Trying To Plan A Sw Tank...need A Lot Of Guidance.

[kj23502]

Ok here's this site. This isn't the tank I'm getting. I want to stay nanoish at 30 gallons and am thinking of a custom 36" L X 13" W X 15" H. What do you think of the demensions?

On the website, it says under type of aquarium:

Comes standard with 1 Glass Wall Overflow (located on back panel of aquarium)
Comes standard with 2 holes for the overflow

...I thought the overflow was where the water goes down into the sump below? Why would it need two holes? I'm guessing that at least one hole is for the return of the water from the sump.

I know I sound dumb But I'm honestly just trying figure this all out. I think I'll run down to the LFS and have a look at their reef ready tanks for sale so when/if I get someone giving me answers on here I'll have an idea on what the hell they're talking about.

Would a 30 gallon need a refugium? Is it just good practice, if not needed? I know that's where you grow critters where they have a great chance for survival. I'm thinking of doing one b/c I want a mandarin and know I need copeopods to feed it.

 

[Colin_T]

Some tanks have the drain pipe (for trickle filter) just stuck in the side or base of the tank. Other tanks have a glass panel in the back corner and the hole for drain pipe is located behind the glass panel. The water flows over the panel and down the drain pipe. The second hole is normally for the return pipe.
Some tanks also have two drain holes and one return hole. Alternatively they have one big hole for draining the tank and a small hole for the return. You need to be able to get more water out of the tank than gets put back in otherwise you get a flood.

The tank size is fine and if you want a refugium that can help but is not essential. Refugiums can also be added further down the tank if finances are tight. They do give you more water and that makes the whole system more stabile due to the larger water volume. You can also grow algae (caulerpa) in them and this can help keep the water cleaner and provide a home to various small organisms that occasionally get pumped into the main tank where the corals and fish can eat them.

 

[kj23502]

Thanks Colin T. That's a little clearer now. I need to figure out how big a sump I'm going to do. At least 10 gallons at the minimum. I figure that'll also help add more water to aid in the stability of the tank. And then if I do add a 10 gallon refugium that'll add more water...so it'll be 50 gallon total w/empty tanks. Hmmm...maybe about 40 usg after all rocks are added? I plan on putting live rock in the sump also.

Oh, I'm staying small so the tank won't get to heavy. It's going to weigh alot w/all the live rock alone!!

 

[Colin_T]

Most people use the sump as the refugium.
With small tanks I like to have the sump/refugium the same size as the main tank. I use double tier stands and simply have two tanks, one on top and one below. The water is drained from the top tank into the bottom, where it goes through the filter, skimmer, plants, etc and then gets returned to the main display tank.
The live rock will displace some water and doesn't add much more weight to the tank.
Your tank will hold about 100litres, (without rock) so if you have 2 of them on a double tier stand the total weight including tanks should not be any more than 250kg. Most floors can take that weight without any problems. If you have wooden floorboards then you can use blocks of wood to go under the stand legs. These boards run in the opposite direction to the floorboards and help to spread the weight out more evenly. A lot of people use 1 inch thick plyboard (or something similar) and use squares about 1ft x1ft. Each stand leg gets a piece of 1ftx1ftx1inch thick wood under it.

 

[Musho3210]

your at glass cages arent you? Id skip that, waste of money, get a 40 breeder, similar dimensions, much cheaper, probably better quality than glass cages. Most 40 breeders have un-tempered bottoms so you can drill yourself or just get a reef ready one. I think all-glass makes a reef ready one.

20 long is a good skimmer for that, or you could go with what colin said.

 

[kj23502]

your at glass cages arent you? Id skip that, waste of money, get a 40 breeder, similar dimensions, much cheaper, probably better quality than glass cages. Most 40 breeders have un-tempered bottoms so you can drill yourself or just get a reef ready one. I think all-glass makes a reef ready one.

20 long is a good skimmer for that, or you could go with what colin said.

yea...it's glass cages. do you mean sump instead of skimmer? Don't confuse me please

 

[kj23502]

Ok another ? now. I have two lights sitting on top of my cichlid tank that are actually for sw. They are 30" though. They contain 1 24 watt actinic and 1 24 watt flourescent. If I put both of them on a 36" sw tank and stagger them slightly, would that suffice for awhile. Even if I get into purchasing coral? I'm wonder if these bulbs would fit into or work on a 36" light? Whats your take on it?

The brand of light strip says Top Aquarium Series from Jalli Corp.

*the actinic is what made my cichlid in my avatar look soo blue

 

[Colin_T]

you can use those lights for the time being and if you want corals that require more light then add more light later on. Just make sure any corals you do get go under the lights and not at the end of the tank in the shaded areas.
normally 2ft & 30inch light units have a 2ft globe, whereas a 3ft light unit has a 3ft globe that is 30watts compared to 18 or 24w. High output (HO) T5 lights are more powerful again and are a better choice should you invest in new lights later down the track.

 

[Musho3210]

your at glass cages arent you? Id skip that, waste of money, get a 40 breeder, similar dimensions, much cheaper, probably better quality than glass cages. Most 40 breeders have un-tempered bottoms so you can drill yourself or just get a reef ready one. I think all-glass makes a reef ready one.

20 long is a good skimmer for that, or you could go with what colin said.

yea...it's glass cages. do you mean sump instead of skimmer? Don't confuse me please

Lol, simply put, get a 40 gallon breeder as the main display fish tank, and a 20 gallon long for the sump. It will be a lot cheaper than a custom 30 gallon and higher quality than glass cages.

 

[SkiFletch]

Agree with Musho on this one, the glass cages tanks really are not all that great for what you pay... Also, a 40 breeder with a 20long underneath is a great setup, you'll be really happy with it (until you want to upgrade )

 

[kj23502]

Thanks for all the responses everyone!! I'm planning on saving to turn my 125 gallon tank into a sw in a year or so! Specs are 60"L x 18"W x 26"T

 

[kj23502]

How big should I make the sump? I'm reading about a DIY sump. ^specifications of tank size.^

 

[Colin_T]

It has to be big enough to hold the surplus water from the main tank during a power failure. Therefore, try to make the sump as big as possible. I like to have the sump at least half the length of the main tank and the same width. If you get a double tier stand you can have the main tank above and stick a sump under it.
For your 60x18x26inch tank I would look for a sump about 3ft long x 18inches wide & 18high. If you can get a longer one then do so.

 

[kj23502]

It has to be big enough to hold the surplus water from the main tank during a power failure. Therefore, try to make the sump as big as possible. I like to have the sump at least half the length of the main tank and the same width. If you get a double tier stand you can have the main tank above and stick a sump under it.
For your 60x18x26inch tank I would look for a sump about 3ft long x 18inches wide & 18high. If you can get a longer one then do so.

Great. Will look for something of that nature I need to build a new stand, though. The doors in the stand I have are only 30" wide and the 15" on either side are unenclosed open shelves that are currently holding the kids books LOL. I have 2 eheim canister filters in there. They fit good, but an acceptable sump won't

I've been reading about building the stand and know to make it at least 30" tall. Any other advice, besides picking good pieces of wood, and making damn sure it's level?

---edit---
Another thing that makes me VERY nervous is drilling the back of the tank. I read I need to look underneath the bottom of the tank so see who makes it so I can call to double check if they make the backs tempered or not. Is it really that simple? I'm afraid I'll end up shattering the glass. That would really SUCK!!

 

[Colin_T]

Use 6 legs on the stand and use wood that is at least 70x45mm in thickness, (90x45mm is better). Build the stand so you have at least 8 inches of space above the sump so you can get into the sump to work in it when needed.
I usually have the bottom shelf about 6 inches above the ground so I can get the vacuum cleaner under it, then the sump is about 18inches high with 1 inch of foam under it. Then a 10-12inch gap between the top of the sump and the top shelf (the part of the stand the main tank sits on). You can have more space but it depends on how high you want the display tank.

You can drill through any sort of glass but it's a good idea to practice on a few spare pieces first. If you have concerns about drilling into the tank then don't bother about doing it and just get an "auto syphon surface skimmer" to drain the water from the main tank into the sump. These just hang on the back or side of the tank and allow the tank water to drain into the sump. If there is a power failure they stop flowing and restart when the power comes back on.
If you do drill into the glass don't use too much pressure on the drill. Just let the weight of the drill push down on the glass. Also put another piece of glass under the area where the hole is being drilled. This helps to prevent the glass chipping on the outside of the hole. Make sure the tank is level and evenly supported when being drilled.
Wear safety glass and a dust mask when drilling the glass and use a damp sponge to wipe up the fine fragments/ powder. Don't blow the dust away because it is abrasive and can get in your eyes, hence using the safety glasses.