Looking to get a head start

salttanknewbie · 10/16/2012, 01:20 PM

I have never had a saltwater tank and it has been 20 years since I had tank at all. I am very excited to put a saltwater tank together as a fish only and move it into a reef mixed tank. Here is what I have so far and I will fire off some questions after:

- 150XL gal tank (with built in corner over flow) from LFS (48x24x32) will deliver in 2 weeks
- Already have built a 32" high stand, lots of room underneath (have pictures)
-installing GFCI plug and 2 surge protectors (12 outlets)
- Tek-light Elite T5 6 bulb fixture and bulbs (bought used)
- my intent is to build a sump system would love some advise on size and maybe a link to plans or DIY info. (i thought 20g would work)
-i am purchasing a protein skimmer for size of tank. LFS recommended Marineland but I am still researching.
- looking at puting dual heaters in each corner to evenly heat tank but not sure on size yet.

I would like to start with Live sand and some live rock mixed with dead rock as well. a couple of fish to cycle the tank.

i will start with purchasing RO water and will invest in an auto top off system to make it a little easier to manage.

Questions:

1. I mentioned about is what size of home made sump should I go (is a refugium something a newbie should start?) are there any links to some pointers and building a decent sump.

2. How many power heads for circulation should I expect to put in the tank? Is there a special arrangemaent i should use.

3. any recomondations for live sand thickness (and size) for good filtration yet a little easier on my mental capacity to manage the tank

4. I know I have to premix my change water but do I have to pre heat it? (same question for my top off water)

5. Is a 10 gal tank large enough for a quarantine tank if i decide to go that route?

I am a little confused about wether active charcoal should be in the sump as well or if I require a second canister to use it?

that is what I have so far. I have read 2 books to date and I feel confident that i can get the tank up and running until it is time to put something in it. I am confident that I will be patient enough to slowly bring the tank online.

Zappo · 10/16/2012, 01:42 PM

1. For sumps, the bigger the better, though I prefer they be small enough to remove without touching the DT in case of emergencies. A refugium is something that anyone can start. It's just a lit area in the sump usually with macroalgae.

2. I'd say a minimum of 2 to avoid dead spots. One on either side (or both in the middle pointing in opposite directions in the case of those neat vortech pumps). Depending on your aquascaping you may need another.

3. If you're looking to minimize the work go barebottom. Sand is optional. Otherwise, add as much as you want up to 3 inches or so. If you want a fish/invert that tunnels in the sand then use their needs as a guide.

4. If it's pretty close to the same temp I don't bother heating it for a 10-15% water change. After a day of mixing it should be fairly close to the tank temp without a heater. Of course it depends on the temp of the room where you store it.

5. 10gal is fine for smaller fish. It depends on what you plan to put in it.

As for activated carbon, it's an optional thing that shouldn't be needed usually. Add it when there's something organic that you need to remove from the water, such as waste from something that died and couldn't be found/removed.

salttanknewbie · 10/16/2012, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zappo

1. For sumps, the bigger the better, though I prefer they be small enough to remove without touching the DT in case of emergencies. A refugium is something that anyone can start. It's just a lit area in the sump usually with macroalgae.

2. I'd say a minimum of 2 to avoid dead spots. One on either side (or both in the middle pointing in opposite directions in the case of those neat vortech pumps). Depending on your aquascaping you may need another.

3. If you're looking to minimize the work go barebottom. Sand is optional. Otherwise, add as much as you want up to 3 inches or so. If you want a fish/invert that tunnels in the sand then use their needs as a guide.

4. If it's pretty close to the same temp I don't bother heating it for a 10-15% water change. After a day of mixing it should be fairly close to the tank temp without a heater. Of course it depends on the temp of the room where you store it.

5. 10gal is fine for smaller fish. It depends on what you plan to put in it.

As for activated carbon, it's an optional thing that shouldn't be needed usually. Add it when there's something organic that you need to remove from the water, such as waste from something that died and couldn't be found/removed.

Thank you for the advise!!

Looking around I think I can fit a 30 gal tank in the stand so I will shoot for that as a sump size.

i guess everything depends on what I want to put in it.

I will read up on creating a refugium.

WillM · 10/16/2012, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by salttanknewbie

Thank you for the advise!!

Looking around I think I can fit a 30 gal tank in the stand so I will shoot for that as a sump size.

i guess everything depends on what I want to put in it.

I will read up on creating a refugium.

I would try to shoot for a 55G sump. Or at least a 40G breeder. Don't get a Marineland skimmer. Go for a Reef Octopus SRO type skimmer. Carbon isn't used like you use it in FW, you would put it in a reactor and if you are doing fish only you probably won't need to use it anyways unless like the previous poster said something goes wrong/dies. That is a tall tank, so plan on putting any light hungry coral in the upper half and don't put clams on the sand with those lights. In SW your LR/sand does a lot of the nitrogen cycle type biological filtration, so you don't need any undergravel, or bioballs or really any mechanical filtration (except maybe a filter sock if you like hands on and don't mind changing it every couple of days). Spend a little more now on your LR, skimmer, and water movement and you should be well on your way to having a happy tank later. Also, you mentioned heat. I rarely if ever see my heater's light on and I run LEDs which are less heat than T5s, so probably a 300W heater in the sump is plenty (or two 150s). A refugium is a good deal. Make a chamber of your sump your refugium. It's basically just a chamber in your sump with a light on a timer with macro algae. That's it. Welcome back to the hobby, you are going to be addicted in no time

Remember to read the stickies!!!

WillM · 10/16/2012, 05:59 PM

Also, if you are serious about this you probably ought to order a refractometer, RO/DI unit, and an auto top off. All were things I wished I had bought earlier than I did. Good luck!

salttanknewbie · 10/16/2012, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillM

Also, if you are serious about this you probably ought to order a refractometer, RO/DI unit, and an auto top off. All were things I wished I had bought earlier than I did. Good luck!

All ready on the hunt for a RO/DI unit and the auto top off unit is on the original purchase list when i pick up the tank. I will definitely look at a refractometer.

another question - what sets up the amount of flow that i need to maintain back to tank from sump? (just so i know how big of a submersible pump to get).

salttanknewbie · 10/16/2012, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillM

I would try to shoot for a 55G sump. Or at least a 40G breeder. Don't get a Marineland skimmer. Go for a Reef Octopus SRO type skimmer. Carbon isn't used like you use it in FW, you would put it in a reactor and if you are doing fish only you probably won't need to use it anyways unless like the previous poster said something goes wrong/dies. That is a tall tank, so plan on putting any light hungry coral in the upper half and don't put clams on the sand with those lights. In SW your LR/sand does a lot of the nitrogen cycle type biological filtration, so you don't need any undergravel, or bioballs or really any mechanical filtration (except maybe a filter sock if you like hands on and don't mind changing it every couple of days). Spend a little more now on your LR, skimmer, and water movement and you should be well on your way to having a happy tank later. Also, you mentioned heat. I rarely if ever see my heater's light on and I run LEDs which are less heat than T5s, so probably a 300W heater in the sump is plenty (or two 150s). A refugium is a good deal. Make a chamber of your sump your refugium. It's basically just a chamber in your sump with a light on a timer with macro algae. That's it. Welcome back to the hobby, you are going to be addicted in no time

Remember to read the stickies!!!

is there an reef octopus online store that ships to canada?

WillM · 10/18/2012, 07:04 AM

I don't know if Bulk Reef ships to Canada or not, but that's were I got my skimmer.

About the flow, I honestly don't know if there is a specific guide to how much flow for your size tank, perhaps someone can chime in. I use a 500GPH pump for my 75G tank with a 40G sump.

Spyderturbo007 · 10/18/2012, 08:18 AM

I just read a little while ago around here somewhere, that the recommended turnover rate for a return pump is 5 - 8 times per hour. That was listed as "after head loss is subtracted".

salttanknewbie · 10/18/2012, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spyderturbo007

I just read a little while ago around here somewhere, that the recommended turnover rate for a return pump is 5 - 8 times per hour. That was listed as "after head loss is subtracted".

I did some digging and 5 to 8 Gal/hr is the amount to shoot for.

I am going to shoot for 1200 gal/hr I did find a site that listed all the rates for different ID's of pipe and different styles. I am going with a 1.5" PVC gravity feed to the sump and I will plump the return line with 1" with a 1800 pump to maintain 1150 Gal/hr

10/16/2012, 01:20 PM	#1
salttanknewbie Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Calgary Posts: 19	Looking to get a head start I have never had a saltwater tank and it has been 20 years since I had tank at all. I am very excited to put a saltwater tank together as a fish only and move it into a reef mixed tank. Here is what I have so far and I will fire off some questions after: - 150XL gal tank (with built in corner over flow) from LFS (48x24x32) will deliver in 2 weeks - Already have built a 32" high stand, lots of room underneath (have pictures) -installing GFCI plug and 2 surge protectors (12 outlets) - Tek-light Elite T5 6 bulb fixture and bulbs (bought used) - my intent is to build a sump system would love some advise on size and maybe a link to plans or DIY info. (i thought 20g would work) -i am purchasing a protein skimmer for size of tank. LFS recommended Marineland but I am still researching. - looking at puting dual heaters in each corner to evenly heat tank but not sure on size yet. I would like to start with Live sand and some live rock mixed with dead rock as well. a couple of fish to cycle the tank. i will start with purchasing RO water and will invest in an auto top off system to make it a little easier to manage. Questions: 1. I mentioned about is what size of home made sump should I go (is a refugium something a newbie should start?) are there any links to some pointers and building a decent sump. 2. How many power heads for circulation should I expect to put in the tank? Is there a special arrangemaent i should use. 3. any recomondations for live sand thickness (and size) for good filtration yet a little easier on my mental capacity to manage the tank 4. I know I have to premix my change water but do I have to pre heat it? (same question for my top off water) 5. Is a 10 gal tank large enough for a quarantine tank if i decide to go that route? I am a little confused about wether active charcoal should be in the sump as well or if I require a second canister to use it? that is what I have so far. I have read 2 books to date and I feel confident that i can get the tank up and running until it is time to put something in it. I am confident that I will be patient enough to slowly bring the tank online.

10/16/2012, 01:42 PM	#2
Zappo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Minnetonka, MN Posts: 582	1. For sumps, the bigger the better, though I prefer they be small enough to remove without touching the DT in case of emergencies. A refugium is something that anyone can start. It's just a lit area in the sump usually with macroalgae. 2. I'd say a minimum of 2 to avoid dead spots. One on either side (or both in the middle pointing in opposite directions in the case of those neat vortech pumps). Depending on your aquascaping you may need another. 3. If you're looking to minimize the work go barebottom. Sand is optional. Otherwise, add as much as you want up to 3 inches or so. If you want a fish/invert that tunnels in the sand then use their needs as a guide. 4. If it's pretty close to the same temp I don't bother heating it for a 10-15% water change. After a day of mixing it should be fairly close to the tank temp without a heater. Of course it depends on the temp of the room where you store it. 5. 10gal is fine for smaller fish. It depends on what you plan to put in it. As for activated carbon, it's an optional thing that shouldn't be needed usually. Add it when there's something organic that you need to remove from the water, such as waste from something that died and couldn't be found/removed.

10/16/2012, 05:59 PM	#5
WillM Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Roanoke, VA Posts: 663	Also, if you are serious about this you probably ought to order a refractometer, RO/DI unit, and an auto top off. All were things I wished I had bought earlier than I did. Good luck!

10/18/2012, 07:04 AM	#8
WillM Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Roanoke, VA Posts: 663	I don't know if Bulk Reef ships to Canada or not, but that's were I got my skimmer. About the flow, I honestly don't know if there is a specific guide to how much flow for your size tank, perhaps someone can chime in. I use a 500GPH pump for my 75G tank with a 40G sump.

10/18/2012, 08:18 AM	#9
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	I just read a little while ago around here somewhere, that the recommended turnover rate for a return pump is 5 - 8 times per hour. That was listed as "after head loss is subtracted".