Thoughts on getting a larger tank

[afilter]

OK, I have been out pricing new tanks. At a minimum it is time to replace the glass on my 75g. It is almost 10 years old and the glass is pretty scratched up. I also need to move some fish out which is impossible to do without removing most of the rock work, so I might as well replace the tank now.

Oh, as always budget is a concern (If my wife has a say my budget is $0.00 ).

So I have narrowed it down to either just getting another 75 or going up to the 90 which has the same dimensions allowing me to use my current stand. The 120g is out as I do value my marriage.

The question is should I go with the overflow or not? It is about $40-50 more until I get the sump. I have been doing research on building my own sump/fuge, but I am not there yet. I definitely see the benefits of getting a drilled tank vs. using a siphon overflow down the road.

If I get the overflow can I plug the holes and not use it until I have my sump built and am ready to go? The major draw back I can think of is that water will not circulate in the overflow area and nitrates could build up unless it is possible to cap it off at the top.

90 vs 75? The 90 will provide more volume and room for my PBT(the only tang I plan to keep), but will require more lighting if I ever do decide to justify paying for it and going reef.

Oh, other than moving out some of my fish the only other thing pushing this is that my LFS is having a sale this weekend.

Thoughts?

TIA,

 

[Salttanker]

I would go with the 90 gal with the built in overflow. For now, you could just get a 20-30 gal aquarium or rubbermaid to catch the water and recirculate it with a pump or two. Before I upgraded to a 120 gal, I had a 90 which was not pre-drilled. You will be glad you did it if you choose to.

Mike

 

[afilter]

Salttanker,

Great Idea! That is why I post here. I can just get my sump pump this weekend at the sale and I can just thrown it in there. When I get my sump/fuge designed built I can just change it out as long as it fits through the stand door. That way I can also throw my current filtration/skimmer on the tub as well.

For a DIY sump/fuge how big would you go for a 75/90? I was thinking of starting with a 20L or 30L so I can still it it under the stand.

 

[Salttanker]

Yeah, it all depends on how much room the stand has. Currently, my stand is 48x24x24 which I only had room for a 33 gal sump. The 90 gal glass tank stand is 48x18x24, so you may be able to squeeze it in there depending on how the stand was designed.
You will definitely want it big enough to house the pump(s), skimmer, and heaters in it, as well as some reef rubble if you go that route. And depending on your lighting, you may need a small fan to blow over the sump to keep it cool. 8)

Mike

 

[afilter]

Any issues with heaters in a plastic tub long term? Right now it is not an issue, but is WI it does get cold and my heaters do get a work out. Also I currently have two heaters (200W?). My plan was still to use both and place them at both ends of the sump. I would hope to have a more permanent sump built before it gets too cold.

 

[Salttanker]

I would think as long as the heaters are on the rubber mounts off the plastic they should be ok.

Mike

 

[RocketSeason]

yup. the 90 gallon with built in overflows would work fantastic. Look around in the local papers for people selling 55 gallon tanks for cheap. those tanks would make a great sump/fuge setup, and you can add another 30 or so gallons to your total tank volume. Basically turning your 90 into a 120!

 

[Brenden]

Bigger is always better. That is just my opinion. Get the 120 and use your 70 as the sump.

 

[afilter]

Would a 55 fit under a 90? I think they are both 48" long. I do plan to use my existing stand.

 

[Salttanker]

I'm not sure the traditional 55 gal would fit under the 48x18 stand. However, there is a company called glasscages.com that builds custom sumps that may have a good size for you. I see them on Ebay all the time. Check the dimensions out when you get a chance.

Mike

 

[RocketSeason]

hmmm....good point about the sump...well, there are always 29H and I even saw a 35 with decent demensions at PetSmart the other day.

If money is an issue, I think custom sumps would be out of the picture.

 

[afilter]

Yeah, in addition to cost the custom sumps do not seem to add much volume of allow for a fuge down the road.

I am looking at doing something along this line:

http://aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=53046