Greetings.
The inhabitants of this 29 gallon tank...
Will be moving into this 80 gallon tank soon.
The 80 gallon tank is very new, I bought it in June. It's on top of a sturdy wooden stand built by a local carpenter. The stand's original job was holding a 90 gallon aquarium, which it did for over a year before I acquired it.
My bearded dragons will be moving out tomorrow and their house is up for grabs, and since the snake and the iguana have perfectly nice enclosures of their own already, I guess I'll have to use it for my reef!
So what?
Well, I'd like to use my 150 watt metal halide, coupled with another of the same kind to light the system. Is it erroneous of me to assume that I can create "patch reefs" by simply building mounds of live rock beneath the lights and putting the light hungriest corals at point-blank range? This will suffice, no? It's in this way that I hope to curb costs but keep my handful of corals. Am I a cheapskate, or would this be appropriate?
Also, in yet another perhaps feckless attempt at simplicity and economy, I'd like to keep the filtration to a powerful minimum. By that I mean a single unit which will effectively meet my system's needs as opposed to a battery of fancy gizmos. I don't mean ciruculation, just filtration. I'm thinking either a decent protein skimmer or a canister filter. My future plans don't include SPS, I'm a softie fan, so if I do as one normally would: maintain 0 readings on all nitrogenous compounds via routine water changes, monitor and correct calcium and pH on a regular basis, use wise stocking and feeding habits and provide plenty of current by means of several well placed power heads, is there really any need for more?
vindication, condemnation, kind advice, ridicule or any other input is welcome. Also, perhaps a link to a thread rich in 80 gallon systems for me to feast my eyes upon and get some ideas would be welcome, if you know of one. I find that the search function never ever works when I try it. Maybe i should pay up and become a supporting member.
The inhabitants of this 29 gallon tank...
Will be moving into this 80 gallon tank soon.
The 80 gallon tank is very new, I bought it in June. It's on top of a sturdy wooden stand built by a local carpenter. The stand's original job was holding a 90 gallon aquarium, which it did for over a year before I acquired it.
My bearded dragons will be moving out tomorrow and their house is up for grabs, and since the snake and the iguana have perfectly nice enclosures of their own already, I guess I'll have to use it for my reef!
So what?
Well, I'd like to use my 150 watt metal halide, coupled with another of the same kind to light the system. Is it erroneous of me to assume that I can create "patch reefs" by simply building mounds of live rock beneath the lights and putting the light hungriest corals at point-blank range? This will suffice, no? It's in this way that I hope to curb costs but keep my handful of corals. Am I a cheapskate, or would this be appropriate?
Also, in yet another perhaps feckless attempt at simplicity and economy, I'd like to keep the filtration to a powerful minimum. By that I mean a single unit which will effectively meet my system's needs as opposed to a battery of fancy gizmos. I don't mean ciruculation, just filtration. I'm thinking either a decent protein skimmer or a canister filter. My future plans don't include SPS, I'm a softie fan, so if I do as one normally would: maintain 0 readings on all nitrogenous compounds via routine water changes, monitor and correct calcium and pH on a regular basis, use wise stocking and feeding habits and provide plenty of current by means of several well placed power heads, is there really any need for more?
vindication, condemnation, kind advice, ridicule or any other input is welcome. Also, perhaps a link to a thread rich in 80 gallon systems for me to feast my eyes upon and get some ideas would be welcome, if you know of one. I find that the search function never ever works when I try it. Maybe i should pay up and become a supporting member.
