My first reef aquarium

[Reef Swimmer]

Picking up tank either Friday or Saturday and want to know where to start with pumps, power heads circulation pumps protein skimmer and refugium as well as sump.

[BBQHILLBILLY]

congrats. for sure get refugium/sump. what are your plans

[Reef Swimmer]

Starting some live rock live sand and let it cycle. Then getting a few fish like some gobies, clowns and bleenies then adding some soft corals , some cleaner shrimp and a pistol shrimp as well as a peppermint shrimp a couple flame scallops and some sea fans. Once I get the hang of the soft corals I want to get some hard corals. Not sure if I want sps or lps.

[Reef Swimmer]

2033620335Tank was drilled with a 90 degree elbow on the back I want to put a overflow box on it. Is a tank with built in overflow better or a tank that has been drilled?

[Scutterborn]

Starting some live rock live sand and let it cycle. Then getting a few fish like some gobies, clowns and bleenies then adding some soft corals , some cleaner shrimp and a pistol shrimp as well as a peppermint shrimp a couple flame scallops and some sea fans. Once I get the hang of the soft corals I want to get some hard corals. Not sure if I want sps or lps.

Easy, tiger! Lets make sure that while your letting the tank cycle, you research the livestock you would like to keep.


- Ben -

[Reef Swimmer]

Yeah my LFS is going to be south sea aquatics. Been talking to Gary alot.

[ramsey]

Easy, tiger! Lets make sure that while your letting the tank cycle, you research the livestock you would like to keep.


- Ben -

+1 how big is your tank? Also, I'd pass on the peppermint shrimp unless you have aiptasia. They pretty much hide all the time and may eat coral. Also, do your research on flame scallops. They're very hard to keep and will also hide in your rock work until you find it dead. I don't recommend them unless you have the right tank and are prepared to feed them phytoplankton daily. Looks good though, sounds like you've done a fair bit of research already. Welcome!

[ramsey]

Picking up tank either Friday or Saturday and want to know where to start with pumps, power heads circulation pumps protein skimmer and refugium as well as sump.

What is your budget for all this? We can certainly make recommendations but without knowing your tank size and budget, it's going to be hard. A sump/fuge is a good idea and I'd personally spend more on a skimmer and return pump then buy nicer powerheads later. I like Bubble Magus and Reef Octopus skimmers for the money. It's a good idea to oversize your skimmer. For example, if you have a 50g tank, get a skimmer rated for 75g or 100g. It's better to have too much skimmer than not enough. A lot of people run Sicce return pumps but I'd also check out either RLSS or Octopus DC controllable pumps. For power heads, I love Vortechs but they're expensive. If you're looking for something cheaper, check out the koralias.

[Zack]

I think spending money on a good skimmer is a must, but there are knock off brands that perform just as good as the big names. SCA skimmers which many people swear by can be had for about 1/3 as much as their actual counterparts. Look into the SCA-302 or 303 on ebay. I have the 303 and love it, best 120 bucks I've spent on my tank.

[Reef Swimmer]

Tank size is 90g. Buget is around 2 to 3 k

[Reef Swimmer]

2033620335Tank was drilled with a 90 degree elbow on the back I want to put a overflow box on it. Is a tank with built in overflow better or a tank that has been drilled?
What's better?

[Zack]

A built in overflow box is a drilled tank.

If you mean HOB overflow vs overflow box, then overflow box is the way to go.

[Reef Swimmer]

I mean one that was made with the over flow vs one that was drilled

[Zack]

don't quote me on this but my money is on the overflow because a larger area for surface skimming

[ramsey]

For sure, get an overflow box. Better surface skimming and it looks nicer IMO. You can get a decent sized one from bulk reef supply for around $60.

With 2-3k you should be able to get some nice stuff. For a sump, I'd pm hobogato here on maast. He makes custom sumps and does really nice work. You might also look into a controller if you can fit it into your budget. Also, leave yourself a bit of breathing room because there will be small stuff you forget about that starts to add up. I always end up spending more on a build than I originally planned for.

EDIT: by overflow box, I'm talking about an internal one that you silicone on. I wouldn't go with an external one since your tank is drilled and the externals can leak.

[allan]

Yeah, look up calflow.

I definitely would not put an external overflow on this tank.


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[OrionN]

Scallops should be avoid. They are short live in aquarium and will died due to starvation in a few months. They tend to hid in the dark corner in the back of the tank anyway and you will not see them. I would not add any animals into the tank unless you want them in the tank long term. Reconsider the shrimp. Most pistol shrimp (the larger ones) tend to stir up the sand a lot. Shrimp, even cleaner shrimp, will eat a lot of your snails, especially the Stomatella snails that breed in your tank. "...gobies, clowns and bleenies..." You can add these if that is what you want in the tank. You don't need to use fish or animals to cycle the tank. Just use LR and Live sand.

[Reef Swimmer]

Ok I'm talking about a tank that was made without an internal overflow vs one that was made with an internal overflow.

[Zack]

I'm not 100% sure I understand what your saying..

There are tanks that come pre-made from the factory as "reef ready" and there are glass tanks that you can buy and customize to be "reef ready" by installing and drilling for an overflow and return line. Deciding on which is better is personal preference. Some people like to DIY stuff, and some people perfer to pay the extra money for a system that's ready. Whenever I upgrade, I'll probably go DIY because not many companies produce tanks with a pennensuila style right out the factory.

If you mean which is better, the strainer on the elbow or the overflow box, I say the overflow box is much better.

[Reef Swimmer]

Well one is from ducati996 and the other is from sergiotami both are 90 and both come with lights, canopy, and stand. Ducati996 has a DIY sump too. So I'm trying to decide.

[KING]

2033620335Tank was drilled with a 90 degree elbow on the back I want to put a overflow box on it. Is a tank with built in overflow better or a tank that has been drilled?
Not sure what your asking any more but..my first tank had this over flow..an I got to say..I loved it...more cus it saved a lot of room then the fool over flow boxes..but there are over flow boxes they make that can cover just that top hole an not all the way to the bottom..if that helps any...but good luck in your build.

[Zack]

I think that both of those may have sold this past weekend. At work so not sure. I've bought a used system from Neil and everything worked out great.

[don-n-sa]

Tank was drilled with a 90 degree elbow on the back I want to put a overflow box on it. Is a tank with built in overflow better or a tank that has been drilled?
In order for a tank to have a "built in overflow" it needs to be drilled so its hard to figure out what you are asking here. I like the calflo style personally...especially combined with the bean animal drain system. If you are asking what is better, just the drilled tank with the 90 as the drain, or an overflow box style, then that is debatable but most would say the box is better (including me), however there are so many ways to set up your tank. I would advise to visit some members tanks and see how there's are set up and mirror one that you like. I have a calflo with a bean animal drain...super quiet with great surface skimming...love it! When you visit someone's house...make sure you listen as well because you will have to live with the sound 24/7. If you want to come by my house you are welcome to.

[Reef Swimmer]

Ok well im picking up the tank Saterday. I need to know what kind of lights I need since LEDs are going to have to wait a bit. I don't want to be putting a ton of heat into my tank by using hid lights. What else can I use? Also what bulbs do I need for a T5 light setup.

[jrsatx20]

http://www.glass-holes.com/700-gph-Overflow-Box-Complete-Kit-gh700kit.htm

http://www.glass-holes.com/Reef-Octopus-6-150-Gallon-NWB150-CV5113.htm

[jrsatx20]

..my first tank had this over flow..an I got to say..I loved it...

it also allows you to control the water going into the sump