New Oceanic 45g ("Tech series") - Just starting (questions & *pics*)

affableamerican · 08/16/2006, 12:35 AM

Hey folks -- I've been out of the hobby for a while, and I've just gotten back in with an Oceanic RR 45g, with 15g sump. The tank dimensions are 24L x 18W x 24H (and good god is it gorgeous). The Oceanic setup (the "Tech series") came with a nice stand (smoky glass front door and sidedoors), the whole overflow and return setup (sans pump, and the tubing will need to be cut and possibly replaced), and a sump (will probably remove their baffle and make my own, and not use the big media box). I'm going to use an old 24" 130W PC light system to start and then switch to a 250W MH of some kind after I start populating with nicer corals.

This is my 2nd go with a reef tank, and I'm starting off slow, cautious, and a bit thrifty. Here are my first tentative purchases (aside from the tank):

- Coralife Superskimmer 65 (should I go 125?)
- Mag 9.5 (for return pump; overflow is rated at 900gph)
- RO/DI system (can't I find a decent one for ~$100 on ebay?)

The skimmer/return pump should fit very snugly into my little sump, which has a footprint of 20L x 10W (x 18H). (My stand won't allow a HOB skimmer or an external pump.) The Mag 9.5 has a width of 3" and the Coralife SS65 has a width of 5.5". This should give me room on the other side of the sump to create a small fuge, with some chaeto. Will have to tear out the existing baffle setup probably (see pic below).

The Questions
- Is the SS65 too small for a 45g tank (15g sump, probably ~45g total water, once rock is in)?
- Is it a bad idea to try to put the return and skimmer so close together?
- Is it OK to put a small fuge before the skimmer or should the skimmer come first? (Seems like pods living in the fuge/macro would get fed before the water hit the skimmer.)
- I've forgotten what the RO/DI system to get on ebay is. Can anyone link me or tell me what to search on?

Thanks all, and I'm really looking forward to getting this tank going with help from you guys!

New tank:

And small sump:

Sump with media box, baffle, and standpipe:

msn711 · 08/16/2006, 09:18 AM

I think most people recommended oversizing your skimmer. I would go with the CSS 125 if your sump is tall enough, and you have the space for it. You'll need 8-9" in width to fit the skimmer in the sump. For your fuge questions, check out melevsreef.com. The fuge doesn't have to come before the skimmer because there's no way the skimmer will get everything out of the water. I think that one boils down to personal preference.

affableamerican · 08/16/2006, 11:13 PM

Thanks MSN711. The CSS 125 might be too big for the sump (if I want to have a fuge area also), but I will consider it more carefully.

Also, can someone tell me more about the recommended flow-through in a sump? I've seen some folks recommend 5x/hr the water volume through a sump, but this would only be around 250gph. Why would my overflow be rated for ~900gph, if the recommended turnover rate was 250gph? I'm getting a bit confused...

In my last tank, I had around 350gph going through the sump, and that was only a 20g tank.

mdt178 · 08/17/2006, 09:01 AM

sweet loking tank. I like the low profile overflow.
Research Octopus needlewheel skimmers. They have excellent reviews.
I'd put the PS in place of the media box, fuge in the middle, return at the end. You can even place the return pump in the middle, but the skimmer should be first in line.
Lots of people subscribe to the 2x-5x sump return. Main advantages would be max energy efficiency, max skimmer performance, no micro bubbles, low heat...
Of course majority of flow has to be provided by other means: Tunze streams, PHs or closed loop...

robster · 09/10/2006, 01:34 PM

Sweet tank/stand combo. I have a 37g Oceanic combo I've had for a couple of years. It is also 24x18. I had to have a custom sump made for my stand. I like your stand better with side access. Sweet. I also had a custom canopy for mine made which would also fit your tank. I will have to look into your setup when I move next year since I've got to move everything anyway. Does it come in the light maple color? How much did the tank/stand run you?

affableamerican · 09/10/2006, 02:20 PM

The tank/stand/sump/plumbing was $800 at the LFS. To be honest, I wouldn't have been able to justify that cost (and would've gone a more DiY route), but it was a gift. It's a beautiful setup though, I think. Cabinet area is pretty cramped with a 15g (10g footprint) sump that is nearly fitted to the cabinet. I have not seen any other examples of this setup, but I didn't see a different color on Oceanic's website.

robster · 09/10/2006, 03:16 PM

Yeah, I don't see that one at all on the Oceanic site. I hate that they took down the master tank excel spread sheet that is not downloadable anymore. You lucky you have side door access. I think you will be very happy with your setup in the end. It is a very easy tank to light. Attached is a link to some pics of my custom canopy after I initially got my tank up and running. I wanted the clean look of a canopy.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...4as2Ei&notag=1

08/16/2006, 12:35 AM	#1
affableamerican Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 118	*New Oceanic 45g ("Tech series") - Just starting (questions & pics)* Hey folks -- I've been out of the hobby for a while, and I've just gotten back in with an Oceanic RR 45g, with 15g sump. The tank dimensions are 24L x 18W x 24H (and good god is it gorgeous). The Oceanic setup (the "Tech series") came with a nice stand (smoky glass front door and sidedoors), the whole overflow and return setup (sans pump, and the tubing will need to be cut and possibly replaced), and a sump (will probably remove their baffle and make my own, and not use the big media box). I'm going to use an old 24" 130W PC light system to start and then switch to a 250W MH of some kind after I start populating with nicer corals. This is my 2nd go with a reef tank, and I'm starting off slow, cautious, and a bit thrifty. Here are my first tentative purchases (aside from the tank): - Coralife Superskimmer 65 (should I go 125?) - Mag 9.5 (for return pump; overflow is rated at 900gph) - RO/DI system (can't I find a decent one for ~$100 on ebay?) The skimmer/return pump should fit very snugly into my little sump, which has a footprint of 20L x 10W (x 18H). (My stand won't allow a HOB skimmer or an external pump.) The Mag 9.5 has a width of 3" and the Coralife SS65 has a width of 5.5". This should give me room on the other side of the sump to create a small fuge, with some chaeto. Will have to tear out the existing baffle setup probably (see pic below). The Questions - Is the SS65 too small for a 45g tank (15g sump, probably ~45g total water, once rock is in)? - Is it a bad idea to try to put the return and skimmer so close together? - Is it OK to put a small fuge before the skimmer or should the skimmer come first? (Seems like pods living in the fuge/macro would get fed before the water hit the skimmer.) - I've forgotten what the RO/DI system to get on ebay is. Can anyone link me or tell me what to search on? Thanks all, and I'm really looking forward to getting this tank going with help from you guys! New tank: And small sump: Sump with media box, baffle, and standpipe: __________________ I am an American aquarium drinker Current Tank Info: 45g Oceanic cube, 15g sump/fuge

08/16/2006, 09:18 AM	#2
msn711 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Reynoldsburg, OH Posts: 974	I think most people recommended oversizing your skimmer. I would go with the CSS 125 if your sump is tall enough, and you have the space for it. You'll need 8-9" in width to fit the skimmer in the sump. For your fuge questions, check out melevsreef.com. The fuge doesn't have to come before the skimmer because there's no way the skimmer will get everything out of the water. I think that one boils down to personal preference. __________________ Shay Current Tank Info: 120 Deep Blue Pro

08/16/2006, 11:13 PM	#3
affableamerican Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 118	Thanks MSN711. The CSS 125 might be too big for the sump (if I want to have a fuge area also), but I will consider it more carefully. Also, can someone tell me more about the recommended flow-through in a sump? I've seen some folks recommend 5x/hr the water volume through a sump, but this would only be around 250gph. Why would my overflow be rated for ~900gph, if the recommended turnover rate was 250gph? I'm getting a bit confused... In my last tank, I had around 350gph going through the sump, and that was only a 20g tank. __________________ I am an American aquarium drinker Current Tank Info: 45g Oceanic cube, 15g sump/fuge

09/10/2006, 01:34 PM	#5
robster Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Charlotte, North Carolina Posts: 1,239	Sweet tank/stand combo. I have a 37g Oceanic combo I've had for a couple of years. It is also 24x18. I had to have a custom sump made for my stand. I like your stand better with side access. Sweet. I also had a custom canopy for mine made which would also fit your tank. I will have to look into your setup when I move next year since I've got to move everything anyway. Does it come in the light maple color? How much did the tank/stand run you? __________________ Elos Mini Nano Current Tank Info: Elos Mini Nano Tank

09/10/2006, 02:20 PM	#6
affableamerican Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Redmond, WA Posts: 118	The tank/stand/sump/plumbing was $800 at the LFS. To be honest, I wouldn't have been able to justify that cost (and would've gone a more DiY route), but it was a gift. It's a beautiful setup though, I think. Cabinet area is pretty cramped with a 15g (10g footprint) sump that is nearly fitted to the cabinet. I have not seen any other examples of this setup, but I didn't see a different color on Oceanic's website. __________________ I am an American aquarium drinker Current Tank Info: 45g Oceanic cube, 15g sump/fuge

08/17/2006, 09:01 AM	#4
mdt178 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 655	sweet loking tank. I like the low profile overflow. Research Octopus needlewheel skimmers. They have excellent reviews. I'd put the PS in place of the media box, fuge in the middle, return at the end. You can even place the return pump in the middle, but the skimmer should be first in line. Lots of people subscribe to the 2x-5x sump return. Main advantages would be max energy efficiency, max skimmer performance, no micro bubbles, low heat... Of course majority of flow has to be provided by other means: Tunze streams, PHs or closed loop...

09/10/2006, 03:16 PM	#7
robster Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Charlotte, North Carolina Posts: 1,239	Yeah, I don't see that one at all on the Oceanic site. I hate that they took down the master tank excel spread sheet that is not downloadable anymore. You lucky you have side door access. I think you will be very happy with your setup in the end. It is a very easy tank to light. Attached is a link to some pics of my custom canopy after I initially got my tank up and running. I wanted the clean look of a canopy. http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...4as2Ei&notag=1 __________________ Elos Mini Nano Current Tank Info: Elos Mini Nano Tank