James' 55g build
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Main
Forum Name: Tank Threads
Forum Description: A place to show off your tank build.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=41405
Printed Date: May 08 2025 at 6:49pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: James' 55g build
Posted By: James
Subject: James' 55g build
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 12:51pm
|
My official build thread in the hopes of getting valuable feedback as I get my first reef tank up and running. Questions and current thoughts...please provide feedback:
-I would like to partition the sump for the refugium, skimmer and return. Is it best to do this with glass or acrylic baffles on a 55g glass aquarium? Any recommendations on how to set this up and spacing for each? Most cost-effective methods for accomplishing this...
-65g has corner overflow with 2 holes. Planning on a Durso drain. Tank came with plumping for return out of the overflow and second hang-on-back for other side of tank.
-Recommendations on reliable heaters?
-Recommendations on skimmers?
-Recommendations on pump, would like internal for noise/space purposes.
-planning on using 2 smaller powerheads. It sounds like that works better than one larger one.
Thanks for the feedback. Will put pictures up periodically as things progress. Planning on attending the meeting tonight to meet some people. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
I purchased a used 65g tank from CapnMorgan that came with a 55g that was used for the sump and a solid metal frame stand. Also purchased Dion's 48" 4-bulb T5 light fixture. Currently working with a friend to put a nice face and sides on the stand. Probably 2 weeks out to get this completed.Replies:
Posted By: Shayne
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 1:16pm
Congrats!  Sounds like you're further into yours than I am into mine already. (and probably for less money to boot!)
I'll leave the recommendations to the experts but it's sounding good so far. ------------- 21G Reefer Nano |
Posted By: P.Kapp
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 2:22pm
| use glass for the baffles. acrylic wont adhere to the glass with the silicone. thats about the extent of my expertise with your questions.. haha. i tried to leave as much room as i could for my refugium so i could get more sand, rock, macro algae and such in there. I also didnt want too small of a return pump compartment so i dont have to top off the water every time i look at it. i dont have a top off system yet... |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 2:45pm
|
You will need to figure out what skimmer you want to use then get the footprint of it to put the baffles in. I have used asm for a long time and I still like the skimmate I get.
Get a skimmer that is oversized for your tank. From what I have heard and read Bubble-Magnus makes great skimmers ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: tcfab
Date Posted: June 03 2010 at 6:24pm
|
You might want to look into the SWC cone skimmers, they have a small footprint and are getting good reviews the price isnt bad either. For a return I would look into Ehiem pumps they are dead silent. ------------- Need custom acrylic work? give me a call, www.Elite-Aquatics.net (801)645-6386 |
Posted By: smacky
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 2:44am
|
Look into switching the order of your sump to skimmer, refugium, return. Organisms that will supplement the feeding of your fish/corals will grow by themselves in a fuge and a skimmer after the fuge would remove them all before they got to your display tank. Check out this thread. http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=41382 - http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=41382 I asked a few questions about using a fuge for food production and got some answers that might help you out too. *edited to make the link clickable |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 10:11am
Thanks everyone for your help so far. I attended the meeting yesterday and thought it was really interesting. There were some things I would have liked to purchase but, as you can see from the picture of my currecnt setup, I am not quite ready to be adding things to the tank.
-2 Hydor Koralia Evolution 750 powerheads...or equivalent
-Rio Hyperflow 32HF...or equivalent
-48" 54w Sun Wave T5 bulb (light system had one dead bulb so I currently have 2 54x blue actinic and 1 54w Sun Wave Super Daylight 12,000K, all Wave Point brand)
-skimmer (would really like to purchase a used one if anyone has one in good condition for a 65g)
-heater
-test kit...recommendations?
Questions/comments:
-what is a reliable heater to get?
-from the meeting last night I determined I like the Brains, Radioactive Chalice, anemones, clams and Zooanthid (so far)...is a 4x54w T5 setup with 2 actinic and 2 daylight on a ~65g tank (approx. 48"x13"x21" wxdxh) sufficient for these corals? Are the pumps and powerheads mentioned above sufficient as well?
-for fish, I like clowns, gobys, dwarf angels...thoughts?
-for sump, current plan is to use a durso to drain into the skimmer area, flow through a bubble trap into a refugium and then ?over a baffle? into the return pump area. Should this work ok?
-planning on taking a trip, hopefully in the next week, to collect Utah rock and oolitic sand.
Thanks for your help so far.
------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 10:16am
|
Yes you will have enough light. Chalices grow very slow and need to be in the bottom 1/3 of the tank. What return pump are you going to use? ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 10:40am
|
Right now I am looking at the Rio Hyperflow 32HF pump although this may be larger than I need. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 4:05pm
|
Which test kits do I need to get when starting a new tank? What are the good brands to get that are easy to read? ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 4:35pm
|
API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) is a good brand and is plenty accurate for the money, get a pH, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, calcium, and magnesium. It sounds like a lot but you will use ALL of these. It sounds like a sound plan for the sump as well. You can use the lexan for baffles and it will be cheaper as well. Mainly you just want to create a good seal against it with the silicone since it really doesn't have to hold back much in the way of pressure.
------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: smacky
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 4:40pm
|
One test that is sometimes left out of kits is alkalinity. Make sure you can test for that, especially if you're planning on keeping any invertibrates. Salinity, calcium, and pH are pretty standard. You might also want to keep an eye on ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates while the system is getting established too.
I'm sure I've missed a couple, but that's what comes to mind right now. |
Posted By: smacky
Date Posted: June 04 2010 at 4:50pm
| Looks like you type faster than me. Mg, I knew I forgot one. |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 07 2010 at 10:17am
|
Well, I ended up spending my weekend putting in a new sprinkler station in the backyard so I didn't get anything accomplished on my tank other than improving on my plumbing skills. I am hoping to make a trip out west to get some Utah rock and oolitic sand this week if things go as planned. Stay tuned... ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 10 2010 at 12:03pm
|
Any recommendations on a brand and size of heater for a 50-90g setup? ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: Ahanix
Date Posted: June 10 2010 at 12:18pm
| I've heard good things about the rena smartheaters. Petsmart carries the 100w and 200w versions, plus they will price match if you have proof (I need to go pick up a heater today, haha) |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 10 2010 at 12:31pm
|
I am deciding between a 55g or a 75g right now. I assume for the 55g I would need just the 22w version and for the 75g I would need a 100w and a 200w...is that correct? ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 13 2010 at 7:38pm
|
Sticking with the 55g that came with a custom metal stand that fits another 55g for the sump/refugium. I am getting the stand worked on this week to get a nice wood face put onto it. Does anyone know of some good books that detail fish, coral and invertebrates with pictures and descriptions on how to feed, typical nature, lighting requirements, space requirements... Trying to pin down what I want in my tank. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 13 2010 at 7:46pm
|
Nope!
------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 14 2010 at 5:04pm
|
Just put a couple of sizeable orders in at Marine Depot and Drs Foster and Smith. Time to start working on some plumbing. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 14 2010 at 5:49pm
|
What did you buy? ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 14 2010 at 6:20pm
|
Rena Smartheater, Koralia Evolution 750 powerheads (2), Rio 26HF pump, various test kits, reef crystals salt mix, TDS meter, refractometer, thermometer, replacement bulb (I was missing one in my fixture), siphon, magnet cleaner...I think that about sums it up. I still need to get a skimmer, partition the sump and make my way out west to get some LBTR and oolitic sand. The stand is going to be my bottleneck as I still need to get it made. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 14 2010 at 6:29pm
|
Your doing great!! ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 14 2010 at 6:50pm
|
Thanks man. Now if only I could figure out a way to put a stop to the yard projects that my wife keeps coming up with then maybe I can get this tank up and running before the end of the summer.
------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 14 2010 at 7:50pm
|
Get use to it!! If they really don't like your tank they will do this--Strange animals!!! ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: June 14 2010 at 8:11pm
|
Glad to see you're well on your way! Let me know if you need help with the plumbing or anything. I'm more than happy to help you out! ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 1:23pm
|
Trying to design my sump. It is actually the same size as my aquarium at 55g. Attached is my current design drawn to scale. My questions:
1) what is optimal size for refugium with a 55g tank and 55g sump?
2) do I need a bubble trap on refugium side, too? Doesn't the water dropping from refugium create bubbles?
3) It seems like I have a lot of space left for return, should I be doing something different or taking advantage of the space for other purposes?
4) do the outside baffles on the bubble traps need to be the same height? I worry about the water dropping down into the return section creating noise and bubbles.
 -teal line is eggcrate from the refugium to return section.
Any suggestions/recommendations... is appreciated. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: Reefboy4life
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 1:29pm
|
I have a reef octopus skimmer for sale if you are interested. ------------- 90 gallon mixed reef |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 1:59pm
|
I would make the refugium bigger. ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: P.Kapp
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 2:52pm
| +1 to the bigger refugium. you dont really need too much space for the return |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 4:38pm
|
I modified my plans based on the feedback to increase the size of the refugium.
Two questions I am still trying to determine:
1) How do I know how high to build the bubble trap and overflow from the refugium into the return area?
2) Do I need a bubble trap from the refugium to the return?
 ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: P.Kapp
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 5:03pm
| my sump is a 55 too. i put my bubble trap about an inch off the bottom, and a couple inches higher than the other baffles. im not sure if there is a general rule of thumb for how high they need to be, but however high you want your water level is where the baffles need to be. someone else can probably chime in and tell us more |
Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 5:06pm
| Keep in mind the smaller your return area the more often you have to do top off water. Mine is pretty small right now and it drives me crazy it will evaporate down to the pump in like 2 or 3 days. |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 6:12pm
|
my sump is built so the water comes down to the skimmer area then runs through the refugium to the return pump compartment ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Shayne
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 6:20pm
It seems there are 2 schools of thought on this subject. I've been trying to decide which way I want to do mine. Can someone break down the pro's & con's of each method? A. Skimmer -> Refuge -> Return B. Skimmer -> Return <- Refuge ------------- 21G Reefer Nano |
bugzme wrote:Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 6:31pm
|
I can't. Eric at marine aquatic's built and installed my sump and have had no problems.
Thanks Eric ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 6:57pm
|
Mine is built like your design James. It works great and I don't find myself topping off all that often. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: tcfab
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 6:59pm
|
I would change your drain lines. Make it so you feed your refuge from your return line not the drain, it makes the system more quite and also doesnt let "raw water" go into the refuge. ------------- Need custom acrylic work? give me a call, www.Elite-Aquatics.net (801)645-6386 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 7:17pm
|
Thanks everyone for the feedback, this is very helpful. Based on the latest information, I think I am going to make my return slightly larger and the refuge slightly smaller than the design above. I will also plumb from return pump to the refuge rather than drain from tank to refuge. Shayne: I thought that having part of the water drain from the tank directly into the refuge created some benefit for the life trying to grow in the refugium but based on tcfab's comment, it sounds like it is better to have somewhat clean water coming from the skimmer into the refugium. With that being the case, the only real benefit I can figure for the skimmer -> return <- refuge design over the other design is that you can likely control the water flow going into the refuge better so it isn't moving too fast and will let things grow. This is just a guess. Does anyone use a bubble trap from the refugium to the return area? Doesn't the single wall/egg crate create bubbles? ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 7:21pm
|
Different pokes-- for differen't folks! They all work very well ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: fishoutawater
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 7:54pm
|
I have always liked sumps set up with the filter sock/protein skimmer in chamber one. Almost all the particulate matter gets picked up and proteins skimmed out. From there to the fuge, where macro algae gets a chance to work on nitrates and phosphates and all your little pods get fed and breed. Then to the return section, then everything is as filtered as it can get, and you have pods/larvae that get pumped up to the display. You don't really need any bubble traps with that setup, macroalgae will stop any bubbles from getting to the return pump. I would highly recommend an ato, biggest pita of running a tank is manually topping off. ------------- Some day, when I grow up,... |
Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 11:14pm
| i agree i have been looking in to getting a ato set up cause top offs suck. but i am still not sure where to put the reservoir:( |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 9:45am
|
How large of an ato reservoir would be good on a 55g tank? I know every location is going to be a bit different but approx. how many gallons of water is everyone adding to their tank on a weekly basis? I was thinking about setting up a little 10 gallon tank as a quarantine tank right next to my main and when not in use as a QT, then putting a drip line from it to the sump to act as an ato. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: kody72
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 9:50am
|
on my 95 and my old 65 I would go through about 10g a week ------------- http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=60612&title=kody72-fishroom" rel="nofollow - KODY72 FISHROOM BUILD 281g DT 187g Rimless Frag ATI PM lighting SRO DSCR-300ext 8013908179 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 10:08am
|
Before I had ato I would go through 15 gallons a week ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 11:47am
So here is rev.3 for the sump design. Should I make my baffles taller in the bubble trap and from the refugium, say 18" tall...my tank is a 55g so it is 21" tall, the baffles are currently set at 14"? Does the water cascading from the taller baffles into the return create bubble problems?
 As for the ATO, I created a design that had a 9g section of the tank as a reservoir but then I thought that increasing the size of the return does the same thing...hence the question about the taller baffles. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: kody72
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 12:02pm
|
I would make them taller if you have enough room under the stand for the skimmer to clear and then l would leave the baffle nearest to the pump shorter then the rest ------------- http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=60612&title=kody72-fishroom" rel="nofollow - KODY72 FISHROOM BUILD 281g DT 187g Rimless Frag ATI PM lighting SRO DSCR-300ext 8013908179 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 3:54pm
Here is rev.4 of the sump with higher walls on the skimmer and refugium. What is the benefit to creating a corner of the skimmer section where the drain pipe flows onto live rock? Is it worth it to add this...I think I have the room. Also, what about making my first two baffles for my bubble trap 2" apart and setting something up so I can put carbon in that area to help clear the water...worth it?
 ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 4:06pm
|
Are you going to run a sock? ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 4:10pm
|
Wasn't planning on it. I don't like the idea of having to remember to clean it or replace it and that it could become an ammonia generater. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 4:13pm
|
Just make sure you leave room in case you change your mind ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Luckedout
Date Posted: June 18 2010 at 11:20am
|
I don't think there is really an optimal refugium design out there. As long as it holds the equipment and gives you a decent sized refugium then you'll be fine. You're last design looks perfectly fine to me. Besides, if you catch the bug this 55g will soon turn into a 75g.. then a 90g... then a 100g... .... ...  ------------- -Ben 90g Mixed reef www.body-balancechiropractic.com |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: June 19 2010 at 8:36am
|
Hello James, You are doing some good planning. Sorry, I didn't have a tank set up so you could see the sump/Refugium and talk about the pros and cons. I would like to add my thoughts to the recent comments about ato. When water leaves the system or evaporates the area of the sump that is affected by it is the retuen pump area. In your 55 gal sump design above the return pump area is about a third of the volume. That's about 20 gallons. Remember what I told you about running the sump half full to allow for the display tank to drain when the return pump stops? Well with those baffles in that design will hold back the water to the level of the baffle, so the only area that can take the extra water is the 12 gallon return pump area. In effect, 12 gallons is the total size of your "sump". If you run it half full, there is only about 6 gallons of safety margin there. Once it reaches the spillway from the Refugium it will start to rise over the eggcrate which may give another 3 gallons in that design. Typically that could be enough, but the problem with these aquarium things is that they don't always follow the typical lines. We spoke about wives. I'd hate to see you get in trouble with the wife when the sump overflowed and the safety catch basin we spoke of did not hold all the overflow.  It's long but if you care to read it, here is how I would change that design if it were my tank in my wife's house.  1- All the baffles would be practically eliminated. The only baffle would be a short one on the drain side to keep sand away from the skimmer and it's pump. 2- The drain water come down into a filter sock/bag half the time and no sock for the other half of the time. It's not good to remove all detritus because that waste is actually food for the bugs that you want growing in the Refugium to help feed the system. 3- The Refugium would then fill the remainder of the tank, about 45 gallons. 4- The submersible return pump would sit on a pedestal on the sand. This serves two purposes. It keeps sand away from the pump and prevents the pump from completely emptying the Refugium in case of a blockage on the overflow/drain side. An easy pedestal would be a flat rock on a tripod of three small rocks like I showed you, to keep the sand open underneath. I have also done this by setting the pump on an inverted swamp cooler pump screen. (See the pic below) 5- A good growth of macroalgae spreading from side to side in the Refugium would stop the micro-bubbles from reaching the return pump. Fishoutawater said it well above. 6- 45 gallons of water capacity would then be the volume of the area affected by water loss. This gives 22.5 gallons of safety margin.  That's excellent! Add to that my the 3-5 gallons of margin in the safety catch basin and you have room for an accidental spill of up to 27 gallons.  7- If you kept the temperature at the recommended 75 degrees, the amount of evaporation in this system would be about 4 gallons per week. Weekly or biweekly top-off would be fine. Salinity swings like that are no big deal. 8- The need for an ATO system drilled into the Refugium/return area, adding water directly from the RO unit would not be a necessity. There are other ATO designs that would work here as well. One that works on atmospheric pressure/vacuum I call the Glug Jug. (I have written that one up if you care to read it.) The other is an electrical solenoid signal based system. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 21 2010 at 3:49pm
I really appreciate all the advise. The cabinetry guy (neighbor) is working on my stand and should have it completed in 2-3 weeks at which point I hope to be ready to add water, rock and sand. I drew up a revised sump/fuge based on Mark's and fishoutawater's suggestion. This does seem to be a simpler way to go that should require less top-off as well as more flood control comfort. Do I need to put something in front of the pump to keep sand or algea from getting sucked into it?
 ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: kody72
Date Posted: June 21 2010 at 4:01pm
|
you could take a baffle and drill alot of holes to help keep the algae from getting to the pump and leave the bottom of the baffle solid 2+ inches above the sand ------------- http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=60612&title=kody72-fishroom" rel="nofollow - KODY72 FISHROOM BUILD 281g DT 187g Rimless Frag ATI PM lighting SRO DSCR-300ext 8013908179 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: June 21 2010 at 5:30pm
|
Keep the pump intake about 3" above the sand and it will be fine.
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: June 21 2010 at 6:05pm
|
What happens when the macro hit's the return pump? I would put something in to restrict it from getting to the pump ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: P.Kapp
Date Posted: June 21 2010 at 6:21pm
| That is how mine is set up on my temporary 75 gal tank. chaeto is always getting sucked into my pump and clogging it every month or so. if i was going to keep this setup i would definately put something in front of the pump. baffles with holes like kody said, or even some eggcrate. my 2 cents |
Posted By: Shayne
Date Posted: June 21 2010 at 6:36pm
Agreed. I'm probably going to do mine using Rubbermaid totes. I was just planning on putting my return pump in a small tote/container with a bunch of holes drilled in it. I also plan to sit it on a sponge or something to raise it up a bit and provide sound dampening. ------------- 21G Reefer Nano |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: June 22 2010 at 9:32am
|
Oh, I forgot to say that you use two of those swamp cooler strainers. The powerhead return pump sits inside the other. That's how you keep the algae from clogging the pump intake strainer. I have a nifty way to make a better intake strainer that rarely needs cleaning, if anyone is interested. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: James
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 9:26am
|
Stand should be ready today or tomorrow, have the baffle siliconed in (that was some pleasant smelling work), should be getting an RO system shortly, only problem is I have the July 4th holiday weekend (mandatory family time) and 3 camping trips set up this month taking me away from the project. Patience is the key...don't rush it...patience is the key...take your time... ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: July 31 2010 at 1:01pm
|
So my tank has a 1" bulkhead for the drain (I am putting a 1 1/4" Durso drain above it) but there is a reducer bushing down to 3/4" glued to the underside of the bulkhead. Is this going to cause a problem with noise/bubbles if I then attach to a 1" pipe into the sump? My return has a similar situation. It is a 3/4" bulkhead with a reducer bushing down to 1/2" glued to the underside of the bulkhead. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: August 02 2010 at 11:40am
|
I did a freshwater run and everything seems to be looking good, however, now I have hard water spots on my tank. What is the best way to clean them off on the inside of the tank without causing problems or do I even need to worry about it?
------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: August 02 2010 at 5:24pm
|
You can remove the old coraline/hard water with a sharp straight razor and vinegar. And as for your plumbing, it should work fine that way, I ran it like that for over a year. With my 32HF return pump there was TONS of flow. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 03 2010 at 9:56am
|
Hard water spots from freshwater will go away when the tank is filled with saltwater and you start cleaning algae off the glass. Or you can wipe them off now with vinegar on a rag.
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: James
Date Posted: August 03 2010 at 10:43am
|
Thanks Mark and Steve. I still need to sift and clean my oolitic sand but other than that, I am finally at the point to get this thing up and running (I tried loading some pics from my freshwater run but they wouldn't upload...first time I have had a problem with this). It sounds like I need to get some LR, LS, LW and macroalgea to get my tank seeded and going. I think I can find the LR easy enough on the WMS site. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: August 03 2010 at 4:18pm
|
I have tons of LS, and macro algae that you're welcome to. Just let me know when you're ready. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: August 03 2010 at 4:41pm
|
Thanks Steve, I appreciate it and will take you up on your offer. I think I will be ready for it once I filter enough RO water for my tank. Do I need to worry about about seeding the tank with live water? If so, what would be the best way to get 10-20 gallons (tank is 55g with a 55g sump). ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: Shayne
Date Posted: August 03 2010 at 4:55pm
|
I'm at about the same point as James and I was wondering similar things. When is the best time to add live sand and rock? (Is it best to let the tank cycle for a couple of days first?)
Also, at what point do you add your plant life to the sump?
Thanks! ------------- 21G Reefer Nano |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: August 03 2010 at 5:49pm
|
I would do them all at once. you will need the LR on the lbtr to make it live, Ls to help your sand become live, etc. You want to start building bacteria in the whole tank ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 9:54am
|
Put some live rock in the sump yesterday. Finally...some pics.
The set-up...
 With open cabinet doors...
 The sump and refugium (with my new live rock)...
 Close up of sump with live rock and ?things? on live rock...
 my son and I fishing (across the street from our house)...
 Taking the girls out on the lake...
 ...and, some ducks.
 ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 9:58am
|
Nice tank and cute family! ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: August 09 2010 at 10:33am
|
It's been fun looking at the live rock and seeing all the life on it. I believe I have 2 bristleworms (fireworm) and 3-5 little brittle starfish plus other bugs wandering around. I think there are also some SPS on my rocks but I have no idea what kind. Hoping to get the DT filled tonight and the whole setup circulating/cycling by the end of the day. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: August 12 2010 at 10:21pm
|
What should I have on hand to "dose" to my new system as I get it fully cycled and up and running?
------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: August 12 2010 at 11:37pm
| Those thing on the live rock look like button polyps and lots. What i did to kick start my cycle is to add bunch flakes in a filter bag and let it rot. What can speed up the cycle if you can find someone with a HOB and let borrow like a sponge full of bacteria to speed up your own bio bacteria |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: August 17 2010 at 9:16am
|
Things are progressing. I need to put more rock in the system but everything is up and running. I see a film of what I am assuming is green algea starting to grow on the dry rock in the system. I assume that is a good thing. I definately need a cooling fan. Any suggestions on where to pick one up real quick. I would like one that I can plug into the power strip rather than having to splice wires into my light fixture. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: August 17 2010 at 10:26am
|
I always get my fans at walmart ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: August 18 2010 at 9:54am
|
So I have only had the system up and running for 1-2 weeks and already I believe I have Majano Anemones (I have removed or attempted to remove approx. 8 already) and Asterina Starfish (I have removed 5 so far). Does this mean I am going to battle these "pests" ongoing? Would it be worth just replacing all my live rock?
I have noticed on one rock at night I see what I believe are tentacles coming out in 2-3 places but I can't really see what they are coming from. I can only see the very thin translucent stems and a little bubble on the end. Do you think these are more Majano's just hidden deeper in the rock?
On the plus side, my LR came with what I believe is some frogspawn, a little mushroom, a number of tiny feather dusters, some very small colorful polyps and another rock covered in all-orange polyps which all appear to be thriving...although I am hoping the all-orange polyps don't continue to spread onto other rocks since the colony I have is not very colorful and probably as large as I want with that one right now. Can you manually thin these out off of the rocks? ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: August 18 2010 at 2:21pm
|
With Majano's I wouldn't take the chance. Asterinas aren't really a pest, they are part of the CUC IMO. As long as their numbers don't get out of control just let them eat up the detritus for you. You can thin out Zoas with a razor blade or xacto knife by cutting the polyps off the rocks. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 19 2010 at 5:46pm
|
Where is the Macroalgae? When I start new tanks or move tanks, one of the first things I add is a big clump of Macroalgae. With algae illuminated there is no worry about having a pollution problem that kills things. Did you see what happened to jstuver? With just a little forethought all that death is totally avoidable. BTW, I just got a new load of good LBTR. If you can't reach me (because I'm at a family reunion in the mountains Fri. and Sat.), just go by and get what you need. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: bstuver
Date Posted: August 19 2010 at 7:44pm
|
Wow I did have forethought Mark and had read different reviews on whether to use live sand from a tank or buy new. But hey I guess I am a great example now!
------------- Jackie Stuver "wait these aren't the happy Hawaiians oompa doompa godly heaven on your face zoas? I dont want them then. lol!" Ksmart |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: August 19 2010 at 8:24pm
|
Haven't seen anymore Majano's today (juiced three tiny ones yesterday with white vinegar and they are moving towards the light...not my T5's). I do have a large macro ball in my sump (thanks CapnMorgan). I came home from work and there is a brown film on my sand which I assume is algae and I also assume is a good thing. I checked my ammonia (0) and Total Ammonia (.1). Is it time to get a clean up crew? Jackie, just read your thread. Bummer on the losses. I didn't rinse my live sand but then again, mine is a brand new tank so there is not much to lose yet. I'm pretty sure the Majano's came in on my LR, though, because I saw one (and even saved it from certain pump death because it was cool looking) before I had the LS. Mark, thanks for the offer on the rock. I will take you up on it hopefully tomorrow. ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: September 02 2010 at 10:20am
Status update. Here are some recent pictures taken with my phone so quality isn't the greatest. I need to spend some time in the photography forum to figure out how to take some decent shots. I have about 20 snails with 2 turbo snails and about 18 crabs including 2 emerald crabs working to get my brown and hair algae down. They seem to be doing a decent job. Hope to add my first fish next week.
 Above is a mushroom and featherduster that have not only survived the whole cycling period and my movements of the rocks but seem to have continued to thrive and grow.
 One-armed crab with ?Kenya tree?
 Neat looking zoas that have survived the cycling as well.
  Overall pictures of tank at present.  Not sure if these guys are doing ok or not. Since the last time I rearranged the rockwork they have had a green color on them which wasn't there in the first couple of weeks. They were just a nice solid orange color originally.
 Frogspawn that has really seemed to thrive over the past few weeks even with the tank cycling. The little one on the side has probably quadrupled in size since when I firts grabbed it with the LR when I started the tank. The top part didn't really have anything to it at first but has gradually been growing.
That's all for now.
Edited pictures on 9/3/10 ------------- 55g display with 55g sump/refug 4 bulb T5HO light tank established 8/6/10 |