New Tank help!!

[ErikH]

Oh, and with the powerheads, I would recommend at least 3200 GPH of flow in your tank for proper detritus suspension.

[hobogato]

......Ace (hobogato) builds sumps and all things acrylic. You have to ask him though. ....

sorry, not anymore. wouldnt want any conflict of interest should i get elected to the BOD or President

[Bill S]

Great advice, Erik.

If size isn't all that important, you should be able to pick up a used sump by watching for a few days. If it is important, as Erik said, get Ace (aka Hobogato) to throw one together for you.

Others really like the Koralias, I'm fond of my Seios - which are cheaper, but the entire unit has to stay in the tank.

As Erik says, don't overdrive your overflows. Make SURE you have enough drain capacity that if a snail or something else gets caught in one of your drains, your other drain(s) can handle the flow. You can also minimize your sump return section so that it can't overflow your tank.

[corruption]

Return Pump
NEVER OVERSIZE YOUR PUMP. The size of your return pump must be smaller than what your overflow can drain. ACCOUNT FOR A SLOW DRAIN. I think 1 1/2" drains run at 1200 gph, I have a Danner Mag 7 return pump (internal) with about 4' of head loss, so it probably pumps at a few hundred or so gph. If you get one that is fast, you will quickly overflow your tank, especially if a rogue snail makes it into your overflow and clogs things a bit.

Clean Up Crew.
Always have alot. I buy crabs and snails just about every other time I visit the LFS. This is a huge detriment to your tank as they eat food that needs to be eaten. They are scavengers, just what a good reef needs.

Just to add here -- when configuring flow out of your tank, for exactly the reasons Erik stated here, its best to double up on outputs. If you think a single 1.5" is enough, put 2 of em. The chances of a clog are very real, and the end result is rarely pretty. The tank will only drain out as fast as you put it back in, once equilibrium is found -- the overflow portion of the process is caused by the return pump pushing water back to the display.

As well, for the clean up crew -- I personally tend to avoid hermits, in my experiences, they tend to be bigger bullies than their worth, though admittedly not as bad as true crabs are (fish killers! )... I tend to go with caution on crabs, and prefer a large variety and collection of snails.

-Corruption

[saltier]

ScorpiNo.....THIS is what I mean!!!!! This is clear knowledge and guidance!!!! YOU ROCK!!! And I love your photo bucket slide show also! You have some very beautiful babies.

[saltier]

Thanks Corrup, I will add that to my bank of knowledge too and hope that I don't make too many mistakes. This tank is a gift for my wife and she will love it as she does the other 3 we have.

[saltier]

sorry, not anymore. wouldnt want any conflict of interest should i get elected to the BOD or President

Dude....well that was a knee to the nads!!! LOL