125 gallon reef newby DIY - Page 4 - Aquarium Advice

Ralph · 05-02-2009, 08:16 AM

This build is not dead, I just haven't made much progress lately. I've been distracted by other stuff but I've been reading and learning.

I'm trying to heat up progress on this again.

Same spot for the tank, now thinking about a 5' acrylic with a sump system.
I'm trying to put together a complete equipment list so that I can budget for this in stages.

What I'm worried about now is that if I jump in all in one go then I'll have a nicely running, well lit empty box of water for a long time.
Should I think about starting the system up with a fish-only system and build up to corals?

Ralph

jcmelski · 05-02-2009, 12:36 PM

I have a 110g RR tank. I can find more 6' light fixtures than I can find 5'. If you want to start with FOwLR you can, then add beginner corals as your tank matures and you get comfortable with it. Be mindful though of the fish that you add to your FO tank because the pretty pygmy angelfish that you add now will nip and make a meal out of your very expensive corals later. ask me how I know.

SparKy697 · 05-02-2009, 05:39 PM

Ralph,

So many options here... Here is what I did with my little 29 gallon reef:

Get the tank home built and the tank ready for water.

Make sure that any plumbing penetrations that will be needed are in place and ready to go. Install valves just outside the tank so that water stays in the tank.

Get your RO/DI system setup and decide what you are going to use for fresh water storage as well as salt water storage.

Buy your substrate and Live rock. With all of that and the salt water in the tank you are on your way to the land of cycling and curing live rock. All you really need is a couple of power heads and a heater. At this point, lights are not needed or even wanted for that matter.

While your tank is going through it's cycle you have time to get your sump and maybe lights in order. I went a couple of months without a sump on mine and even with such a small tank things seemed to go ok.

Once your nitrates show up and the place is safe, you can add a few fish if you really want something to look at.

I'm a firm believer of going at this in a non rushed manner. Maybe too slow for some.... But I think it pays off in the long run.

Ralph · 05-03-2009, 05:30 PM

Thanks for the kind encouragement and advice.

Silly question: If I don't have a sump at the start, what is the best way to maintain circulation while the system matures? I had been thinking that the sump return would provide a lot of circulation that the LR would need.

Power heads I suppose? I was hoping to devise some clever way of getting all the circulation I need (at the start) out of the return water pump.

Thanks again,

Ralph

jcmelski · 05-03-2009, 05:39 PM

It can be done but you would need some ball valves and some unions to isolate the pump once you have your sump.

SparKy697 · 05-03-2009, 07:01 PM

I think that in order to provide the current you need in the tank via your return pump, there would be a whole lot of water passing through the sump. Most choose to use the return pump to provide enough to filter the water properly and use power heads or a closed loop (my favorite) to take care of the rest of the needed flow. That being said, yes, power heads would work. You will likely end up with them at some point anyway.

Ralph · 05-05-2009, 08:25 AM

No problems going slow here. I've been thinking about this thing for over a year.

What is the disadvantage of a high flow through the sump?

It what locations would I need drills for a closed loop system? I suppose if I had closed loop circulation, I could use the pump that I'd eventually use for the sump return.

Ralph · 05-07-2009, 09:19 PM

Anybody want to explain why I would want a low flow through the sump?

Can I hook a water pump between the drain and return on a RR tank for closed-loop flow in the absence of a sump, or is there some other drill configuration I should have for closed loop circulation?

Thanks and sorry for the basic questions.

jcmelski · 05-07-2009, 09:58 PM

To give your skimmer or fuge time to process the water.

SparKy697 · 05-08-2009, 08:08 PM

Sorry about that Ralph, I made the statement then left you hanging.

I think some of the reasons for keeping the velocity through the sump low might be to allow air bubbles to rise to the top and not make their way to the return pump. I know that in my sump I see some debris settle on the bottom. If the current was too fast, that may not happen as well and those little particles would stay in the water column longer. Also, the faster the flow from the tank and through the sump, the faster problems become bigger problems when it comes to overflowing and spilling water. I'm sure that there are others...