New Tank Question

[Kdocimo90]

Im setting up a brand new 210 gallon AGA fish tank in which I had gotten extremely cheap at an event near where I live. The question I have is "what powerheads should I get?" Im not too sure which powerheads will meet standards for my tank. Also, are Hydor THEO heaters any good?

Here is a list of what the equipment I will/have order(ed)...
-Coralife 72" aqualight plus
-(2) Danner Mag-Drive 12
-Aqua UV 57 Watt 3/4 UV Sterolizer (will be using down the line)
-(2) Hydor THEO 300 Watt Heater
-Euro-Reef 180 RS Protein Skimmer
-Dolphin Five Star Air Pump w/4 outlets
-35 Gallon Precision Marine Sump

I've been researching what to get for about a year now, and I have an idea of what to get. I also have gotten extremely low prices on most of these items...

Tank stand and canopy I got for 40% off
Protein Skimmer I got for 25% off
Everything else I'm ordering from Marinedepot

[an411]

Tunze are real nice if you got the money to spend I use hydor Koralia powerheads they are much cheaper. I have 2 number 4's in my 120 and I love them. Everything else on your list looks good. Not to sure on the heaters I have stealth in my tank. The mag pumps are nice they are a little noisey and create a decent amount of heat. I had one swithed to ehiem. The lights are they t5 or Power compact. If youa re planning on getting corals go with the t5 or MH. HTH

[Kdocimo90]

I plan on having SPS Coral

These are the features for the lighting...

-Two 96 watt 10,000K,
-Two 96 watt 50/50
-Two 96 watt True Actinic 03 Blue square pin base compact
fluorescent lamps
-Four 3/4 watt Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED lamps
-External ballast with four on/off switches and four 6-foot power
cords for separate timers
-Three built-in cooling fans
-Sleek black-aluminum housing
-Highly-polished reflector
-Acrylic lens cover

[Toddrtrex]

Honestly you won't be able to keep that much SPS with that lighting over a 210. Might be able to get away with some montis, but they would have to be high up, and I wouldn't expect the best color from them.

[Kdocimo90]

Yeah, Im not planning on smashing in a bunch of coral... I plan on keeping it a "semi-reef" tank. Basically just soft coral, and I'm not over-doing the coral.

And the Tunze TS24 Stream Kit sounds great but it is a little too over my budget... any other suggestions... what about two of the Tunze 6080?

[Kdocimo90]

Anyone else have any suggestions about the lighting/powerheads or anything else?

[black_majik]

Well your THEO answer is this. Truly there is no real difference except for the fact that THEO's have a "lifetime" manufacture warranty so its up to you a have a Ehiem in my QT and a Rena Cal Excel In my main tank both work great.

[Kdocimo90]

Okay thanks for the advice black_majik... anyone have any suggestions about the lighting... thats basically where I need most help in... I've been told that the lighting I have chosen would be fine for some sps coral (ONLY). What do you guys think?

[Kdocimo90]

anyone?

[Shooter7]

Sorry, you're not going to be able to keep SPS under that lighting. You need to be looking at metal halide or T5 lighting.

[Kdocimo90]

ok T5 Lighting...anyone have anything more specific..(ps im not gonna be going with a MH)

and what about powerheads...anyone know a good quality powerhead for a reasonable price?

[Kdocimo90]

Would i be able to hook up two 36" retrofits in my 72 inch tank?

[commabc]

if at all possible i would try to avoid any powerheads at all. i recommend having the tank drilled for a closed loop. you would be able to create flow from many different directions (top & bottom)in your tank, use only one or two bigger sized pumps to run it, and it also makes the display look alot cleaner and natural by not seeing a bunch of powerheads everywhere. if you have a good lfs in your area, they should have some lockline you can use that inserts into your bulkheads, you can use muchas you need to bend around or behind or underneath or over rocks...ITS GREAT STUFF! hope this helps, its a little more expensive, but much more effective and cleaner imo.

[Kdocimo90]

yeah, well i'm only planning on having 2 powerheads... i think i found a really good package...

umm anyone have any advice on the lighting... any 72" T5 lighting no more than $1100 bucks or so.

Would i be able to hook up 2 36" nova extreme retrofits in my 72" canopy?

[Kdocimo90]

are you guys completely SURE that I wouldnt be able to use the Coralife 72" aqualight plus with...

=Two 96 watt 10,000K,
-Two 96 watt 50/50
-Two 96 watt True Actinic 03 Blue square pin base compact
fluorescent lamps
-Four 3/4 watt Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED lamps
-External ballast with four on/off switches and four 6-foot power
cords for separate timers
-Three built-in cooling fans
-Sleek black-aluminum housing
-Highly-polished reflector
-Acrylic lens cover

Im ONLY using it for SPS coral... If not can someone please help me choose a 72" T5 lighting...or tell me what i just asked above...

[AndyN8484]

Not to butt in or anything...but I know I am a little confused by this back and forth. Do you mean SPS or softies? Cuz they are not the same thing.

[danch]

Kinda confused by "ONLY using it for SPS coral", since most common SPS are the most light-demanding corals there are.

[Kdocimo90]

haha i feel soo stupid... i meant to say LPS coral... im sorry...
I got so caught into saying sps because of everyone attacking me.

now knowing that i meant LPS :D
what do you guys think?

[Shooter7]

Don't see anyone "attacking" you.

Some LPS "might" do ok under PC lighting in a tank this size.

Would encourage you to make sure and dose this into your setup though:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/4237/9513patience.jpg

[cmejaf30]

still not near enough lighting. at that rate, with those lights, you're only gonig to have about 2.75 watts of light/gallon. The general rule of thumb is to have AT LEAST 3 watts per gallon. Most times that still isn't enough, and with a 210 you're not going to be able to have many corals towards the bottom of the tank. It will look very top heavy because your lights just don't have the power.

Another question...if you're willing to spend $1100 on T5's...why not same the time and effort and just go with MH?? They last longer, pack more punch, and are just the best thing to do. It leaves you with the option of doing some SPS in the future if you want. With T5's, you might be able to get away with some more hardy SPS but you're still limited. You could also run a combination of MH and T5's although I don't have any specific combinations to recommend. Good luck with it though!

[Kdocimo90]

yeah but if i do MH than i would need a chiller wouldnt I? Chiller are also expensive and unreliable because most just crap out

[Kdocimo90]

you think i should go with a Aqualight pro Retrofit kit?
it has...
Three 150 watt 10,000K double-ended HQI metal halide lamps
Three external double-ended HQI metal halide ballasts with on/off switches, 12-foot lamp cords and 6-foot power cords
Four 96 watt True Actinic 03 Blue square-pin compact fluorescent lamps

-Two external 2-lamp electronic compact fluorescent ballasts with
on/off switches,
-12-foot lamp cords and 6-foot power cords
-Four 1 watt Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow 470nm LED lamps with on/off
switch and 12-foot transformer power cord
-One external cooling fan - 67 CFM @ 34.5dB with on/off switch
and 12-foot transformer power cord (4.75" x 4.75" x 1")
-Highly-polished reflector (71" x 15" x 3")
-Protective glass lens cover
-Aqualight Pro Instruction & Installation Guide

[bmrescort]

I have 3 250 watt MH in my canopy and no chiller. I have my tank plumbed into the basement and use a barracuda pump to get the water up to the tank. If at all possible MH is the way to go. The reason being is if on down the line you decide to go with SPS and you will then you will be buying your lights all over again. PM if you have any questions I will be happy to talk to you. I spent 8 months building my system and I am so glad I did it the way that I did as I have not changed 1 thing and my parameters are perfect.

[cmejaf30]

Yea for that big of a tank you shouldn't need a chiller. Just make sure that your return pumps don't give off much heat. Like bmrecourt said, if your tank is in a cooler spot then you shouldn't need a chiller...the lights should be fine (provided they have a built-in fan, which most if not all do). If it gets too hot, just add some ice cubes to the tank every now and then! ;) ;)


(j/k about the ice cubes...)

[Kdocimo90]

ha..okay thanks cmejaf and bmrescort...well our house has central airconditioning. so i guess thats a plus... now i need to decide on which lights

[Kdocimo90]

anyone else have advice... about which lighting or powerheads?

[danch]

A fan pointed at the water will help a lot with heat, too.

[moo0o]

i really think you should go with t5 lights if you want some sps. with a 30" depth i dont think it would hurt the lps or softies if you put them mid to lower, AND youd be able to have SPS at the top.

[Kdocimo90]

Okay thanks everyone for the help, but does anyone have an idea of literally what they think i should buy... should i go with 2 36" aqualight pro retrofits or something?

[Kdocimo90]

I mean should i go with a 72" aqualight pro retrofit?

[Kdocimo90]

anyone? lol?

[ljosh]

Get 3 250w mh fixture :)

[Kdocimo90]

Yeah I was thinking about getting 3 250w MH's... i saw a nice set at the lfs but they obviously were too expensive..that store overprices EVERYTHING...i forgot to find the name out but i will tomorrow...

anyone know any good 250 watt mh fixtures?

[Kdocimo90]

I found what seems to be a good powerhead... Hydor Koralia 3 Circulation Pump/Powerhead UL 850 gph...

Every review i've seen has been a good one... they seem reliable and cheap...

should i go with these?
if so, how many? 4?

[Kdocimo90]

anyone know anything about these powerheads?

[Kdocimo90]

or should i stick with the Tunze Turbell Stream Kit that includes the 2 6101's and the 7095 multicontroller which will cost a couple more benjamins. (from what i've heard its worth the extra $$)

[Kdocimo90]

Ok i think im set with the powerheads...im thinking of going with 2 Hydor Koralia 4 powerheads (each with 1200 gph)... they have had great reviews and are extremely cheap

[Kdocimo90]

bump

[danch]

Koralia's have a good reputation, so far. They're too new to really know if they'll be as reliable as Tunzes long term, but they move water well and I've heard no complaints. (just to validate your decision)

Lighting - you might want to check HelloLights.com for retrofits. In a 210, you might be to a point where the number of bulbs of t5 you'd be running gets so inconvenient that MH is the only way to get real light. My Aquactinics t5 is bright enough that my hitchhiking zoa polyps don't like to be blasted directly by it mid-tank, but that's in a 75.

[Kdocimo90]

thanks danch

[Kdocimo90]

bump

[Dano999]

Check out the 72" 14 lamp Aquactinics Constellation (http://saltycritter.com/lighting/aquactinics/constellation-t5.htm) T5s. This would work with LPS. I would also advise you check out the T5 Q&A Thread (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1214393) for more information on T5s. The Constellation runs around $1000 including the 14 bulbs.

There are some MH diehards that will insist only MH can be used for SPS or even LPS. Check this months Reefkeeping's Tank of the month who uses HO T5s for his 225 gal. Below is a quote from the article.

"The lighting over the tank consists solely of T5 HO bulbs. At the front of the tank are two 4’ long, eight-bulb TEK hoods; and across the back are two 4’ long six-bulb hoods, for a total of 28 54-watt bulbs, or approximately 1,500 watts."

As for Powerheads The best for your money are the Hydor Koralia #4s. They are rated at 1250 gph.

[Kdocimo90]

wow...thanks alot dano that's helped...and thank you finally for someone giving me an actual product name ha...

[Dano999]

I noticed you mention you have a canopy. Make sure the inside dimensions will accommodate the Constellation. You also need ventilation on the ends to allow the fans on the light fixture to vent. You can get stands or it can hang. My canopy rested on the tank edge so I could not use the Constellation.

Aquactinics has a thread in the sponsors forum were you can get more specific information.

You could consider a retrofit kit for the canopy. This is what I ended up doing. Check out using two IceCap 36" 8x39W SLR T5 High-Output Retrofit Kits here (http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/IceCap/SLR_Retrofit_Kits/36_inch__8x39W_SLR_T5_High-Output_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_IceCap) or even the VHO. The IceCap reflectors are extremely efficient. If you call Reef Geek they can give you some recommendations.

[Kdocimo90]

ok thank you... i was also thinking about doing 2 36" retrofits... you think i could do a hanging Constellation? Im gonna be making built-in fans on the canopy... so what do you think?

[Dano999]

What are the inside length, depth and height measurements of the canopy? I still think the ends of the fixture needs venting even with fans added to the canopy. The Aquactinics rep confirmed this when I had the same issue.

If you go to first page on my build thread you'll see what I had to deal with.

[Kdocimo90]

idk yet i'll have to find out at the end of this week... I like the way you set up your retrofit lights..they look great... I have the exact same tank stand and canopy except in a 210 gallon version and 2 overflows... do you think i should go with the Constellation or another retrofit (if i had the choice of either)?

[Dano999]

If you have the same style canopy go with the retrofit. I am really happy I did.

[Kdocimo90]

ok I think thats what i'll do...what do you think i should go with? I was looking at the Nova Extremes...but what do you think?

[Kdocimo90]

by the way, your setup looks great

[bmrescort]

How much money are you willing to spend on a MH set up and I can tell the best bang for your buck.

[Kdocimo90]

i'd be willing to spend about a grand... MAYBE a little more (considering the fact that i've save a couple grand total on all the other equipment)

[Kdocimo90]

bump

[asm481]

At a 1000 dollars for lights, I would consider LED lighting. First time you replace bulbs in that 14 bulb t-5 unit you save with the LED. I saw a special price on the LED on another forum.

[Dano999]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10973890#post10973890 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kdocimo90
ok I think thats what i'll do...what do you think i should go with? I was looking at the Nova Extremes...but what do you think?

I would use two IceCap Kits. (http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/IceCap/SLR_Retrofit_Kits/36_inch__8x39W_SLR_T5_High-Output_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_IceCap) If you ever want to consider SPS then go with the VHOs. (http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/IceCap/SLR_Retrofit_Kits/36_inch__8x39W_SLR_T5_Very_High-Output_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_IceCap) They will cost you more but it will overdrive the 39W bulbs to 60W giving you a total of 960W versus 624W.

Make sure your inside width can accommodate the 8 lamps. They will be 2.5" wide each. If you want to do the same as I did you can put 6 lamps on the main section and two on the lid. The main section will need to have a minimum of 15" between the back wall and the hinge. You should have around 16" if this is a 24" wide tank. The total length of the two kits is 70.2". You should have 71" to work with.

You will have four ballasts (4 power cords) which you can use for turning on two sets of two lamps to simulate dawn and dusk. These are typically the front and back lamps. Go to the T5 Q&A thread I listed and ask for a lamp recommendation for your setup. You want to make sure you get the right combination.

I tried to include specifics in my build thread but feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[Kdocimo90]

ehh idk bout that LED lighting...what special deal are you talking about

[Shiandy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10956891#post10956891 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shooter7

Would encourage you to make sure and dose this into your setup though:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/4237/9513patience.jpg

Could you let me know where I can get some of this ? - Seems like my LFS is all out atm.

[Kdocimo90]

im not sure shiandy...i was looking for it myself but didnt seem to find it anywhere... i'll try to do more research and if i find out i'll let you know... and you the same, if you dont mind... thanks

[Kdocimo90]

If anyone could find a good deal on
36" 8x39W SLR T5 Very High-Output Retrofit Kits
could they please let me know.

thanks

[Kdocimo90]

bump