Back to basics, absent 20 years

[cpostis@att.net]

20 years ago I cut my own glass, built my own protein skimmer, caught fish with my hand built nets and slurp guns. Now, someone gave me a 180 gal tank. I'm ordering the basics online what I think is what I need for a reef aquarium.
Here goes:

PS250 Protein Skimmer with Pump
H-AEPS250-Prem 1 $319.95 $319.95
Mag 24 Drive Pump 2400 GPH
1 $235.99 $235.99
Coralife Mini Aqualight T5 Aquarium Lighting Fixture
ES36013 1 $47.99 $47.99
ProFlex Sump Model 4
00834503 1 $300.90 $300.90
Aqueon 125 Gallon Hang-On Overflow Box
34508 2 $70.20 $140.40

And 2 LED lights.
Am I on the right track, what do you guys/gals think?

Thanks for your input!!

[Rockys_Pride]

Welcome to RC!

Good way to announce your return, hehe.

I'm more like you 20 yrs ago, DIY all the way. IMO, you won't need the T5 lighting.

[dc]

[moved]


We'll put you in the right forum. ;)



I removed the ebay link as we don't allow them.

[ezerasurfr]

I would skip the proflex sump and build one yourself. They are very difficult to get into to work on and clean.

[Drae]

go for a glass holes overflow box at least... and welcome home!

[RocketEngineer]

1) I wouldn't use a HOB overflow for a tank that size. I would much rather drill it for a Coast to Coast overflow with a BeanAnimal drain setup. This will involve drilling three holes in the tank which is more about nerve than risk. Tank it slow, lots of water, use a guide to get it started and put a board on the inside to keep from chipping when you break through.

2) Build your own sump. I went to a local glass shop and got three baffles cut for 40 bucks. A 40g sump from Petco's $1 per gallon sale was another 40. Silicone was like 17. So for less than $100 I had a sump the way I wanted it. Look around for folks selling tanks and build the sump out of a tank someone else is getting rid of.

3) I would reconsider a MD24 for the return. While I use an MD5 for a return, they really aren't suited for returns on larger tanks. Consider an external pump (which involves a fourth hole.....actually not a bad idea to try it on the sump first) as they don't transfer heat to the tank nearly as bad as an internal pump would.

4) You are going to need to consider lighting. LEDs are very much up and coming which means the prices are dropping and the quality is improving. For a 180g tank, T5 is one option but you are going to need 4-6 bulb fixtures, say two 3 foot fixtures for a tank that size. Another option is to DIY the fixture. MH is the last option but I think it causes more heat problems than its worth.

Overall, I recommend you take the next 3-6 months and read and research. The worse thing you can do is buy equipment twice because you didn't get what you needed the first time to set up a full blown reef. Plan it all out, take some graph paper and plan out where all the equipment is going to go, then slowly build from the plans.

HTH,
RocketEngineer