First Saltwater Tank
- Thread starter Max125g
- Start date
Max125g
Reefing newb
- Location
- Boynton Beach, FL
what size should i make the return tank (is that the proper terminology for the tank after the fuge?)
Are "baffles" splits in the tank?
If i have the current wet/dry transformed into skimmer/fuge and the "new tank" seperated into 2 sections with baffles, would it be beneficial to have the first section of the "new tank" a 2nd fuge?
the size of the return tank depends on what you want to put in there. you wont need to make it huge, but the bigger it is the less you have to top it up with fresh water as thats where you will notice it evaporating. (more water to cover the pump)
baffles are splits in the tank used to slow down the flow of water. have a look in the DIY section there are a lot of people making sumps and they have images explaining this a bit better.
If you seperate the new tank into 2 sections and make it a decent size i dont see why it wouldnt be beneficial to have another fug, it doesnt hurt to have more natural filtration. Over each fug you will just need a regular light to keep the algae growing though, so keep that in mind. PC lights are good for this job.
baffles are splits in the tank used to slow down the flow of water. have a look in the DIY section there are a lot of people making sumps and they have images explaining this a bit better.
If you seperate the new tank into 2 sections and make it a decent size i dont see why it wouldnt be beneficial to have another fug, it doesnt hurt to have more natural filtration. Over each fug you will just need a regular light to keep the algae growing though, so keep that in mind. PC lights are good for this job.
dcantucson
Reef pro
I would save up for a different brand of lights. Many mixed reviews on the Odyssea brand. Current makes a good MH/T5 combo, that several of us use.
BTW, Welcome to the forum.
BTW, Welcome to the forum.
Max125g
Reefing newb
- Location
- Boynton Beach, FL
Yea im not in this for cheap lights, ill save up for some more expensive ones or figure out a DIY light kit and save some money.
Ill check out the "current" brand, thanks for the info and warm welcome!
yote
In Memoriam
Welcome aboard Max.
Here are the lights and skimmer I run on my 125.
E.T.S.S. Reef Devil Deluxe Protein Skimmer - AquaCave
I switched the pump that came with the skimmer for a Mag 12.
And here are the lights.
72" Current USA Outer Orbit 3x250W 10,000K HQI-MH w/ 8x39W T5 HO & 24 Lunar Lights* - AquaCave
Here are the lights and skimmer I run on my 125.
E.T.S.S. Reef Devil Deluxe Protein Skimmer - AquaCave
I switched the pump that came with the skimmer for a Mag 12.
And here are the lights.
72" Current USA Outer Orbit 3x250W 10,000K HQI-MH w/ 8x39W T5 HO & 24 Lunar Lights* - AquaCave
Max125g
Reefing newb
- Location
- Boynton Beach, FL
Hey everyone, just picked up the tank last night... YAY!!!
Here is a picture compared next to my old 55g (what a difference)
Me standing in front of it
Cat getting caught messing with it already
i wanted to get a second opinion on some things.
First the pump. It is a IWAKI WALCHEM model WMD-30RLXT-115
Anybody have any experience with these? Seems to be in good condition (saw it running on tank before and worked well). It does run a bit loud but im sure i can insulate the compartment a bit.
Second question is regarding scratches. I did a bit of research and found out that using cerium oxide with a buffer drill bit can remove the smaller scratches. it almost looks like the previous owner used some steel wool (or the wrong algae removing device) and there are a LOT of scratches on the tank. I know this will involve a LOT of elbow grease, but has anybody had any experience with using the Cerium Oxide? Tank is still empty but how careful do i have to be about any dust getting in the tank? What precautions can i take? Is it very toxic to fish (where if i miss a bit of the dust when cleaning up and fill the tank, it would kill everything?
Thanks ahead of time
Here is a picture compared next to my old 55g (what a difference)
Me standing in front of it
Cat getting caught messing with it already
i wanted to get a second opinion on some things.
First the pump. It is a IWAKI WALCHEM model WMD-30RLXT-115
Anybody have any experience with these? Seems to be in good condition (saw it running on tank before and worked well). It does run a bit loud but im sure i can insulate the compartment a bit.
Second question is regarding scratches. I did a bit of research and found out that using cerium oxide with a buffer drill bit can remove the smaller scratches. it almost looks like the previous owner used some steel wool (or the wrong algae removing device) and there are a LOT of scratches on the tank. I know this will involve a LOT of elbow grease, but has anybody had any experience with using the Cerium Oxide? Tank is still empty but how careful do i have to be about any dust getting in the tank? What precautions can i take? Is it very toxic to fish (where if i miss a bit of the dust when cleaning up and fill the tank, it would kill everything?
Thanks ahead of time
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wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
- Location
- VA USA
Looks like everyone has you covered, Max! Welcome to the site! Why don't you start a build thread in the "Tank Showcase" section? Most of us have one thread that we post on to update everyone on our tanks' progress?
Can't help you with the scratches. I have a couple of annoying ones, but since their midway down the tank and my tank is filled, no chance of me buffing them out :D He probably got sand between his magfloat and the glass.
I have a used 125g like you, too, and I paid $225 for mine, no stand, so yours was a good deal....except I noticed it has no predrilled overflows...
If you will use a sump, you will need a way to get the water down there. Did your tank come with a HOB overflow or two? You can drill your own overflows (Or hire a glass shop to do it for you). But a HOB will be fine. I'm not sure, but you might want to get 2, and put one on each end for better flow.
I think from what I heard the Iwakis are good brands, but I've never used them.
Can't help you with the scratches. I have a couple of annoying ones, but since their midway down the tank and my tank is filled, no chance of me buffing them out :D He probably got sand between his magfloat and the glass.
I have a used 125g like you, too, and I paid $225 for mine, no stand, so yours was a good deal....except I noticed it has no predrilled overflows...
If you will use a sump, you will need a way to get the water down there. Did your tank come with a HOB overflow or two? You can drill your own overflows (Or hire a glass shop to do it for you). But a HOB will be fine. I'm not sure, but you might want to get 2, and put one on each end for better flow.
I think from what I heard the Iwakis are good brands, but I've never used them.
That's a great looking tank. Especially like the stand. Gonna be alot of fun. I've never seen a pump like that before, I researched it on their site, it seems to be some sort of hospital grade pump. Here's a clip from the site.
Do you require compact, quiet, highly efficient pumps for your Laser, Chiller or Blood Analyzer Applications? Iwaki America pumps are compact, offer higher pressure, AND last longer than any traditional offerings.
Do you see any rust on it? If you're concerned about it, check out the mag pumps. You'll need something like a Mag 9 or maybe slightly bigger. It's always better to get a bigger pump, and you can turn the volume down, rather than have a pump that's too small.
As far as cleaning the tank for scratches...I've heard that it's possible to remove scratches but have never tried it myself, I think it's a good rule of thumb to consider ANYTHING that you use to clean your tank toxic or harmful to your fish. IMO saltwater fish are easy to take care of, I think most of the time when people have bad things happen it's because they're not paying attention or do something they shouldn't have. Keeping that in mind, while easy to care for, if you do something dumb or careless, these fish are very intolerant. The key to happy saltwater fish is STABILITY...
When you clean the tank use white vinegar, it works well..Don't use any cleaning products. Make sure you rinse very well.
Find the side with the most scratches and put it in the back...look closely, sometimes the most annoying ones are hard to see.
Do you require compact, quiet, highly efficient pumps for your Laser, Chiller or Blood Analyzer Applications? Iwaki America pumps are compact, offer higher pressure, AND last longer than any traditional offerings.
Do you see any rust on it? If you're concerned about it, check out the mag pumps. You'll need something like a Mag 9 or maybe slightly bigger. It's always better to get a bigger pump, and you can turn the volume down, rather than have a pump that's too small.
As far as cleaning the tank for scratches...I've heard that it's possible to remove scratches but have never tried it myself, I think it's a good rule of thumb to consider ANYTHING that you use to clean your tank toxic or harmful to your fish. IMO saltwater fish are easy to take care of, I think most of the time when people have bad things happen it's because they're not paying attention or do something they shouldn't have. Keeping that in mind, while easy to care for, if you do something dumb or careless, these fish are very intolerant. The key to happy saltwater fish is STABILITY...
When you clean the tank use white vinegar, it works well..Don't use any cleaning products. Make sure you rinse very well.
Find the side with the most scratches and put it in the back...look closely, sometimes the most annoying ones are hard to see.
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Max125g
Reefing newb
- Location
- Boynton Beach, FL
Thanks everyone, sounds like i am posting this in the wrong section, ill start a new thread.
yea, it came with 2 older HOB overflows. They were located right next to eachother but it would not be any problem separating them. Glass is tempered so i dont think i can get it drilled. The current HOB's are very old-anybody got a good online spot to purchase some new HOB overflow kits?
I guess my first steps will be to try and buff teh scratches, make sure i am running a good pump, and ensure all my plumbing is working well (and build another refugium under)
Josh-thanks for the encouragement. I was a bit upset seeeing all the scratches when i got home, but i have a good feeling i can buff the most of them out. Trying to find out how much care i need to take with the cerium oxide, i dont want any residue left behind if it is very toxic to fish/corals.
yea, it came with 2 older HOB overflows. They were located right next to eachother but it would not be any problem separating them. Glass is tempered so i dont think i can get it drilled. The current HOB's are very old-anybody got a good online spot to purchase some new HOB overflow kits?
I guess my first steps will be to try and buff teh scratches, make sure i am running a good pump, and ensure all my plumbing is working well (and build another refugium under)
Josh-thanks for the encouragement. I was a bit upset seeeing all the scratches when i got home, but i have a good feeling i can buff the most of them out. Trying to find out how much care i need to take with the cerium oxide, i dont want any residue left behind if it is very toxic to fish/corals.
Max125g
Reefing newb
- Location
- Boynton Beach, FL
Looked up the GPH flow rate on that pump and its a whopping 1100+. I have a feeling i will need to restrict the flow a bit as my HOB overflows(2) might not be able to keep up with that.
What size are the over flow pipes? probably 3/4...You'll be fine. You want between 5-10x tank size circulation...calculating for alittle bit of headloss (water going up the return pipe, against gravity) it will drop below 1100 gph slightly... I think you'll be good.
Your welcome max :) just buff out what you can, either way, that tank will look amazing! we have nothing second hand like that here :grumble: I would have to buy an 8grand AUSD system in order to have a tank like this. :D go crazy with it hehe
With the scratches, just make sure you give it a good major clean. What I would do is rinse it out after you buff it, clean it with any detergents you wanted, and rinse it a number more times then get some white vinegar to clean anything else off. And after giving it a number more rinses and scrubs with a clean sponge.
With the scratches, just make sure you give it a good major clean. What I would do is rinse it out after you buff it, clean it with any detergents you wanted, and rinse it a number more times then get some white vinegar to clean anything else off. And after giving it a number more rinses and scrubs with a clean sponge.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
- Location
- Lynnwood, WA and missing Tucson, AZ
Iwakis are good pumps. Probably one of the better brands in the hobby.
Ulta
REEFER
- Location
- Mt. Pleasant, MI
Until they are filled with Algae... bwahahaha...
Nemo10
www.facebook.com/mupulo
- Location
- Janesville, Wi
Go on ebay and look this store up. topdogsellers. He sells Mh 48" light with LEDs for $300.. longer ones to.
Max125g
Reefing newb
- Location
- Boynton Beach, FL
Thanks for the tip Nemo10!
Glad to hear i got a decent pump with the stand, thanks for confirming Biffer
And Josh-not sure how to "rinse out" the tank except for siphoning it out as i would normally do a water change. ill figure it out, white vinegar it is.
Glad to hear i got a decent pump with the stand, thanks for confirming Biffer
And Josh-not sure how to "rinse out" the tank except for siphoning it out as i would normally do a water change. ill figure it out, white vinegar it is.
yote
In Memoriam
Its always fun to see a new tank come together and grow.:D Congratulations.
On those scratches,try buffing some on an old piece of glass before doing your tank.A lot a times leaving the scratches looks better than after they have been buffed out.
On those scratches,try buffing some on an old piece of glass before doing your tank.A lot a times leaving the scratches looks better than after they have been buffed out.
