lowes wouldnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t cut acrylic that thick. The glass baffles worked fine, I just have to becareful when working in the sump.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_1229.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
I cut a section from a light diffuser (egg-crate) to use as a screen on the fuge. That should keep larger things in the fuge while allowing pods to flow over the edge.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_1230.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
More to comeââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦
This is my first >15g salt water tank and I was overwhelmed with the amount of planning required for such a task. I wanted to do it right and so far, I think Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m on the right path.
Like many others, I started in fresh water and had always wanted to get into salt water. When a friend with a 10g s/w tank had to move about 1.5yrs ago, he offered it to me or else the fish were going down the toilet.
I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have a pic of the 10g tank on hand, but it was a basic 10g tank with Penguin HOB filter, about 1-2 inches of sand and one 5lb live rock in the center with 3 fish, a false perc. clown, yellow-tail blue damsel and four striped damsel.
I needed to learn how to care for these guys and after searching; I quickly learned that my 10g tank was way too small for 3 fish. I wanted to upgrade immediately, but I kept reading that I should buy the biggest tank I had space for and could afford. I knew this was going to take time...
In the mean time, my buddy gave me a 15g tall because it was the same footprint as the 10g. Hereââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s a pic of the 15g that Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve had for about 1.5yrs. Donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t mind the algae
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/IMG_2967.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
I wanted to get a standard 75g tank, but my gf and friends convinced me to go with a bow front tank since they thought it looked more modern. After looking a bunch of different tanks, I agreed.
I ended up with a 72g Reef-ready All Glass Aquarium bow front tank and stand. I was going to get the Oceanic stand (single glass door in the front), but it didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have enough space or accessibility underneath so I sacrificed aesthetics for functionality.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_0910.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
My next task was to find the biggest sump I could fit underneath the stand. After a taking lots of measurements to be sure, I ended up with a 29g AGA tank for the sump. I tried fitting it through the front and rear to no avail! Last resort was to remove the top center braceââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦ IT FIT!
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_0999.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
In this pic, you can see the tight fit.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_1001.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
Hereââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s how it looks from the front.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_0998.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
Ok, so now that I know it fits, I can begin on working on the sump by adding baffles. The sump in itself was a lot of work because not only did I have to figure out which design I liked best, I wanted to maximize water capacity while leaving enough space for my built-in overflow to overflow into the sump during power outages.
I went with the design with the return chamber in the center and a skimmer area on the left and refuge on the right.
I didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have the tools to cut Ã"šÃ‚¼Ã¢â"šÂ¬Ã‚ acrylic for the baffles like many recommended, so I went with a thinner acrylic that I found at Homedepot. After cutting and gluing everything into place, it was time for the water test.
This is where I came across my first mistake. The acrylic I used was too thin and began to flex because the water in the return chamber (center area) was a lot lower than the skimmer and fuge chamber. The weight and flow of the water made the acrylic flex and I wasnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t comfortable with the bowed baffles so I took them out and replaced them with glass.
In hindsight, I couldââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve found a shop to cut the acrylic for meââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦ but most places like my local hardware store, Homedepot and Lowes wouldnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t cut acrylic that thick. The glass baffles worked fine, I just have to becareful when working in the sump.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_1229.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
I cut a section from a light diffuser (egg-crate) to use as a screen on the fuge. That should keep larger things in the fuge while allowing pods to flow over the edge.
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/tygger27/72g%20Tank%20Setup/IMG_1230.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>
More to comeââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦
