new reefer in Norwalk

[thefuz]

Hi all,
Picked up a used 58 gal rr oceanic tank/stand/hood and looking to get a reef going. Will probably be a few months before things are up and running in earnest - mostly I'm in research mode focused on lighting and proper sump config.

For lighting: I'm considering MH/T5 combo but I'm uncertain on how bad heat will be given there's about 8" of vertical space with the current hood. I may have a carpenter extend to 12" or perhaps 18", but just wanted to get some thought if folks have experience on smaller setups out there.

Sump: The setup came with an old wet/dry filter plus an Excalibur skimmer (not certain what model #). I'd like to either convert this to accommodate a refugium or build something from scratch. There isn't a terribly forgiving amount of space, but the sump does have a bulkhead fitting so I could externalize the return pump. I may set up a return manifold, so external might be better anyway. The sump does have some inconveniently placed dividers and I'm not sure I can cut into them.

Anyway, hope it's OK for me to pop in on the March meeting. Definitely have a bevy of questions on getting started.

[tank o tang]

Welcome to the club. Def going to want to raise the canopy or depending on the type of canopy/light it is you can cut holes in the top of the canopy and mount your light to the top of it. Again depending on the type of light fixture it is, this can also help keep the heat out of the canopy. Building a sump out of a standard glass tank is pretty easy to do by siliconing in some 1/4" plate glass baffles.

[srusso]

Hi all,
Picked up a used 58 gal rr oceanic tank/stand/hood and looking to get a reef going. Will probably be a few months before things are up and running in earnest - mostly I'm in research mode focused on lighting and proper sump config.

For lighting: I'm considering MH/T5 combo but I'm uncertain on how bad heat will be given there's about 8" of vertical space with the current hood. I may have a carpenter extend to 12" or perhaps 18", but just wanted to get some thought if folks have experience on smaller setups out there.

Sump: The setup came with an old wet/dry filter plus an Excalibur skimmer (not certain what model #). I'd like to either convert this to accommodate a refugium or build something from scratch. There isn't a terribly forgiving amount of space, but the sump does have a bulkhead fitting so I could externalize the return pump. I may set up a return manifold, so external might be better anyway. The sump does have some inconveniently placed dividers and I'm not sure I can cut into them.

Anyway, hope it's OK for me to pop in on the March meeting. Definitely have a bevy of questions on getting started.

Hope to see you at the March meeting... as for lighting I would say from experience, being only 6 months into keeping my reef. I did the 250 MH, with 4 39w T5 bulbs... and I already want to switch to LED... so if you can spend a bit more money, GO LED...

As for filtration... check out my sticky thread... once you go ATS and you do it right. You'll will never look back...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1977420

I thought I wanted to do the external pump thing as well... and after I herd the noise one makes... you will go with a under water internal pump. MUCH quieter... and they are cheaper as well. for a tank that size you don't need something too large. a Mag 7 should be fine.

[MrMatthew]

Hello fellow Norwalkian!

[RTMA]

Welcome to our little spot in the world! Another norwalker is awesome. That makes 4 of us so far!
I would agree that a mag 7 would be more than enough, as that is what I use on my 75. My next pump will be a 1262 and thats because i'd like to use it to power my reactors too. For you I'd recommend a mag 7 or Eheim 1260 if you want silence. The mag 7 is definatley audible. But that may be because it vibrates in my tank without rubber feet.

As for lighting you have so many choices it can be overwhelming. You can't go wrong with mh and or t5s they both grow coral very well. Good luck and if you need any help, let us know, that's what this club is all about. It will be nice to see you at the meeting and you are very welcome to attend. It will be at my place so you can see my setup and it may give you some ideas.

As for a sump you can make one your self out of a 20 long tank pretty cheap. We can help if you need.

[thefuz]

Hey - thanks for the replies!! Definitely so excited to get going on the build, but I have to force myself to take it slow. That's kinda built in anyway since this is now considered "furniture" by the wife and gets to be part of her plan for the revamp of our kitchen/family room (which starts in April). I'm taking the hardware from cherry to black and probably having a carpenter make the hood a full 12". Hopefully that will be high enough, but I really like the idea of LEDs so perhaps that will make the height ish less so. I definitely don't like the thought of a chiller whatsoever. I was just at Exotic Fish and Corals talking through LEDs and the guy mentioned the lack of UV/red light from the cree models. Do you find that to be a concern? He suggested it might be wise to supplement with a single T5 down the middle. Man; so many options!

That ATS thread; OMFG! Am I dreaming? One of the things that stopped me from keeping my half-assed reef going a decade ago was the maintenance. Am I reading correctly that water changes are so much less frequent (or not at all)?? So many questions on this front. Does it smell? Can I set this up from the very beginning (cycle)? I have 100lbs of BRS eco rock and thinking about not even seeding it (F aiptasia and the like!). I definitely want to have a fuge at a minimum... but ATS seems so much more natural. How does the flow to the ATS system work (separate loop)? After further consideration, I definitely want to set up a manifold around the entire top edge of the tank. Does that need to be separate from the ATS system?

Do you folks ever do group buys for live stuff like CUC (from liveaquaria or the like)?

Anyway, far too late. Nite folks!

[srusso]

That ATS thread; OMFG! Am I dreaming?

No your not... :D But I know that feeling :lol:

One of the things that stopped me from keeping my half-assed reef going a decade ago was the maintenance.

You clean the algae off every 7 days... takes 5 mintues. And ATS run system is far more forgiving than the traditional filtration for reefs. You will also have top off and dosing to do... thats it. Many have be quoted saying "My Algae Scrubber has made me love this hobby again."


Am I reading correctly that water changes are so much less frequent (or not at all)??

Freshwater Top off is always needed, but as for actual water changes...

FOWLR - Water changes are not needed
REEF - Water changes are done on reef tanks to replace trace elements only.
I now started do 5-10 gallons every month
(we can talk more about that in the march meeting)


Does it smell? Can I set this up from the very beginning (cycle)? I have 100lbs of BRS eco rock and thinking about not even seeding it

It doesnt smell at all. Not one bit.

Yes please set it up at cycle, is the best time to do it. Check out my build thread, thats when I did it...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1888971
Although I haven't updated it in some time... maybe I will do that tonight.


I definitely want to have a fuge at a minimum... but ATS seems so much more natural. How does the flow to the ATS system work (separate loop)? After further consideration, I definitely want to set up a manifold around the entire top edge of the tank. Does that need to be separate from the ATS system?!

:lol: I have my ATS fed from the overflow of my tank. My whole system works off a single pump... :D

Many build types, all seem to work well as long as you follow the rules/guild lines.

Read through the whole thread, it should answer any questions you may have, PM me if you need some help or if you feel like finding the answer sooner.

Happy we can add another to the club, even better if you become an ATS'er ;) :D