Setting up a new 220 gallon 72x30x30 looking for advice?

[Phisher13]

Hi I'm new to the forum but not to the hobby. My question is knowing the dimensions of the tank I'm installing what would you add equipment wise? I'm going to do a SPS dominant tank but will keep LPSs and fish. So would you do MH lights or LEDs or a combo. My sump can be any configuration so would you do a refugium or live rock or nothing would you include a frag area if you could. If you were going to do a refugium how big % wise would it be in relation to overall tank a sump size. How big a skimmer what other equipment would you add Carbon/GFO Calcium reactor? I have been reading your guys post and really respect your input. I have never really had the opportunity to build a system from the ground up so I'm trying to get as many ideas as possible. Thanks again for any help upfront.

[Drae]

My first step in a build is figuring out the filtration. I would pick a nice big skimmer like an aquamaxx cone 5 or a lifereef of appropriate size (the 30" model or 36" if you have room) and then I would plan a separate slow flow refugium of at least 40 gallons ( breeder) or a 75 if possible. Then I would plan for the sump, reactors, mechanical filtration , flow (return and in tank), temp control, ato, plumbing ( nothing beats a herbie or bean animal design) and my last thing I would decide on would be the lighting. Thats just my opinion.

Skimmer-> aquamaxx cone 5. ( easy to setup and quality pumps) Beast!
Return pump-> Laguna max flow 1500x2 ( I like in sump pumps. They're just too easy to plumb imo)
Reactors -> aquamaxx XL x2 (gfo and carbon)
Temp control-> finnex titanium heating elements controlled by apex
Controller-> Neptune apex
Flow-> tunze imo but the new Chinese movers look promising for the price. Model TBD upon livestock.
Refugium-> at least a 40 gallon breeder with macro algae. Bare bottom with lighting of choice and a power head to tumble the macro.
Lighting-> Ati 8x60 watt t5 with 4x75 watt led. Hybrid. Costly but king of the lighting mountain imo.
I use filter socks and I would use the second Laguna to power the reactors as well as added flow for the tank. I like my tank to turnover about 5x ( 1100 gph total through sump in your case). These are just my methods and opinions. Of course you'll need an ro/di system and test kits etc... You get the idea though.

[maddmaxx]

i think drae meant ATI 8x80w..

[planedoc]

This is a very opened question. I think we need some facts like.
1. What kind of room do you have.
2. How much money do want to spend.
3. Do you want a low maintenance or a higher maintenance system.
4. Are you worried about electrical costs?
5. Are in to this for a year or 20 years.
6. Most important, can you do it yourself or are you going pay for everything

I'm asking you these questions because they can be answered by you and and only you, just like a lot of the questions you asked.
MH have great results but cost a lot to run and replace.
A refugium is great but takes up space. If you are going to buy a controller like an apex that can change everything because you will compatible equipment.
I went mid budget on my 240 gallon. I spent about $6k on the total build not counting live stock. I built my own stand and sump/refugium and my own led light at a cost of $1k

[Drae]

Originally Posted by maddmaxx

i think drae meant ATI 8x80w..

Yep^^^ 60" but 80 watts each. Thanks for pointing that out.

[pmrossetti]

I like the SRO int series skimmers. 3 year warranty on the pump.
I would try the new Fluval Sea return pump as I've heard good things about them.
Either Kessils or Radions for lights.
A carbon/GFO reactor. BRS or Spectrapure. Cobalt pump.
Reef Octo bio pellet reactor. a little later perhaps.
Controller.
I like a 3 chamber sump. socks/skimmer > empty chamber/rock only > return pump.
Titanium heater on controller.
Flow Vortech or Tunze , ur preference.
Dosing pump for 2 part.
Tunze ATO.

[moondoggy4]

Do you have a basement? Are you in a high electrical cost area? as palnedoc stated earlier in question #4.

I would recommend reading up on other peoples builds.

[laredo300c]

Are your dimensions correct?

[maddmaxx]

Originally Posted by laredo300c

Are your dimensions correct?

no his dimensions he stated is 280g...but if its a 220 then most likely is 72x24x30

crazy thing is with the 72x24x30 dimensions ive seen them classified as 220 gallons tanks, 215 gallon tanks, and 210 gallon tanks. all with the same dimensions of 72x24x30....

[Phisher13]

Wow thanks guys for the input and yes I made a mistake on the gallon size it is 280 not 220. So I plan on using an apex. I am leaning towards the Hamilton 5 foot T5/MH/LED combo that they have along with apex lunar LEDs. other than that just trying to read as much as I can. No I don't have a basement and yes I can do some simple DYI project but for the most part I will be purchasing most of what we have discussed. The Tank will be in a dedicated sitting room along a 12 foot wall that's 3 feet deep. I am having a custom stand made and the stand will be 9 to 10 feet long by 34 inches deep by 3 feet tall. My total budget not including the stand is 4/5k. I am having it plumbed for fresh water and I am planing on hanging the light. Although I don't want an overly loud tank sound is not that big a deal but all my equipment would need to go under the tank and into the stand. I plan on running this tank for 10/20 years or as long as I can. Maintenance will be covered by me and I do work full time so as much that can be automated would be of great help. I agree with the low flow refuguim and really like the idea of full macro with a bare bottom. Thanks again.

[Bikerjay]

I'm in the process of building the same tank size, but peninsular style. Here is what I've done and doing.

Lights: 3x radions G3Pro with 2 x (2x80w) T5 units either side. From what I have read a lot of tanks do better with combined lighting.

Skimmer: tunze 9430, I really like these skimmer not fiddly to set up and they are reliable.

Flow pumps: 2x tunze 105 stream pumps and 2 x MP40WES

Controler: Apex with all the little side toys

Return pump: tunze silence pro 1073.110

Dosing: dosing pump for alk, calcium and NOPOX

Overflow: calfo coast to Coast with bean animal

Sump: very basic, overflow chamber to filter sock table, large baffled skimmer and reactor section and then a return pump section. No deep sand bed or refugium. I am thinking of having a benthic box with coral rubble for pods and critters to grow on.

Rock: I acid washed all the rock, and built my rock work over a couple of weeks. The only live rock coming in will be with the coral.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Cheers,
Jason

[Av8bluewater]

Originally Posted by maddmaxx

no his dimensions he stated is 280g...but if its a 220 then most likely is 72x24x30

crazy thing is with the 72x24x30 dimensions ive seen them classified as 220 gallons tanks, 215 gallon tanks, and 210 gallon tanks. all with the same dimensions of 72x24x30....

It depends on how thick the glass is. Thick glass= less actual volume inside the tank. Vortech has a nice calculator for this on their website.

[Av8bluewater]

Originally Posted by Phisher13

Hi I'm new to the forum but not to the hobby. My question is knowing the dimensions of the tank I'm installing what would you add equipment wise? I'm going to do a SPS dominant tank but will keep LPSs and fish. So would you do MH lights or LEDs or a combo. My sump can be any configuration so would you do a refugium or live rock or nothing would you include a frag area if you could. If you were going to do a refugium how big % wise would it be in relation to overall tank a sump size. How big a skimmer what other equipment would you add Carbon/GFO Calcium reactor? I have been reading your guys post and really respect your input. I have never really had the opportunity to build a system from the ground up so I'm trying to get as many ideas as possible. Thanks again for any help upfront.

It's hard to answer all that.
I have an ATI T5 8 x80w on 72X24HX30W. I have a buildmyLED XB actinic strip to satisfy my craving for the UV LED look. I really like these lights but still miss metal halide. I may go Radiums with T5 supplements and keep my LED strip at some point. It will cost more and put out more heat though.
Refugium size depends on how much space you have. I have 70 gallon sump with about 1/3 of it being the refugium.
Most of the new cone skimmers are very nice. I bought a 5 year old Vertex alpha 250. It's amazing. Don't go cheap on the skimmer but no need to spend a fortune either.
Carbon and GFO reactors: I have the BRS dual.. Would suggest getting two singles instead if I were to do it again.

[grigsy]

Originally Posted by Phisher13

Hi I'm new to the forum but not to the hobby. My question is knowing the dimensions of the tank I'm installing what would you add equipment wise? I'm going to do a SPS dominant tank but will keep LPSs and fish. So would you do MH lights or LEDs or a combo.

For a 220 gallon tank that you want to do SPS dominant, no doubt about it, go with Metal Halides.

Your colors from your SPS especially will be much better.

[Phisher13]

I agree with Metal Halides I'm pretty set on the Hamilton 5ft canopy it houses 3 MH 4 T5s or thinking 2 3 foot Canopy's w/4 MH and 6 T5s have yet to decide . I have decided to go with a Life reef sump cost is a bit high but when you consider it's custom built to my specs and it includes all the things I want it's not that much more.

[Drae]

Originally Posted by Phisher13

I agree with Metal Halides I'm pretty set on the Hamilton 5ft canopy it houses 3 MH 4 T5s or thinking 2 3 foot Canopy's w/4 MH and 6 T5s have yet to decide . I have decided to go with a Life reef sump cost is a bit high but when you consider it's custom built to my specs and it includes all the things I want it's not that much more.

Can't go wrong with all of the above. That's what's great about this hobby... There's 1000 ways to skin a cat ya know?

[BodiBuilt]

Originally Posted by Phisher13

Wow thanks guys for the input and yes I made a mistake on the gallon size it is 280 not 220. So I plan on using an apex. I am leaning towards the Hamilton 5 foot T5/MH/LED combo that they have along with apex lunar LEDs. other than that just trying to read as much as I can. No I don't have a basement and yes I can do some simple DYI project but for the most part I will be purchasing most of what we have discussed. The Tank will be in a dedicated sitting room along a 12 foot wall that's 3 feet deep. I am having a custom stand made and the stand will be 9 to 10 feet long by 34 inches deep by 3 feet tall. My total budget not including the stand is 4/5k. I am having it plumbed for fresh water and I am planing on hanging the light. Although I don't want an overly loud tank sound is not that big a deal but all my equipment would need to go under the tank and into the stand. I plan on running this tank for 10/20 years or as long as I can. Maintenance will be covered by me and I do work full time so as much that can be automated would be of great help. I agree with the low flow refuguim and really like the idea of full macro with a bare bottom. Thanks again.

[Boa1277]

Ok I will probably get some heat for this post, but now I am a big believer in not doing things over and over because I want the next best thing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with anything anyone has suggested it really comes down to what's your budget. With that in mind I would go with

Bubble King Super Marin 250 or Double Cone 250 with the Red Dragon DC Pump

The 60" Cebu Sun from Hamilton is a excellent choice just make sure you run Radium bulbs. If you plan on doing SPS dominant then you might as well run 400 watt bulbs or if it's a SPS/LPS then you can probably run 250 watt and be happy.

I would run 2 Vortech MP 60 Pumps if SPS dominant or MP40 if both SPS/LPS

I would run a Waveline 12,000 DC return pump if you really want to go big then Bubble King came out with a nice 80 watt DC return pump but it's not cheap you can actually buy 2 Wavelines for the price of 1 BK and have a backup and still be ahead but there is something to be said about the BK pump, it's the Bentley of pumps in our hobby that's for sure.

I really like the ProFilux line of controllers but again they are not cheap.
.

You may need to run a chiller just depends on your situation, I am running Bio Pellets now instead of Vodka Dosing, I also run a Emperor Aquatics 40 watt UV setup to keep the Dynos away.

You will need some sort of Alk/Calcium supplement I run Korallin 1502 calcium reactor and a Tunze Osomolator ATO running through a Avast Kalk stirrer but I am heavy SPS, you could also just go 2 part and use a doser off your controller. Either works and you won't have to worry until stuff starts really maturing.


Like Drae said earlier there are many ways of doing thing, This is pretty much what I am running after many tries and am very happy with my setup

Good luck!

[ca1ore]

Originally Posted by maddmaxx

crazy thing is with the 72x24x30 dimensions ive seen them classified as 220 gallons tanks, 215 gallon tanks, and 210 gallon tanks. all with the same dimensions of 72x24x30....

Depends on whether you calculate volume based on OD or ID. Latter is more accurate and gets you to about 205. For example 72x24x30/231 = 224; assume 1/2 glass and it becomes 71x23x29/231 = 205. Figure you're not filling fully to the top, so were really talking 200 net gallons. At the end of the day, all in the category of 'no big deal'.

[Darrell Brady]

Originally Posted by Phisher13

I agree with Metal Halides I'm pretty set on the Hamilton 5ft canopy it houses 3 MH 4 T5s or thinking 2 3 foot Canopy's w/4 MH and 6 T5s have yet to decide . I have decided to go with a Life reef sump cost is a bit high but when you consider it's custom built to my specs and it includes all the things I want it's not that much more.

good choice