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TriggerHappyDude
04/12/2008, 07:37 PM
Trying to finialize the size of the tank I want custom built.
Here are the finalist...

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj66/ChrisMc73/3tanks.png

The detailed specs:

1/2 " Starphire Glass on 3 sides
Black Silicone
Internal Over Flow with 4 holes drilled (2 drains to sump, 1 return, 1 for future use)
Closed Loop System or Powerheads? (Still undecided)


Custom Tank Builders:
[list=1]
A.G.E
DeepSea Aquatics
Glass Cages
[/list=1]

Intended Fish to stock:
[list=a]
Blue Throat Trigger
Blue/Green Chromis - School of 6 or more
Blenny - Species undecided
Jawfish - Species undecided
Blue/Regal Tang
Clown Fish - Species undecided
[/list=a]

I don't know about the stand right now, I think I might just get the stand from the aquarium builder I choose, or I might make my own.

Feedback?

demonsp
04/12/2008, 07:54 PM
I see all reef type fish and 1 FO fish. Is this going to be a reef tank or FO tank?

usmcsgt
04/12/2008, 08:52 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12315727#post12315727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demonsp
I see all reef type fish and 1 FO fish. Is this going to be a reef tank or FO tank?

The Blue Throat is considered by most to be reef safe.

demonsp
04/12/2008, 09:22 PM
As with any iffy stock its with caution.I was more worried about the other reef type fish that would be happier in a reef setup cause ut sounds like he want FO tank. Anyway if its small enough it maybe fine but the bigger he gets the hungry and in your home hobby tank will lack its natural food source and look elsewhere for survival.

drama07
04/12/2008, 09:26 PM
I'd recommend AGE as the builder after seeing all those tanks(PVC bottom) around RC. Tanks built by glasscages are just not cleanly built in my opinion compared to others. Not sure about deepsea aquatics.

TriggerHappyDude
04/13/2008, 01:33 AM
This is planned to be a mixed tank, reef and fish.
And usmcsgt is right, the trigger is considered to be very reef safe. I'm new to the reef livestock, SPS/LPS etc...I will stock the fish first and then move onto to the reef animals.
AGE is the leader in my tank builder...GlassCages is iffy. I agree.

demonsp
04/13/2008, 01:42 AM
A reef tank means coral.The fish are like an extended CUC and MB a few for eye candy.The trigger will only make water quality harder to control. Im sure it will be fine for awile but in time it will be an issue.
Its your choice but i think it would be sad that he was caught right from the ocean and bought by you in the hopes he doesnt get to large and a problem later.

TriggerHappyDude
04/13/2008, 09:32 AM
drama07 - I agree with you, all the AGE tanks I've seen are awesome, I know they are expensive, and I'm preparing for that, this is an investment in time and money, and more.

demonsp - So anyone with a mixed reef/fish tank is doing something sad in your eyes, by keeping fish that will all grow eventually and some bigger than others? I don't know a lot about the reef part, so at first it will be mostly a fish tank, as I learn about the corals. And as I learn and if I have issues controlling the water quality, I might by that time create a FO tank, who knows? I've been talking to some of the best reef tank owners here in Oklahoma, in my Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society club, and even the President, who is Molecular Biologist/Microbiologist says I'd do fine with this fish. I posed a very similar question to him about keeping these fish in a tank of that size and doing the reef as I learn and go. Again, he said I'd picked some good fish and that one would be fine. I had once thought about getting a 36x36 cube tank, and he let me know that those fish love to swim, and that size/shape would not be good, so thats why I've chosen the 3 sizes you see above. Anyway I appreciate your opinion, but I feel I've done a good job of research for this fish, I'm a trigger fish fan, and I've read and seen plenty of diffrent opinions than yours that suggest this fish is a great addition to a reef aquarium.

styndall
04/13/2008, 10:18 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12317343#post12317343 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demonsp
A reef tank means coral.The fish are like an extended CUC and MB a few for eye candy.The trigger will only make water quality harder to control. Im sure it will be fine for awile but in time it will be an issue.
Its your choice but i think it would be sad that he was caught right from the ocean and bought by you in the hopes he doesnt get to large and a problem later.

A number of triggers can be successful in a reef tank. Also, the blue throat is perhaps the safest of all triggers, or second to the cross hatch. Also, they're no more stress on the water quality than the tangs you're so fond of.

TriggerHappyDude
04/13/2008, 10:23 AM
Maybe demonsp had a bad experience with a trigger at one time and just sort of jaded towards them? I will proceed with my love of this fish, and be cautioned, but enjoy it.

TriggerHappyDude
04/13/2008, 09:11 PM
I have no solid reason to put an external overflow on this tank, so internal will be my choice, now what about the position of the overflow...probably just the center/middle of the tank.

I thought about angled or boxes in one or both corners, but I guess it really doesn't matter? Not sure why people put them in the corners...maybe based on the sump they have?

TriggerHappyDude
04/15/2008, 01:04 PM
Ok, so I've decided the 48x30x24 (brick) style is the tank I want custom built...do you all think my overflow is too big for this sized tank?

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj66/ChrisMc73/150gallon.png

SkyPapa
04/15/2008, 01:28 PM
Why wouldn't you want an outside overflow?
IMO it gives more space and is easier to clean back glass.
Maybe more expensive?
But you already said this tank will be expensive.
No disrespect, just curious.

TriggerHappyDude
04/15/2008, 01:38 PM
No disrespect taken...vaild questions...I've asked this question on several other occasions, and to other tank builders.

I guess for me at 150 gallons, how much more "space" do I need? Its only taking away a little bit, so space wasn't an issue with me. As for the cleaning, I plan to have this as close to the wall as possible, it sticks out 30", so cleaning back behind a tank isn't going to be THAT easy, so having it internal vs. external in that regard is better, is it not? Eaiser to clean back glass for you, but not for me who plans to put it up against a wall and not be able to move it.

I also am having 4 holes drilled in the OF, 2 of which will be drains to the sump, having 2 gives me a back up in case one ever gets clogged. The internal OF also allows me the freedom of not ever worrying about syphon loss.

The expense of making it internal/external I don't think is anything to me, it costs the same either way, I think. So no issue there either.

Mainly it came down to wanting to be flush up against the wall.

SkyPapa
04/15/2008, 02:08 PM
Good enough.
Can't wait to see it.

TriggerHappyDude
04/15/2008, 02:11 PM
I need help with the rest! This is my first aquarium since the 90's...what would be next on the list? Sump? Stand? Circulation?

Actually how do I determine how much flow I want in this tank?
I know RC has the calculators for the size of the overflow and sumps etc...but how does anyone determine how much flow they want in their tanks?

jamest0o0
04/15/2008, 03:15 PM
lol what does AGE stand for? I'll need to check them out because I want to order a tank as well

TriggerHappyDude
04/15/2008, 03:27 PM
Acrylic and Glass Environments...

jamest0o0
04/15/2008, 03:28 PM
alright thanks..... GL with the tank!

TriggerHappyDude
04/15/2008, 03:43 PM
Thanks! Look around the Large Reef Aquarium thread, there are several people who are building or have built their systems with the AGE tanks, they are great and not cheap, but from what I hear, worth every cent...so thats why I'm leaning their way right now. That thread has lots of them over 180 gallons, so they are super expensive, but you'll see the quality of the tank in their build pictures.

TriggerHappyDude
04/15/2008, 03:54 PM
Ok, so I got the word that 5x the tank size is the magic number for the flow...so 5x150 = 750 gallons per hour.
So according to the calculator on this site...

Using the following input parameters
Gallons per Hour = 750

Drain and Overflow sizes are calculated as
Recommended minimum drain pipe diameter = 1.13 inches
Recommended minimum linear overflow size = 11 inches

My overflow needs to be 11 linear inches.
So mine is 15 wide (side to side) + 5 deep (front to back) = 20 linear inches, plenty there. And I'll need 1.13" of bulkheads...since I'll have to 1" drains to the sump, should be good there too...am I theorizing this right?