Need help with getting started

[atreyu84]

I'm new to the saltwater community, but have had freshwater tanks most of my life. I've been doing a lot of research and about to take the road to saltwater. a guy gave me 2 tanks which are 55 gal measuring 48*13*18. one of them has a hole in the bottom of the tank for a 1" bulkhead but no other holes. which is the one i'll end up using because the other tank has a crack in the side but has not broke through and i'm afraid that the pressure from the water will break it.

my question is the bottom only has the one hole can i drill for a second for a bigger overflow stand pipe? also the bottom is cloudy is there any way to clear that up i'll try to post some pictures of it

i'm looking at mostly a reef tank with sps and lps corals. and need advice on what to do with a sump as far as protein skimmers and using bio balls or socks.

any help would be great

[atreyu84]

here are some pictures of the tanks

[Josh_Canada]

a low maintenance sump i seen alot on google and such is fairly simple:
overflow into first chamber through filter sock, then protein skimmer, three baffles forcing bubbles to travel under water as not to have a constant cycle of micro-bubbles (they diffuse through the water). next i would definelty suggest a chaetomorpha/LR rubble refugium, lastly a chamber for a heater and return pump. I run this set up with a pouch of activated carbon slid between the baffles, have yet to see any detectable nitrates (also a 30 gal sump for 50 gal tank), only do small water changes for the sake of trace elements now.

[greech]

If the glass isn't tempered you can drill another hole. It looks like that hole was drilled after the tank was built so it may not be tempered.

The silicone doesn't looks a little rough I would make sure the tank will hold water before you go too far and spend too much $.

A good skimmer for a mixed reef 55 would be something like a SWC 120 or 160, one of the new Reef Octopus or a Bubble Magus NAC 3 or 5. Never used a RO skimmer myself but know people that have them and have read numerous positive reviews on them. If you think you will upgrade get a little bigger skimmer than you need currently.

I would avoid bioballs in a reef tank. LR, good skimming and routine water changes, proper stocking/feeding, etc. will keep your water quality high and the bioballs may start causing you more trouble.

[papawheelie]

I definitely would not use the cracked tank.. Any reason you want the bottom of the tank cleared up? +1 on Josh Canada's sump configuration.. pretty straightforward.

[Mike P]

Anything cracked = don't even think about using. I went through a bigger tank (180G) and even a scratch wouldn't let me sleep at night. I'm anal about everything in my tanks. It's a big investment.

The drilled hole looks healthy from the pics. As everyone says on here, patience is key. Water test all tanks for a bit before setting anything questionable up. The last thing you need is a broken tank and gallons of water on your floor. Not to mention dead fish and coral that you spent a lot of money on. If you do anything questionable, just make sure your homeowners insurance covers it lol.

Find a good sump (including pluming) and look into the skimmer/fuge set up.

One thing id do for sure. Do home work, A TON of it. Take your time and do everything the RIGHT way (even if it costs you some extra cash). I set up the 180 (which I thought was way out of my league), but I spent 6 months making sure I did everything right, including hiring a couple professionals to make sure I was ok after it was all said and done. I learned a lot and it was WELL worth the money.

Fresh water is nothing compared to salt. Don't use any freshwater knowledge on salt tanks.

One other thing, You'll need a second hole for a return. I don't know how a one hole tank would work. (I'm still learning myself).

Use a sock on your drain and change it often once it's cycled, but +∞ on staying away from bio balls.

Just remember...patience is key.

Before you know it, you'll be learning tons, and want a job doing water changes at your local aquarium/marine store.

[hollister]

This is a hard enough hobby as it is , the last thing u need to worry about is your tank failing.
U could spend countless hours and many dollars before u lose it all to a leaky tank.

To have a SPS - LPS tank that works takes many hours and much patiants to achieve.

[zeeter]

One other thing, You'll need a second hole for a return. I don't know how a one hole tank would work. (I'm still learning myself).


He can just get a return jet and place it over the back of the tank.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/10258/product.web

This one is probably too small but you get the general idea.

[Mike P]

He can just get a return jet and place it over the back of the tank.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/10258/product.web

This one is probably too small but you get the general idea.

Yes i forgot about this one. I'm so used to having everything internal. I'm sure a lot of people here will tell you "drilled/internal" I don't have any experience on HOB. Do what YOU are comfortable with.

[ManotheSea]

Make-sure-the-tanks-were-not-used-for-freshwater-fish.Many-fish-meds-contain-copper.Corals-are-very-sensative-to-small-amounts-of-copper.

Make-a-return-line-over-theback-with-PVC.You-have-to-drill-a-small-hole-in-the-pipe-just-below-the-water-line-as-a-syphon-break.That-prevents-too-much-water-from-draining-back-into-the-sump-if-you-lose-power.

[freetareef]

Hi and welcome!!!
NO BIO BALLS.
there are a lot of good setup ideas here. get the biggest skimmer you can afford, like an asm g3, not to bad and you can find them all over used, and remember the other reason we use sumps is to increase the water volume....walmart has a ton bucket style tubs. cheato or a dsb will help take care of the no3.

[atreyu84]

thanks everyone for the information. before i get to involved with this tank i'm planing on water testing it to before i spend to much on it.

[thebkramer]

:bounce3: WELCOME TO RC & THE ADDICTION!! :bounce3:

Just wanted to say welcome :) Nothing more that can be added really here!

[atreyu84]

so water tested the tank i plugged the hole and filled it with water and let it set for a couple hours no leaks even with my duct tape plug on the bulkhead hole.
so guess on to the next step planning out the rest of the build and building everything.

i think i have choses to go with a ProFlex Sump Model 2 sump with a refuge in the middle amd a SWC 120 skimmer. any thoughts on those. also trying to decicde on how to cover my overflow pipe and figure out a return from the sump

[zeeter]

I have eight tanks on one system, each with a hole drilled in the back and the over the top return jet. It works pretty well. It's PVC to each tank and then tubing from the PVC to the fixtures.

[thebkramer]

A light bulb just came on in my head with your name!!

Love it!! ;)

Now I'll have The Neverending Story song in my head the rest of the day!! :lolspin:

[1st timer]

Atrey, you should put a pipe in the hole and let it sit overnight at least for water test. For sure you will want to go bigger, if you do things slow. Hurry and you will get frustrated and probably give up.
You can use the broken tank glass for making baffles. I did with a broken 10 gallon, just can't use the bottom.
Regarding SPS Probably should wait for a deeper(fr-back) size tank, can't get much depth with a 12-13" tank. My 40 breeder started leaking and now using a 30...sucks, just my opinion, something to think about.. enjoy reefing take your time.