41 Gallon tank questions...

[GQJake81]

new to the saltwater world so bear with me. i'm not afraid to read and learn, it's just sometimes i can't find precisely what i need, so if you wanna just point me in the right direction that is fine.

couple questions....

first, 41 gallon tank, 24w x 24t x 24d, fluval osaka, currently freshwater. gonna convert it.

it has a 2x24 GLO series t5 HO by hagen on it now. i'm thinking about getting a sundial 4x24 fixture to put on it as well. think that will work for soft corals and whatnot? total of 108 watts. i would try and keep the corals near the top, put some lower light ones down a little deeper.

second, i'm wanting to make a 10 gallon refugium/sump combo. what size/style pump should i get? i think i will probably just get a 300 GPH overflow box to hang on the back. think that will work? or should i do a 10 gallon sump AND a 10 gallon fuge? i've got a couple 10 gallon tanks laying around. i'm just not sure i would know how to plumb all that.

[thegrun]

Your tank holds 60 gallons if the dimensions are correct (24x24x24/231=59.8). Is the added fixture T-5 or CF? If it is T-5, you will be able to keep most anything you want in the tank (SPS and clams may need to be kept higher in the tank), if it is CF then softies and other low light corals will be fine, but you will not be able to keep sps or anemones except perhaps right at the top of the aquarium. The bigger the sump/refugium the better, so yes I would use both tanks. I would configure it: intake from DT>filter sock and skimmer section>U tubes (siphon) into 2nd tank refugium section>return pump section.

[GQJake81]

OOPS. that should have been 18 deep. i was just on a roll with those 24s....

the added lights would be t5s as well.

i'm unsure of how you mean to plumb it. the filter sock part has me confused.

i assume you mean to have an overflow feed a sump tank that is elevated somewhat, where i would put my skimmer heater and whatever else, and then how would i get it to siphon down to the lower fuge? and the lower fuge would have a bubble trap and the return section for the pump?

[thegrun]

A total of 6 T-5 lights on an 18" tank will work great. You should be able to keep most SPS and all soft corals.
Run the drain from the DT into a filter sock which would sit in the first 10 gallon tank with your skimmer, heater etc. Then use a couple of U tubes which would siphon the water into tank #2 which is at the same level as tank #1. A divider would split the tank #2 about in half, the top of this baffle should be about 1-1/2" from the top of the 10 gallon tank. This baffle will set the water level in both tank #2's first section (which will be a refugium) and the entire tank #1. The second section of tank #2 would be for the return pump. I would add a second baffle 1" before the main splitter baffle that would run from the top of the tank and end 1" above the bottom of the tank. This would run water under the refugium section and then over the main baffle. Stock the bottom 5-6" of the refugium with live rock and the top with cheato.
Hope this helps and not confuses you.

[Chiefsurfer]

ok, wow. Well unless your 41 is tempered, I would drill that tank, and NOT use an overflow box. Many times they are more trouble than they are worth. Secondly, With a fairly small tank, I might reccomend a HOB skimmer, and using the single 10 gallon as a refugium and heater spot. The heaters can go into the section with the return pump. That is what I might suggest. You can add a tiny section in the beginning for the heaters and filter-socks if you wish.

If you wish to use the 2, that is fine, just a little more intricate set-up. If possible, I would say have one above the other. This will make it very easy to drill one of the 10 gallon tanks, and have it drain right to the other, without too much problem. When I get home tonight, providing my power doesn't go out from the storm, I can do a few drawings for you if you wish.

[GQJake81]

ok....well, the cabinet won't hold a 10 gallon tank. i thought it would.

the tank is 18" from front to back. the dude at the LFS kept calling what i call "deep" (as in water depth) "tall" and i thought maybe that was industry standard. basically it is 24" wide, 24" top to bottom, and 18" front to back.

i like the idea of the HOB skimmer, but i'm trying to go as "clean" as possible up top.

i'm looking to see if this thing is tempered. it is a bent glass front, so i don't know if it is or not. it's a fluval osaka.

now i'm possibly looking into building an acrylic sump/fuge for the cabinet. the problem is, the tank has a big horizontal divider in the middle. so iy cuts the stand into 2 compartments.

here's a pic.

[Chiefsurfer]

^Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, HOB skimmer not a great idea. It would look pretty gross with a clean set-up like that. I would REALLY see if you can find out if it is tempered(call the company who made it) and try and drill. Then build an acrylic to whatever will fit.

Maybe a pic of the inside of the cabinet? Also, you COULD use a HOB in the sump if you wanted to. Also, have another idea, but maybe someone will find a flaw in it. Will make a drawing shortly.

Below would be the view from the top of the sump. You could also build it with some blacked acrylic up top, to create an overflow, and your pvc return can run to there, with one of those bendy flexible things.

[GQJake81]

i've got an email into them at present. they say that all their tanks are regular non tempered glass....but i sent an email in anyway since it is not a "standard" tank and has the bent glass. but it seems like i might be in the clear for drilling it.



pic of the cabinet. sorry for the crappy quality. printer died and it had the card reader i use to get stuff off my camera. so had to use the cell...

[GQJake81]

thinkin of maybe a stacked design on one side. the shelf is removable.

but having two "tanks" on the left side in a stacked configuration. top one being the fuge. lower being the sump. only problem is the skimmer.

guess i could make one tank on one side, then one on the other. elevate the fuge side.

dunno, too much thinking and planning. need food. i'm off to acquire some delicious goodness then maybe kill things on Borderlands for awhile. then come back to this gigantic endeavor.

[Chiefsurfer]

those pics are fine. Is that stand solid wood, or plastic laminate covered particle-board? If it's particle-board, then do not remove that center brace. If it's solid wood, you should be able to re-inforce the top with 2x2" strips, maybe some 2x4's around the sides, and in the center in the back, and be fine removing that piece. Might not be possible, but you might be able to build a somewhat smaller "end-table" thing to go next to it, then cut a hole in the stand for the tank, and run your plumbing into the "stand" on the side, and run stuff on the side. That would be a cool way to run whatever sump system you want.

[GQJake81]

it's particle board.

but i could still remove it and completely frame out the whole interior with 2x4s, should bear the load just fine. i'd obviously take the tank off first. which i have to do to paint the back black anyway.

i dunno. how big of fuge you think i need? i was reading mlev's stuff and i think he said 10% of tank volume....which would only be a 4 gallon fuge. and i could probably get away with gettin a ten gallon standard tank under there then....i also have a 5 gallon tank. and a 2.5. and another 10.....man....i have a bunch of tanks that are empty. i have a 29 gallon bowfront too....but i think once i get this reef stuff down, i might make it into another reef........but we'll see.

[Chiefsurfer]

anything as a guide for sumps is just that a guide. The larger the better. More water volume means more stability. ALSO, I doubt anything below a 10 would be feasable to grow much macro to do anything. Also, you have to think about how much space the skimmer, heaters and return pump take up.