New to salt

[Ff_emt2008]

So my gf and i have had a 55 gal freshwater tank running for a while and we are both happy with it. So we fig time for the next project. After some thought of putting a desk in the house we decided it needed a tank so we are trying saltwater. So thanks to petco $1 a gal we got a 29 gal tank and glass lid. So now i need to build the desk will post pic of it as i build. Now the question is what do we need for equipment any help please

[bribo12]

Id recommend drilling the tank and running a sump! It makes life so much easier and hides all the eye sore equipment.

If not you'll need a hob filter for media, power heads, a skimmer, rock, sand, rodi water, salt mix (Reef crystals works well), and then if you want a reef tank high powered lighting


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[Ff_emt2008]

So after talking to my gf i think we are going to drill the tank. How big of a slump? We have a 20 gal that we can use to make a slump. Are there any good places to learn how to make a slump? Also sounds like a fowlr tank with a sand bed i think is the way we are going to go

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[Beej1254]

Check out YouTube for sump designs. The King of DIY goes over a few different types of sumps and how the function. The sump IMO should be as big as you can manage. You'll want one big enough to at least hold your equipment and I think 95% of people will say a good space for a refugium as well. Drilling the tank will save you a ton of potential problems or just small headaches. I wish I would have drilled mine .


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[Beej1254]

If you don't do a sump you could paint the back of the tank and it'll help hide all that equipment as well. But I feel like most HOB equipment doesn't match up to stuff you can stick in a sump.


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[Ff_emt2008]

Ok so i may know someone yo drill the tank so we are 80% sure we r going to have it drilled. What is a refugium? I read some about them but guess i really dont get what it does.

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[Ff_emt2008]

Also what about a media reactor?

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[Beej1254]

This should tell you all about what a refugium is

http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/blog/what-is-a-refugium


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[Beej1254]

Media reactors are really nice pieces of equipment. Depending on the media you want to run you may have to find a reactor to effectively run it. For example I made a really great reactor that I run carbon in..but I tried to put bio-pellets in it and it failed miserably because it didn't tumble the media. The great thing about media reactors is that it forces water to flow throughout the media increasing its effectiveness unlike media in a bag which water can easily move around.


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[bogeymc6]

Good


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[Ff_emt2008]

So should i run q media reactor

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[Ff_emt2008]

So i know its not the best looking design but thats what im thinking for a desk/stand what do you all think

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[Beej1254]

What media do you want to try and run on your tank?


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[Beej1254]

Keep in mind the weight of a 29gal tank full of water/rocks/sand/equipment and sump. I can't offer much for woodwork design just that fish tanks are very heavy and your going to want to leave a big enough opening to get your sump and equipment underneath.


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[Ff_emt2008]

I grew up in a woodworking shop with all the tools i need i am still working on the design for the cabinet to hold at least 500lbs. To the right of the two doors i think will be one big door so i can put things in and take out. I have to do two doors under the tank i think for support.

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[Ff_emt2008]

How big of a slump should i have?

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[Beej1254]

If it were me then I'd have as big of a sump as I could. I have so much open room under my stand but I can't put anything bigger then a 29gal in there because of small openings.

sucks because I have a spare 55gal.


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[Ff_emt2008]

How big is ur tank

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[Beej1254]

I have a 110gal.
5ft long.

I guess it was ok because I put 2 10 gallon tanks in the bottom both turned sideways next to each other. One is a 10gal ATO reservoir and the other is currently a QT but it was originally intended to be a 10gal frag tank


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[Ff_emt2008]

So im looking at setting a 20 gal up as a slump for my 29 so that should be good?

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