SaltSolutions1
09/13/2010, 11:12 PM
Hi everyone. I did it! I managed to convince my girlfriend that we need a larger tank. Now that I have her convinced, we need some help.
I would like to know everyone's input and experiences with vendors. We want a larger reef. We have a 40g breeder now but want to go a lot larger. We want a 72 x 24 x 24 tank. We want star fire glass for front and sides. We want the tank to sit 36 inches off the ground so the stand would need to be 3 feet tall. I want to do LED lights. I know that the 3 watt LEDs are still very expensive but I want them. Will they still make the corals grow? Or will I need to do T-5s along with them? A chiller will not be needed since I will not be doing halides. I would still like a tall canopy so that I can drill in fans for cooling. Other than that, I need to know what size sump / refugium I'll be able to fit. I want to go as big as possible for optimal filtration.
So, here's the info we request:
Light vendors and experiences for the lighting
Sump refugium experts please advise what size I can do and where I should find this perfect piece of the puzzle.
Tank vendors? Star fire glass versus going Acrylic. Where to get them? Best place, price, quality, etc.
Stands and canopies? Where should I get them. We want dark cherry wood.
I have my 40 breeder reef loaded with live rock. Can I just use that rock to seed base rock for the larger one? Scratch that, I know I can but is there a limit to how much base rock I can use? In other words, can I load the new tank with base rock and then just put a couple pieces of my live rock in or do I need a certain amount of live rock in order for it to work?
Skimmers? Which one should I get and where should I get it?
Substrate for tank and refugium? How deep? Refugium mud or same sand that I use in the tank?
Pumps? Which ones? What sizes?
Plumbing? Need help with this one. I want to optimize filtration, so this one is a biggie for me.
Flow? Suggestions needed here for vendors. I like the Koralias. Wavemaker or no wavemaker?
Controllers? Need one? or no?
Calcium reactors? Which ones? Do I need one?
I think that just about covers it. Trust me I have done a ton of research for the past 3 years on all of this. I have had 3 successful reef set up and I am pretty familiar with all of these subjects. I would simply like all of your input as this will be my last and final setup. This will be my masterpiece so to speak. I don't want to cut any corners. I want to make sure I do everything professional and use only professional equipment. This will take some time to piece it all together. But I am starting now.....little by little.
Thank you very much for all of your input and assistance over the years. It's game time now! Time to help me build a great reef tank.
I would like to know everyone's input and experiences with vendors. We want a larger reef. We have a 40g breeder now but want to go a lot larger. We want a 72 x 24 x 24 tank. We want star fire glass for front and sides. We want the tank to sit 36 inches off the ground so the stand would need to be 3 feet tall. I want to do LED lights. I know that the 3 watt LEDs are still very expensive but I want them. Will they still make the corals grow? Or will I need to do T-5s along with them? A chiller will not be needed since I will not be doing halides. I would still like a tall canopy so that I can drill in fans for cooling. Other than that, I need to know what size sump / refugium I'll be able to fit. I want to go as big as possible for optimal filtration.
So, here's the info we request:
Light vendors and experiences for the lighting
Sump refugium experts please advise what size I can do and where I should find this perfect piece of the puzzle.
Tank vendors? Star fire glass versus going Acrylic. Where to get them? Best place, price, quality, etc.
Stands and canopies? Where should I get them. We want dark cherry wood.
I have my 40 breeder reef loaded with live rock. Can I just use that rock to seed base rock for the larger one? Scratch that, I know I can but is there a limit to how much base rock I can use? In other words, can I load the new tank with base rock and then just put a couple pieces of my live rock in or do I need a certain amount of live rock in order for it to work?
Skimmers? Which one should I get and where should I get it?
Substrate for tank and refugium? How deep? Refugium mud or same sand that I use in the tank?
Pumps? Which ones? What sizes?
Plumbing? Need help with this one. I want to optimize filtration, so this one is a biggie for me.
Flow? Suggestions needed here for vendors. I like the Koralias. Wavemaker or no wavemaker?
Controllers? Need one? or no?
Calcium reactors? Which ones? Do I need one?
I think that just about covers it. Trust me I have done a ton of research for the past 3 years on all of this. I have had 3 successful reef set up and I am pretty familiar with all of these subjects. I would simply like all of your input as this will be my last and final setup. This will be my masterpiece so to speak. I don't want to cut any corners. I want to make sure I do everything professional and use only professional equipment. This will take some time to piece it all together. But I am starting now.....little by little.
Thank you very much for all of your input and assistance over the years. It's game time now! Time to help me build a great reef tank.