100g build questions

jason214 · 05/11/2008, 09:36 PM

How big of a sump, I want to use t-5 lighting, with the brand accessible to me i have to buy a 24 inch and a 36 inch, the t-5's are both 2 bulb setups, the 24 inch is 2x24w and the 36 is 2x 56w is that enough lighting or should i get 2 of each of them? Also i have an aqua c remora w/ a mj1200. Is that a big enough skimmer, or will i need a bigger one. Money is tight so i'm looking for quality but not top end(unless its cheap topend) if any one has any suggestions. As far as flow i was thinking 2 modded mj12's one on each side. I would use 4 if its not enough. any help is apreciated guys
jason

jason214 · 05/12/2008, 01:32 AM

i never get responses, do yall not like me

McCrary · 05/12/2008, 01:41 AM

What are the dimensions on the 100 gallon? 60" long x 18" deep x 24" tall?

jason214 · 05/12/2008, 01:51 PM

yep thats them its 60 inches long with about a 12 inch black panel in the middle on top. I believe its by a company named perfecto. And most like tempered glass and its not drilled.

hahnmeister · 05/12/2008, 02:11 PM

The sump depends on what you want to put in there. I would suggest something like a 40long for a 100g... enough room for a decent skimmer, internal return pump, a refugium, heaters, and some other filters/probes should you need them. It might be cramped if you put EVERYTHING in there, but its workable.

As for lighting, cant you just get 5' bulbs and reflectors? I would use all T5s on that... something like 6x80 watt T5s. You could use Icecap 660 ballasts to run 3 bulbs each, or spec 80 watt T5 ballasts. I think the expense of using many more of those smaller bulbs isnt going to justify using them... the cost between a 24" T5 and a 60" is less than $5 usually... so using the longest bulbs you can, and less of them, is the way to go.

McCrary · 05/12/2008, 05:34 PM

If you don't want to keep a calcium reactor under there a 55g might work out nicely. I am always wishing I had more room in my sump, so get the largest possible. Hahn has some great advice in T5's, they should be great for that size tank.

jason214 · 05/12/2008, 10:43 PM

Alright, i def. agree w/ you in normal circumstances on the lighting, only thing is i work at the lfs(i get a 50% discount on them) and the only brand t-5 we have is GLO, i think its produced by Hagen. They don't carry a 60 inch setup(or atleast our lfs doesn't) but now that i said all that, i think i need to look them up online and see if i can pull some strings. You made me think that the largest we carry is 48 inch, it seems stupid that it would be as big as they make them. next thing, The sump. How much depth is needed in a sump, The 40 long sounds like a good idea so far. I have an aqua c remora protein w/ a mj1200. Is this a powerful enough skimmer? if not what would yall suggest? Alright, i'm done with questions for now, mind mind is boggling just thinking about all this stuff. thanx for the help,

jsaon

hahnmeister · 05/13/2008, 12:05 AM

You know, the 'GLO' line has been discontinued for a reason. They arent very good reflectors (not to mention very wide which doesnt help), and no deal possible would get me to run them on my tank. The cost of bulbs and electricity wasted would exceed the cost of just buying better ones in the first place. If you are really wanting to use them though, and you can get the 48", then at least those would work alot better (just leave them 6" short on both ends).

I would do a 40L... its what I use on the 125g. Its a good size for everything I use (Ca reactor is external though on my setup). The 55g would be too akward to get into though (tall and narrow, and for what?) unless you have a very tall stand. A 33L is another good pick, but doesnt leave alot of room for water when you turn off the pumps. The 40L really has been the best, I just siliconed in a divider right in the middle (24") to make one half the fuge, and then the sump is on the other side with the heater, skimmer, phosban, etc... Simplicity is ideal for me and sumps. I look at all those sumps with multiple baffles and sections for every little component and I cant imagine what a nightmare they can be to work in or clean. If it wasnt for the refugium and it being lit that would cause problems with the other half of the sump, I wouldnt even use a baffle in the sump... just one long open tank under the tank would be fine. Some people do that though... rather than baffles, they just put one or two 5g buckets in the tank, clip a power compact shop light bulb onto the bucket and put chaeto in there (its cool because it actually spins then), with the tank draining into the bucket, and then a hole in the side of the bucket drains into the tank. Simplest, easiest to work on sump ever.

Another tank that works pretty well is a 40B... cheaper than a 40L even. I opted for the 40L because then dividing it in half meant I could use 24" long T5 bulbs for the fuge. Cutting a 40B in half would only give me 18". The long and narrow sump is a little easier to see everything as well... although depending on the skimmer's dimensions, I can see how a 40B might come in handy as well. Or, heck, on another guy's sump, the buckets were external anyways, and I used uni-seals to plumb piping from these 'refugium buckets' into the sump. If you did that, a 20H would be plenty for a sump. The guy I did this for used two 5g buckets and a 10g for a sump (only a 55g display). The neato part was that he could simply shut off the valve to one of the two refugium buckets (the other one would take the flow), then take the bucket outside and dump it... saltwater, chaeto, sediment, and all. Then he would just fill it with RO water, mix salt, and place the bucket back inline... opening up the valve again, and taking a small clump from the other bucket of chaeto. The buckets served as his 'sediment filters', and by this setup, he was able to do 5g water changes as well as a complete refugium cleaning in less than a few minutes with no mess. He still thinks that system is the slickest thing in the world and swears by it. Because his actual sump is that much smaller (rather than one large one) as well, he can more easily move it and clean it out as well without a problem.

So heck, maybe two or three 5g buckets under your tank with a 20H or 20L is a good idea as well for a sump... a whole lot easier to work on and alot cheaper. You could even put a few buckets in a row to use 2' or 3' T5s to light them.

05/11/2008, 09:36 PM	#1
jason214 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: mobile, al Posts: 344	100g build questions How big of a sump, I want to use t-5 lighting, with the brand accessible to me i have to buy a 24 inch and a 36 inch, the t-5's are both 2 bulb setups, the 24 inch is 2x24w and the 36 is 2x 56w is that enough lighting or should i get 2 of each of them? Also i have an aqua c remora w/ a mj1200. Is that a big enough skimmer, or will i need a bigger one. Money is tight so i'm looking for quality but not top end(unless its cheap topend) if any one has any suggestions. As far as flow i was thinking 2 modded mj12's one on each side. I would use 4 if its not enough. any help is apreciated guys jason

05/12/2008, 01:41 AM	#3
McCrary Can't Stop Time Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,079	What are the dimensions on the 100 gallon? 60" long x 18" deep x 24" tall? __________________ Matt Patience is the best remedy for every trouble. Titus Maccius Plautus (254 BC - 184 BC), Rudens

05/12/2008, 05:34 PM	#6
McCrary Can't Stop Time Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,079	If you don't want to keep a calcium reactor under there a 55g might work out nicely. I am always wishing I had more room in my sump, so get the largest possible. Hahn has some great advice in T5's, they should be great for that size tank. __________________ Matt Patience is the best remedy for every trouble. Titus Maccius Plautus (254 BC - 184 BC), Rudens

05/12/2008, 01:32 AM	#2
jason214 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: mobile, al Posts: 344	i never get responses, do yall not like me

05/12/2008, 01:51 PM	#4
jason214 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: mobile, al Posts: 344	yep thats them its 60 inches long with about a 12 inch black panel in the middle on top. I believe its by a company named perfecto. And most like tempered glass and its not drilled.

05/12/2008, 02:11 PM	#5
hahnmeister Moved On Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Brew City, WI Posts: 10,156	The sump depends on what you want to put in there. I would suggest something like a 40long for a 100g... enough room for a decent skimmer, internal return pump, a refugium, heaters, and some other filters/probes should you need them. It might be cramped if you put EVERYTHING in there, but its workable. As for lighting, cant you just get 5' bulbs and reflectors? I would use all T5s on that... something like 6x80 watt T5s. You could use Icecap 660 ballasts to run 3 bulbs each, or spec 80 watt T5 ballasts. I think the expense of using many more of those smaller bulbs isnt going to justify using them... the cost between a 24" T5 and a 60" is less than $5 usually... so using the longest bulbs you can, and less of them, is the way to go.

05/12/2008, 10:43 PM	#7
jason214 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: mobile, al Posts: 344	Alright, i def. agree w/ you in normal circumstances on the lighting, only thing is i work at the lfs(i get a 50% discount on them) and the only brand t-5 we have is GLO, i think its produced by Hagen. They don't carry a 60 inch setup(or atleast our lfs doesn't) but now that i said all that, i think i need to look them up online and see if i can pull some strings. You made me think that the largest we carry is 48 inch, it seems stupid that it would be as big as they make them. next thing, The sump. How much depth is needed in a sump, The 40 long sounds like a good idea so far. I have an aqua c remora protein w/ a mj1200. Is this a powerful enough skimmer? if not what would yall suggest? Alright, i'm done with questions for now, mind mind is boggling just thinking about all this stuff. thanx for the help, jsaon

05/13/2008, 12:05 AM	#8
hahnmeister Moved On Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Brew City, WI Posts: 10,156	You know, the 'GLO' line has been discontinued for a reason. They arent very good reflectors (not to mention very wide which doesnt help), and no deal possible would get me to run them on my tank. The cost of bulbs and electricity wasted would exceed the cost of just buying better ones in the first place. If you are really wanting to use them though, and you can get the 48", then at least those would work alot better (just leave them 6" short on both ends). I would do a 40L... its what I use on the 125g. Its a good size for everything I use (Ca reactor is external though on my setup). The 55g would be too akward to get into though (tall and narrow, and for what?) unless you have a very tall stand. A 33L is another good pick, but doesnt leave alot of room for water when you turn off the pumps. The 40L really has been the best, I just siliconed in a divider right in the middle (24") to make one half the fuge, and then the sump is on the other side with the heater, skimmer, phosban, etc... Simplicity is ideal for me and sumps. I look at all those sumps with multiple baffles and sections for every little component and I cant imagine what a nightmare they can be to work in or clean. If it wasnt for the refugium and it being lit that would cause problems with the other half of the sump, I wouldnt even use a baffle in the sump... just one long open tank under the tank would be fine. Some people do that though... rather than baffles, they just put one or two 5g buckets in the tank, clip a power compact shop light bulb onto the bucket and put chaeto in there (its cool because it actually spins then), with the tank draining into the bucket, and then a hole in the side of the bucket drains into the tank. Simplest, easiest to work on sump ever. Another tank that works pretty well is a 40B... cheaper than a 40L even. I opted for the 40L because then dividing it in half meant I could use 24" long T5 bulbs for the fuge. Cutting a 40B in half would only give me 18". The long and narrow sump is a little easier to see everything as well... although depending on the skimmer's dimensions, I can see how a 40B might come in handy as well. Or, heck, on another guy's sump, the buckets were external anyways, and I used uni-seals to plumb piping from these 'refugium buckets' into the sump. If you did that, a 20H would be plenty for a sump. The guy I did this for used two 5g buckets and a 10g for a sump (only a 55g display). The neato part was that he could simply shut off the valve to one of the two refugium buckets (the other one would take the flow), then take the bucket outside and dump it... saltwater, chaeto, sediment, and all. Then he would just fill it with RO water, mix salt, and place the bucket back inline... opening up the valve again, and taking a small clump from the other bucket of chaeto. The buckets served as his 'sediment filters', and by this setup, he was able to do 5g water changes as well as a complete refugium cleaning in less than a few minutes with no mess. He still thinks that system is the slickest thing in the world and swears by it. Because his actual sump is that much smaller (rather than one large one) as well, he can more easily move it and clean it out as well without a problem. So heck, maybe two or three 5g buckets under your tank with a 20H or 20L is a good idea as well for a sump... a whole lot easier to work on and alot cheaper. You could even put a few buckets in a row to use 2' or 3' T5s to light them.