BluCrab Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 This hobby is like a drug! 1/22/2013 NOW 3/26/2014 FTS So this is the tank that started it all for me, it's my sisters 48 gal acrylic tank that she purchased back in the mid '80s. I used to stare at it for hours as a kid. It used to have a HOB filtration system and was used as a freshwater aquarium. My brother in law claims it cost them $2,250 back in the day but he likes to lie! haha Well my plan is to check for leaks then start saving $ to make this a fish only Saltwater set up. Any advice would be great. I was thinking about going with a HOB and adding live rock and live sand. Maybe going with a Aquaclear 70 or a 110 with a media/fuge basket by inTank. Trying to keep the cost down since I just started out with my 29 Gal Biocube. any advice on lighting, filtration and anything else I might need would be great. I am on a budget. Thank you! Sonny aka BluCrab Link to comment
Psychosis Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Honestly, no matter what you intend to keep, a sump would be a much better option. Aqua clears wouldn't really hack it, even for a FOWLR. You could try a canister filter I suppose, but same problem (plus they generally suck for SW.) If you drill a sump, you could keep it simple and just rock a full sized refugium. I'd also reccomend some sort of skimmer and/or a GFO reactor, but again you don't need it all to be 100% crystal (depending, of course, on what fish you'd like.) You still need flow in the DT, which can be provided my some MJ1200's or similar. Koralias would serve you well in this application. So far as lighting, you're basically only illuminating the tank enough to see the fish. You don't need insane par or controllability. I'd say a 2 tube t5 unit would be a good option, or one of the cheap low end LED fixtures to save on bulb changes. Just remember, every FOWLR I've seen started on these boards eventually became a full on reef setup... 2 Link to comment
eitallent Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Of course, being a newbie I cannot help much about this hobby. But I can tell you that my refugium is great in that the pod population exploded after I added it. That would help feed certain fish. I have chaetomorpha in the fuge that has grown like crazy which helps filter out some of the nutrients you don't want in there. I have seen the HOB aquafuge2 on youtube and it seems to get the job done. Good luck! Link to comment
BluCrab Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 ok I've been convinced, except I'm not going to drill a hole in a 30 year tank. So how is the best way to get the water from the tank to the sump? via a Overflow box/bulkhead like this one? http://www.marinedepot.com/External_Boxes-CPR-CR1511-FIOFEB-CR1511-vi.html or if you guys know of a better one or a better way, let me know. Link to comment
BluCrab Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 So I'm looking at buying a wet/dry filter system with a prefilter overflow box and ripping out the bioballs and replacing it with some live rock,sand and making it into a refugeium. Or should I leave everything the way it is but add live rock and sand to the area the pump will go and then put the pumps in a filter sock to keep out any debri? My question is has anyone seen this done and if so which brand would be best? A Pro Clear Aquatics 75 or the 125 http://www.amazon.com/ProClear-Aquatics-Premier-Filter-Prefilter/dp/B00061UXHS/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1359401453&sr=8-23&keywords=refugium+sump with Prefiller or a Eshopps WD-75CS Wet Dry Filter ? Link to comment
BluCrab Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 also any recommendation on a return pump would be great! Link to comment
eitallent Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 CPR brands seem very popular. I do not have any suggestions for you directly about that but you will probably have to search this site. I found using google to search this site is really helpful. Type this in the Google search bar: site:nano-reef.com Pro Clear Aquatics 75 Google will only return searches it finds on nano-reef for any search term you put in there. 1 Link to comment
BluCrab Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 I know I'm going to get some crap but after research and talking to many ppl I know around town that have established saltwater aquariums, I went ahead and purchased a Pro Clear premium 75 wet dry with the prefiller that way I didn't have to drill my tank. Now I'm going to take it slow ,save up $ and put this bad boy together after our trip to Disney World so I won't have any issues when on vacation. Plus if anything else I've learned in this hobby is you got to take your time to do it right. Link to comment
BluCrab Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 Update! After a few months since my last post I've added water (55 gal RO Salt), 20 lbs of live rock,40 lbs of Caribsea Ocean Direct Caribean live sand, 15 lbs of Caribsea Flamingo Reef to the display and 8 lbs of Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand to the wet dry filter rigged Refugium along with 3 lbs of live rock and Cheato. Only thing missing is some good lights.Right now I'm using a metal halide shop light. I've changed my mind about 3 times so far in planning my lights. 3 weeks into my cycle, light on for 8 hours a day and a few feather dusters are active, artrist starfish (spl?) Ph was at 8.0 ,water at 1.024 ,nitrates at zero and nitrite at zero. So I chunked a Christmas farva $5 frag about 3 days ago and it's looking good. I also added old school T12 shop fixture for now with a Antic Blue bulb just to run in the mean time. Didn't have it in the video. lol I didn't know my Pandora was still running while I videoed the tank. Link to comment
BluCrab Posted April 23, 2013 Author Share Posted April 23, 2013 Updated FTS and additions to the Salty Crew... Pulled a few of the frags out of my Bio Cube including the star of the new tank Jedi Montipora Purple Lobster My Sith Flame Hawk Link to comment
BluCrab Posted July 19, 2013 Author Share Posted July 19, 2013 update pics to come! New 160W 16K Maxspect Razor just arrived. Also here's something to go along with my Star Wars theme I picked up to my trip to Disney World Link to comment
BluCrab Posted November 25, 2013 Author Share Posted November 25, 2013 Updated pics... with Maxspects now up and running about 3 months. Link to comment
BluCrab Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 A few updated pics with new aquascaping. a few corals. Link to comment
BluCrab Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 Over the weekend I added a few more corals to the Retro Star Wars mixed reef. Two heads of Toxic Branching Hammers, a frag of Chile Pepper Montipora , and one large ricordea mushroom orange and baby blue. Now I've created a Hammer Island to the right of the display. I'll take a new pic in a few days once everything is settled in their spots. I also added a new reactor with GFO to help with the phosphates. I found out the shelf I wanted to use to hang the Maxspect isn't wide enough so I'll have to redesign the way I'm going to hang my lights. Fully Display shot Hammer Island MushroomI scored big time...3 shroons for $10! The other two went in my softy tank. Link to comment
jeeperreefer Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I have to say this is the first Star Wars tank I have seen. Not my personal taste, but a really cool idea. Looks like it is coming along nicely. I would hang the light. Looks like the legs are flexing a little more then they should. Link to comment
BluCrab Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 I'm still trying to figure out how I want to hang the light,but now I'm about to order some 120 replacement lens from Maxspect. Link to comment
BluCrab Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 Updated video Link to comment
BluCrab Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 updated FTS 1/31/15 Link to comment
BluCrab Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 I just switched to mixing my own Salt water, Now using Red Sea Coral Pro. before change .. Salinity 1.026 Cal 470 Alk 9 Link to comment
BluCrab Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 So right when this set up is about to turn 2 years old on March 17th,I'm going to upgrade. Finally going to do away with the 25+ year old scratched up acrylic tank and go rimless. Only because we got lucky at Reef Currents 2015 !! DSA 65 Pro Gallon Rimless Link to comment
gena Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 That's so awesome!!!!! Congrats!!!!! Link to comment
pokerdobe Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 That's really cool. I stopped by too late in the day and all the good stuff was gone.... Link to comment
BluCrab Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Yeah ,if you're a MARSH member they let you in 30 mins before the public. I scored some nice frags, but passed up some in the morning that I started kicking myself later on. Link to comment
gena Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Just realized your 65 rimless is the one you won . When do you expect to set it up? Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.