Bifferwine
I am a girl
Sounds about right! I'm excited to see what happens with this sponge tank. It's a unique idea.
Sponges Only
- Thread starter Steve Frey
- Start date
Steve Frey
Reefing newb
I'm excited as well Sarah, too excited, OMG somebody stop me, I've been doing a lot of research and the more I learn the bigger my ideas get, I can see why you guys get addicted to this. If had life to live over again I would have become a marine biologist but I missed my calling and instead became a pipefitter where I have worked most of my life in food and beverage producing plants installing stainless steel tube. So after learning about the sump and the pumps and skimmers and reactors and the RO filters I have discovered that this will be a great DIY project for me and something that I'll be able to take great pride in. The problem is, as I'm sure you all are aware, my wallet is struggling to keep up. :D
Heck in my mind I'm up to a 120 gal tank now sitting on a custom built stainless steel stand with all my piping being stainless steel tube. I'm addicted already and I haven't even started.
Heck in my mind I'm up to a 120 gal tank now sitting on a custom built stainless steel stand with all my piping being stainless steel tube. I'm addicted already and I haven't even started.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Welcome to the club! :lol:
Although it's hard, it's really important to remember that once you have your tank, do not rush. It can be really hard to resist stocking it all at once and we all want a picture-perfect reef overnight, but that's not going to happen. And if it does happen, odds are things will be dead a few days later. So let your head get carried away and think about your plans all you want, but when it comes down to actually setting up the tank, go slow, do research and don't stock too quickly. They say "The only things that happen fast in a reef tank are bad things."
Steve Frey
Reefing newb
Yeah I've already succumbed to the idea that this is going to be a slow process, that will be a given since I'm going under the knife at the end of January for a total hip replacement and then I'll be spending a few weeks in a rehab facility afterwards so I won't even be home to tend to things. I would like to be at the cycling stage before that though.
So I have a couple of questions, since the 55, 75, 90, and 120 gal tanks are all 48" long and would therefore use the same lighting and possibly the same stand, are there factors other than the live rock and pump size that would increase the cost of setup with the larger tanks? Also I plan on using a sump and therefore a return pump so do I still need to use powerheads for aeration? I have a tentative idea of going plenty large on the return pump and distributing the flow through a header of some type so it won't be a question of whether there is enough flow just concerned about the aereation.
My next question involves water changes, I haven't found a lot of info on the site regardiing this topic and am a little confused right now. Do all tanks regardless of size require water changes? I believe I read where something like 20% of the volume is changed out, how often should this occur? When changing the water I am assuming that the replacement water after going through the RO filter has salt added unlike make-up water(due to evaporation) which has no salt added. So it sounds like another vessel is required to house this premixed saltwater that is used during water changes, is this correct?
So I have a couple of questions, since the 55, 75, 90, and 120 gal tanks are all 48" long and would therefore use the same lighting and possibly the same stand, are there factors other than the live rock and pump size that would increase the cost of setup with the larger tanks? Also I plan on using a sump and therefore a return pump so do I still need to use powerheads for aeration? I have a tentative idea of going plenty large on the return pump and distributing the flow through a header of some type so it won't be a question of whether there is enough flow just concerned about the aereation.
My next question involves water changes, I haven't found a lot of info on the site regardiing this topic and am a little confused right now. Do all tanks regardless of size require water changes? I believe I read where something like 20% of the volume is changed out, how often should this occur? When changing the water I am assuming that the replacement water after going through the RO filter has salt added unlike make-up water(due to evaporation) which has no salt added. So it sounds like another vessel is required to house this premixed saltwater that is used during water changes, is this correct?
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Those tanks will have different dimensions other than length, so the bigger stands will be more expensive. Depending on what kind of lighting you go with, there is also a cost difference in the lighting for a 55 vs a 120. One is much deeper and wider than the other.
You will need more powerheads with a larger tank. More salt mix. More rock and more sand. That's probably about it.
If you use a sump, you will still need powerheads to move the water around. Google "closed loop system" and see if that's something that interests you. It used to be pretty popular, but it seems to have gone out of style lately. If you use a closed loop system, you do not need powerheads.
All tanks, regardless of size, should have water changes. Sometimes when tanks mature they can become pretty self sufficient, and water changes may not be necessary as frequently, but that can take years. Most people change 10% to 20% every week or every two weeks, depending on stocking, feeding, filtration you have, etc.
You only need one container for water. You can use the same one for top off water (no salt) and water change water (salt). Most of us keep a couple of plastic Brute trash cans from the hardware store for making water.
You will need more powerheads with a larger tank. More salt mix. More rock and more sand. That's probably about it.
If you use a sump, you will still need powerheads to move the water around. Google "closed loop system" and see if that's something that interests you. It used to be pretty popular, but it seems to have gone out of style lately. If you use a closed loop system, you do not need powerheads.
All tanks, regardless of size, should have water changes. Sometimes when tanks mature they can become pretty self sufficient, and water changes may not be necessary as frequently, but that can take years. Most people change 10% to 20% every week or every two weeks, depending on stocking, feeding, filtration you have, etc.
You only need one container for water. You can use the same one for top off water (no salt) and water change water (salt). Most of us keep a couple of plastic Brute trash cans from the hardware store for making water.
Steve Frey
Reefing newb
Thanks Sarah, the "closed loop system" is exactly what I am interested in, it's perfect for me! I like the fact that there is a considerable amount of piping involved, being that this is my forte, and that the pumps are not submersible and can be securely mounted. This is where my mind was going with my design and thanks to you I now know what it's called and have found the info I need. Now there would be no need for powerheads in the main tank with a closed loop system right?
In a thread on another forum a member expresses his opinion on cls.
Not very many cons, if any in my opinion provided you have a good design.
In a thread on another forum a member expresses his opinion on cls.
Not very many cons, if any in my opinion provided you have a good design.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Yes, make sure you have a good design (valve placement) and you should be set. You also need to have a tank drilled for it.
