Slowly moving towards a reef tank.

[kgriffith]

I have been slowly gearing towards going full reef... My question is what I should do to modify my setup...


I have 90 gallon with corner overflow. Wet/dry trickle with about 10 gallons of water at its operating level. I am going to remove the bio balls slowly...
Oceanic Model 6 skimmer (doesnt seem to be making much skimate, it is plumbed externaly. I also have a 10g refugium that is plumbed with a 300 gph powerhead and a 1" overflow. Iwaki return pump. The tank has about 100-120lbs of live rock in it.

I was planning on changing out the wet/dry for a sump but I cant find one that incorporates a refugium and I didnt want to drill it to accept my overflow refugium...

What should I do? What would you guys do?

 

[melosu58]

Also if you are going reef what type lighting do you have? Let me think about the plumbing.

 

[Innovator]

I am a little confused, do you have a built in overflow or it it a hang-on back? How many overflows do you have?

 

[ryshark]

I am sure many people will disagree with me, however I don't think you need a refugium. There are many successful reef tanks out there without refugiums. So in my opinion don't be too concerned if you can't find a sump that incorporates a refugium. But if you can, then great get it and typically put the refugium in the middle chamber. So you will have skimmer in the first chamber-fuge-return pump.

 

[kgriffith]

Also if you are going reef what type lighting do you have? Let me think about the plumbing.

Currently I am running 4 110 vho's on an icecap 660

 

[kgriffith]

I am a little confused, do you have a built in overflow or it it a hang-on back? How many overflows do you have?

I have one corner overflow it is drilled

 

[Innovator]

Ahhhh a drilled overflow makes things so much simpler. If the wet/dry currently only holds a maximum of 10g of water then I would purchase a glass 29g (30x12x18), 30 tall (24x13x24), or a 30 regular (36x12x16) depending on what can be fit and do the following layout: Sump - Model E The other option to this design is: overflow feed -> skimmer -> baffles -> refugiuim -> baffles -> return pump. Of course, all depends on what kind of wet/dry you have size-wise.

 

[melosu58]

Currently I am running 4 110 vho's on an icecap 660

That`s good. I run 4 VHO bulbs also. Mine are 160 watt and 6 ft long.

 

[kgriffith]

I think I am going to stick with what I have for now. I am in the process or removing the bio-balls and am going to replace them with live rock rubble. I figure that coupled with the 10 g refugium should keep my nitrates down. I am at 20 now and am going to do another water change mid week. I only added the refugium 2 days ago, how long before it brings down my nitrates in your experience?

Last but not least I am going to the lfs tommorow, could you recommend some good corals for me to get? I have a green acro that has seen better days(came to me in bad shape and my flameangel likes to eat it, flame is gone tommorow) I have a finger leather, nice big zoos and a small bta