Getting back into hobby after long hiatus

Karl H · 06/16/2006, 09:47 PM

I just purchased a used setup after being without a tank for 6 years or so. I previously had a 125 gal FO, a 20 gal reef and a 10 gal nano.

I purchased a 55 gal sumped tank. It came with a stand, tank, standard lighting (not up to reef standards), sump, and Excalibur skimmer. My intentions are to build up a medium light reef with a few select fish. I guess you could call it a FOWLR.

I have a few questions I'd like your opinion on:

- Live rock. I'm guessing 60#-70#?

- Return pump for sump. Eheim 1260? Is this too much pump for a 15 gal?

- Substrate. I was thinking shallow sand bottom. I don't like the look of a substrateless tank, although I appreciate the maintenance benefits. I don't want to deal with a deep substrate. I figure I will have enough live rock to not need it. I like the look of fine sand. I hate the look of the course aragonite. Thoughts?

- Refugium in sump. Is this too much of a hassle? Do I need a dedicated refugium? I have a standard two chamber sump. One area has the return, full of the bio balls. The other area is for the skimmer and return pump.

- Lighting. Whats the best setup for a 55 gal? I think I need around 300 watts or so.

In general, whats changed in the last 6 or so years? Whats the ideal setup for a sumped 55 gal? I'd like to do it right the first time, if possible.

Thanks!

cheeks69 · 06/16/2006, 10:18 PM

Quote:

- Live rock. I'm guessing 60#-70#?

Yes that should be fine nice porous rock, Indo-Pacific preferably IMO.

Quote:

- Return pump for sump. Eheim 1260? Is this too much pump for a 15 gal?

The Eheim should be fine, is it a 1" drain ? Is the 15 gal the biggest you can fit in the cabinet ?

Quote:

- Substrate. I was thinking shallow sand bottom. I don't like the look of a substrateless tank, although I appreciate the maintenance benefits. I don't want to deal with a deep substrate. I figure I will have enough live rock to not need it. I like the look of fine sand. I hate the look of the course aragonite. Thoughts?

If your going SSB then I would go course aragonite since it will be much easier to siphon off detritus etc. then using fine sand.

Quote:

- Refugium in sump. Is this too much of a hassle? Do I need a dedicated refugium? I have a standard two chamber sump. One area has the return, full of the bio balls. The other area is for the skimmer and return pump.

If your using a 15 gal sump you'll have little room for a refugium I would suggest a HOT refugium. I would also ditch the bio-balls they provide 0 denitrification ! The LR will provide you with all the bio-filtration you'll need. I'm not familiar with the Excalibur skimmer but since your tank will not have a DSB then I would recommend a powerful skimmer and excellent flow to keep detritus in suspension so it can be exported effectively.

Quote:

- Lighting. Whats the best setup for a 55 gal? I think I need around 300 watts or so.

I would opt for about 300w of T5 lighting.

bertoni · 06/16/2006, 11:01 PM

I would target about 150 gph or so through that sump, so I'd go for a smaller pump.

Depending on what you want to grow, there are various setups that might work well for you. I would likely put a metal halide fixture on the tank, but that would be overkill for soft corals, for example.

A refugium can be a big benefit to your tank, if you can swing one somehow. Maybe another 10-15g tank in the stand if possible?

cheeks69 · 06/16/2006, 11:08 PM

Quote:

I would target about 150 gph or so through that sump, so I'd go for a smaller pump.

Why would you go that low ? I have a 21 gallon sump with a MAG 12 with about a thousand gallons going thru it.

yoboyjdizz · 06/16/2006, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cheeks69
Why would you go that low ? I have a 21 gallon sump with a MAG 12 with about a thousand gallons going thru it.

for a return pump you want to target 3-5x your system volumne

bertoni · 06/17/2006, 06:26 AM

That's my view.

cheeks69 · 06/17/2006, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by yoboyjdizz
for a return pump you want to target 3-5x your system volumne

Humm I always thought it was about 10x... that's what it is in my system.

bertoni · 06/17/2006, 02:13 PM

It's a matter of opinion, but 3-5x is enough to keep the skimmer happy, and a closed loop, etc, is a cheaper, less bubble-prone way to move water, IMO.

Karl H · 06/17/2006, 03:02 PM

Thanks for the opinions guys! I will keep reading all the other posts also to get me back in the swing of things.

Glad to see this is still a great site!

06/16/2006, 09:47 PM	#1
Karl H Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 47	Getting back into hobby after long hiatus I just purchased a used setup after being without a tank for 6 years or so. I previously had a 125 gal FO, a 20 gal reef and a 10 gal nano. I purchased a 55 gal sumped tank. It came with a stand, tank, standard lighting (not up to reef standards), sump, and Excalibur skimmer. My intentions are to build up a medium light reef with a few select fish. I guess you could call it a FOWLR. I have a few questions I'd like your opinion on: - Live rock. I'm guessing 60#-70#? - Return pump for sump. Eheim 1260? Is this too much pump for a 15 gal? - Substrate. I was thinking shallow sand bottom. I don't like the look of a substrateless tank, although I appreciate the maintenance benefits. I don't want to deal with a deep substrate. I figure I will have enough live rock to not need it. I like the look of fine sand. I hate the look of the course aragonite. Thoughts? - Refugium in sump. Is this too much of a hassle? Do I need a dedicated refugium? I have a standard two chamber sump. One area has the return, full of the bio balls. The other area is for the skimmer and return pump. - Lighting. Whats the best setup for a 55 gal? I think I need around 300 watts or so. In general, whats changed in the last 6 or so years? Whats the ideal setup for a sumped 55 gal? I'd like to do it right the first time, if possible. Thanks!

06/16/2006, 11:01 PM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I would target about 150 gph or so through that sump, so I'd go for a smaller pump. Depending on what you want to grow, there are various setups that might work well for you. I would likely put a metal halide fixture on the tank, but that would be overkill for soft corals, for example. A refugium can be a big benefit to your tank, if you can swing one somehow. Maybe another 10-15g tank in the stand if possible? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/17/2006, 06:26 AM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	That's my view. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/17/2006, 02:13 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	It's a matter of opinion, but 3-5x is enough to keep the skimmer happy, and a closed loop, etc, is a cheaper, less bubble-prone way to move water, IMO. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/17/2006, 03:02 PM	#9
Karl H Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 47	Thanks for the opinions guys! I will keep reading all the other posts also to get me back in the swing of things. Glad to see this is still a great site!