your tanks please

L

ladyfsu

Active member
OK I will be doing a LOT of reading, but I wanted to start a thread for input into my tank that a "glass" guy is willing to cut and make for me --- I teach his son. I haven't decided on the size yet... was thinking around 180-ish (60"L x 30"H x 24"W). Mostly softies ( I love the "breezy" look they have in tanks with good flow) but some LPS and maybe SPS. I want plenty of fish and critters (pistol shrimp, my cute little lobster, anemones, serpent stars, shrimp, etc).

I plan on having a sump/fuge/skimmer deal, and haven't decided on if I want a canopy or not.

My husband used to do a lot with pools and so knows plumbing pretty well, but he's not real into the tanks like I am and hasn't really seen too many of the drilled ones. Could some of you post some pics of your plumbing and intakes etc. I want a pretty strong flow but not too crazy. I'll probably have PCs and maybe a halide.

I want a nice tank but it doesn't have to have any fancy gizmo's on it.

Please please direct me to or most me some pics/videos so my hubby and I can start thinking this through. I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Laine
 
Id say get the sequencial snapper, that was a quiet and energy effeciant pump and goood flow. Also try and stay with T5s if ya can, cheaper to run and doesnt heat up your tank as much as MHs.....I assume that this is your personal tank, right?? GL with it and since Im back on these boards building another one, I am, like always willing to help you as long as I get to play hallway cop again :D
 
Mike, I respectfully disagree with one of your statements

"stay with T5s if ya can, cheaper to run and doesn't heat up your tank as much as MHs"

When it comes to power usage, wattage and heat it really doesn't matter. 500 watts of light, regardless of where it comes from uses the same energy and produces the same heat.
A watt is a watt, the only difference is the area from which the heat is coming from.
Calculation for watts: "Ohms law"

The formula is
W = V x I or,
W = I2 x R or,
W = V2 / R


Example a 250 watt MH bulb produces all of it's heat from a small area, that's why it feels so hot. Where as 250 watts of T5's are spread over a larger area. But total heat from both is still the same.

Just to let you know, I went from 8 over driven 54 watt T5 bulbs over my tank, so each bulb producing approx 80 watts for a total of 640 watts, now these bulbs where about 4 inches off the water surface, to 4 250 watt MH's for a total of 1000 watts and these bulbs are about 8 to 10 inches off the surface.... my electric bill dropped 90 bucks a month....
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9125194#post9125194 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Warnberg


Example a 250 watt MH bulb produces all of it's heat from a small area, that's why it feels so hot. Where as 250 watts of T5's are spread over a larger area. But total heat from both is still the same.
Click to expand...

I disagree... the MH is like a magnifying glass. The MH lamp will focus all its light and heat on one area, in doing so it will be more effecient at transferring that heat to the water.

With the T5, you have the heat source distributed and not as intense. With that, a simple fan will help to move the warm air away from the tank, much reducing the heating effect of the water.


Just to let you know, I went from 8 over driven 54 watt T5 bulbs over my tank, so each bulb producing approx 80 watts for a total of 640 watts, now these bulbs where about 4 inches off the water surface, to 4 250 watt MH's for a total of 1000 watts and these bulbs are about 8 to 10 inches off the surface.... my electric bill dropped 90 bucks a month....

1+1 is not equaling 2 in this case. There is something else going on here. The raw math says you bill will go up by adding 36 watts of light. What else did you change? is the lighting period shorter? is the heat form the MH keeping your tank warmer and there for reducing your need for 1000watt heaters in the winter?

Something else is not consuming power... the light change alone would have made your bill go up.
Click to expand...
 
Ahhh yes, I did indeed increase lighting by 360 watts... but my tank runs cooler now...... thus the chiller runs less, much much less.

:D
 
Just my opinion, but I think the T5 bulbs were too close. I run the same set up with 8 overdriven t5's and have no need for a chiller at all and I keep all kinds of corals including SPS with no trouble at all. My t5's are about 12-14 inches off the surface. I chose the T5 over the halide becasue I did not want to run a chiller. So far so good. ;)
 
I new this would start.... I really do not want to start a huge debate over T5's v Halides. I ran T5's for 2 years over my 240 and I switched to Halides and am glad I did. I'm not saying that you can not have a successful tank with T5's, I have seen many that are gorgeous. But I do not believe running, over driven T5's is any cheaper than running halides.
 
LOL it's all good! Seriously, look at bgdiving...he grows the most impressive corals around under NO's....all personal preference (and nutrients and water flow :D ). The first day I wrote on these forums almost a year ago, he told me in a PM...I don't like to write this in the forums because people stand so firmly in what they believe, but the fact is, if it works for you, it works...and I just don't want my tank to get over 84!

The lights I'll work on. What gives the best "shimmer" and what gives the best growth?

Oh yeah....need plumbing pics please. I also thank you for all the input.

Yes Mike, this is my personal tank. :) We'll have fun on this together, birthday buddy!
 
IMO, you can only get shimmer lines from a point light source and the growth on my corals has increased dramatically including colors coming back..... that is what I have observed in my tank with my experience's...
 
LadyFSU, congrats on the tank!!

I hear that MH gives the best shimmer, but I have to say personally I think it has to do with surface movement that gives that effect because I have a beautiful shimmer on my tank, but I also have 3000 gph of surface current.

I can not speak for growth, but I can say I have never lost a coral in my tank and everything is growing well. I even have a piece of Tyree LE that the guy who sold it to me (who ran ZEOvit with halides) said grew very slowly...I have had it about 4 months and it has doubled in size and is getting many new branches. He had it a year in his tank and said it only grew 3/4 inch and never branched. The color on all the corals I got from him are MUCH deeper now. Just my $0.02.

I have to agree, different things work for different people.

For instance I ran non-rodi water for more then a year with no ill effects before installing my RODI unit. The only difference I notice is that I have to use the magfloat less now. :)
 
if you are going to have this tank made custom,then by all means have it drilled for a closed loop.i did my new 90 this way and love the lack of powerheads.i have 2 pumps total one for the overflow and one for the loop.here are some pics of the plumbing.
back of the tank
Picture612.jpg

under the stand
Picture622.jpg

and you can see the flow from the loop pump in this video
 
Oh boy look at what I started!!!LOL Im NOT mentions light in this post :D

Yeah Liane I had fun that day!!! Well I think you should go with those T things IMO!!!LOL Things like your tank run cooler. Anyways, Just let me know when you need help and Ill do my best to help you....
 
glass...tempered or not? I thought tempered so it wouldn't break, but I thought I read someone say shouldn't be tempered.

Also, what thickness --- I just want him to go ahead and make the "box" and then I'll worry about the rest.
 
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