New tank Build, Need input

[verynewatthis]

Okay guys and gals.. Im starting up a new sps tank, and I wanted to get your input.
First off let me say that I got all the hardware now and wanted to see what yall think. Plus ill be asking where I can find stuff in the local area. So with that being known ill start this off…

Tank is a oceanic 58 Gal RR tank with starfire front glass..36”18”21 ish..
The sump will be a 40 Gal breeder….not sure yet how im going to build the stand thu…
Lights will be one MH 250 XM bulb and two power compacts for the lovely blue..
The Rtn will be via a Mag 7
The skimmer is a RS180 Euro Reef , the older model.
There is no close loop on the tank so I have desisted to go with 2 Seio M620 Super Flow Pump…they do 600gph so I thought 2 should do it.
As far as live rock goes…I have 171 lbs in the garage curing …I know I don’t need that much, but I found it at a great price and just got it all. Ill pick what goes in the MT and Fuge later.
The calcium Reactor is custom one that I have had for a long time…
And my chiller is 1/4 Hp..

So that is all I have sitting in the garage at the house….but here is the sad part.. Im in Iraq right now. But I will be going on R and R in Aug. So when im home I will be putting the tank up on a temp stand and pluming it all up. The Rock that is curing right now will be added to the MT and fuge. I don’t know what im going to do with all the extra, but im sure ill find people that need some. Once the tank is all setup and water turning I will be returning to iraq…/cry…But ill be home by X-mas….fingers crossed.. So Im hoping my tank will be setup and clean when I get home.
I will only be on R and R for 2 weeks, So I have a questions….
Where can I find some Southdown sand???...or any sand for that mater. Im in killeen tx 1hrs from Austin.
I think I need about 100lbs for my tank and fuge.
And is anyone in the Killeen area that is good with Live Rock….everytime I do it, it looks like a wheel barrel full of rocks.

If you see anything you would change with my hardware plz feel free to let me know.
I think (THINK being the big word.)I have enough flow, lights, skimmer, rock, and chiller. With the 100lbs of sand that will put my sand bed at 3 inches.

The tank will be just sand and Rock from Aug thu Jan with one serving of Reef Chili every 2 weeks. The lights will be 12hrs on 12hrs off. The Reefkeeper will keep track of my temps and chiller. And the skimmer will run 24/7. The only thing the wife has to do while im gone is keep the auto top off full.
So if you have any input im all ears...
Ill talk to yall soon...
Rich

[verynewatthis]

here is a pic of the tank


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/hancockrich/100_1586.jpg


here is one of 2 bins of rock

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/hancockrich/rock1.jpg

and here is 2 of 2 bins of rock

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/hancockrich/100_1611.jpg

now the pumps that are in there right now are seio 1500s ....and ya...i did think about using them in the MT...i just think they would be to much...lol...
rich

[verynewatthis]

oh ya....i dont know what size them bins are...but i do know that the main tank will fit in one of them if that helps for size ref....all that rock came out of a 125 gal i think...
rich

[LoneStar]

Looking good so far. Good thing you have a wife that'll let you set it up and site for a few months before you come back. And come back safely!

What spectrum did you choose for the XM bulb? 10k?

You probably don't have to run the lights that long, if you only have rock and sand. The tank will mature in the dark. Unless she does not want a dark tank in the corner or if she starts buying a few things when your gone, you could decrease the photoperiod to save on some energy costs.

If your looking into going SPS as the main subject of the tank, look into the Seio controller. That will help randomize the flow of the tank. It will also be beneficial to the SPS as well.

[verynewatthis]

Ty lonestar...
the only thing i see wrong with the Seio controler is that you have to use a 1100 or bigger and two of them would flow 2200 Gph in a 58Gal tank i think would be just a bit to much...as far as the spectrum goes...i love the 20K.....im all about the BLUE...lol..
oh ya...i almost forgot...the seio controler powers both pumps at the same time....so it will change flow rate...but they both power up and down at the same time...i would get one if they powered one up, then the other...ect....
rich

[hobogato]

Seio controller. That will help randomize the flow of the tank. It will also be beneficial to the SPS as well.

good idea, but it will not work with the 600's. i think it will only work with 1100's and bigger

[tony]

i dont think 2200gph would be too much, especially with a controller. im currently in the 1500gph range in a 37g cube

the only thing i would change is your 3" sand bed. i did that once and nothing good came out of it. I would either add some to make it a dsb or take some away to put it in the 1" range

[caferacermike]

I would wonder if your bulb spectrum is a bit high for a new tank. 20K and full actinics will definitely make the colors pop but will it slow your corals growth to a crawl? I'd probably start the first year out with 8.5-10K bulbs so that your frags can get off to a quick start and once established then bring out the colors. But then again I'm a bit impatient and prefer fast growth to color. That is my plan when I switch over from my 75g to my 400g late this year/early next year. Plan to run 3x 10K 400(maybe even 1,000)w for the first year just to get everything established.

[hobogato]

the only other issue with the controller, even tho it controls two pumps, they ramp up and down at the same time - it isnt like a tunze multicontroller. i have the seio controllers on my tank, but with four pumps so they ramp up and down in pairs.

[LoneStar]

ahh didn't know that about the Seio's.....



Go Tunze! :)


But I don't think you could have too much flow. The only issues you would have is sand storms and the polyps being torn off the frags/colonies (depending on rock placement and pump placement). The fish would get use to the flow.

[verynewatthis]

caferacermike
well i used the 1500's on my old 80 and i had trouble with the sand blowing all over the place....i guess i can use them and just close up the water vents on them...
as far as the lights....i think i may just use the 10K for the faster growing...you make a good point....ty...

and hobogato do you have two of them controlers?? is that how you make 2 go up when you have 2 going down..

And tony....i was not trying for a DSB....i do want to do one in my Fuge,...but the 3inches for the MT was just a round number to me...but if i do 1 inch i think the flow will move it some and ill see the tank bottom....plus i love that silly shrimp that digs all the time for his buddy the gobie...that is the coolest thing to me..lol...

Lonestar...i love a lot of flow...just dont like the sandstorms....do you use a thicker grade of sand for your tank?? Someone has to teach me how to point pumps...if i point them at the rocks...the coral get mad....if i point them across the tank...it goes off the glass and moves sand...if i point them up....well the wife gets mad...lol...ya i did do that once....but it was not as bad as when i was new and tested my mag 12 in the kitchen sink...that was so stupid...my wife still doesnt let me live that one down...

oh ya...does anyone know where some southdown is??

rich

[Willow]

If you need help with the rock; I live just outside of Copperas... could always drop by and give you a hand..

I haven't been able to find Southdown locally yet... I'll check again next week when I'm in Killeen... ya never know what Home Depot or Lowes might get in... I know some people were using the white playsand from Home Depot... but i don't even know if they got it in this year or not...

[LoneStar]

Well I'm going bare bottom :shades so no sand will be in my tank. I don't like the way it gets in the water column....plus its too much of a pain.

Fine tuning pump placements is an art. It just takes practice. Most of the time I recommend placing the powerhead pump on the back corners, aiming towards the center of the tank. From there its just a matter of placing the 1 rock onto the sand to prevent it from blowing around ;)

As for southdown 'type' sand, its going to be hard to find it down here in Texas. Alot of our sand sold in stores is silica based, only for the fact that is what we have a lot of in this region. Best bet would be to find someone with a southdown stockpile or hook up with a LFS to see if they can order you some CaribSea aragonite sand. Maybe if you order enough of that, there might be a price break in it for ya.

[brewercm]

I use the CaribSea reef grade sand and it doesn't cause as much problem as the fine sugar size. If you are going with a DSB you probably want the finer stuff though. If not, I'd do like Tony mentioned and go with a 1" decorative sand bed and use a thicker in your sump if you want. Of course I'm bias because this is what I'f done with mine. :)

[mathias]

Personally I would keep a deep sand bed in a larger fuge and if your going to do nothing but sps do a bare bottom so that way you can use whatever powerheads in all different type of flow setups.... no need to worry about a sandstorm.... and I would run the lights maybe 6 hours out of the day while your gone. put a piece of shrimp to start the whole cycle process and leave it alone.... just let the wife clean out the skimmer and top off water and let it cycle go through a whole algea boom and let it sit... then when you get back purchase a cleanup crew get the tank up to great parameters.... then start stocking :) and change the light cycle then....



most important part of this whole hobby is patience....


and with lights personaly I love my 400 watt xm 20k bulbs... I get good growth not speedy growth but my tank always looks so colorful...

[hobogato]

caferacermike

and hobogato do you have two of them controlers?? is that how you make 2 go up when you have 2 going down..



yep, 2 controllers and 4 2600s :)

[verynewatthis]

Willow
that would be great if you could lend a hand with setting up the rock. It looks like ill be home the first week of Aug for my R and R....i was told yesterday that i should fly out of here on the 2nd...

Lonestar
I have seen some very nice bare bottom tanks but my wife loves having sand and she kinda wears the pants and all...lol....plus i love that stupid shirmp that digs all day for his gobie.... As far as sand goes....maybe some of the austin people will post of some LFS that stock sand and the prices.../fingers crossed

brewercm
I agree about having the DSP in the fuge....the sand in the MT will just be for the wife and the shrimp..... But the fuge will be in the 40 Gal sump....i plan on having 1/3 of it for the fuge..and having the sand about 6inches deep....so the sand should be 12X6X18 L,D,W i hope this is enough to help the MT's params..

Mathias
kk 6 hrs a day when im gone....the only reason im running them is so the wife does not have to look at a dark tank all day. Im wondering if the tank will need dosing while im gone...for caraline to grow...or do yall think the water changes should be good tell i get back....

Okay Maybe someone from Austin will jump in here and let me know about the LFS.....Names...Who has sand...who has Cal reactor media...who is the biggest sps dealer...thank you ahead of time....
Rich

[mathias]

I wouldn't worry about water changes or any of that because the first cycle is going to throw everything off of wack...