UPGRADING! Need suggestions!

[VeriasCurat]

Hey guys. Hello everyone. I will be buying my 93 gallon cube in a couple weeks but right now I want to start picking up different parts now that way I can set up the tank as soon as I get it.

My only problem is I am not sure what I need/want to get. My budget so to speak for everything (aside from tank/stand) is probably about $1-$1.5k, or however much I can spend until I get in trouble with the girlfriend (Lol)...but really if I have to buy things in parts and wait to set it up I will totally do that. So here we go..

Tank 30 x 30 x 24 93 gallon glass aquarium
corner overflow, not sure on how large it is

Stand not sure yet..something with room for a sump..if budget gets blown to hell will be holding off on sump for the time being and just under fill tank to not utilize overflow

Lighting Currently
on my 29 gallon I have a dual bulb T5 coraline set with 10k and actinic blue on it which seems to be working well.

There is also a fluval 25000k 46 watt LED kit on it. For being a LFS bought LED set I am actually really happy with it. The PAR ratings are as follows..
3" - 381
6" - 236
12" - 94
18" - 55
I dont know a lot about par rating but to me the lower the number I'm guessing is bad :P

So here is my first question....Will this be sufficient for a 93 or will I need different lighting?

RO/DI System
Already found one that everyone seems to talk about..this seems to be the way to go..
http://spectrapure.com/Refurbished-90-GPD-RODI-System

Powerhead/Flow Options
Currently have: Marineland maxijet 1200 gph. Only have one.. I assume this won't be sufficient for a larger tank? My LFS was telling me about Cobalt powerheads and how they are adjustable flow and they actually seem to be pretty cool.. here is what she was suggesting..again, what do you guys prefer?

https://cobaltaquatics.com/caproduct/water-pumps/neo-flow-10000/

Protein Skimmer Currently have: Nothing.

This is one I am a bit skeptical on. My LFS told me the only reason she hasn't recommended one for me now is my tank is so small that all the ones for nano tanks are basically junk..Now that I am upgrading is this something that is necessary? It seems the community at large is torn on this subject and I would love to know what you guys think as far as necessity and a good one

Sump/Return Pump
Currently have: nothing.

With an overflow this is something that I will get eventually because I love not having my equipment in the tank itself but this may be something I hold off on for the time being. What do people use? I literally have NO knowledge on these.

Salt Currently have: nothing.

I know this is a weird one but I set up the tank with instant ocean and honestly haven't made water since. My LFS sells me premixed water at $1 / gallon so this was just easier than me mixing my own. Upgrading tanks means I don't want to lug 18 gallons of water up my stairs lol. So who uses what and why?

Heater Currently have: 100W petco heater (forget brand)

Are these sufficient enough? I think have the coated one that hangs in the tank and it has done perfectly fine for me. Will it continue to be ok?

Auto top off Currently have: nothing.

These intrigue me mainly because I'm tired of having to top off my tank lol..seems more like a luxury than anything else.

Upgrade Process

As far as the upgrade process, I believe I am going to carry over all my old rock and sand to the new tank and go from there. I will leave my current tank set up as a QT I believe but just strip it down to the minimum requirements.

I am super excited to set up this new tank and since I already have the approval from the girlfriend it makes life a bit easier


TL;DR Upgrading. Need equipment suggestions.It's been awhile since I've been on this forum so I was just saying hello but I am also upgrading (YAY!) I posted this on TRT but I thought I'd bring it over here and get your suggestions as well!

[CuzzA]

Answers are in red.

Hey guys. Hello everyone. I will be buying my 93 gallon cube in a couple weeks but right now I want to start picking up different parts now that way I can set up the tank as soon as I get it.

My only problem is I am not sure what I need/want to get. My budget so to speak for everything (aside from tank/stand) is probably about $1-$1.5k, or however much I can spend until I get in trouble with the girlfriend (Lol)...but really if I have to buy things in parts and wait to set it up I will totally do that. So here we go..

Tank 30 x 30 x 24 93 gallon glass aquarium
corner overflow, not sure on how large it is

Stand not sure yet..something with room for a sump..if budget gets blown to hell will be holding off on sump for the time being and just under fill tank to not utilize overflow

If you're handy build your own stand. Make it tall enough so eye level is at the center of the tank.

Lighting Currently
on my 29 gallon I have a dual bulb T5 coraline set with 10k and actinic blue on it which seems to be working well.

There is also a fluval 25000k 46 watt LED kit on it. For being a LFS bought LED set I am actually really happy with it. The PAR ratings are as follows..
3" - 381
6" - 236
12" - 94
18" - 55
I dont know a lot about par rating but to me the lower the number I'm guessing is bad :P

So here is my first question....Will this be sufficient for a 93 or will I need different lighting?

No. You're going to need new lights. The goal should be to hit 200 par on the sand. Of course it also depends on what type of corals you intend on keeping in this tank. I like LED's supplemented with T5's. LED's can be tricky at first, but once you get them set it's an excellent source of light. There are many options. Do your research. Find a similar tank you love and copy it.

RO/DI System
Already found one that everyone seems to talk about..this seems to be the way to go..
http://spectrapure.com/Refurbished-90-GPD-RODI-System

This is fine, but you may want to add another carbon block and sediment filter. This will add more protection not only to the RO membrane but also help to insure no chlormamine/chlorine make it to your tank. Of course this would only be an issue if your on municipal water. Always flush new filters individually before first use and add a RO flush and DI flush to prolong the life of the membrane and resin.

Powerhead/Flow Options
Currently have: Marineland maxijet 1200 gph. Only have one.. I assume this won't be sufficient for a larger tank? My LFS was telling me about Cobalt powerheads and how they are adjustable flow and they actually seem to be pretty cool.. here is what she was suggesting..again, what do you guys prefer?

https://cobaltaquatics.com/caproduct/water-pumps/neo-flow-10000/

Nope. Look at DC controllable wave makers like Vortech, Tunze or Jebao.

Protein Skimmer Currently have: Nothing.

This is one I am a bit skeptical on. My LFS told me the only reason she hasn't recommended one for me now is my tank is so small that all the ones for nano tanks are basically junk..Now that I am upgrading is this something that is necessary? It seems the community at large is torn on this subject and I would love to know what you guys think as far as necessity and a good one

You will have to get a skimmer. Again, do some research here. So many options and so many opinions. If money is an issue, it's hard to beat a Reef Octopus. However, performance could be much better with other options, but you'll pay for it.

Sump/Return Pump
Currently have: nothing.

Given the footprint of your tank/stand I would do a 20 long for a sump and add a remote deep sand bed in a bucket. This way you should still have enough room for the ATO container. Lots of option when it comes to pumps. Eheim and Mag Drive being a couple options. The former being a staple of our hobby.

With an overflow this is something that I will get eventually because I love not having my equipment in the tank itself but this may be something I hold off on for the time being. What do people use? I literally have NO knowledge on these.

You do not want to use a hang on back overflow. Set it up right the first time. Personally, I would buy a tank that isn't drilled and do a coast to coast overflow with a beananimal drain. This will require that you drill the back of the tank and install an overflow box. If you want to go with a reef ready tank (pre drilled), you will likely want to setup what's called a Herbie drain.

Salt Currently have: nothing.

I know this is a weird one but I set up the tank with instant ocean and honestly haven't made water since. My LFS sells me premixed water at $1 / gallon so this was just easier than me mixing my own. Upgrading tanks means I don't want to lug 18 gallons of water up my stairs lol. So who uses what and why?

Any salt is fine, but pick one that will closely mirror your target parameters. Specifically alkalinity.

Heater Currently have: 100W petco heater (forget brand)

Heaters are cheap, but can also kill your tank. I would buy a new one. Eheim Jäger has proven very reliable. Eventually you may get a controller to prevent it from getting stuck in the on poistion, among other things.

Are these sufficient enough? I think have the coated one that hangs in the tank and it has done perfectly fine for me. Will it continue to be ok?

Auto top off Currently have: nothing.

Any container will do. Many options here as well. I use a gravity fed ATO with multiple fail safes. I wouldn't use it without multiple fail safes. Tunze is reviewed as the best, but there are plenty of reliable less expensive options like JBJ, for example.

These intrigue me mainly because I'm tired of having to top off my tank lol..seems more like a luxury than anything else.

Upgrade Process

As far as the upgrade process, I believe I am going to carry over all my old rock and sand to the new tank and go from there. I will leave my current tank set up as a QT I believe but just strip it down to the minimum requirements.

I am super excited to set up this new tank and since I already have the approval from the girlfriend it makes life a bit easier


TL;DR Upgrading. Need equipment suggestions.It's been awhile since I've been on this forum so I was just saying hello but I am also upgrading (YAY!) I posted this on TRT but I thought I'd bring it over here and get your suggestions as well!

Good luck, ask as many follow up questions as you need. Do your research, be patient. Buy the right equipment once. ;)

[rwb500]

eye level at center of tank would be an absurdly tall stand. but yes do make it taller than the ones you can buy. lots of threads about stand height on here.

[cleverbs]

Quote:
Originally Posted by VeriasCurat
Hey guys. Hello everyone. I will be buying my 93 gallon cube in a couple weeks but right now I want to start picking up different parts now that way I can set up the tank as soon as I get it.

My only problem is I am not sure what I need/want to get. My budget so to speak for everything (aside from tank/stand) is probably about $1-$1.5k, or however much I can spend until I get in trouble with the girlfriend (Lol)...but really if I have to buy things in parts and wait to set it up I will totally do that. So here we go..

Tank 30 x 30 x 24 93 gallon glass aquarium
corner overflow, not sure on how large it is

Stand not sure yet..something with room for a sump..if budget gets blown to hell will be holding off on sump for the time being and just under fill tank to not utilize overflow

If you're handy build your own stand. Make it tall enough so eye level is at the center of the tank.

Lighting Currently
on my 29 gallon I have a dual bulb T5 coraline set with 10k and actinic blue on it which seems to be working well.

There is also a fluval 25000k 46 watt LED kit on it. For being a LFS bought LED set I am actually really happy with it. The PAR ratings are as follows..
3" - 381
6" - 236
12" - 94
18" - 55
I dont know a lot about par rating but to me the lower the number I'm guessing is bad :P

So here is my first question....Will this be sufficient for a 93 or will I need different lighting?

No. You're going to need new lights. The goal should be to hit 200 par on the sand. Of course it also depends on what type of corals you intend on keeping in this tank. I like LED's supplemented with T5's. LED's can be tricky at first, but once you get them set it's an excellent source of light. There are many options. Do your research. Find a similar tank you love and copy it.

Honestly just get an ATI Sunpower with 8 bulbs you will not regret it. you could go the LED/t5ho route however I would only do this if you are going to have a canopy because you will have to retro fit the t5hos in order for it not to cost way more then it should.

RO/DI System
Already found one that everyone seems to talk about..this seems to be the way to go..
http://spectrapure.com/Refurbished-90-GPD-RODI-System

This is fine, but you may want to add another carbon block and sediment filter. This will add more protection not only to the RO membrane but also help to insure no chlormamine/chlorine make it to your tank. Of course this would only be an issue if your on municipal water. Always flush new filters individually before first use and add a RO flush and DI flush to prolong the life of the membrane and resin.

Many of us have used the system for years and there is nothing wrong with the way its set up to start with.

Powerhead/Flow Options
Currently have: Marineland maxijet 1200 gph. Only have one.. I assume this won't be sufficient for a larger tank? My LFS was telling me about Cobalt powerheads and how they are adjustable flow and they actually seem to be pretty cool.. here is what she was suggesting..again, what do you guys prefer?

https://cobaltaquatics.com/caproduct...eo-flow-10000/

Nope. Look at DC controllable wave makers like Vortech, Tunze or Jebao.
The Jebao RW-8s or RW-15s (if you are going sps) would be good to look at. I have 4 RW-20s and a RW-4 and I like them very much. The RW-20s put out so much flow in my 220g I cant even run them at 50%

Protein Skimmer Currently have: Nothing.

This is one I am a bit skeptical on. My LFS told me the only reason she hasn't recommended one for me now is my tank is so small that all the ones for nano tanks are basically junk..Now that I am upgrading is this something that is necessary? It seems the community at large is torn on this subject and I would love to know what you guys think as far as necessity and a good one

You will have to get a skimmer. Again, do some research here. So many options and so many opinions. If money is an issue, it's hard to beat a Reef Octopus. However, performance could be much better with other options, but you'll pay for it.

Reef Octopus can be great skimmers. I have had 2 and the one I have now is amazing however it is a costly one because its a dc diablo skimmer and very large however before that I had a NW-150 on my 75g and it was a great skimmer they dont cost much and get the job done.

Sump/Return Pump
Currently have: nothing.

Given the footprint of your tank/stand I would do a 20 long for a sump and add a remote deep sand bed in a bucket. This way you should still have enough room for the ATO container. Lots of option when it comes to pumps. Eheim and Mag Drive being a couple options. The former being a staple of our hobby.

I agree with the 20long however do not and i repeat DO NOT add a remote deep sand bed...they are totally worthless and there is no need for them at all. The only thing a remote deep sand bed causes is trouble. You dont need a fuge and having one will not change anything about your tank. also dont wait on setting up the sump. its super cheap to set up a sump. you can but a 20g long and get 20$ worth of glass cut to silicone in. and in a tank with a single overflow like yours has it will cost about 10$ in PVC maybe even less. Dont hold off on this because its not worth it at all.

With an overflow this is something that I will get eventually because I love not having my equipment in the tank itself but this may be something I hold off on for the time being. What do people use? I literally have NO knowledge on these.

You do not want to use a hang on back overflow. Set it up right the first time. Personally, I would buy a tank that isn't drilled and do a coast to coast overflow with a beananimal drain. This will require that you drill the back of the tank and install an overflow box. If you want to go with a reef ready tank (pre drilled), you will likely want to setup what's called a Herbie drain.

Agreed with this. I used to have a cost 2 cost with a beananimal and loved it. Now I have a pre drilled tank with 2 overflows like yours (reef ready) and its alright. Do I love it no...do I hate it no. I would run a herbi drain in a single overflow tank.

Salt Currently have: nothing.

I know this is a weird one but I set up the tank with instant ocean and honestly haven't made water since. My LFS sells me premixed water at $1 / gallon so this was just easier than me mixing my own. Upgrading tanks means I don't want to lug 18 gallons of water up my stairs lol. So who uses what and why?

Any salt is fine, but pick one that will closely mirror your target parameters. Specifically alkalinity.

Heater Currently have: 100W petco heater (forget brand)

Heaters are cheap, but can also kill your tank. I would buy a new one. Eheim Jäger has proven very reliable. Eventually you may get a controller to prevent it from getting stuck in the on poistion, among other things.

Are these sufficient enough? I think have the coated one that hangs in the tank and it has done perfectly fine for me. Will it continue to be ok?

Auto top off Currently have: nothing.

Any container will do. Many options here as well. I use a gravity fed ATO with multiple fail safes. I wouldn't use it without multiple fail safes. Tunze is reviewed as the best, but there are plenty of reliable less expensive options like JBJ, for example.

[CuzzA]

Good catch, I probably should have added a little more detail. Eye level is relative to how tall the owner of the tank is. For example, is the owner 5' or 6'? It makes a difference. Most commercial stands are absurdly short and many DIYers build their stand too short. My current tank is 36" tall. I should have made it 40" and eliminated the bottom cross braces and went with a plywood bottom. While most skimmers will fit in my stand I cannot add a neck cleaner. My new tank is 40" tall and I have ample room. This puts the center of my 24" tank roughly at 54" after the plywood top and stainless steel levelers (steel stand). I'm not the tallest guy in the world... 5'8". So my new tank is approximately a little less than eye level. No bending over to see inside my tank.

[CuzzA]

Many of us have used the system for years and there is nothing wrong with the way its set up to start with.

Perhaps. I suggested the extra filtration because in my area we seem to be having trouble with chloramine breakthrough and twice a year they treat our water systems with stronger chlorine. Around this time we start seeing necrosis pop up in peoples tanks.

I agree with the 20long however do not and i repeat DO NOT add a remote deep sand bed...they are totally worthless and there is no need for them at all. The only thing a remote deep sand bed causes is trouble.

Many reefers here will disagree with your blanket condemnation of the RDSB, including Anthony Calfo (who created the idea). Almost every new tank we see on here is followed up with a thread about "Why are my nitrates so high?". There are many factors of course, however, the common denominator is not enough nutrient export. I'm not going to start a debate here about the use of them. There are many ways to export nutrients, However, when set up properly the RDSB is an extremely effective way to export (not assimilate) nitrate and may last for years if not indefinitely and finally, if it does go south, turn a valve and the issue is fixed.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=595109

[Dmorty217]

eye level at center of tank would be an absurdly tall stand. but yes do make it taller than the ones you can buy. lots of threads about stand height on here.

My stand for my 220g that I built is 43" tall with the top of the tank at 73" and the top of the canopy at 93". No bending over to look in the tank is the number one concern with me because standing hunched over all the time to enjoy the tank is silly

[VeriasCurat]

Awesome guys!!! Thanks for the advice :) I'll do some research tonight and post my findings and get your feed back.

[rwb500]

My stand for my 220g that I built is 43" tall with the top of the tank at 73" and the top of the canopy at 93". No bending over to look in the tank is the number one concern with me because standing hunched over all the time to enjoy the tank is silly

this is a very tall tank with a very tall stand and eye level is still only in the middle of the tank for someone who is about 5' 3".

if you are going to recommend a tall stand that is good, its a good idea, but the idea of actually having the eye level in the middle of the tank is absurd. for an average man and a 24" tall tank that would be a 53" tall stand. absurd.