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weidjd
02/25/2008, 09:42 PM
I am setting a 58g tank. I wanted to know what a good skimmer to fit in a tank/stand this size. Not much height at all. Also lighting. I have a two 250 mhs setups but would one 400 watt be better? Would one 250w work?

weidjd
02/26/2008, 11:45 AM
any ops on this?

Caragol
02/26/2008, 11:50 AM
I have a 58g and am using a Reef Octopus NW-150, it seems to do a decent job. I'm running a 6-bulb Tek T5 unit however. I think two 250s should do the trick. Is the tank up at all, or are you still collecting equipment first?

weidjd
02/26/2008, 12:03 PM
Not setup yet. Just getting everything together. I was hoping to stick with the 250s, do you think 500w will be overkill?

Caragol
02/26/2008, 12:08 PM
What do you want to keep in there? Those lights should be great for SPS. Are you considering running a chiller?

weidjd
02/26/2008, 12:23 PM
I want the option to have anything. If I had to fun a chiller down the road I could.

Caragol
02/26/2008, 12:29 PM
2 x 250 should let you keep just about anything. One 250w should even work depending on how you position what you want, if you put soft corals and LPS in areas that didn't receive as much light. Are you hanging these, getting a fixture, or building into a canopy? Do you have an existing tank you're moving anything from? Are you setting up a sump or do you need a HOB skimmer?

weidjd
02/26/2008, 12:33 PM
The fixtures are just retro reflectors so I will be building a canopy if I use them. This will be my only tank and it is rr will be using a custom sump made for the tank. I was hoping to stay away from any hob skimmers and will be using an external pump.

Toddrtrex
02/26/2008, 12:54 PM
Heck, you would even get by with 175s -- I have 2 over my 58 and even have SPS on the sandbed.

As for the skimmer, I would decide on your sump size first. When I built my sump ( 20 gal high ) I had to get a skimmer that would fit and still allow me to have a very same fuge. BTW -- using an ASM 1GX

Caragol
02/26/2008, 12:56 PM
Sounds like you've got a great setup. I like Reef Octopus' skimmers for the price, oversize it though. If it's easy enough, I'd try starting with one 250w light, but keeping the other handy if you think you'll need it. Research carefully before choosing your bulb if you're not going to supplement with other actinic lighting and don't forget to build fans into the canopy to help with the heat.

I've got the RR 58g Oceanic going to a custom sump too, but I use a submerged pump in my sump for the return as I like a low flow sump. In the display I let Hydors move water around.

Toddrtrex
02/26/2008, 01:03 PM
When I got my tank Reef Octupus' weren't around yet. :). It is hard for me to tell if one light would be enough. When I only run one of mine, there are shadows/dark spots on the other side. But, since I have two bulbs they are on each side, not centered.

Used an external pump with mine, though I do have it throttled back a bit, to lower the flow though my sump.

And since I just took pictures this weekend.... ;)
( it is a little blurry, but you get the idea, and all the pumps were off, was taking some macro shots at the time too )

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/toddrtrex/FTS2-23-08.jpg

Caragol
02/26/2008, 01:27 PM
I was saying one light, but without supplemental actinic lighting you might have some dark spots, I didn't think of that (I use T5s so I forget these things). If your mixed reef tends more towards the softie/LPS side, than one is definitely enough with some SPS centered the single light. If your mixed reef will be SPS heavy, then just go with two now.

Sorry about the hijack weidjd, but Todd:

1) That is an awesome carpet
2) Your aquascaping and your tank looks great
3) Is that a leather on top or did you spread out some SPS frags?
4) How do you keep the algae at bay? Even with my skimmer pulling a ton of junk out, 100% RO/DI water, and a fuge that seems to grow the chaeto pretty well, two lightly fed clownfish as the only real bioload, I still get hair algae. Do you do anything special or run phosban?

Toddrtrex
02/26/2008, 01:34 PM
Caragol

1) -- Thanks a lot. It is my favorite anemone, have had it for just under a year now.
2) Thanks again. Got lucky with it -- when I re-did the tank the was the first attempt. I really like how the bottom is pretty much one big cave.
3) When I re-did it I had a bunch of digi frags. Didn't know what to do with them all so I just placed them up there. Now they are encrusting and covering it all. Think I like it.
4) I really wish I knew. I have a decent bio-load, and feed twice a day. I do weekly 5 gallon water changes, run phosban and have a lot of snails and crab.

Have a lot more pictures here,
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1328184

Caragol
02/26/2008, 01:51 PM
I may need to run some phosban. I always get zero readings when I test for phosphates but that's probably just the hair algae eating it up. Also need to be better with the water changes, near 0 nitrate readings make me lazy, but that's thanks to hair algae again.

Thanks for the link! Someone gave me a ton of orange cap for free and I didn't know what to do with it so I just set it where you set your digis, now I've got little orange spots encrusted and growing out everywhere. That may be a pain for me later.

weidjd, when you're ready to assemble the tank, or build your canopy, or start putting anything together, start a new thread with pics and you'll make everyone your best friend. Where are you located, is there a reef club nearby?